As we reported earlier in the week, Marisa Ramirez has signed on for a five-episode arc on Blue Bloods, coming on board the CBS drama as Detective Maria Baez, the new partner of Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny. Her first episode, “Protest Too Much,” airs tonight.

With past roles in Against The Wall and Spartacus: Gods of The Arena (and, yes, another recurring role starting next month on ABC’s Body of Proof) it’s a wonder the in-demand Ramirez found the time to jump on the phone in between shooting scenes in cold NYC - but she delivers an abundance of exclusive scoop to TV Fanatic in the following Q&A.

TV Fanatic: How did the gig on Blue Bloods come about?
Marisa Ramirez: They called my agent and offered an episode to me and it was right before pilot season was about to get crazy. So, I didn’t know the whole history behind all of Danny’s partners. When I read the script I didn’t think that it would even be recurring. I just thought they needed a partner to solve the crime for an episode.

I came in to New York and shot that episode and just had the best time. I got along with everyone really well and they asked me to be in the next one…and then they asked me to be in the next one. So, I was like, ‘Wow! What’s happening right now?’ I had no clue that this could possibly continue into more. It was just so surprising. I’m so honored that they kept asking me to stay. So, I’m here.

TVF: What’s Maria Baez all about? Do you know her backstory?
MR: Honestly, I have no idea because when I first came on they never really gave me the back story. I think they didn’t even know if they were going to have me back for more. All I know is there is a history between Maria and Danny. They’ve known each other for 10 years. I am not sure how. I imagine they worked patrol together but it’s nice. They have a little banter back and forth because of their history. I know she’s single because I’m not wearing a ring on the show. She’s from New York. She’s just a chick solving crimes, sort of thing, with Danny. They work well together.

TVF: Is it purely professional or is there some flirting going on between them?
MR: No flirting. It’s kind of like a brother-sister relationship, for sure…very respectful, very friendly, but definitely no flirting. They probably have known some of the same people for the past ten years and have seen each other around and now they’re working together. It’s fun for both of them but it’s strictly a professional relationship.

TVF: Have you had scenes with Tom Selleck? I mean, he’s Tom Selleck!
MR: I can’t even say hi to him because I’m a little nervous. I just smile a shy little girl smile and keep walking. I don’t know what to say. No, I haven’t had any scenes with him. I’m sure if I did I would handle myself professionally. It would be fine. We’d get through it. My character doesn’t really interact with his.

TVF: Since you have played these roles in the past, how do you kind of make it fresh for yourself so it’s not just a caricature of just another cop.
MR: Well, I think the location has a lot to do with it and Danny, the person I’m working with. Against the Wall was working with Rachael Carpani and we’re sort of very girly, but still tough.

With this, I’m working with a dude. I have to sort of match my personality with his and not be, basically, a girl detective, at all. I don’t really know how I change it up. It’s just something that I discover, I think, when I put on my wardrobe and read my lines over and over again. Putting the gun on actually plays a big factor in how I feel for the day, I guess.

TVF: The buzz earlier this week was that this could possibly become a series regular. Is that anything that they’ve talked to you about?
MR: I mean, there is definitely a series option but I’m not going to know anything for awhile and I really have no idea. I would be completely honored if they asked me to stay as a regular. It’s just such an amazing show to be a part of and the cast and crew are just awesome.

TVF: Tell me about Body of Proof where you appear in a few episodes in April.
MR: I play Riley Dunn, who was the uniformed officer who came into help solve [a case]. She ends up sticking around and is sort of having a flirtatious relationship with one of the other detectives.

TVF: That show has a lot of very empowered women like Dana Delaney and Jeri Ryan. Did you get a sense of that?
MR: Yeah. There’s always something very empowering when a woman is wearing a uniform and has a gun.  Working with Dana was great for me. I watched her on China Beach. It is such an accomplishment to be a woman of her background, her history and body of work…and to lead this show for three seasons now. She just does it so easily and gracefully. It was nice to watch her and be a part of it.

Blue Bloods airs Fridays at 10 p.m. on CBS. Body of Proof airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

"Protest Too Much" featured almost everyone taking their concerns a little too far.  

