Blue Bloods is back, and it’s the episode many have been waiting for.
Larry Manetti, who played Rick Wright on the Tom Selleck-led version of Magnum PI in the 1980s, makes a long-anticipated guest appearance.
Manetti’s character may not have much to do with Frank Reagan. Spoilers for Blue Bloods Season 13 Episode 18 say that the actor will portray a grieving grandfather who turns to Eddie for help.
This sounds like an emotional storyline involving lots of Jamie/Eddie interactions. Win-win!
Manetti’s character turns to Eddie after his grandson dies from a fentanyl overdose. He wants Eddie to bust the dealer who sold his grandson the fatal batch of drugs, and Eddie will need Jamie’s help to get it done.
Will Jamie and Eddie be on the same side? The two tend to be super empathetic toward victims, especially when the death seems like it could have been prevented.
But there’s more drama if they’re on opposite sides. The couple endeared itself to fans during the early seasons of Blue Bloods when they disagreed about how to approach a case or who was guilty, and that dynamic might come into play again now.
The case hinges on the question of whether the drug dealer can be held responsible for his customer’s death. Selling fentanyl is a serious crime, so they probably can charge him with that, but will that be enough for a grieving grandfather?
Manetti’s character may want more, but that could be a tall order. Jamie and Eddie would have to prove that the dealer sold those drugs to the victim, which is more complicated than proving that he sells drugs regularly. They’d also have to examine whether the drugs were tainted or the grandson took too much.
If the drugs were tainted or the grandson thought he was getting something less potent than what he bought, that might make murder or manslaughter charges stick.
Otherwise, there might be a court battle over whether drug dealers are to blame for someone’s choice to buy a fatal batch of drugs from them. That argument might play out better in civil court, though there have been cases where drug dealers have stood trial for felony murder when a customer dies.
The argument in favor of murder charges here would be that the dealer was engaging in illegal activity (drug sales) that he could reasonably expect could lead to death. But even if Jamie and Eddie get proof that this dealer sold the fatal drugs to the victim, will Erin prosecute this case?
She needs to decide how likely it is she can win — most prosecutors don’t want to try cases that are going to end in defeat, especially if the argument is a stretch. She also may need to consider how her decision on this case will affect her campaign.
Hopefully, Erin will follow in her father’s footsteps and care more about what she thinks is right than what people think.
She won’t be able to please everyone with a case like this; some people will think she’s too hard on crime if she goes forward, while others will think she isn’t tough enough if she declines to prosecute.
According to spoilers, Erin wonders if her campaign is compromising her day job — could this case have something to do with that?
She also may feel she has to choose between trying cases and campaigning. She already chose cases over the campaign trail before; will she be able to stick to that?
Frank again clashes with Mayor Chase, this time over an influx of immigrants into the city.
Blue Bloods tends to skew more conservatively, so Frank may disapprove of the Mayor’s plan to accept immigrants from other states or to allow New York City to be a sanctuary city.
Immigration issues are controversial. Many television series show them from the point of view of parents trying to get a better life for their children, while Blue Bloods will show the issue from the point of view of law enforcement agencies trying to deal with a mass influx of people.
Either way, some viewers are bound to walk away angry, but Blue Bloods will surely make some interesting points about both sides of this issue.
I wonder if Baez will offer any perspective on this issue. She may have strong feelings about it as a Latina woman who is also a cop.
She and Danny will also be busy dealing with a feud between crime families.
This storyline practically screams for a crossover with Law & Order: Organized Crime, though that’s never likely to happen. I’d love Danny and Stabler to bond over losing their wives to mob violence.
Anyway, in this case, Danny and Baez have to try to settle a war between mob families after one family steals the other’s wedding presents.
This story could put the detectives and their families in two mob bosses’ crosshairs, even though the case sounds goofy. Let’s hope it’s settled quickly and peacefully!