‘Blue Bloods’ season 7 premiere review: Did Danny’s past put him behind bars?

“Blue Bloods” is a show about police politics, hardships, and what it means sometimes to do the job. It’s also one of the most socially-conscious series on television, never afraid to paint a reflection on what is going on in the world.

At this point in America, it remains clear that being a police officer is not the sort of job many are coveting. Therefore, it was not a surprise to see a mother and widow of a deceased cop (Lori Loughlin) do her part to convince Frank to tell her son not to join the force. She didn’t want that target or that torment on his, and we felt her plight and understood her argument. Yet, at the same exact time this young man wanted nothing more to be a cop. Frank could not convince him to do something he did not want to do, and at the same time, he probably understood that this was someone he’d be proud to have in uniform.

Despite this, what Frank realized that, once more, he could not make anyone happy. Loughlin’s character was enraged that Frank didn’t and couldn’t do what she wanted, and that was the end of it … at least for now.

When it comes to the Danny Reagan storyline and him trying to deal with the aftermath of killing Thomas Wilder, the thing that we were most impressed by was simple: The truth. While he could have easily tried to manipulate the system and dance his way into securing his freedom, the reality was that all it took was telling the story of what actually happened to convince the grand jury that he was in the right to shoot him. He’s earned his freedom, but also must continue to live with the scrutiny that comes with being an officer in this day.

Compared to what happened with Frank and Danny, Jamie and Eddie taking down a Congressman for trying to cover up a drunken accident felt almost like an afterthought; we don’t want it to seem that way, since it was every bit as effective of a sideplot as you’re going to get in an episode like this. The two continue to work well together, and they managed to topple a jerk in power who felt he had everything.

This premiere was signature “Blue Bloods” through and through; it wasn’t flashy, it didn’t shock the world, but it provided its audience with precisely what it wanted in solid police drama. Grade: B+.

(Photo: CBS.)