As much as I enjoy Blue Bloods, there are cases that leave me with more questions than answers. "Domestic Disturbance" was one of those episodes.

For those who aren't aware, October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month and kudos to Blue Bloods for highlighting the issue, even though it came across more forced than I'm sure they intended it to.

I say the storyline felt contrived because we've never seen Danny and Jackie responding to a domestic disturbance call before. There is a specialized Domestic Violence Unit in every precinct in New York City. Perhaps there are times when that unit becomes so busy that detectives from other departments step in to help. I have no insider knowledge so that's just a guess on my part. Still, it felt odd to see the detectives who normally handle major crimes dealing with such a case.

Having Jamie respond to the call first would have made more sense. Maybe Jamie could have felt something was off or figured out the councilman was involved and talked to his brother about it. At the very least that would have given Will Estes more to do than sit around the dinner table. There are far too many episodes where we see little of Jamie, making it feel as though Blue Bloods is the Danny Reagan show.

Jackie's reaction to the case surprised me a little. I can only imagine that by the time a cop makes detective they've dealt with more domestic cases than they can count, but I suppose not everyone becomes jaded to it.

Back to the case: would detectives have pushed as hard as Jackie and Danny did here? The girlfriend recanted her story before the police even arrived. There were no actual witnesses and the boyfriend was a city councilman and retired police officer. I'm not saying Mancini wasn't guilty or that they shouldn't investigate but if there's no evidence and your witness won't cooperate, how far can you take the investigation?

As Frank asked Danny in this Blue Bloods quote…

Frank: And she's accusing the councilman?
Danny: No, she's accusing a flight of stairs. | permalink

Yeah, those stairs can be nasty, especially when they get angry.

Angela was the crazy girlfriend and Tony was the untouchable abusive boyfriend. His shooting became a bad case of he said / she said. It's sad that the best outcome was for these two to agree to head to separate corners and move on.

As usual, Frank did the right thing. That's something Blue Bloods fans can always count on but now we're left to wonder if his budget got gutted for it. I hope they follow up on that next week.

It was great to see Linda back in the ER. It should lead to some tension at home as the family, especially Danny learns to adjust and will give Linda a reason to be involved in more cases. That's a win-win all the way around.

The Reagan family dinner was a bit of a let down this week and it left me with one question. How many spray cheese cans do you need to make a dish of mac and cheese? 

Despite my issues, this was still an interesting case, more so because there was no happy ending. Perhaps that's what makes it closer to reality than any of us should be happy with.

"Old Wounds" walked the fine line between love and hate, truth and lies, and the difference between fighting for justice and being a vigilante. 

We'll start with justice. Lily Rivera certainly never got any. The four men who gang raped her walked away on a technicality and she's suffering from such a bad case of PTSD that she'd prefer to be dead. To see those men high-fiving one another in court as they got away with it must have been horrifying.

I could understand how the detective just snapped. I was surprised he didn't shoot the third man. He'd already killed two of them. I can't imagine taking out the third would have changed his case any and I doubt Danny would have shot him to stop it.

As Danny confessed in his conversation with Jackie in this Blue Bloods quote…

Jackie: What did you say to him in there?
Danny: Mostly lies. What I wanted to tell him was go ahead and shoot the son of a bitch and let's be done with it. | permalink

Jackie was right. Doing their job is the difference between being a cop and being a vigilante criminal, but as Danny pointed out, sometimes that line starts to look blurry.

Frank's Commissioner for the Day candidate was an interesting case, as was the question of how much truth to tell him. I understood why the detective on the case tried to protect him but he's 18 now. Frank was right to tell him the truth. He had a right to know, no matter how unpleasant it was. Now he can make decisions based on facts and move forward.

Erin's ex, Jack Boyle, returned and I loved it when Erin firmly established her boundaries. If he's going to move back, make it at least 20 blocks away from Erin. It will be bad enough to run into him in court. She doesn't need to be tripping over him on the way to the dry cleaners. 

I also appreciated the directive for him not to promise Nikki anything until it was a sure thing. Nikki is growing up but there are only so many times he can disappoint his daughter before their relationship becomes damaged permanently. Erin was simply looking out for her daughter. 

I was a little surprised that Erin didn't tell Jack she kept the name Boyle because it was her daughter's last name but I doubt anyone but Jack will dislike her going back to being a Reagan.

As harsh as Henry's greeting was, i liked Frank's better. He was quick to remind Jack of all that he's lost.

Frank: You had two of the best women I've ever known and you let them both go. | permalink

As with last week's episode, I was left to wonder what happened with Jamie. Once again he was relegated to one scene with barely any dialogue. Why bother having the character if he only has something to do every third episode?

There was no Sunday dinner this week, just Nikki's party and it's not quite the same. Still, I really enjoyed the entire episode. My Friday nights just aren't the same without the Reagan clan.