With the Citizens for Police Accountability staging a vocal protests outside his windows, I loved how Frank reacted in this Blue Bloods quote…

 You know, if we had a balcony and some water balloons we could really have some fun. | permalink

That was almost as funny as watching a bunch of adults dangle a giant donut, sprinkles and all. But they weren't Franks biggest problem.  hat came later in the form of his disgruntled daughter. 

I liked Whitney. She was gorgeous, smart and had a sense of humor. The best part was how not just Frank, but all of the Reagan men reacted to her. Every one of them clearly remembered, "the hot blonde with the cane," as Danny put it and they'd apparently only met her once at Erin's 40th birthday party.

As for Erin, she really needed to lighten up. Yes, having her father date one of her friends wouldn't be ideal but Frank's been alone a long time. The guy deserves to have a little fun and like he said himself…

 I know I'm not spring chicken but I'm pretty sure I'm not dead. | permalink

I felt badly that Erin's over-the-top reaction caused him to back off and tell Whitney they had no future. 

Danny was back on the partner merry-go-round but this time I wasn't nearly as dizzy. I liked Detective Jordan Baez and the fact that she and Danny's relationship apparently went back about 10 years. I wished we had gotten more details about that but at least we were able to avoid all of the getting to know you awkwardness yet again.

As much as I like Danny's chemistry with his female partners, I found it kind of ridiculous that he'd be partnered with four woman in the span of as many months…but then again, this is TV.

Bonnie and Clyde…or Sylvie and Dylan... made me roll my eyes. That they tried to pawn off their bank robbing as a protest against the bank's CEOs was laughable. As if the CEO's would somehow be punished if these two made off with a few grand. I'm sure their rhetoric sounded good for the newscasts but people rob banks for one reason. That's where the money is.

Danny's contentious relationship with the FBI grew tiresome fast. There seemed to be plenty of fault on both sides. Having Jordan be a former FBI liaison fell flat as it never really got woven into this story line with any purpose.

Should Detective Baez stick around or should Danny get back on the partner merry-go-round? And was Frank right to walk away from Whitney? What's your opinion on this week's Blue Bloods?

Attention, CBS fans: set your DVR and plan your nights out accordingly. The network has announced the following season finale air dates...

Sunday, April 28                    
9:00-10:00 PM: The Good Wife                   

Sunday, May 5                       
8:00-10:00 PM The Amazing Race
10:00-11:00 PM: The Mentalist          

Thursday, May 9                    
8:30-9:00 PM: Two and a Half Men
9:00-10:00 PM: Person of Interest

Friday, May 10                    
9:00-10:00 PM: Vegas
10:00-11:00 PM: Blue Bloods

Sunday, May 12                    
8:00-11:00 PM: Survivor

Monday, May 13                   
8:00-8:30 PM: How I Met Your Mother
9:00-9:30 PM: 2 Broke Girls

Tuesday, May 14                                
8:00-9:00 PM: NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM: NCIS: Los Angeles  
10:00-11:00 PM: Golden Boy       

Wednesday, May 15            
10:00-11:00 PM: CSI

Thursday, May 16
8:00-8:30 PM: The Big Bang Theory
9:00-11:00 PM: Elementary                 

Monday, May 20                  
10:00-11:00 PM: Hawaii Five-0                                

Wednesday, May 22
10:00-11:00 PM: Criminal Minds

The truth is that no one leaves this world with "No Regrets" but Erin's friend Trevor was certainly trying to wipe out a few of his before he left. 

When the bodies started piling up around the city they appeared to be a case of random acts of violence. As Henry told the kids at Sunday family dinner in this Blue Bloods quote…

Henry: Nothing scares a cop more than a nut who keeps killing for no reason. | permalink

That's one of the great things about the Reagan family dinners. There are very few topics that are off limits.  Cases, politics, religion, it all comes up and is discussed and debated.  Thankfully even when the conversation turns to murder there's enough underlying humor to keep it from becoming completely maudlin as when Jamie and Erin tried their best to be supportive of Danny…

Jamie: It's not like you don't have any experience with crazy people
Erin: You grew up in a house full of them. | permalink

I had mixed feelings about Trevor's bucket list.  It's not that his victims hadn't slipped through the system but should he have had the final say on their fate?  

