Whatever Happened To Monica Graham On Blue Bloods?

The Reagan family has always been the primary focus on "Blue Bloods." Throughout the show's 13 seasons, viewers follow the likes of Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck), Detective Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg), and District Attorney Erin Reagan-Boyle (Bridget Moynahan).

The family is always surrounded by a rotating bevy of supporting characters, some of whom get met with untimely and tragic ends. One such character was Chief Assistant District Attorney Monica Graham (Tamara Tunie), who first appeared in Season 7, Episode 8, "Personal Business." 

Monica appears twice more in Season 7 and twice in Season 8 before the shocking opening sequence in the Season 8 finale, "My Aim is True." In the scene, she is walking to work alongside Erin and discussing an upcoming romantic weekend with her ex-husband when a gunshot is heard and she collapses to the sidewalk in a pool of blood. 

At that week's family dinner, Frank suggests that Monica has been killed by the Prospect Park Six, a group of men who were recently freed after being wrongfully imprisoned for nine years. At that week's family dinner, Erin speculates that perhaps the bullet that killed Monica was meant for her, and Detective Danny Reagan theorizes that the men may have hired a professional killer to do the job. It turns out that Duwann Wilson (Hasaan Gilmer), the leader of the Prospect Park six, had hired assassin Dante Sorrento (Carl Nespoli) to kill Monica, and Danny goes to Miami to arrest Duwann, and Dante is later shot and killed in New York by Eddie Janko (Vanessa Ray).

After her appearance on "Blue Bloods" as Monica Graham, Tamara Tunie starred as Julia Smith on the Marti Noxon dark comedy "Dietland." The series was canceled after one season due to low viewership numbers, but while the series was airing on AMC, she also had a small role on one of the network's hit shows. Tunie appeared on three episodes of "Better Call Saul" as Anita, a member of a church group who befriends Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) during a sidewalk renovation project. 

Three years after her arc on "Better Call Saul" was concluded, Tunie wrapped up perhaps her biggest role, one she landed long before she appeared on any of the aforementioned shows. From 2000 until 2021, she starred on "Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit" as Medical Examiner Dr. Melinda Warner, a role she played on 226 episodes of the hit procedural. Dr. Warner first appeared in Season 2, Episode 6, "Noncompliance."

Tunie's characters on "SVU" and "Blue Bloods" share two similarities: both work for the New York Police Department, and both are shot on-screen. But while Monica Graham dies from her wounds, Melinda Warner recovers from hers (she is shot in the Season 11 finale) and returns to work shortly thereafter. Tamara Tunie makes her final appearance as Dr. Warner in Season 23, Episode 6, "The Five Hundredth Episode."