Contains Spoilers for “Blue Bloods” Season 14, Episode 3 — “Fear No Evil”
The sudden death of Treat Williams on June 12, 2023, at the age of 71, rocked the entertainment world — and that of the cast of “Blue Bloods.” Since 2016, Williams made several guest spot appearances on the show as Lenny Ross, the best friend of series patriarch Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck). His passing necessitated the death of Lenny from the cancer he is diagnosed with during Season 13 — and the series came through with a touching tribute.
The Reagans are hit hard by Lenny’s death. Tough Frank, unsurprisingly, can’t really bring himself to grieve — that is until the kids start talking about his best friend over a traditional Regan family Sunday dinner. Frank proposes a toast: “Lenny Ross was my oldest friend, my closest confidant, my getaway driver. And I lost him this week. And it hurts like hell. But Lenny would hate it if we got all teary and quiet and sad, so Lenny: We’ll miss ya. And save me a seat at your table, and I’ll see ya on down the road.”
With that, the episode concludes, and a black-barred graphic fills the screen. It reads, “In memory of our great friend, Treat Williams 1951-2023.” At the center of the graphic is an image of Williams and Selleck on the series set.
It’s enough to leave a lump in the audience’s throat. But while Lenny is sadly gone, he won’t be forgotten — especially because his trouble-magnet daughter’s still around to make the Reagans’ lives difficult.
Frank also had to deal with Lenny’s daughter during Fear No Evil
Throughout “Fear No Evil,” Frank struggles with his desire to help Lenny’s daughter, Tess (Simone Policano), as the troubled woman finds herself in legal hot water after she gets into a bar fight. Frank is understanding of her grief, even if she is completely at fault. The lawman is eventually convinced that the only way to help Lenny’s daughter is to hook her up with exemplary legal representation instead of trying to find a loophole for her to slip through; he comes to understand that his sadness and guilt over Lenny’s death shouldn’t serve to paper over Tess’s mistakes.
It seems that both of Lenny’s kids have a penchant for being rough-and-tumble; during Season 10’s “The Real Deal,” his stepdaughter Carrie (Gus Birney) also ends up causing a legal ruckus when she submits Tess’s DNA for testing purposes after being accused of a crime. Not everyone can be a perfect paterfamilias like Frank, but at least Lenny made raising kids look like fun — and he’ll always have a legacy on “Blue Bloods” through them.
For fans wanting more Reagan family adventures while waiting for another episode, be sure to check out Looper’s 30 best “Blue Bloods” episodes.