S12.E08: Reality Check

[zapper]

Danny partners with Anthony to solve a double homicide when Anthony's shady cousin proves to have gang ties to the crime; the boundary between Eddie and Jamie's work and personal relationship becomes strained.

[zapper]

it's been a dry two weeks, looking forward to a solid episode - here's hope that they deliver.

[Magnumfangirl]

Erin's story felt like fan service. I kinda like Erin, but viewers complain that she's an icy bitch with no personality so they wrote that into the show.

The Jamie and Eddie story just illustrated how ridiculous it is to have Jamie working as her supervisor. 

The Frank story was also stupid because they wimped out on it by making the guy a phony. It would have been more interesting if he had been the real deal. He could have put Frank on the spot about which part of his message Frank disagreed with?

Anthony getting more screen time is always good, but the case wasn't that interesting.

Edited December 4, 2021 by Magnumfangirl

[preeya]

So Almighty Erin can't pass the "I want to be a D.A. candidate test"  Who woulda thunk it. But here comes Anthony to the rescue.

Jamie & Eddy working together is just STOOPID., but that's beating a dead horse.

Couldn't have found a more creepier looking relative for Anthony. Who was that guy?

Will there be romance in Grandpa Teeth's future?

 

 

[EtheltoTillie]

Idiot plot syndrome. Why wouldn’t Jamie have told Eddie what was up from the get go?  That would have been more helpful to the partner. Or wouldn’t everyone already know his story?  Seems that would be widely known. 
Erin’s story was just sad. 

[SunnyBeBe]

So, what was the point of pointing out that Erin is more career focused than socially active?  Erin must have been out of law school for many years. Most people from law school don’t stay close friends for 20 years. Lol. I guess they want to say that she’s not likable enough to win.  Good.  Just leave that storyline alone.  I’m really tired of it. And, Erin needs to stop spending time at work talking about her campaign plans… it’s not appropriate.  
 

I normally like Anthony, but why was he so over the top angry over his cousin stealing his grandmother’s jewelry?  It was wrong and I get being upset about it, but to repeatedly slam someone into a wall?  That’s crazy behavior.  The guy could have suffered a brain bleed and died.  It didn’t seem realistic to me.  
 

If I were Eddie, I think I would have told Jamie that I was leaving him and the job.  Cuckoo stuff.  

 

[Brian Cronin]

It's fascinating that they choose to continue revisiting why it is horribly unprofessional for Jamie to be his wife's sergeant and not, you know, acknowledge that it is horribly unprofessional for Jamie to be his wife's sergeant. It's like each time they bring this plot up it is like someone saying TWO....PLUS....TWO....EQUALS....SEVEN? They give us the clear pieces and don't add them up.

Erin's run for District Attorney reminds me of Jamie's push for sergeant. Remember how many stops and starts THAT took over the years? "Maybe I should...no, maybe I shouldn't...but maybe I should." Ugh. 

How slow were Danny and Anthony that the guy walked Anthony's cousin to the van before they got outside? 

The Frank plot was another groaner. "Hmmm...we COULD have an interesting discussion where there is no true right or wrong...or we'll pull something out of our ass to avoid the discussion? Let's do that one!" By the way, "The person who was fooled by a fake police report looks just as bad as the person who faked his police report" isn't a thing! There is no way that Frank had anywhere NEAR the same to lose as the guy who lied about his injury!

[wonderwoman]

17 minutes ago, Brian Cronin said:

"Hmmm...we COULD have an interesting discussion where there is no true right or wrong...or we'll pull something out of our ass to avoid the discussion? Let's do that one!"

yup! that pretty much sums up this show — an on-going exercise in futility and frustration…

[judyri]

I don't know about the premise of Erin's story.  As long as there is no scandal, what voters would care if she's married or what her hobbies are.  Seems a stretch.  Especially for a position like DA, shouldn't they be running on their work ethic and professional results?

[Brian Cronin]

7 hours ago, judyri said:

I don't know about the premise of Erin's story.  As long as there is no scandal, what voters would care if she's married or what her hobbies are.  Seems a stretch.  Especially for a position like DA, shouldn't they be running on their work ethic and professional results?

I think personality DOES play a role in any major election in a huge city like New York, but yes, not to the extent that they are making it out to be. And, of course, they keep acting like being the daughter of the hugely popular Police Commissioner will somehow HINDER Erin's campaign when it would obviously bolster it dramatically. Her name brand recognition is through the roof, vs. "DA from out of state who just lied under oath in a murder trial."

[TV Diva Queen]

I felt like the ghosts of Solicitor past, present and future were going to show up....

[zapper]

well, i know that this is TV. And Blue Bloods is a legacy chestnut worthy of some slack as the plot barrel gets closer to the bottom, but it's getting hard to look aside. Off the top of my head ...

Yes, having your spouse be your boss is wrong. In every place I've worked there were explicit rules forbidding that. working in the same company or even department is not so bad without a direct report corporate relationship and as long as the couple is mature enough to make it work.  Jamie and Eddie fail on both of these counts. I'm not pointing fingers, but I think it is the wife of Eddie's husband.

