As Blue Bloods heads into its final episodes, fans wonder if we’ll see some old faces and at least one original cast member is coming back for the last run!
As Blue Bloods prepares for the last half of Season 14, fans are getting ready to say goodbye. As much as they may want to see the show continue, CBS appears prepared to end it. At least fans can expect to see some old and familiar faces returning.
It’s confirmed that Stacy Keach will return as Archbishop Kearns and Dylan Walsh once more as Mayor Chase. We’ll have Will Hochman back as Joe Hill and, even better, an on-screen meeting of him and the long-absent Nikki (Sami Gayle) and Jack (Tony Terraciano). However, there’s a question of another long-time face coming back in Jennifer Esposito as Jackie Curatola.
When Blue Bloods premiered in 2010, Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) was partnered with Jackie, a feisty cop who matched him well. They worked together on several cases, with Jackie sometimes in danger, but she and Danny helped come through in the end.
However, midway through Season 3, Jackie suddenly vanished. Danny had a few fill-in partners before he and Baez (Maria Ramirez) were paired up and Baez has been Danny’s partner and a regular cast member since. It was explained that Jackie had been overwhelmed with stress to quit.
In reality, Esposito had needed time off for treatment for celiac disease. The actress claimed that rather than supporting her, CBS fired her and spent several years bad-mouthing the network and producers, even if she spoke warmly of Wahlberg.
At last, Jackie returned to the show in the Season 13 finale. Needing help with a serial killer case, Danny found Jackie, now the chief of police in a small New Jersey town. She spoke of being in a much better place, both in location and her mental health. She aided Danny and Maria on the case and it was great to see the partners back together.
So, could Jackie be part of the farewell tour for Blue Bloods?
Is Jackie returning to Blue Bloods?
Previewing Season 14B for TVLine, showrunner Kevin Wade confirmed Esposito would be in the show’s final eight episodes. However, it won’t be for the big series finale.
Jackie had also appeared earlier in Season 14 to aid again in hunting the serial killer who had attacked her before. It’s likely she and Danny will reconnect over another case. It’d be fun for Danny to be on Jackie’s home turf with her as the boss and maybe even pop in for a Reagan family dinner.
While it’d have been nice to see Jackie in the series finale, it’s still good to have her on the show again at all. Given how big a character she was in the early going, her return only makes sense to give her character some closure.
While we don’t know the details about her episode yet, Blue Bloods fans can be assured that one more popular face will make a last appearance before the show signs off.