Even the best families can have their major spats.
After a lighter episode involving musician Jimmy Buffett, Blue Bloods featured several clashes, including one with Joe Hill.
Yet, in the end, the episode lived up to its title to show how The Reagan Way gets things done.
A tough request is made
The episode opened with Baker breaking it to Frank that Archbishop Kearns (Stacy Keach) was waiting in his office bright and early. Kearns had seen the press conference of the arrest of Lamar White for the murder of girlfriend Stephanie White. Not only were his fingerprints on the weapon, but Lamar confessed to it.
Kearns knew Lamar was innocent and Frank realized it was because the actual killer confessed to Kearns. Kearns couldn’t break his vows to give up the name, but also couldn’t sit by and watch an innocent man be arrested.
Jamie and a rookie pulled over a nervous driver (Bobby Roman) who turned out to have a warrant out on him. Jamie’s partner arrested the man as Jamie noted the bag of cash the man had.
Danny and Baez were ordered on another case, with Danny blowing it off for a “confidential source” that was connected to Kearns’ case.
Eddie and Badillo were at Madeline Gleeson’s (Erika Henningsen) apartment who wanted to report she’d been raped. She’d met a man online with the date turning into an attack. The man, Mark Rowland (Daniel Reece) showed up to return her sweater which earned him a fast arrest.
Just as Jamie was about to book the driver, up came Joe Hill and his FBI supervisor Jeff Green (Blake Morris), who informed Jamie his perp, Manuel Ruiz, was one of their targets. The money was for a drug-buy, which Jamie accidentally messed up.
They decided to give Ruiz the “choice” of working with them or being turned loose without the money, which would get him killed by his bosses. Jamie was outraged at the feds risking Ruiz like this. He decided to arrest Ruiz as “we don’t play this way,” with Joe snapping, “I’m not part of you!”
Jamie talked to Ruiz, who had a wife and daughter, and claimed the money was for a new house in Orlando. He seemed surprised Jamie wanted to help rather than turn him over to the feds.
Danny was at the murder scene where a cop had found Lamar with Stephanie, holding a bloody knife and asking, “Did I kill her?” They found a hidden camera with the video card missing and wondered if it had caught anything.
Pulling a Reagan can be tough
Baker and Moore weren’t pleased to realize they were being cut out of the loop regarding the secret case. Sid pointed out the public blowback if it got out they were looking into a matter on behalf of the Archbishop, and suggested they use the security cameras in the church, even if it meant alienating Kearns.
Eddie was shocked to find Rowland already on the street as the D.A.’s office had refused to press charges. That sent her storming into Erin’s office, with Erin pointing out that Madeline had been seen going with Rowland willingly. They were soon in a screaming match over it before Eddie stormed out.
Ruiz explained he’d been ready to drop the money for Manny Lopez with Joe and Green pressing him to do the drop. Ruiz agreed on the condition Jamie helped him out. Joe and Jamie argued about this, with Jamie not happy about Joe being willing to cut corners. He then hit below the belt by saying Joe was “nothing like your father.”
Eddie decided to play dirty by having Madeline drop by Erin’s for a meeting on her testimony that Erin naturally couldn’t refuse. As soon as Madeline was done, Erin was more outraged with Eddie as she still couldn’t prove a case and ordered Eddie out.
Danny and Baez met Lamar (Branden Lindsay) in jail, who was surprised to hear about the camera as Stephanie had been private. He claimed Stephanie had seen someone spying on her. He’d blacked out after drinking and found Stephanie dead, so he honestly couldn’t tell if he killed her but felt guilty anyway.
Erin talked to Anthony, who said Eddie just “pulled a Reagan” by doing something unorthodox. It worked, given that Erin wanted him to start looking into the case.
Frank met with Kearns on how the evidence was still stacked against Lamar and Kearns needed to give up a name. Kearns wanted to tell but was held by his oath, and Frank had to find out on his own.
Trying to solve things
Danny was careful not to talk about the case too much at the family dinner before Eddie and Erin started getting into it again. Jamie said the Reagans could be a bit much for outsiders as Danny pointed out how the Reagans were known as “a table of Type As.”
The two ladies were getting tenser with Jamie upset Joe never even told his superiors he was a Reagan. Frank suggested giving time before pulling out the “big gun” of good old-fashioned Irish-Catholic guilt.
Erin had a meeting with Rowland, who was arrogantly brushing off any chance of this going to trial. Erin noted that anyone that cocky about it had to have done this before. Anthony brought Erin information he and Eddie uncovered that Rowland was fired from his last job over a rape accusation.
Danny and Baez talked about Stephanie’s stalker possibly heading into the church and just needed footage of it. A ticked-off Kearns burst into Frank’s office to complain about this, with Frank using some nice legal loopholes to justify it. Kearns simply summarized, “You betrayed me,” before leaving.
Erin heard from a woman at Rowland’s former firm on how he had attacked her too, and after she reported him to human resources, he responded no one would believe her. When she heard Rowland had done this to another woman, she was willing to testify.
Eddie was happy about this, Erin pointing out there was no need to be sorry for her actions pushing Erin. At the same time, she warned Eddie not to pull this with her again.
Ruiz met Lopez, who had abducted Manuel’s family. As they drove by in a van, the man shot Manuel with the cops and feds racing in. Jamie promised Manuel they’d get his wife and child back.
Joe and Jamie briefly had it out before tracking the van to Brooklyn. Jamie ignored Green’s orders to sneak in to save Manuel’s wife and daughter. Jamie shot one of the gangsters, with the feds racing in to arrest the rest.
Lamar was thrown to hear the peeping tom had killed Stephanie with them finding the memory card of the murder in his apartment. Lamar was still blaming himself, but Danny pointed out he couldn’t live like that and the best way to honor Stephanie’s memory was to live his life.
Kearns wasn’t happy to find Frank in his confessional booth, stating he betrayed Kearns to help him and wasn’t really sorry for it. Kearns absolved Frank with six Hail Mary’s and steak at their favorite joint.
Danny was surprised to find Joe attending a poker night with the Reagan men, telling Joe this was his dad’s favorite game. It involved being patient and handling pressure “like everyone in this family.” Joe and Jamie found respect trying to out bluff each other as the game went on.
They may have tensions now and then, but in the end, the Reagans can still bond like few other families.
Blue Bloods Season 12 airs Fridays at 10/9c on CBS.