You don’t get to 14 seasons without having a dozen or so characters that connect with fans. Blue Bloods has been such an effective and long-running show because it prioritizes its characters and the various dynamics they have with one another. It’s satisfying to see them succeed, and it’s sad to see them go.
Of course, with nearly a decade and a half of stories, many of them have gone. As we look ahead to season 14, and the future of the Reagan family, we decided to take a step back and check off a few characters we are positive we won’t see again.
Will Linda Reagan be in Blue Bloods season 14?
Linda (Amy Carlson) was one of the few members of the Reagan family who wasn’t directly involved with law enforcement. That said, she worked as a nurse, which meant she was often indirectly involved with tragedies that her husband Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) saw firsthand.
Linda was treating a witness in the shooting of Police Chief Donald Kent (Dennis Haysbert) and was shot as a result of her proximity to the witness. She recovered, thankfully, but she wasn’t as lucky when she was killed between seasons 7 and 8. Linda died in a helicopter crash off screen, and the emotional toll it took on Danny is still being felt on the show. If she were to come back miraculously, it would undo a lot of that character development.
Will Vinny Cruz be in Blue Bloods season 14?
Officer Vinny Cruz (Sebastian Sozzi) was a great addition to Blue Bloods in season 3. He was brought on as the new partner of Jameson Reagan (Will Este), and his contrasting personality, coupled with his constant pursuit of women, made him a constant scene-stealer. All that came to a screeching halt in the episode, however, when Cruz was shot in the neck during the pursuit of a criminal.
He dies as a result of his wound, and is posthumously to detective first grade. Once again, death is a pretty concrete reason to not bring a character back, and Blue Bloods is not a show that’s prone to relying on flashbacks to work in fan service.
Will Javier Baez be in Blue Bloods season 14?
The one that hurt the most. Javier Baez (Kirk Acevedo) made a huge impression on Blue Bloods fans with only two appearances, when he was killed in an undercover operation. His proximity to his sister, Maria (Marisa Ramirez) a series regular, made it seem as though he would be safe, but in killing him, the show proved that it was willing to take risks to keep fans off balance.
Baez’s death is the most powerful one we’ve seen depicted onscreen during the show’s run, so it would be a colossal mistake to undo it or bring the character back in some other form. Let the power of this one speak for itself, and keep moving forward.