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Blue Bloods brings back an old friend for Season 12

Treat Williams and Tom Selleck
Treat Williams with Tom Selleck on Blue Bloods Pic credit: CBS

A familiar face from Frank Reagan’s past is returning to Blue Bloods.

Treat Williams shared a photo on set to show he’ll be returning in Season 12 as Frank’s old partner Lenny Ross. While details are scarce, it’s likely Ross is going to get Frank into a challenging situation as he has in the past. 

Who is Lenny Ross?

Introduced in Season 6’s episode Back in the Day, Lenny Ross was Frank Reagan’s former partner who remained a good but not spectacular detective while Frank rose up the ranks to become Police Commissioner.

Lenny entered the storyline when he planned to write a tell-all book on his days in the force. This made Frank uncomfortable as Lenny was spreading long-buried stories of police brutality and corruption.

Frank was also concerned about Lenny sensationalizing Frank’s actions as a cop, affecting his standing as commissioner. In the end, he allowed Lenny to publish the book. 

In Season 8’s Close Calls, Lenny returned as he was arrested for part of a shooting but proved his innocence. It delved into his background as Lenny had risked his life exposing a corrupt cop, which won Frank’s respect.

Season 9’s Two-Faced had Lenny being accused of corruption during his police days, but it turned out he was taking the rap for the real corrupt cop to protect the man’s family. 

In his last appearance in the Season 10 premiere The Real Deal, Lenny asked Frank for help when Lenny’s daughter was arrested. However, the investigation soon revealed it wasn’t his daughter but a con artist, with Lenny meeting his real daughter after talking with Frank.

Why is Lenny back in Season 12?

As Garrett Moore (Gregory Jbara) nicely observed, “There’s only one thing for sure when Lenny Ross shows up, and that is that nothing is for sure.”

A veteran actor of TV series such as Everwood, Chesapeake Shores, and Chicago Fire, Treat Williams brought a nice gravitas to the role of Lenny. 

The actor shared a picture of himself with Tom Selleck filming Season 12, noting “always a pleasure” with “two old pros.” 

Just why Lenny is back on the show is unsure, yet it’s likely that once more, something from his past has risen up that could cause Frank a PR nightmare. The series has addressed how some of the NYPD’s policies of the past continue to cause hassles for Frank. 

Despite his problems, Lenny is also a good presence on the show as a look into Frank’s past. The fact Frank still respects his former partner as a friend also adds a bond as he can forgive Lenny for any problems he causes. 

While he may be bringing some trouble to the show, Lenny also has a spark that makes his appearance on Blue Bloods memorable.

Blue Bloods Season 12 premieres on Friday, October 1 at 10/9c on CBS. 

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