There was a reason thatBlue Bloods' attempt to replace Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Linda (Amy Carlson) with another central couple following Linda’s season 8 death didn’t work. During the first seven seasons,Blue Bloods' Danny and Lindawere the only married couple among the younger generation of Reagans. Although they loved each other, they often didn’t see eye-to-eye on issues related to Danny’s work decisions or how to raise their two sons.
Many of thebest episodes ofBlue Bloodsrevolved around conflicts between Danny and Linda. However, Amy Carlson chose not to renew her contract for season 8, and thus the writers killed off her character. After Linda’s death, Danny didn’t date anyone new until he asked Baez (Marisa Ramirez) out for pizza during the procedural’s final episode. Instead,Blue Bloods' Jamie and Eddie got married, pushing them into the position that Danny and Linda formerly occupied, but it didn’t work as well.
Linda’s Death Left The Reagans With No Functioning Marriage In Blue Bloods
Jamie And Eddie Don’t Get Married Until Season 9
Linda’s departure left a large hole inBlue Bloods' Reagan family. Despite not being a Reagan from birth, she did a lot for the family. She was there when Henry had his heart attack as well as for happier occasions, such as when she surprised the family patriarch with a cake to celebrate his 60th anniversary of joining the NYPD.Linda and Danny also often butted heads about issues related to raising their kids, leading to strong family drama subplotsin many episodes. For example, Linda didn’t approve of Danny teaching their son how to shoot a gun.
Amy Carlson was a guest star in season 1 but was promoted to series regular in season 2, demonstrating how important Linda was toBlue Bloods.
Linda’s death therefore made it harder forBlue Bloodsto tell the family stories that the procedural was known for. During the first part of the season, the show got a lot of mileage out of Danny’s grief and his adjustment to being a single father. However, this arc was not enough to carry the show long-term.Blue Bloodsneeded a new couple to fill the space Linda left behind, which is one reason thatBlue Bloods' Jamie and Eddiegot engaged at the end of season 8 and married the following season.
Blue Bloods Attempted To Fill The Void With Eddie & Jamie (But Failed)
This Couple Didn’t Have The Same Dynamic
Jamie and Eddie were a fan-favorite couple, but they didn’t work as a replacement for Danny and Linda. Danny’s conflicts with Linda came from them having very different perspectives on important issues. One strong reason for that was that they came from different backgrounds. Linda didn’t fully understand cop culture because she was an ER nurse, while Danny sometimes didn’t understand how important Linda’s job was to her. Conversely,Jamie and Eddie were both cops, so they understood each other’s job requirements perfectly.
With Donnie Wahlberg Returning For A Blue Bloods Sequel, I Need These 6 Characters To Appear With Him
Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan shouldn’t be the only family member returning for Boston Blue, and a few other Blue Bloods characters need to join him.
For Jamie and Eddie, any conflicts between them came from disagreements about how to do their job rather than misunderstandings about what each other’s jobs required of them. It was surprising that Jamie later became a sergeant in Eddie’s precinct, as this was a less realistic NYPD scenario thanBlue Bloodsusually offered. However, this setup allowed Jamie to get stuck between what Eddie and Captain MacNichols wanted. While these conflicts made the couple more interesting, they still didn’t allow them to be an effective replacement for Danny and Linda.
Eddie & Jamie Were Still Great For Their Own Contributions To Blue Bloods
They Deserved The Perfect Ending They Got
While Jamie and Eddie might not have been the best replacement for Danny and Linda, they still were a strong couple that deserved the accolades they got. Unfortunately, they didn’t get nearly enough screen time in the final few seasons. Often, the procedural offered only one of them a storyline while the other only appeared atBlue Bloods’Reagan family dinner.This change was likely dictated by budgetary limitations, but it had the effect of stalling the couple’s relationship storyline. Conversely,while Danny and Linda didn’t always have a storyline, their relationship was on more often and felt more developed.
Jamie and Eddie were an interesting couple in their own right even though they didn’t succeed at replacing Danny and Linda after Linda’s death, and there are still more stories that could be told about them.
That said, it was exciting that Jamie and Eddie decided to start their own family and announced they were expecting a baby at the end of the series finale. It is disappointing that the couple didn’t get their ownBlue Bloodsspinofffollowing their journey as new parents. Jamie and Eddie were an interestingBlue Bloodscouple in their own right even though they didn’t succeed at replacing Danny and Linda after Linda’s death, and there are still more stories that could be told about them.