During last week's Blue Bloods review, I mentioned how little we've seen of Jamie Reagan so far this season. In "Scorched Earth," he finally took the spotlight, but it only served to remind me that he may have gone into the wrong profession.

After a bride was murdered in a gang style drive-by shooting, the uniforms were told to utilize the NYPD's stop and frisk policy to round up gang members to get some answers. 

Officer Cruz saw some sort of non-verbal communication between the gang member being arrested and the kid on the stoop. Jamie witnessed the same incident but only interpreted it as the kid stretching. Both men saw the same event, yet perceived it as something different - and that's where the problem started.

I'm not a fan of Cruz. He's a cocky ass but in this case he was right. The kid was hiding the murder weapon and how they arrived at that answer was where Jamie had the problem.

I'm not a cop or a lawyer, but I'd assume that when they asked to talk and the kid tried to flee, that gave them reason to stop him. Did they have the right to frisk him? It seemed reasonable to me and certainly the bag of weed gave them cause to bring him in.

But Jamie viewed everything through the eyes of a Harvard Law student, not an officer. The question becomes whether that's a help or a hindrance in doing his job.

I enjoyed the conversation between Jamie, Frank and Henry. They asked relevant questions. Did the stop lead to a false arrest? Did it put anyone in harms way? Did the end justify the means?

My only wish was that Danny had been involved in this conversation.

That Jamie was in such utter distress over this arrest became tiresome. That he panicked when the DA's office sent a detective to question he and his partner over the arrest seemed silly. The fact that he went off on his sister for doing her job was downright ridiculous. 

The law itself may be black and white but the reality of being a police officer is filled with shades of gray. This episode really made me wonder if Jamie is cut out for that life. 

Frank's storyline with the evil dictator also disappointed me. As much as I enjoy having Frank play the hero and moral compass, it seemed far fetched that he could pull his detail off of a foreign diplomat to force him to leave the country. Wouldn't the State Department be all over that? Again, I'm no expert but I'd bet there would be so many layers of bureaucracy involved that it would take more than pressure from the police commissioner to get that man out of the city.

Linda should have won an award for the most patient, understanding wife in history but she has been a cop's wife for 16 years. I'd bet this isn't the first anniversary Danny's missed. However, I did find it interesting that her youngest son seemed to take more offense to his father's absence than Linda did.

And for once, Danny's case didn't feel like the only focus of the episode. As much as the other story lines may have annoyed me tonight, it was good to see Will Estes get some long overdue screen time, even if it made me wonder which direction his character is headed.

An ugly situation is developing on the set of Blue Bloods.

Jennifer Esposito, who has portrayed Detective Jackie Curatola since the show's first season, has been placed on temporary leave due to medical reasons based around the actress' battle with Celiac Disease.

Said CBS Studios in announcing the move:

“Jennifer has informed us that she is only available to work on a very limited part-time schedule. As a result, she’s unable to perform the demands of her role and we regretfully had to put her character on a leave of absence.”

Esposito has already filmed her final episode, which will air on November 2, and the series has reportedly lined up a set of replacements, beginning with Megan Ketch, who will debut on that same installment.

HOWEVER, Esposito has taken to Twitter and voiced her extreme displeasure with the way things have gone down.

“CBS put me on unpaid leave and has blocked me from working anywhere else after my doctor said you needed a reduced schedule due to Celiac,” she wrote. “CBS didn’t listen to my doc and I collapsed on set. Which everyone saw! After a week off my doc said I could return to work but CBS implied that I was NOT truly ill and this was a scheme to get a raise! It’s been almost two months without bringing me back to work + keeping Me from working anywhere else!… Absolutely shameful behavior.”

We'll keep readers apprised of this development as Blue Bloods Season 3 progresses.

Things are turning very ugly very quickly between Jennifer Esposito and CBS.

As previously reported, the actress was let go by Blue Bloods earlier this week in a move she referred to as "shameful" because she claims she simply asked for a temporary leave in order to deal with a medical situation.

In her place as Danny's partner, Megan Ketch will come on board as a temporary replacement, while Deadline now confirms Megan Boone has been cast in the same role for an upcoming three episode arc. The actress has an option to become a series regular.

In response to Boone's casting, Esposito took to Twitter and lashed out.

“There it is. CBS got rid of the only minority cast member so they can have an ALL WHITE CAST like CSI,” she wrote.

Blue Bloods airs a new episode tonight.

The Reagan family has 115 years of police history sitting around its dinner table.  It's a family that has had to weigh the "Risk and Reward" of the job on more occasions than they probably remember. 

So when Frank told Danny to do whatever it took to find Detective Mulrow, he didn't give that order lightly.

Was it the right call to make?  Obviously it achieved the desired result.  A decorated detective's life was saved but the risk of taking Abdul out of prison and placing him in Danny's custody was huge.  So many things could have gone wrong. I kept wondering if that was Omar's goal to begin with so that he could break his brother out of prison.