And I had to feel for Danny.  He's had lousy luck lately talking people down. Last week the guy failed to heed Danny's warnings and decided to go out in a hail of bullets.  This week Trevor decided to take his own life in front of Danny.  How many of those instances can Danny take before it starts to back up on him?

Jamie's case basically blew up in his face as he tried to do the right thing.  How scared must that little boy have been of his parents fighting to have run from his own home and out into the street?

But the mother's secret was bound to come out eventually.  How many plumbing issues can one apartment have?

Frank's friend was just a mess.  He lied to Frank. He walked out on his family. His ego and his alcoholism were ruining his life.  

Pete was darn lucky his ex-wife was even still willing to talk to him. Despite the way he left, she still seemed to care.  So did Frank, although he wanted more from his friend than a simple apology. He wanted to put Pete back on the right path.  Unfortunately it's up to Pete whether or not he takes it.

In the end there were no easy days for anyone in the Reagan family but I felt the worst for Danny as he had to give his sister the heartbreaking news about her friend.  Hopefully the Reagans have some good Karma coming their way soon.

CBS has sent out a press release that announces so many new season renewals... it's almost easier to list the shows that have NOT yet been picked up for the fall.

Having already announced that The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, NCIS and CSI would return in 2013-2014, CBS has now confirmed that the following programs will also be back for a minimum of 13 episodes:

NCIS: Los Angeles, Person of Interest, Elementary, Hawaii Five-0, The Mentalist, Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, The Amazing Race, Survivor and Undercover Boss.

So, which shows did not make the cut?

Vegas, whose future is not bright, considering its recent move to Fridays; CSI: New York; Golden Boy; Rules of Engagement; and Two and a Half Men, which will likely receive an 11th season once negotiations with Ashton Kutcher are complete.

It wasn't so much the "Loss of Faith" that I found so sad in this episode of Blue Bloods - but the inability of the people in a beautiful young girl's life to accept that her faith had changed.

Kathleen DeMotto had discovered new love but her death was caused when friends and family reacted with intolerance and hate.  

Joe couldn't handle that his childhood sweetheart would find someone else, nevermind revert to the Muslim faith. Kathleen's new boyfriend's brother hated her because she wasn't traditional Muslim. She couldn't seem to win.

I felt for Moustafa because of the torture he received as a 12-year old boy after 9/11. It simply proved that hate breeds hate. Where does it end? 

But in the end it was Kathleen's own father who took her out of this world.  He couldn't live with the fact that his little girl could make decisions for herself that he didn't agree with. When she turned her back on their Catholic faith his hold on her literally became deadly. 

Instead of a living Muslim daughter, he has a dead good Catholic girl. I'm sure that in his mind she'll never change.

The Pedro Mendoza story was scary, not only because he was an ex-cop going after other cops but because he could have been almost any guy you passed on the street. 

I like that Jamie and his partner have bonded more. The two may be different but they make a good team. They make me hope that Jamie gets a meatier story line before the season ends. 

As usual the family dinner scene was one of the best of the hour.  I liked how Frank answered when Nicky asked how he would react if Erin was dating a Muslim man.  That his knee-jerk Irish Catholic reaction would be to fight it but his better sense would remind him of what's important. If that man loved his daughter and treated her well, I have no doubt he'd get Frank's blessing no matter what his faith.

Danny's son asking to be Jewish was typical of any child who has seen the fun parts of religious celebration. Bar Mitzvah parties with plenty of presents are awesome but Hebrew school and giving up bacon, less so. 

As Frank pointed out in this funny Blue Bloods quote…

Bacon. The ultimate test of faith. | permalink

Truer words were never spoken. It's great to have Blue Bloods back.

From possible vote tampering to another Red John sighting to the appearance of Hilary Duff, CBS has sent out a press release that teases the season finales of... EVERY SHOW ON ITS AIR.

So consider yourself very much spoiler warned, TV Fanatics, and read on at your own risk...

SUNDAY, APRIL 28
THE GOOD WIFE (9:00-10:00 PM)
On the night of Peter’s gubernatorial election, Alicia, Will and Diane race to emergency court proceedings when Zach believes he’s witnessed vote tampering. Meanwhile, Cary is approached by an unlikely source who offers to help him start his own firm, and Alicia’s conflicted personal and professional feelings come to a head.  Martha Plimpton, T.R. Knight, Denis O’Hare and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg guest star.

