It's hard enough to accept that Blue Bloods is ending soon without heartbreaking rumors about how the series will end.
Before CBS confirmed it wasn't backing down from its decision to cancel the popular cop/family drama, the writers promised that any series finale would not contain soap opera-like drama.
That has never been Blue Bloods' style, but one theory about how the beloved series will end suggests a depressing finale that there would be no coming back from.
Donnie Wahlberg's Instagram Post Sparked a Devastating Blue Bloods Rumor
Donnie Wahlberg (Danny) has been passionate about the fight to keep Blue Bloods alive,
He also posted several Instagram posts during the final week of filming, sharing the bittersweet mood backstage with his followers.
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One such post sparked a rumor that the series would end with the death of a beloved character, with some people thinking Henry would die and others believing Frank would be killed off.
The post in question included a video of the cast dancing backstage. Wahlberg, a New Kids on the Block alum, led the entire cast in the type of dance he does with his band, which will be touring this summer.
Sharp-eyed viewers noted that the cast appeared to be wearing formal police outfits usually reserved for funerals and that Sami Gayle (Nicky) was wearing what some thought was a funeral dress.
Additionally, Wahlberg's use of the word "bittersweet" in his caption led some of his audience to believe that he had filmed some sad scenes.
Blue Bloods takes death seriously -- see, for example, the tribute to Treat Williams on Blue Bloods Season 14 Episode 3.
In that case, the actor had passed away, necessitating such a tribute, but Blue Bloods hasn't shied away from death. After Amy Carlson left ahead of Season 8, Blue Bloods spent the next six years depicting Danny as a bereft widower who only recently considered dating.
At this point, the idea of Blue Bloods ending with a death is only a rumor.
Wahlberg could have meant that filming itself was bittersweet because he loved working with the cast and crew but was sad that the series was ending.
Ending Blue Bloods With a Major Character Death Would Be Too Painful
People are grieving hard over the loss of this show.
Blue Bloods was one of the last family dramas, and the Reagan family means a lot to its most dedicated viewers.
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The audience knows it's fiction, but the idea of a family of cops that gets together every Sunday without fail is comforting, especially to people who feel like family has become unimportant in our hectic society or don't have the types of family they can share regular meals with.
If one of the members of that family dies during the final episode, it will shatter what is left of our hearts.
Henry, Frank, and the rest of the Reagan family feel to many viewers like extended family, and it is hard enough to say goodbye to this series forever without losing another character to death.
It Is Unnecessary to End On This Depressing Note
The only reason to end with a character's death is to make it clear to the audience that the series is over and not coming back. Why is that necessary?
We already know that the show is over. CBS has canceled it despite massive fan-led protests and pleas from the cast and crew to continue.
There is no need to twist the knife by ending the series on such a low note.
Character deaths can be effective when necessary. I wasn't looking forward to George Sr's death on Young Sheldon, but it ended up being the perfect way to end the series because it was the catalyst for Sheldon to change his perspective on his childhood.
Maybe Blue Bloods will surprise me, but it doesn't seem like there's a strong reason to end on such a depressing note right now.
Blue Bloods' Ending Should Reassure The Audience That The Reagan Family Goes On
Since Blue Bloods emphasizes family, the ending must honor that by reassuring the audience that the Reagans will continue down the same path they always have after the series ends.
The series has shied away from Jamie and Eddie starting their family or having much time together because it would be too distracting, but a potential Eddie pregnancy would be the perfect ending.
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Eddie learning she was expecting would signal to viewers that the next generation of Reagans is on its way, and if she and Jamie decided to name the new baby after Henry, I wouldn't be able to stop crying.
This would be an especially effective ending if it occurred soon after Frank retired as commissioner.
Juxtaposing these two life events would end the series on a note of life -- and the Reagan family -- going on even though one chapter is ending.
The audience needs that, especially after grieving for over a year about Blue Bloods' cancelation.
Henry or Frank's death could lead to the same place, but it would be a lot more painful, so why do that?
Killing Anyone Off Limits Spinoff and Reunion Possibilities
Paramount has already suggested that there may be a spinoff in the works, and it'll be hard enough to get Blue Bloods fans on board without gratuitously killing off characters in the series finale.
Many Blue Bloods fans feel that a spinoff isn't enough -- they want more of the original show. If someone dies at the end of the original, they are less likely to give the new series a chance.
Additionally, character deaths make it harder to have reunion movies down the road.
After CBS abruptly canceled Gunsmoke in 1975, reunion movies over the next decade or so helped tie up loose ends and give fans a sense of closure, and the same could happen for Blue Bloods, but not if people are missing for no good reason
Of course, there's no guarantee there will ever be any such movies.
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Any plans like that would probably be a few years down the road, and by then, Tom Selleck and Len Cariou may be ready to retire.
Still, it isn't an option if characters are gratuitously killed off for a shocking series finale.
The writing on Blue Bloods has been as high-quality during the final season as at any other time, so there's no reason to believe the series finale will be less so. However, a character death would be difficult to pull off without further angering fans.
What do you think, Blue Bloods fanatics?
Would you tune in for the finale if you knew someone significant would die?
Hit the comments and let us know!
Blue Bloods' final eight episodes will air on CBS on Fridays at 10/9c from October to December 2024 and stream on Paramount+ the day after they air.