Danny's ploy of turning Sayid over to Malaysian special forces was well played and the detectives from Vice looked menacing enough in their big, black SUV to pull it off. 

As much as Frank Reagan's the moral compass of Blue Bloods, at times his choices are questionable.  There's certainly an argument for both sides here. 

Frank's position is to uphold the law. When he bends it or breaks it, or allows others to do so, how can we trust in that system?

At the same time don't we all want to believe that there is someone in charge that is willing to do whatever it takes to keep us safe, whether that's an entire city or just one innocent man.  Wasn't that why 24 was such a hit after 9/11.  The audience found comfort in the thought that Jack Bauer was out there willing to do whatever it takes.

Out of that 115 years of NYPD experience, 60 of them belonged to Henry Reagan. I loved the idea of having him ride along with Jamie, I just wished we had seen them do more than deal with a pizza truck dispute.

When Henry agreed with Jamie's partner about hauling the bickering brother and sister off to jail, it obviously irked Jamie. Again, I had to agree with a partner. The brother and sister were like a couple of bickering children only their petty dispute was ending with 911 calls.  At some point they needed to learn that there would be consequences or as Henry put it in this Blue Bloods quote…

 Sometimes a kick in the ass is worth a thousand words. | permalink

When Jamie accused Henry of believing he was a bad cop I had to roll my eyes.  At what point does Jamie Reagan stop sounding like a belligerent teenager?

And I had trouble believing that after multiple visits to the scene that one stern talking to by Jamie was all it took to resolve this family feud.

So, did you enjoy Henry's ride along? Was Jamie right to take offense or was he far too sensitive when it came to Henry's comments about his partner. And did you agree with Frank's decision to do whatever it takes?

The beginning of "Greener Grass" felt like it could have been a scene from my own life. That's probably why I enjoyed this episode of Blue Bloods so much. For as much as it can be a great crime drama, it's the real life family moments that resonate.

With Linda's car stalling out again and no money to make repairs, Danny did his best to cajole it back to the land of the living. In other words, when it doubt, jiggle a few wires. Before Linda drove to work, she asked in this Blue Bloods quote…

Linda: What do I do if that weird noise comes back?
Danny: Just turn up the radio. | permalink

That's frequently my solution too. Hopefully I don't suffer any catastrophic car fires anytime soon.

But most of us can relate to money troubles and far too many people are living paycheck to paycheck. I couldn't blame Danny for considering that job. Four times his salary would solve a lot of problems, but if he'd be miserable going to work every day then no one in the Reagan family would be happy.

Danny was meant to be a cop. No matter what the challenges. Still, they had me rooting for better times for this part of the Reagan clan.

Over in Brooklyn, Frank demonstrated how not to have a sensitive conversation with a family member when he blurted out that Henry should no longer be driving. 

Once again, the show connected to a real life moment for me. I remember when this issue came up with my grandfather. He took it about as well as Henry.

That Frank stopped to guilting Erin into helping showed how desperate he was for assistance. The resolution came a little too quickly but I liked it all the same.  When Henry gave his car to Linda, it allowed him to feel useful and gave him a valid excuse not to drive. Whether this is the last we'll hear of the issue is another story.

Jamie and Vinny's adventures were less angsty than they've been in recent weeks. Vinny's flirting was pretty cheesy but it was fun to watch. And Jamie wasn't trying to play hero, he just wanted to find the rest of the story.

A few final notes…

• The look on Danny's face when he realized Vance had the hots for his sister was priceless.
• Frank's conversation skills with Henry may have been lacking but a good Pastrami sandwich should always be brought when apologizing.
• Erin and Frank working as the family co-conspirators was really cute. Their relationship gets better every season.

Really, who wouldn't want to be a member of the Reagan family?

"Nightmares" featured its scary moments, but its sad ones were far more powerful. 

I expected more from an episode dealing with voodoo and the Catholic church. It felt as though the crime and the attacker were barely touched upon. I found myself hoping for more background on the Catholic church's stance on the voodoo community or the details of Tusain's exorcisms.

The end came too quickly and too neatly wrapped. With that one voodoo ceremony we were left to believe his demons had left but other than the initial attack we never saw much of them to begin with. The hour missed the mark.

It actually seemed to focus more on introducing us to Danny's new partner than the demon story. Speaking of which…

My first impression of Detective Kate Lansing was that I wanted to order her a cheeseburger. Boy, she was skinny. I wished her background in Haiti was used to give us more background into this world and develop her character a bit more. Of course, being a former member of Internal Affairs leaves all types of possibilities for conflict down the line.

But seeing Jackie at the end broke my heart. Danny had a string of revolving partners that first season and none of them clicked before Jackie. The two have great chemistry as partners and friends and I'm really going to miss her. At least we got a farewell scene and a goodbye hug. I'd love to see Jackie return but from published reports of the actress' conflicts on the show I think it's highly unlikely.