SUNDAY, MAY 5
THE MENTALIST (10:00-11:00 PM)
Just as Jane narrows down the Red John suspect list to seven, Red John strikes again, and the victim has a link to Jane’s past. Laura San Giacomo guest stars.

THURSDAY, MAY 9
TWO AND A HALF MEN (8:31-9:01 PM)
Walden dates a hot 22-year-old (Hilary Duff) but finds himself more interested in her grandmother (Marilu Henner).  Meanwhile, Alan and Jake go on a father-son bonding trip.
PERSON OF INTEREST (9:01-10:01 PM)
When The Machine goes offline, Finch’s elusive original motivations for helping its irrelevant numbers begin to come to light as he and Reese join forces with surprising allies in the race to save it.

FRIDAY, MAY 10
VEGAS (9:00-10:00 PM)
All bets are off when Sheriff Lamb, determined to get revenge, teams up with Savino to take down Porter Gainsley (Michael Ironside), the man who killed Lamb’s wife and attempted to murder Katherine. Meanwhile, Jack is devastated when he catches Mia in a compromising position.
BLUE BLOODS (10:00-11:00 PM)
When someone close to the Reagans is murdered, the family rallies together to take down the leader of the gang responsible. While Danny works on the gang leader’s girlfriend to lead them to him, Frank is left reeling from a second crisis.

MONDAY, MAY 13
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (8:00-8:30 PM)
As the gang prepares to go to Robin and Barney’s wedding, Ted invites Lily to see the house he’s finally finished fixing up. Meanwhile, Robin and Barney’s night of relaxation is ruined by an obnoxious couple (Casey Wilson and Keegan-Michael Key), and Marshall takes the baby on a last-minute trip to Minnesota to see his family.
2 BROKE GIRLS (9:00-9:30 PM)
Hoping to raise enough money for an upcoming business seminar, Max and Caroline deep-clean part of the diner for Han prior to a health inspection and discover something that could help re-launch their cupcake business.

TUESDAY, MAY 14
NCIS (8:00-9:00 PM)
The international manhunt for Eli David’s killer turns into a federal witch hunt against Gibbs and the team, which questions their unconventional methods and threatens their future at the agency.
NCIS: LOS ANGELES (9:00-10:00 PM)
A nuclear explosion in the Pacific reignites the search for stolen nuclear weapons and prompts Hetty to shuffle the NCIS: LA partnerships, sending Callen and Kensi overseas and leaving Sam and Deeks teamed up state side.
GOLDEN BOY (10:00-11:00 PM)
When Clark is relegated to desk duty, he delves into Owen’s cold case in which the murder investigation of a construction worker was compromised by the events of 9/11. Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Holbrook pulls a gun on Clark and Margot, Agnes drives away with her father, and Owen gets his long deserved promotion. Michael Madson guest stars as Clark’s estranged father.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
CSI (10:00-11:00 PM)
Roles are reversed for Russell and his team as they are placed under the microscope when a feature journalist follows them as they investigate a series of murders. One team member goes undercover and is jeopardized when the team discovers they are up against a highly sophisticated predator. Annabella Sciorra and Eric Roberts guest star. Rock legend Black Sabbath performs, debuting a new song from their latest album, 13.

THURSDAY, MAY 16
THE BIG BANG THEORY (8:00-8:31 PM)
Sheldon and Penny are thrown for a loop when Leonard is offered an exciting job opportunity overseas.
ELEMENTARY (9:01-11:00 PM)
As Sherlock reels at the reappearance of his former lover, Irene Adler (Natalie Dormer), a series of flashbacks unravel the tumultuous events that led to his downfall into addiction. Meanwhile, he and Joan once again find themselves in the crosshairs of the enigmatic Moriarty.

MONDAY, MAY 20
MIKE & MOLLY (9:30-10:00 PM)
When Peggy breaks up with Patrick (Gerald McRaney), Mike attempts to reunite them in order to improve his work life. Later, as a tornado descends on Chicago, Mike and Molly confess important news to each other.
HAWAII FIVE-0 (10:00-11:00 PM)
When a plane lands on Oahu with four bodies on board and a missing terrorist detainee, the CIA tasks Five-0 with finding him before he carries out an attack on U.S. soil. Meanwhile, Kono is on the run from the police for a murder she did not commit, and McGarrett’s prison visit to Wo Fat ends with a shocking discovery. Christine Lahti, Ian Anthony Dale, Daniel Henney and Autumn Reeser guest star.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22
CRIMINAL MINDS (9:00-11:00 PM)
The BAU’s pursuit of “The Replicator,” the UnSub that has been stalking the team all season, comes to a head when one of their own becomes a victim. Mark Hamill (“Star Wars”) guest stars.

