Sometimes, tough love puts the emphasis on “tough.”
After a case involving a possibly corrupt cop, Frank had another one causing problems on Blue Bloods. Meanwhile, Erin and Joe Hill bonded while Eddie got an interesting offer in Allegiance.
An attack on a cop
At a small house, Frank visited Lieutenant Raymond Moretti (Tony Danza) who had an arm in a sling from a shooting. He claimed to have just come home when someone shot up the place, thankful his wife, Cheryl (Laura Ann Spaeth), and sons were okay. Frank insisted he have a protective detail until they found who did this.
Joe Hill wrapped up a romantic encounter with Deanna Parker (Christiani Pitts), a defense attorney. As he got breakfast, he heard her on the phone telling someone not to show up for trial.
Baez brought Danny to see a taping of her favorite talk show host, Mimi Martinez (Judy Torres). During a break, Mimi started coughing before one of her assistants called for a doctor. Coming backstage, Danny and Baez found Mimi laid out on the floor, not breathing.
Joe dropped in on Anthony to tell of a “confidential source” knowing about Deanna engaging in witness tampering for the trial of Adrian Edwards, a gangster up for assault. Anthony figured Joe was the “informant,” and Erin needed to know about this, but Joe wanted his name out of it.
Baez was stunned at Mimi’s death and that it had to be more than natural causes. They talked to Mimi’s co-host Hank Willis (Geoffrey Cantor), while asking about her husband, Billy, who was in L.A.
Sid had to confirm Frank’s suspicions that this wasn’t about Ray as his son Vincent (Tom D’Augstino) was into drugs and messing with gangs and one tried to hit back. Sid insisted Ray was a great cop who gave so much to the job and the neighborhood with Frank snapping that didn’t make up for his son’s ways.
Eddie met with Sergeant Katie Williams (Rosa Evangelina Arredondo) on becoming “bait” for a possible rapist attacking women. It turned out Eddie had aced the sergeant’s exam and was up for an undercover stint.
Anthony tried to spin the “confidential informant” on Deanna to Erin. Despite Mimi’s death not yet considered a homicide, Baez wanted to focus on it, convinced she was murdered.
She shared Mimi’s husband had cheated on her, but she still took him back, showing her strength. When Danny pointed out it wasn’t their case, Baez snapped that she’d followed his gut hunches over the years, he could do the same for her.
Some revelations are made
Eddie showed up at the club where each woman had visited before the attacks. She was soon hit on by a man named Dylan (Brian Hatch), but before it got further, up came an old classmate of Eddie’s from the academy who outed her as a cop and called “Dylan” George.
He walked off as the woman was upset about Eddie doing this for a job. Also upset was Williams (dressed in club gear herself) who pulled Eddie off the case.
Ray was called before Frank, knowing that he was in trouble covering for a criminal, even if it was his son. Frank fired back Vincent was the reason Ray was shot, with Ray blaming himself for being so focused on the job that his son found solace in drugs. “What would you do if it was one of your boys?”
Joe came to Anthony’s office with Erin there to push him on more information with the witness gone. When Erin snapped, “if you knew anything about me, you know I do things the right way,” Joe intoned “I guess I don’t really know you.”
Bill (Triney Sandoval) seemed mournful with Baez pushing him on his past affair. Bill retorted that they may not have been in love but still on good terms. He suggested they look at Mimi’s ex-assistant Ashley Rogers, who was fired for spending their money and writing a tell-all book.
Jamie had a celebratory dinner for Eddie, which upset her because she was taken off the case. She admitted she didn’t even want to be a sergeant but just prove herself beyond being Jamie’s wife and loved being in the field. Jamie said it didn’t matter what Eddie did, “Just don’t be a quitter.”
Erin popped in on Joe to accuse him of warning Deanna, who hadn’t shown up for work. He volunteered to help her find Deanna but Erin warned him off.
In interrogation, Ashley (Jennifer C. Johnson) admitted to blackmailing Mimi not to publish her work but denied killing her. She added Bill was still cheating on Mimi and if Mimi proved that, he’d get nothing in a divorce.
Bending the rules
Sid cited Ray’s long service to try and convince Frank not to come down on him. Frank was wary of losing a good cop but “how many times can you bend the rules before the cost outweighs the benefits?” Sid retorted that no one on their deathbed ever wished they’d been a harder person.
Frank reached out to Henry for advice, agreeing it was hard to make a choice of the job and family. Henry had been the one to create the rule that a cop couldn’t cover for someone, even family.
Henry shared he’d had a brother-in-law who had run a loan shark operation and cut him off when he wouldn’t stop. He’d always suspected Frank’s mom knew the “rule” came from Henry, not his superiors but couldn’t be sure. Henry never regretted what he did as he couldn’t stand his relative hurting people.
Ashley had an alibi while Bill had a motive but in California. The autopsy showed Mimi had died after eating nuts, which she was allergic to. The pair visited Hank on set as they found evidence Hank had poisoned her coffee that day to arrest him.
Eddie stormed into Williams’ office, showing a picture of George, identified as an executive, and they had a chance of identifying him. Williams and Eddie arrested him right in the middle of a meeting after all five victims identified him. When he insulted Eddie, Williams smirked that those kind of women “make the best detectives.”
Frank toasted Eddie’s success on the test at the family dinner before Danny outed her not wanting to be a sergeant. Eddie admitted she much preferred being a detective.
Anthony interrupted Erin and Joe to show a file dropped on his desk with proof of Edwards’ guilt. Erin was shocked that Joe stole it from her office as he related it showed Deanna was in trouble and needed to find her.
They traced Deanna’s location to a building, seeing Deanna dragged into a van. That gave them cause to race in, shooting the thug as Joe rescued Deanna, who was more focused on Joe being a cop.
Bill couldn’t believe Hank was the killer, but Danny and Baez had figured out Bill hired Hank to kill Mimi, and as soon as he wasn’t paid, Bill would talk. Danny cited the lousy luck of Bill that “your wife’s biggest fan is a New York Detective.”
Frank laid it out for Ray: either Vincent “is out of the house, or you’re out of the department.” He admitted he understood Ray, but Vincent’s presence put the family in danger. So while Vincent might hate Ray for kicking him out, at least he’d be alive to do it.
Joe was surprised Erin brought him to a bowling alley for a get-together as Joe admitted he preferred keeping quiet as a cop with some women. The pair shared a game as they started to bond further.
It was a tough hour for some family issues, yet also had some good turns for Eddie and Joe bonding with the Reagans further.
Blue Bloods Season 12 airs Fridays at 10/9c on CBS.
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