Garrett's issues this week were surprising. I didn't see that coming and apparently neither did Garrett, as he explains to Frank in this Blue Bloods quote…

 The only bells going off were from good whiskey. | permalink

Poor guy definitely got played and I loved that Frank was willing to have Henry go a little old school to get the problem solved. I couldn't take losing Jackie and Garrett all in the same episode. That would just be cruel.

Once again we got some more time with Jamie and his story line was the saddest of all. My grandfather had Alzheimer's and it is a horribly nasty disease. It's as though the person you know disappears while they're still standing in front of you. 

Malcolm was certainly stuck in the revolving door of the system and it's scary to think he could just be released over and over again. 

I was a little surprised that Jamie didn't recognize Malcolm's stance as a hockey pose right away. It appeared so obvious to me.

The Sunday dinner getting cut short was disappointing, especially since I wanted to hear the back story about why Erin is so into Halloween. I did love the Wizard of Oz themed costumes they wore.

So was I the only one who felt the demon story fell a bit short? And are you willing to give the new detective a chance?

After weeks of sticking Jamie on the back burner throughout the beginning ofBlue Bloods Season 3, the show is making up for lost time. "Higher Education" finally put him front and center.

Wasn't it about time Jamie got a shot at having a love life? We haven't seen him with anyone since he and his fiance broke up back in Blue Bloods Season 1.

In some ways, Dana appeared perfect for Jamie, Harvard-educated and idealistic. But she was just asking for trouble walking around the streets of New York City in that Homeless Avengers costume. And for a girl that said she'd been kicked and punched by a couple of grown men, wasn't it amazing that she didn't have a bruise on her or a hair out of place?

And when Jamie went to visit her at her multi-million dollar loft (had she made partner at that law firm already?), she didn't appear to be suffering any side effects from her beating other than suddenly realizing that being a cop might be a dangerous profession.

All in all, as silly as I found Dana's story, I think she might be a good fit for Jamie, at least for a while. I'm just not sure he can handle the vast differences in their finances over the long haul.

Sunday dinner turned out to be all sorts of fun as Frank ended up in the middle of a mother/daughter feud as both Erin and Nicky vied for his vote.

I was surprised that Nicky dropped in on Grandpa at work to plead her case. As much as I sided with Erin, I will admit that her daughter made a fair argument.  She's quite obviously the offspring of two lawyers.

Poor Erin felt completely betrayed when Frank took Nicky's side. As a single mom, Erin's always the bad guy and it had to hurt to look for support from Frank and not find it. Her anger bubbled over as she told Nicky in this Blue Bloods quote…

 Fine. Go. Get drunk. Have sex with Greg. Get a tattoo. You need bail money, call your grandfather. | permalink

The funniest part was watching Jamie who sat next to her and looked like he was contemplating whether his best course of action was to run or hide under the table.

In the end, Nicky went to her first college party with her 19-year old boyfriend. Maybe we could all be so generous with our teenager's freedom if we had police officers on speed dial to follow them.

The murder of the week wasn't all that compelling although Danny's partner grew on me a little more. I guessed that the professor was involved from his very first scene. He was far too helpful to be anything but a red herring. 

Danny clashing with Eddie from Narcotics was typical. The guy was a complete ass but Danny seemed to hate him before he had barely opened his mouth. I'd think that cop's cases overlap from time to time. Was asking for a heads up on any new information really that out of line?

The best part about this episode of Blue Bloods was that it didn't feel like the Danny show. The stories were far more balanced and it was great to see all of the characters get their moment to shine.

All the Reagan men got to play a little cowboy on the latest Blue Bloods as New York City resembled a bit of the wild west in "Secrets and Lies"

The moment Henry told Frank he had plenty of cash for his outing I knew where we were headed.  It didn't surprise me a bit that Henry fought back when he got mugged, even though it wasn't the smartest response. The guy looked like a junkie and held a very large gun.  But Frank was right. Putting up a fight is simply in Henry's DNA.

Jamie was already shaken by the news but watching that surveillance tape definitely sent him over the edge. That he ditched his partner and chased down the suspect wasn't a surprise but what was up with that crazy jump from the rooftop?  The other guy already failed to make it and was dangling by his fingertips.  What on earth would make Jamie think he could do any better and why risk it?

Henry said he would have let the scumbag fall. I have no doubt that's true.  And I could easily picture Danny taking his time as he walked back down to the ground level to see if the guy was still holding on.  But Jamie's the one with the conscience and even his wasn't so clear as he explained in this Blue Bloods quote…

 I came this close to letting him take a nose dive. And a part of me is still wishing I hadn't reeled him in. | permalink

Danny did his own cowboy impersonation as he chased down an armed suspect in a parking garage.  Out of all those cops, why was Danny the only one following the suspect?

Lucky for him he had a cow girl backing him up. If it weren't for his new partner, Danny's story would have ended in that garage.

