Some ghosts of the past can haunt in different ways.
After an episode that involved Jamie getting a new job in Intelligence, Blue Bloods showed how tricky being a cop today can be.
Jamie himself had the first test of his job convincing Erin to let a suspect go in hopes of catching a bigger crook. That led him and Anthony on a merry chase as this decision haunted them.
Meanwhile, Danny and Baez had to help their old friend, psychic Maggie Gibson (Callie Thorne), contend with an attack that jeopardized her “gift” for speaking to the other side.
While Eddie and Badillo dealt with an unusual attacker from Badillo’s past, Frank had the quandary of how to honor a past NYPD Commissioner who may not deserve to be celebrated and whose legacy cast a shadow.
It made Ghosted a unique episode as the Reagans had to deal with these haunting problems.
A familiar face is in trouble
Eddie and Badillo were patrolling the riverway when they saw a drunk kid smashing up a hot dog cart. They had to arrest him after the kid ranted about ruining them.
Danny and Baez were talking at the precinct when Danny got a call letting him know Maggie Gibson had just been stabbed.
Jamie was in an office when he met low-level car thief Gilbert (Alphonso Walker Jr). Jamie offered a deal if Gilbert had information. He talked of knowing Sheree Shea (Taylor Shurte), whose boyfriend was running guns into the neighborhood.
Frank was listening to the talk on the funeral of Bill Connors, Frank’s predecessor as NYPD Commissioner. Sid was eager to see the man get a great sendoff, while Frank was aware of the man’s scandals that drove him out of the office. Sid still respected Connors, no matter what he’d done in office, which troubled Frank.
Frank met with Connors’ widow, Julia (Jordan Baker), who brought up how someone had tipped off Internal Affairs about Connors taking bribes and siphoning money. Julia believed Frank wouldn’t give Connors the proper sendoff, and he admitted the man dishonored the department and the office.
Julia said that after quitting the force, Connors spent his time working for a charity, and “It’s only fair you add that to the right side of his ledger.”
Eddie and Badillo weren’t happy to see the punk Ashton Hesby (Braxton Fannin) being released, throwing out some snide remarks about them. Eddie saw Jamie smiling about the lead on the gun case.
Maggie brushed off the stab wound as nothing serious. Danny mentioned the lack of evidence, as Maggie said she was hit from behind. Finally, Danny brought up Maggie knowing about “bad energy,” but a frantic Maggie said she couldn’t “feel” anything and worried her gift was gone.
Baez asked about any enemies, and Maggie brought up how the husband of a woman he helped blamed Maggie for the divorce and screamed at her in a grocery store.
Eddie and Badillo exited the station to see Eddie’s classic car had been vandalized.
Erin refused to release Sheree, who had over 40 shoplifting arrests on her record already. Poor Anthony was stuck in the middle as he argued releasing Sheree was a good idea. Erin agreed and put him in charge of helping Jamie keep an eye on the woman.
How to celebrate someone who doesn’t deserve it?
Jamie and Anthony saw Sheree dropped off on the street, celebrating her freedom. Eddie found a video of a woman smashing up her car. Badillo recognized her as Diane Tobin (Dre Davis), an ex-girlfriend of his.
Frank talked to Sid about Connors, with Sid still believing the good Connors did for the force outweighed his graft and abuse of the office. Frank said the worst of it was Connors keeping an apartment used by police officers right after 9/11 as his own personal suite, complete with lady friends, all on the NYPD’s dime.
Sid actually compared the Commissioner to a Pope in that one might not like the other but wouldn’t disrespect him by not honoring him with a funeral.
Jamie and Anthony bickered as they followed Sheree into a store where she was already shoplifting. An officer nearly ruined things before they stopped him and followed Sheree out, much to that cop’s confusion.
The man Maggie saw had an alibi as she reflected on the irony that she was finally free of her “curse” right when she needed it. She was being discharged, and Danny was ready to let her stay with him, but Baez offered Maggie a spot at her place.
Eddie and Badillo found Diane, who clearly thought the pair were having an affair. She didn’t even bother denying the attack, as it was clear she was obsessed with Badillo. Eddie decided she was better off just walking away from this mess.
