The Worst Family Dinner Scene In Blue Bloods Season 3

The family dinners on "Blue Bloods" offer a different experience from what viewers get on other procedurals. Other shows have to find natural ways to halt the momentum of a given case to provide quieter moments. With "Blue Bloods," it's well-established that the Reagan family sits down together every Sunday evening to enjoy a meal. It gives them the chance to get off the streets for a bit and instead focus on a case with loved ones, usually with someone offering a different perspective.

Outside of that, these family dinners also offer an opportunity for lighter moments. "Blue Bloods" may not have a ton of humor, but when it does shine through, it's usually when the Reagans are in a more relaxed environment. Still, sometimes when the Reagans want to make a joke, it comes across in a bit poorer taste than they may recognize, which is the case with the dinner shown on Season 3, Episode 3, "Old Wounds."

A slightly different family dinner takes place in "Old Wounds." This time, the Reagans have gathered for dinner during Nicky's (Sami Gayle) 16th birthday party. She has a whole bash thrown for her, and while she and her friends dance away, the rest of the family is at a table to the side, mostly keeping to themselves. However, they start to take an interest in Nicky when a friend of hers, a boy named Luke Ryder (Kevin Csolak), walks up to her. We don't hear what they talk about, but they share a hug. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the Reagans, particularly Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), look over at the pair and wonder who he is and what he wants to do with Nicky. Granted, we don't know much about Luke, and he never appears again in an episode of "Blue Bloods," but by all accounts, he seems like a nice kid Nicky knows. That doesn't stop the Reagans from wanting to examine every aspect of him to ensure he doesn't hurt Nicky. In fact, the whole exchange at the Reagan dinner table reeks of a dad posing in his daughter's prom photo while holding a shotgun.

It's understandable they want what's best for Nicky, but they also need to be willing to let her live her life. She's 16 now in "Old Wounds," and it shouldn't be out of the question for her to have a boyfriend if that's what she wants. The Reagans' care seeps into "overprotective" territory, and the entire exchange becomes a bit cringey in hindsight.