The Blue Bloods Character That Has Fans Divided In Season 12

One of the biggest surprises in "Blue Bloods" history came in the Season 10 finale when Joseph Reagan, the late son of New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck), is revealed to have unknowingly conceived a child before his death. These pivotal events occur before the first episode of Season 1, when we learn Joseph is already dead. Unsurprisingly, his son, also named Joe, has followed in the Reagan family tradition and is now a highly decorated New York City detective.

While Joe Hill (Will Hochman) is welcomed to his first Reagan family dinner in the Season 10 finale, the actor has not become a series regular and only appears intermittently. After his debut as the character, Hochman returned to the role over the course of five episodes in Season 11, per his IMDb profile. He appears in the first three episodes of the season before suddenly departing for an undercover operation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). While most members of the Reagan clan are kept in the dark about his mission, Frank and Jamie (Will Estes) are kept up to speed. This becomes a major point of contention for the family when Joe Hill suddenly reappears unannounced in the two-part Season 11 finale. 

Hochman made his first on-screen appearance as Joe Hill since the Season 11 finale in Season 12, Episode 6, "Be Smart or Be Dead" (via IMDb). His reappearance has prompted "Blue Bloods" fans on Reddit to share their views of the character.

In a post titled "Joe Hill is a terrible character" on the r/bluebloods subreddit, Reddit user u/Confirmed_Redditor complained about the newest member of the Reagan family. The Reddit user further noted, "I don't know if the writers are doing this on purpose, or they just haven't figured out to use the character, but he always comes off as a whiny and weak character. Definitely the runt of the Regan litter."

Responses to the post were mixed, but some commenters were supportive of the user's harsh words. "Joe doesn't offer anything to the show," u/mal0980 said. "I forget he even exists. We don't see him for a few episodes, and then he pops up, and then he's gone again. And when he's gone, no one in the family mentions him." One unpopular comment by u/Realistic_Trade8755 even referred to Joe Hill as a "whiny punk."

However, most commenters were sympathetic to the character and commented on the surprise that Joe Hill must have felt at finding his family. "He just discovered he has a big family, so the adjustment period is still in effect, especially if he has been a loner all his life," u/Bruticus1120 said. In response, u/LdyVder pointed to how Joe must have felt after finding out that his entire family has deep roots in the New York City Police Department. "It's worse than just finding out he has a big family," u/LdyVder said. "His new big family is [the] first family of cops in NYC. He also is dealing with the fact his mother hid this from him."

In May, "Blue Bloods" showrunner Kevin Wade told TVInsider fans of the series should get used to seeing the character occasionally, but probably not as often as other members of the Reagan clan.