The one thing that struck me about the massage parlor murder was how Danny interrogated the priest about the victim's final confession.  Danny's Catholic.  He had to know that the good Father wasn't going to reveal anything that was said during that confession.

But my favorite guest appearance was Casper the friendly phone psychic.  Watching Danny's reaction as Casper explained how he brought softness to the world through his work at the Psychic Light was very funny. It got even better when he told the detective not to be a hater.  Maybe some of Kate's special tea could have helped.

Even Frank went a little rogue this week as he took a tip from a mob attorney that led to several arrests. I only wondered how Erin would handle it in court if the origins of the tip were called into question.

The Reagan family dinner was at its finest when Frank told Jamie he would have given him a weeks suspension instead of just three days.  But Jamie's the one who has to figure out if he needs vengeance or justice. In this case I believe it was a little bit of both.

When do major crimes detectives investigate car accidents? When they're not accidents.

Which is why a vehicle taking a header through the guard rail of the BQE (Brooklyn Queens Expressway, for those of you not from NYC) led to the hunt for a serial killer. And a particularly green one at that. 

Not only was our environmentally conscious killer eating vegan black bean burritos and probably wearing hemp clothing, he took the time to track down environmentally friendly, lead free bullets. How thoughtful. It's nice to know he was trying to protect the Earth while blowing people's brains out while they drove.

Is it wrong of me to admit that I'd gladly burn a few extra gallons to be able to drive that Porsche 911? 

But back to the case. I knew the ex-military man hadn't committed suicide because there were still 20 minutes left in the show. However, I did love the clerk who couldn't stop calling Danny "Dude." The word was so ingrained in his vocabulary that I doubt Danny could have beat it out of him…and it looked like he really wanted to.

And how fitting having the killer be hit by an SUV. Hopefully there was a hybrid ambulance available.

Once again, Detective Kate Lansing won me over as she made bets with Danny over grammar issues, although my dictionary says it can be pronounced both ways. Forte as fort or fortey, so perhaps she shouldn't have handed that twenty bucks over quite so quickly.

The "Fathers and Sons" theme of the show came when poor Sean got bumped off his bicycle and suffered a head injury. I was surprised that Nicky urged her mother to scoop the kid up and go. She's always seemed so smart that I was a bit shocked she didn't know not to move an accident victim, especially one with a possible head, neck or back injury.  Then again, it's nice to see that she's just a kid and prone to panic like everyone else.

Everyone but Erin that is who was calm and in control. No less than I expected.

Linda was stoic as Danny struggled to hold it together. There was nothing to do but wait and patience certainly is one of Danny's virtues. 

Back at One Police Plaza, Frank worried about his family, handled the PR about the city's latest serial killer and gave the mayor fits. I do wonder how long Frank and the mayor can do this dance. I hope indefinitely but every time Frank steps on the Mayor's toes I wonder what the end of the season will bring.

We didn't get a real Reagan family dinner, just Chinese takeout at the hospital and a heartfelt prayer. But Sean waking up to the rising sun with both Danny and Frank at his bedside almost made up for it.

Almost. Because as good as this episode was, I don't want to go another week with Sunday dinner with the Reagans.

Reagans are a stubborn bunch.  They don't like to back down or appear weak so it certainly wasn't "Front Page News" when Jamie tried to act like nothing was wrong after shooting and killing an armed man.

My big issue with the shooting was that it took place in Washington Square Park which normally has police officers on patrol yet it appeared as though Jamie and his partner were the only police around for a call about a man with a gun.  But this is TV, so I'll try and let that one go.

Jamie seemed determined to be as tough as his brother but he failed miserably.  I have no doubt Danny would have felt badly if he had done the shooting but outwardly you know he wouldn't have done more than gripe about the paperwork. 

Whereas Jamie went down the road that has become all too familiar for this character.  He tormented himself wondering whether he was truly cut out to be a cop. 

This is Blue Bloods season 3. Shouldn't Jamie know what he wants to be by now. He needs to decide whether he's a cop or he wants to go back and be a lawyer or something else all together.  Instead we're stuck with this angst as he ponders his career choice every other episode and it's gotten a bit tiring.

And Jamie's reluctance over the general bureaucracy that goes along with any shooting felt odd to me. There are certain procedures that must be followed such as being evaluated by a therapist.  I would think that being part of a cop family he'd simply accept this as the norm and get it over with instead of griping every step of the way.

Perhaps I'm being to hard on him.  That could've just been the trauma talking but it came off as Jamie's insecurities coming to the surface once again.

Danny came to Jamie's rescue, as any good brother in his position should. And he did it as only Danny could do as he told the Sergeant in this Blue Bloods quote…

Danny: I'm just checking on my kid brother, Sarge. If anyone at IA got a problem with it they can bite me. | permalink

You've got to respect the brotherly love.

