The Saddest Moment In Blue Bloods Season 8
A family who all work in New York City law enforcement takes center stage on the crime drama series "Blue Bloods." Among the fictional family is Tom Selleck as Francis "Frank" Reagan, the police commissioner and patriarch of the Reagan family, and Donnie Wahlberg as Daniel "Danny" Fitzgerald Reagan, a police detective and the eldest son of Frank Reagan. The series is the creation of Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green and first aired in 2010, but at this point — with 12 seasons and almost 250 episodes — it has become an institution unto itself, having been nominated several times and won one Emmy (via IMDb).
Of course, any show that gets its storylines from the life of law enforcement and crime (especially a series that is so surprisingly accurate, compared to its peers) is going to have a few episodes here and there that are either hard to watch or just downright sad. "Blue Bloods" is no different.
Season 8 of "Blue Bloods" contains a fair share of episodes and scenes that are sure to tug on the emotional heartstrings of viewers, but one moment comes as not only a shock, but also one of the saddest scenes in the entire series, whether you're a first-time viewer or a long-time fan giving the show a rewatch.
Linda's abrupt exit was both shocking and sad
In Season 8, Episode 1, "Cutting Losses," fans were both shocked and saddened when the series seemed to be one character short compared to prior seasons. While it doesn't actually show what happened in this premiere episode, fans learn that Linda Reagan (Amy Carlson) died in a medevac helicopter crash.
The episode takes some time to reveal the death of the character and slowly brings it to light by way of therapy sessions with Linda's husband, Danny Reagan. Danny is now debating on retiring from the force as he and his therapist discuss the death of his wife. The therapy sessions made fans feel sympathy for Danny and his situation. "He blamed himself for everything that happened, including Linda's death, because of his job," u/TakasuXAisaka said on Reddit. Other fans expressed their shock at the season's premiere on that same thread. "Well, that was a fair bit to digest." Another user said of Linda's sudden death.
The loss of Linda is huge for the show. It changes the dynamic of Danny's character development entirely, as he has to go through the process of grief and learn how to exist within his law enforcement family — not to mention without his wife — all while trying to decide what is best for himself. Linda's exit from the series was abrupt, unexpected, and definitely one of the most tragic moments on the show so far.