Anthony's never ending train wreck of crooked relatives would make it hard for him to be a cop. Full stop. A few years back I was used as a character reference for someone applying to be an IT team member on the RCMP (Canada's National police). There were specific and pointed questions about *any* friends/relations that the candidate had *questionable* associations. The concern was that connexions by relatives to criminal activities could be used as leverage against the candidate if hired. This is a real concern that hiring commitees have for police hires (including officers).  For Anthony to be related to half the criminal underbelly would not fly with the holier than thou NYPD of Blue Bloods.

 

More added this week

The use of Frank's image and words to promote something he does not promote is seen as legally just fine. Sure. Just like using Fonzie in a pair of Levis could be used to promote Levis without permission. Or Frank Sinatra exiting a helicopter, drink in hand, could be used to promote a whiskey.  Or an image of Obama used to sell "Just for men" gray treatment. It's wrong, lawsuits about misuse of public images/statements are common and Frank needs to get a better legal advisor than a media filter jockey.

Lack of personal life is a deterrent to public office - goodness, that is a benefit. These days, when any and every extracurricular event is likely to offend someone out there, to the degree that the candidate/incumbent quietly disappears, having no life is a benefit to any campaign manager. Outside of work, and the occasional involvement in a worthy cause/charity Erin is more squeaky clean than a bald guy in a white T-shirt. 

Edited December 6, 2021 by zapper

[zapper]

On 12/4/2021 at 7:05 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

I normally like Anthony, but why was he so over the top angry over his cousin stealing his grandmother’s jewelry?  It was wrong and I get being upset about it, but to repeatedly slam someone into a wall?  That’s crazy behavior.  The guy could have suffered a brain bleed and died.  It didn’t seem realistic to me.  

Anthony spent a fair bit of time support his cousin being a stand up good guy who, when Grandma was dying/died, spent weeks at her place taking care of her like no one else in family.

When it turned out that Anthony was wrong and the cousin was infact stealing Grandma's Rolex (Rolex ?!) and making off like a bandit, Anthony suddenly had [another] crummy cousin and Anthony also lost face.

[SunnyBeBe]

At the very least, a cease and desist letter over the unsanctioned videos would have been an option. Do they ever actually consult with the city attorney?  But going on the guy’s podcast that he supposedly doesn’t agree with….hmmm….. if I were Frank’s team, I’d be wondering about things like dementia.
 

I know how old Tom is. Is Frank that age too?  I mean Danny is almost 50, right?  So, Frank has to be in his 70’s.  I just find it difficult to buy that he’s still in that office….especially the way he’s portrayed on the show.  I guess Tom is the center of the show and no other Reagan is ready for that position.   

[kwnyc]

On 12/6/2021 at 6:23 AM, Brian Cronin said:

As long as there is no scandal, what voters would care if she's married or what her hobbies are. 

Our current NYS AG isn't married. She replaced a guy who was abusive to women. Likability is always a factor with a politician, but marriage isn't really, unless a spouse is unsavory or there was a nasty divorce.

[Brian Cronin]

1 hour ago, kwnyc said:

Our current NYS AG isn't married. She replaced a guy who was abusive to women. Likability is always a factor with a politician, but marriage isn't really, unless a spouse is unsavory or there was a nasty divorce.

I don't disagree, just noting that that wasn't my post. ;) It's weird seeing my name and I'm, like, "I don't THINK I said that." :)

[kwnyc]

OOPS! Sorry!

[susannah]

I didn't particularly like how they singled Portland out, showing thug behavior, when similar stuff was happening all over the country.  I agree that Eddie and Jamie can't work together, and Jamie should not be her boss. I also agree that Eddie should have been told about the guy's problem, since he endangered her life, and he also should not be be on active duty until he got his head straightened out. Were they waiting until he did get a partner killed?  I didn't have a problem with Anthony taking issue with his cousin after learning of his thievery. I don't believe he was slamming the guy up against the wall, I thought it was a van, and he wasn't pushing him very hard. I didn't like the consultant who told Erin that she wouldn't cut it in the election because she wasn't all things to all people all the time. I  highly doubt that her marriage ended because of her job or that her child suffered from total neglect.  I doubt anyone was telling her ex not to be as successful as he could be, even though he had a wife and child. I liked Anthony and Danny working together.

[MDL]

5 hours ago, susannah said:

II  highly doubt that her marriage ended because of her job or that her child suffered from total neglect.  I doubt anyone was telling her ex not to be as successful as he could be, even though he had a wife and child.

Is my memory fading, or did Erin's marriage end due to Jack having an affair?

 

[susannah]

8 hours ago, MDL said:

Is my memory fading, or did Erin's marriage end due to Jack having an affair?

 

I thought that, as I was writing my post, and I am pretty sure it did. If so, it was really stupid of Erin to call him and allow him to blame her job as the reason, and then talk about it like it was her fault. I can just hear slimy Jack saying "if you weren't so busy with your job, I wouldn't have had to find someone else," or something similar.