The one person I felt no sympathy for was the victim, if you could call him that.  He got high and killed a girl in college, then covered it up and watched his friend's life be ruined by the guilt. When the truth was finally going to come out he decided it was better to kill himself and leave his family with that torment than face the consequences. And when he couldn't even get that right, he manipulated an innocent police officer into taking his life for him. The guy was a selfish little weasel to the end.

The story of the mayor's true involvement in Erin's case was left dangling. Was Frank right? Was that the mayor's tell and he's lying. I have little doubt he had something to do with the defendant suddenly accepting that deal, even if he was only pulling the strings from a distance.

Or perhaps he just has an itchy head.  Something tells me we'll find out more as this season of Blue Bloods continues.

Mark Moses is about to add yet another series to his guest-starring resume.

The veteran actor - who has appeared on Mad Men, The Killing, Elementary, Criminal Minds, Desperate Housewives and Covert Affairs - has booked a stint on Blue Bloods Season 3.

Fans of this CBS drama can look forward to Moses appearing on February 1, according to TV Guide, as he'll come on board in the role of Curtis Swint, a racist, hate-spewing talk show host who takes his program to New York for a live broadcast.

The move will force Tom Selleck's Frank Reagan to balance Swint's rights to free speech and assembly with the commissioner's personal values of tolerance and equality.

The episode will be titled "Inside Jobs."

The Reagans walked the line as they watched Danny get "Framed" for cocaine possession and tried to believe that the system they've dedicated their careers to would eventually find him innocent.

But it sure wasn't easy.

First off, I had to wonder how plausible it was for a uniformed officer to ask an off duty detective if he could search his vehicle. I would have guessed that once Danny showed his badge, he would have been waved on his way, but there's certainly the possibility that I'm wrong.

Unfortunately, that game of which bill should we pay bingo that Danny and Linda were involved in only made Danny look like more of a candidate for police corruption. At the same time I kept thinking that if he was selling drugs, wouldn't he have had the money to pay those bills? Doesn't it send up a red flag when a cop has too much money instead of not enough?

We all knew that Danny was being set up. The only question was, by whom?

My first guess was that it was Saul, the ADA, since he put Danny off until Monday to get the warrant only to have Danny arrested hours later. My theory was solid, but my suspect was wrong.

I thought it was great that Henry went to Erin's ex to have him represent Danny. As Henry said in this Blue Bloods quote…

Henry: If you need to hire a shark, make sure you get the Great White. | permalink

In other words, he might not like Jack Boyle but he respects what he can do. 

My one big unanswered question in all of this was why did the bakery owner lie about seeing Danny that night? Was he being intimidated and if so, by whom? 

Also, I was worried they were going to drag Kate into this somehow and then Danny would lose her as a partner. Well, she wasn't guilty of anything and Danny still lost his partner.

I had just gotten to like Kate and now she's out the door, leaving us with yet another ride on the Danny Reagan partner merry-go-round. I think I'm already feeling dizzy.

This episode had lots of funny moments too that successfully offset the angst:

• Danny wanting nothing more than to come home and hang out on the sofa in his underwear.
• We've all had nosy neighbors but one that actually peers inside your windows is over the line.
• Garrett touting Zombie dogs as the breakfast of champions. I knew there was a reason I liked that man.
• Frank's mention of Danny's innocence being relegated to the back of the newspaper with the Poconos real estate ads. I think you have to be from the NYC area to really appreciate that one.

Finally we ended the evening with the traditional Reagan family dinner where everyone found out how each family member quietly stepped over that proverbial line in order to help Danny while sharing a chocolate cheesecake. I can't think of a better way to celebrate.

The start of  "Inside Jobs" made me groan, as Danny Reagan stepped back on the merry go round with yet another new partner.

I'll always miss Jackie but Kate was just starting to grow on me when the rug got pulled out from under her. Now we're introduced to Detective Candace McElroy, aka Mac.

Has anyone else found it odd that the majority of Danny's partners have been beautiful women? Or that a rookie detective's first assignment was Major Crimes? 

Giving Mac a back story of being a veteran with three tours in Afghanistan certainly helped - but still. There was a little voice in my head that just thought, Ugh. Not another partner.  

Sigh. At the very least I hope this one sticks around for a while. This ride makes me dizzy.

But on to other story lines... The rat theme was a fun twist and as a fan of Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio I was thrilled to see her in the role of the Goddess. It takes a strong women to not let a rat infestation slow down her fundraiser. 

I liked that Erin recognized that a commitment to the charity would impact her already busy schedule and quite possibly take time away from her daughter. Then she sat down with Nicky to discuss it, over cupcakes.

I was a little surprised that Erin didn't tell Danny right away about Sophia's nickname being the Goddess. That woman must have made quite an impression on Erin in her younger days to solicit such loyalty and trust. Too bad she hadn't earned it. But sometimes our heroes are just a mirage and Sophia quickly turned out to be nothing that she appeared. The moment Erin began to question her, the Goddess couldn't have turned on her any faster. 

