How did Blue Bloods write out Treat Williams?

Ever since it was announced that Treat Williams’ tragic death would be addressed on Blue Bloods Season 14, there have been questions about how that would play out on-screen.

Williams has appeared on the CBS procedural as Lenny Ross since 2016.

As a friend of Frank (Tom Selleck), the character broke through and earned many fans during Williams’ time on the show.

Going into the episode, it was inevitable that Lenny would succumb to cancer after he opened up to Frank last season about his diagnosis.

Instead of taking things in a dramatic direction, Blue Bloods did a remarkable job paying tribute to such a terrific character.

It all started with Frank being put in a tough spot after Lenny’s daughter Tess (Simone Policano) was arrested following a bar fight.

Frank was put in a tough spot

Frank was forced to ponder whether to uphold the law or give her some grace because of his connection with her deceased father.

“I thought my dad was your best friend,” she told Frank.

“He was my best friend. And I’m going to honor that by doing what’s best for his daughter,” Frank hit back.

Frank believed that Lenny was a great man, but one of his most significant flaws was letting Tess get away with doing whatever she wanted.

As things intensified, Frank contacted his father, who reminded him that Tess was not his daughter and believed he should show her more grace.

Frank paid tribute to his friend

The good news is that Frank scaled things back and helped Tess with a defense lawyer before they talked about Lenny’s funeral, and he invited her to a Reagan family dinner.

With news of Blue Bloods’ demise, we’ll miss the family dinners, and we hope we get plenty of them as the final season plays out.

At the end of the episode, Frank opened up about his relationship with Lenny, calling him his “oldest friend,” his “closest confidant,” and his “getaway driver.”

“And I lost him this week. And it hurts like hell. But Lenny would hate it if we got all teary and quiet and sad, so Lenny: We’ll miss ya. And save me a seat at your table, and I’ll see ya on down the road.”

How did Treat Williams die?

As Monsters and Critics previously reported, Williams died on June 12, 2023, following a motorcycle crash in Vermont.

He was transferred to Albany Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The esteemed actor’s death was “severe trauma and blood loss as a result of the crash,” according to the medical examiner.

Blue Bloods airs Fridays at 10/9c on CBS.

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