“Blue Bloods” has followed the Reagan family for over a decade, and their sole female family member is one of the more intriguing of the group. Erin Reagan (Bridgette Moynahan) is the only daughter of New York City police commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck). While this may sound like a great honor, with it comes the pressure of being the best there is, the legacy of the Reagan family.
Erin definitely didn’t have it easy growing up. As the only daughter in an Irish Catholic family of three brothers coming up in New York, she had to be tough and resilient. As a result, Erin developed a bit of a rebellious streak. She infamously lied about her first job as a cocktail waitress and even spent a few hours in jail – and these are just a few of the stories her father has told around the Reagan family dinner table.
Like the rest of her family, she has made her fair share of mistakes in the past. To wit: She recklessly used a gang member’s law-abiding brother as bait to catch a criminal, and she once brought a state’s witness out of protection to secure a conviction, and almost got him killed in the process. But there is one mistake she made early on that seems to be the cause of all the rest of them. This is the biggest mistake Erin Reagan ever made on “Blue Bloods.”
She never came to grips with her relationship with her ex-husband
Each character on the show deals with their relationships in their own way, sometimes together, and other times more privately. Frank has had a few romantic interests, but mostly they fizzle out because the commissioner always has to put the city above all else. Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) was the sole married Reagan for seven seasons until his wife died in a helicopter crash before Season 8. Jamie (Will Estes) called off an engagement in the first season, only to marry his long-time partner nearly a decade later. Even Henry (Len Cariou) had a relationship, albeit one that turned out to be a con artist he had to take down.
Erin’s relationships have always been a little more complicated. Before the beginning of the series, she divorced her husband, Jack, whom she met when she was only 19. The divorce left her with her young daughter and a deep hurt that caused her to put everything she had into the job. This got her promoted, and she even considered running for district attorney, but decided the personal cost of such a move would be too high.
In true Reagan fashion, she does anything to get the job done, even putting others at risk (like the law-abiding brother or the state witness). She also sabotages many relationships as they come, sometimes because of her job, other times for different reasons. The result is an on-again-off-again relationship with her ex-husband for a decade. She doesn’t honestly face this ongoing until Season 10, and most fans would agree she’s better for having done so. Her biggest mistake was not drawing a harder line with her ex earlier on.