Frank's run-in with the bigoted radio show host made for some entertaining conversation at the Reagan family dinner. As Henry pointed out in this Blue Bloods quote...

Henry: The nut cases also have rights. That's what makes this country so great and so incredibly confusing. | permalink

When Swint gave Frank that hate-filled diatribe of what he thought of New York City and assumed that Frank was on his side just because he was white, I was almost as speechless as Frank. How do you even respond to something like that?

If you are Frank Reagan, you introduce the man to the finest police department in the world. It's also one of the most diverse and it would protect Swint during his stay whether he liked it or not. 

As usual, Frank Reagan managed to get his point across with quiet class and that's a rarity, both on TV and in the real world.

"Men In Black" were everywhere in this episode of Blue Bloods and I never wanted them to put those long wool suits back on as much as I did during the steam room scene. There's something about hairy and sweaty that just doesn't go together.

Other than that one pet peeve I really enjoyed this hour's peak into the Hasidic community.  New York City is such a melting pot of cultures, races, and religions that I appreciate it when the show reminds us of that.

When the Grande Rebbe told Henry that he was breaking with tradition and asking his younger son to take his place, it was easy to guess that Levi would soon end up dead.

I was left to wonder if Levi's father had any idea about his extra-curricular activities.  I felt bad for Karen Waters, his shiksa goddess but that's always the risk of being the other woman. Given his strict religious beliefs it wasn't hard to guess that Levi would never divorce his wife. Of course given those same beliefs he shouldn't have been having the affair in the first place.

Jamie had a fun case this week. Hopefully Rebecca's friend finds, well, better friends. Calling the police clowns to their faces is generally a quick way to get them to slap the cuffs on you.  Not that Rebecca cared. Her daddy was once the mayor.

As Erin told Levins in this Blue Bloods quote as he tried to get the charges dropped…

Erin: As parents our first instinct is to fix everything and sometimes that just makes things worse. | permalink

For a girl that's probably never so much as cleaned up her own room, doing 1000 hours of clean up from Hurricane Sandy should make quite an impression.

The storyline that shocked me the most was that of Peter Christopher Reagan.  

Certainly times were different and I would never judge anyone who has lost a child but I was surprised that Henry and his wife chose to never speak of their little boy who died of leukemia the year before Frank was born.

Not talking about him, not sharing his memory all of these years meant that to Frank and his family that child never existed. I found that horribly sad.

On an up note,  I couldn't believe it when Danny blurted out that a girl could never be commissioner. Erin would make a better commissioner than either of her brothers.  It made me want to invite myself over for their family dinner just to smack him…and have a knish.

Love is in the air - and Cupid's been a busy boy on the small screen, as many of his arrows have already hit a handful of couples.

In anticipation of tomorrow's romantic holiday, here are some of TV's most happily married twosomes. Ready to select your favorite pairing?

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Peter & Elizabeth Burke (White Collar) He's an FBI agent. She's an event planner. He loves baseball. She's a music fan. Whether it's having one another's backs or saving conman, consultant, and friend Neal's behind, Peter and Elizabeth's love has been unwavering from day one.

Marshall & Lily Ericksen (How I Met Your Mother) They've managed to hold onto one another while their friends flounder about looking for love. With baby Marvin making these two a family, Lily and Marshall are definitely in this for the long haul.

Claire & Phil Dunphy (Modern Family) She's the control freak. He's the happy go lucky dad. Despite their three challenging kids, Claire and Phil still find time to find some romance. That's why Agent Clive and Julianna make an appearance every Valentine's Day.

Snow White & Prince Charming (Once Upon a Time) They've lived through curses, an evil queen, several separations, and multiple identities, yet Snow and Charming always find their way back to one another.  They are the fairy tale.

Mitchell Pritchett & Cameron Tucker (Modern Family) At uptight lawyer and a free spirited music teacher, you'd think Mitch and Cam would make one another crazy. Well, they do but in all the best ways.

Danny & Linda Reagan (Blue Bloods) Two high stress jobs (he's an NYPD detective, she's an ER nurse) two kids, a mortgage and the cost of private school keeps things from being easy for Danny and Linda. But it's their faith in one another and the importance of family that nourishes their unbreakable bond.

Jay & Gloria Pritchett (Modern Family) Despite the age difference, Jay and Gloria just fit.  With baby Fulgencia (aka Joe) they are one another's second chance at happiness and neither one of them is willing to let that go.

Adam & Kristina Braverman (Parenthood) A grown daughter in college, a teen with Asperger's and a new baby have kept Adam and Kristina's life from being dull. But Krisitina's recent battle with cancer has made them closer than ever.

Angela Montenegro & Jack Hodgins (Bones) Hodgins is a scientist. Angela's an artist. He's been known to run amok with conspiracy theories. She's got a retro-hippie side. But somehow Hodgins and Angela were simply made for one another.  Even if all of his money is gone, nothing will keep this couple apart.