Everyone at the family dinner was thrown by Shawn’s childish insult. The talk soon turned to Connors, with Henry, not a fan as he was convinced the guy somehow got Henry removed as Commissioner so he could get the spot.
Frank swiftly changed the subject as Erin asked about Sheree, with Anthony keeping an eye on her. The family talked of folks who had broken their hearts, with Frank saying the only time that happened to him was when his wife died.
Maggie was enjoying holding Baez’s daughter as the pair talked about things. Maggie sang the same song she had to her daughter as Baez realized Maggie was worried about losing the connection to the girl’s spirit.
Catching a spirited criminal
Eddie and Badillo talked about Diane, with Eddie annoyed Badillo didn’t say they went out for nearly a year and then “ghosted” her when they broke up. She did think talking to the woman might help smooth this over.
Frank dropped by the charity Connors had worked at where Julia was waiting as she knew Frank would want to “trust but verify.” She led him into the office, which looked like it had never been used. It turned out Connors barely did any work at all aside from raising funds at benefit galas.
Julia admitted she’d put up with a lot from her ex-husband but finding out his “60-hour weeks” of charity was more like 60 minutes was the last straw. She told Frank to do what he wanted with the funeral and was surprised to hear Frank was going to speak at the service after all.
Eddie found Diane at the cafe she worked, with Diane apologizing. She’d lost her job in the pandemic and then just snapped after the relationship with Badillo went south. Diane had seen them together and jumped to the wrong conclusion.
Eddie felt Diane was a good person who made a bad mistake and decided to cut her a break. Diane was happy to meet “one of the good cops,” as Eddie replied, “there are a lot of us.”
There were no other leads on Maggie as she felt it might be a random attack. Baez reminded her of a past case she’d worked on with Maggie delivering a message to a man from his late brother. Rather than be happy, the guy ran off and later confessed to murdering his brother.
Jamie and Anthony were still following Sheree, with Anthony saying it didn’t look like this lead was panning out. Sheree suddenly took off running as she’d figured she was being tailed. She jumped into a car that took off with Anthony saying they had to find her before she escaped or, worse, Erin found out.
Danny and Baez talked to Arthur Bava (Danny Fischer), the man who killed his brother and was just released on a technicality. His cellmate had talked of Bava wanting revenge on Maggie as Danny and Baez made him believe Maggie had died.
Badillo said he’d apologized to Diane and wondered why Eddie had gone out of her way like this. Eddie said she liked being on patrol when someone could still change things before it got worse. “Another Janko lesson learned,” Badillo noted before needling Eddie on marrying Jamie.
Jamie found Sheree with Gilbert as Jamie had figured out Gilbert had been playing him. He and Anthony gave the pair a chance to get out by turning in Sheree’s boyfriend for the guns as she smacked Gilbert.
Bava was leaving work when he heard strange noises behind him. Racing into an alley, he was stunned to see Maggie, blurting he’d already killed her. He pulled a knife, but Danny and Baez arrived to arrest him.
Jamie was happy the gun bust went well as Gilbert, Sheree, and her boyfriend, already prepared to cut a deal, were arrested. Erin congratulated the pair even as she knew they’d briefly lost their main suspect.
Maggie thanked the cops and offered her services as a babysitter for Baez’s daughter. She’d also felt her “gift” returning via her daughter’s spirit and was grateful for their help.
At home, Frank and Henry talked about Frank’s eulogy for Connors, with Henry snapping, “you ate all that crow, and you never took a sip of water.” Frank said it didn’t feel right going after Connors when the man couldn’t defend himself.
Henry admitted Frank sitting with Connors’ family was a good move and that Frank had to honor the office. Frank was donating the proceeds from the funeral to Connor’s charity in his family’s name.
When Henry noted he was “threading the needle,” Frank replied, “I learned from the best.”
It was a tricky episode for several of the Reagan members, yet it showed how respect for the badge always comes first.
Blue Bloods Season 13 airs Fridays at 10/9c on CBS.