Sometimes, a test isn’t always so obvious.
After she and Crawford clashed on a case and with the idea of running for D.A. in her head, Erin believed Crawford had it out for her.
But, just like with Frank’s staff, Erin realized there was more to her “punishment” than met the eye for a humor and heart-filled Blue Bloods.
A harsh robbery and Erin’s new challenge
USA Today opened with a grocer (Vien Hong) entering his store to find it ransacked. As he began cleaning up, someone smashed him over the head with a bottle.
In an office filled with evidence boxes, Erin was approached by Crawford, asking her to look at a file for a misdemeanor drug charge. Erin brought it to Anthony, convinced this was Crawford getting back at her for his campaign idea.
Frank was honoring some police officers, with Detective Angela Reddick (Ilfenesh Hadera) taking him up on an offer to choose a new assignment, posted on Frank’s floor at 1 PP.
Danny and Baez checked out the grocery robbery with Bao Pham still recovering. He didn’t know who attacked him, but his wife Linh (Tiffany Rothman) cried out in their native language as they had lost $20,000.
A local kid (Vinh Nguyen) let Danny and Baez know the neighborhood wasn’t eager to talk to cops because of “Born in the USA,” the local gang running a protection racket.
Reddick presented her case to join and while Baker, Moore, and Gormley were wary, Frank flat-out stated he didn’t think Reddick was a good fit. But Reddick taking that impressed Frank to give her a try even as he admitted he wasn’t sure where it would go.
Erin turned to Jamie and Eddie for help on the suspect in the drug case (and if either of them blabbed on her possible run to Crawford).
The Deam Team was mulling over Reddick and her record just as she entered with Gormley pointing out they were The Three Musketeers, with emphasis on the “Three.”
The Dream Team is threatened
As the Born in the USA gang hung out at a basketball court, the cops rolled in with Danny arresting Sonny Le (Alex Duong). He brushed off their threats with “what happens in Vegas” but revealed Bao was “off-limits” because (believe it or not), he made the best food in the neighborhood.
Reddick was at her first meeting on a cop facing a suspension for an off-duty fight in an upstate bar. She suggested busting him down to send a message to the public that cops weren’t above the law.
That got Gormley’s goat in how it would affect the rank and file with Frank taking it under advisement. Gormley and Reddick had it out before she left, with Moore warning Gormley to play nice.
Erin met Ray Gardner (Francisco Solorzano), the lawyer for Marshall Clearwater, the defendant in the drug deal. To her surprise, he immediately agreed to a deal, Erin feeling, even more, this easy case wasn’t worth her time.
As Danny and Baez were having lunch, someone drove up in a van and dropped off a guy in a hood, duct tape, and the sign “what happens in Vegas.” He was Connor Long (Michael Thomas Holmes), a local landlord with a history of intimidating his tenants.
His lawyer, Bernie Moskowitz (Anthony Cochrane) showed up to claim Long had been out of town for the last few days and thus not involved in the attack.
Gormley tried to play nice, apologizing to Reddick yet still not wanting to bust down the officer. Reddick said they couldn’t just give a cop a break with Frank still taking it under advisement.
Reddick only asked if Frank would be wondering what took Sid so long to do his job like that. Moore became concerned seeing Sid just sitting at his desk with his head in his hands.
A secret test
Erin was utterly confused by Crawford showing up, singing an old disco song on “I want more,” before walking out. She went to see Danny (who still brought up her scratching his car when they were kids) to ask about her case as Marshall was tied into a bigger fish Danny once busted. Danny just brushed her off as he realized a clue Sonny had given him.
Bao and his wife weren’t happy with the cops showing up, but Danny was just recording their entire conversation and using a translation app, revealing Bao really did know who attacked him.
It turned out the “street kid” who turned them on the gang was actually Pham’s son, Tuan, who robbed the place to pay off a gambling debt. His father washed his hands of him as Danny arrested Tuan.
Erin met with Crawford as it turned out her “low-level collar” was actually running the criminal operation of his cousin. Erin realized Crawford knew all along and wanted her best person on it, so this was never a punishment but proof of how Crawford trusted Erin.
Frank finally decided to bust the officer down while thanking Sid for his good speech. He then gave Reddick an open transfer to anywhere but there.
He told Reddick her talents were wasted working at 1 PP rather than on the streets where her dedication and spirit were needed. They exchanged salutes before she headed out with the Dream Team actually looking sorry to see her go.
Danny met with Sonny to trade talk on The Godfather with how Sonny might consider taking his enterprises legit to truly help the neighborhood.
Erin and Anthony had an offbeat chat with Erin asking why she assumed the worst so much with Crawford not liking her but respecting her. She openly asked what made her think she could replace a woman like that as D.A.
At the Reagan dinner, Erin interrupted the sports talk to announce she wasn’t running for D.A. as she just didn’t feel ready for it. Frank had to give his two cents that “sometimes an emphatic no is the last step you have to take before jumping in with both feet.”
It was a lighter episode but finally settled Erin’s quest to become D.A. and she and Crawford found some surprising common ground.
Blue Bloods Season 12 returns with new episodes Friday, December 3 at 10/9c on CBS.