Jim & Pam Halpert (The Office) Jim may be in Philadelphia and their latest phone call may have ended with Pam in tears but that doesn't mean this couple doesn't have something special. Will their love sustain them until the series finale?

Did we leave anyone out? If so, add them in the comments below and choose your favorite happily married couple for this Valentine's Day.

"Warriors" took Blue Bloods fans to one of the scariest scenes known to humankind. The middle of a 16 year old's driving lesson.  The surprise was that it wasn't NIcky that invoked our fear, it was Erin. 

Who would have guessed that Erin was an aggressive driver?  She yelled at other drivers as though they could hear her and used the horn liberally, as Frank put it and did it all while coaching her nervous daughter.

I couldn't believe she instructed Nicky to cross over the double yellow line instead of waiting for the cab to move, then criticized that she wasn't going fast enough. Oye. I didn't blame Nicky for calling an end to mother / daughter driving time.  As she told Erin in this Blue Bloods quote.

 Behind enemy lines in a tank, for sure I'd want you to be behind the wheel. | permalink

Apparently Reagans were not known for their driving prowess.  Henry gave away his car. Frank hasn't driven in years and Danny's good as long as he's doing excessive speeds. The only one with any patience was Jamie and I suppose that's another perk of having a large family.  There are plenty of options to fall back on. 

One complaint. When Nicky and Jamie came to pick up Erin, where were the seatbelts?  I know the car was old but no one seemed to be buckled in. Not only is that illegal, it's just plain dangerous.

At the Reagan family dinner, Nicky certainly lit into Frank. She couldn't understand how Frank could stand on the podium while a young woman was being sent to certain death.  

I saw it both ways. The idealistic view was that Frank should have protested but in reality that would have done little.  Instead, playing politics and calling in favors from friends behind the scenes did more than any uproar could.  However, Nicky's prodding may have made Frank work a little harder.

I couldn't believe that Linda brought up Danny's anger management class in the middle of the family dinner but I loved the look on Danny's face when she did. I'd guess that's something he would have liked to have kept private but not much is kept secret amongst Reagans.

Danny's right. Someone should get angry when a child is shot but the therapist had a point as well.  That kind of anger can eat away at you. If Danny doesn't want to burn out, he needs to find ways to deal with that anger so that it doesn't turn into an uncontrolled rage.

As Danny said, the cops and gang bangers aren't about to hold hands and sing Kumbaya any time soon and we want to see Danny Reagan around for many seasons to come.

As much as there was nothing technically wrong with tonight's Blue Bloods, there was nothing stellar about "Quid Pro Quo" either as I found it to be one of the most boring episodes of the season.

Erin and Danny teamed up to try and solve a cold case after the murder victim's father implored Erin for help.  As much as I applauded their persistence, the investigation felt flawed at many turns.

It was hard to believe that a company would keep 15 year old signature manifests on file. Having Erin do her own undercover work should have had some sense of danger to it but I never felt she was in any peril. 

Then, having she and Danny hunt down their suspected killer together leaving Erin as his only armed backup seemed silly. Yes, as an ADA I'm sure she might carry a gun and as a Reagan I'm positive she'd know how to use it but it all felt more like a contrived plot point in an attempt to build up drama and it just didn't work for me.

Frank and Garrett were at odds once again and didn't it feel like we've been down this road before?

I enjoyed the quote Garrett wrote about Frank in an opposition piece but this felt like just one more story to find a wedge to put between these two men, only to bring them back together once again. As Garrett told Frank in this Blue Bloods quote…

Garrett: I don't know about you but I've had enough honesty for one week. | permalink

Jamie and Danny's basketball game went all wrong as Jamie's friend was an ass and got a broken nose for not knowing when to keep his mouth shut.  Of course an elbow to the gut could have shut him up too and possibly avoided charges and a possible law suit.

Also, I could be wrong but would two assault charges 15 years apart really warrant serious bail and time at Rikers Island?  If that's the case I'd think they'd have to build a whole new wing for all of the punches thrown in NYC.

For once we saw Danny openly proud of his brother and Jamie accepting it without question but the reason seemed a bit silly.  I know Danny was relieved for his friend but if Jamie had better friends perhaps this never would have happened. It might have felt more interesting if Jamie and Danny had been on opposite sides of this argument from the start

Even the Reagan family dinner felt too short and without any real fun or drama and as it's usually my favorite scene of the show I was disappointed.

Here's to hoping for better Blue Bloods next time.

Blue Bloods has found a new partner for Danny Reagan.

Marisa Ramirez (Against the Wall, Body of Proof) has been cast on five episodes of the CBS drama as Detective Maria Baez. She will debut this Friday and has the potential to come on board as a series regular in the fall.

Ramirez will represent the third temporary partner for Danny, following a four-episode arc by Megan Ketch and a three-episode shiny by Megan Boone.

The series was forced to make these changes after an ugly dispute with Jennifer Esposito led to that star's departure from the drama.