How Blue Bloods’ Family Dinners Became TV’s Most Cozy Tradition

When CBS‘s Blue Bloods concludes this winter after 14 seasons and 293 episodes, it will have cemented its place in the procedural drama hall of fame. Its long run has earned it a spot alongside shows like Law & Order and NCIS as a go-to for reruns, but what has really made it have a lasting impact is undeniably the Reagan Sunday family dinners.

Since its debut in 2010, Blue Bloods has portrayed a multi-generational Catholic Irish-American family dedicated to law enforcement in New York City. In the Reagan family, all the men are part of the NYPD. Tom Selleck, known as the iconic titular character in Magnum, P.I., plays Frank, New York’s police commissioner, a role he took over from his father, Henry (Len Cariou). We also have Frank’s four children: Joe, who dies before the series begins and whose death brings the family closer; Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), a passionate but hot-headed cop who always seems to be on the edge of trouble; Erin (Bridget Moynahan), the only woman in the immediate Reagan family, who is a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office; and Jamie (played by Will Estes), the youngest of Frank’s children, who abandoned his Ivy League education to become a lawyer to embrace his family’s tradition of serving in the NYPD.

Blue Bloods has made an effort to be relatable to all viewers, including those who may not have a positive view of law enforcement. The universal theme of family, revealing the individuals behind the uniform and job title, allows all viewers to connect to the Reagans. While we may not all be as diligent with weekly family dinners, the Reagans’ weekly gatherings serve as a reminder of the joy that accompanies family get-togethers.

In the early seasons, Blue Bloods utilized family dinners to illustrate who the Reagans are at their core. They are committed to their Catholic faith, saying grace before meals and ensuring they all get together once a week. They continue to come together for family dinners, no matter what is happening in their lives. In an interview with Emmy magazine, Donnie Wahlberg said, “The Reagans are fortunate to be together on Sundays and to be safe, to have made it through another week of a very dangerous job, and the cast is reminded of how fortunate we are as actors. It’s an incredible blessing to have that dinner scene as a check-in every week, much like the Reagans do, fictionally.”

We can see the level of dedication because the family goes to great lengths to attend each week – whether it’s returning from an undercover operation beaten to a pulp to laugh about all of the things Jamie swallowed over the years, dialing in from a hospital room because Danny’s wife Linda (Amy Carlson) was shot, or Jamie and Eddie (Vanessa Ray) hosting a wedding rehearsal meal celebrating a new member of the Reagan family. These moments have contributed to the popularity of Blue Bloods over the past 14 years. 

Tom Selleck may have initially been the show’s main attraction, but Blue Bloods has evolved from a series that solely focuses on law enforcement experiences to a show that explores how families maintain their bonds in our fast-paced modern world. While some of us may air our grievances on social media or in our family Whatsapp group chat, the Reagan family dinners, a recurring element in nearly every episode. 

The only missed dinners thus far come from two episodes: the season 1 installment “Dedication”, when Frank is shot coming out of a restaurant and season 2’s “A Night on the Town” when Danny and Linda go away for a weekend. Even without a formal sitdown Reagan family dinner, we still see plenty of family moments as the family comes together to track down Frank’s shooter and to babysit Danny’s kids while he’s away. The dinners serve as a symbolic anchor for the Reagan family, providing a time for them to air their grievances and enjoy the good times. 

When speaking to Emmy magazine, Selleck mentioned that “Dinner scenes are hard because your focus is not what you’re eating. It’s really not even your lines, it’s your subtext. Audiences don’t care about the words, they want to see the subtext. The family dinners are loaded with subtext, and the audience is in on it because they’ve seen what the characters are going through.”  

In season 10 episode 12, when Eddie is at odds with Jamie and Erin, even before any words are spoken, it’s clear to see the “arctic chill” from their side of the table, as stated by Danny’s son Sean (Andrew Terraciano). The lack of words aids the story, making it one of the most important moments in the episode. As Danny backs Eddie up, it further highlights how the show has evolved, using family dinners to address important but divisive discussions. Even at their lowest, the scene reveals to viewers the family has each other’s back when it matters.

The show’s distinctive approach to exploring the intersection of family and law enforcement sets it apart from other dramas. Blue Bloods’ dedication to authenticity makes the audience feel connected as pursuing a career due to family connections is not uncommon, particularly in law enforcement. However, in today’s world, nepotism is even more frowned upon, and the show also explores this, including how Frank avoids giving his family special treatment. Frank’s often harder on his own children than others and this often leads to tension at family dinner or funny family stories. In season 13, Frank even goes so far as to announce that he will not endorse his daughter Erin’s run for district attorney. While in the end, Erin is understanding and writes it off as one of Frank’s teachable moments as he wants her to win on her own merit, Danny mentions that at least her teachable moment wasn’t as bad as when Frank sent him to school with maple syrup in his hair.

The story Blue Bloods decides to tell is powerful. It reminds us that one thing doesn’t shape us, but individual stories do, shown by the varying opinions we see from each Regan at family dinner. Donnie Wahlberg admitted to TV Insider that “Danny probably eats the most because Donnie’s the hungriest. Seriously though, Danny is kind of a bull in a china shop. The best way to play that at dinner is to talk a lot with his mouth full.” Which is dedication by Wahlberg as Tom Selleck told CBS 58 that family dinner scenes “takes six-to-eight hours and you have to just keep eating the same old food.” 

Like many other viewers, I eagerly anticipate the family dinner scene every week. It’s a reminder of my own family gatherings. I’ve especially enjoyed watching the family grow over the seasons with the introduction of Jamie’s wife Eddie Janko and Joe Hill (Will Hochman), the son of Frank’s Joe, who no one knew about but followed into the NYPD on his own. 

While the family dinner scenes have become less crucial in the last few seasons of Blue Bloods, their inclusion undeniably made the series a fan favorite and will be missed when the show hands in its badge.

Blue Bloods season 14 returns Friday, October 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET on CBS.