"Ends and Means" made me remember why I've always liked Erin, as well as ponder why anyone puts up with Danny.

Let's start with the latter. 

He was an arrogant ass for much of this Blue Bloods episode. 

That he was upset that Linda wouldn't allow him to speak to the accomplice was understandable…in the moment. Emotions were running high. Adrenaline was pumping. He'd just witnessed a man gun down people in a public setting.

But at some point he should have been able to realize that Linda had a job to do as well. As Linda said over pizza, Danny will always believe that his job is more important than hers. Yes, perhaps he could have caught the killer faster if Linda had allowed him to talk to the suspect, but what if the added stress caused the man to die even sooner? It not only could have jeopardized the patient but left the hospital open to a possible lawsuit and put Linda's job on the line. None of that seemed to matter to Danny.

That he continued to hold the grudge was annoying. When I thought Danny couldn't have ticked me off any more he did something even more stupid. Instead of waiting for his partner who had his vest, he entered the girlfriend's apartment solo. For a guy who claimed to get paid to know when people were lying to him he seemed obvious to the fact that Sheri's discomfort was because the killer was in the next room.

Danny deserved the beating he got for being so asinine. 

To make matters worse, when Linda found him beaten and bruised at the precinct, he presumed that she should feel guilty for his beating because if she had just let him have his way in the beginning this never would have happened. Yes, what he said was she shouldn't feel that way but on some level, that's exactly what he was thinking. Sometimes Danny can be a real jerk.

Of course Danny takes after his grandfather.

I couldn't believe that Henry could stand there so proudly touting the Reagan family record of derby racing wins when he'd cheated for every race. 

But it did lead to the absolute best scene of the night with Frank and Jamie sneaking around the garage in the middle of the night as Frank confessed his father's sins in this Blue Bloods quote…

Jamie: He rigged the car. Why would he do that?
Frank: Because he got grounded when he was seven. | permalink

Like Danny, Henry just can't let things go. 

Frank was devastated that his derby win as a child wasn't really his, so much so that he decided to black out the garage windows and grab a welding torch in the middle of the night to try and make things right.  

But the best line of the night went to little Shawn. As the family worried over how he'd do in the race, Shawn didn't seem to care very much as he told his father…

I was in a coma a few weeks ago. I think I can handle this. | permalink 

The child seemed to have more brains than his father and great-grandfather combined.

Erin's promotion was punctuated by one of the most entertaining acceptance speeches that even included a crown...

I just wanted to say that now that I'm your boss nothing has changed. Except now I can fire any one of you at the drop of a hat. So, you should remember no direct eye contact and don't forget to bow. | permalink

But Erin had her own ethical dilemma as she had to decide whether doing the right thing was worth a rapist doing less time and her losing a wonderful career opportunity.

When Amanda mentioned that she worried some idiot juror could have let their rapist walk, I bristled. Not that she couldn't have been right but it's disheartening to hear it from someone who has dedicated her life to our system of justice. 

Frank's words over dinner were equally meant for Linda and Erin…

It takes guts to stand by your principles, not just when it's easy but when it can cost you something. | permalink

Where Danny takes after Henry, Erin and Jamie obviously resemble their father. It makes me wonder what Joe was like.

In the end, Erin did the right thing and was willing to deal with the consequences. I don't think she could have lived with herself otherwise and it did lead to another great moment. I felt for poor Rachel when she walked in to Erin's office to find Amanda sitting there as well. That poor girl couldn't leave that room fast enough.

Overall, it was an excellent night for Blue Bloods. 

The first thing that caught my attention in "Devil's Breath" was that Blue Bloods is actually filmed in New York City.  It makes the street sequences pop. No other city looks like New York. 

I found it amusing that the zombie drug had the street name devil's breath.  As though zombie drug wasn't quite bad ass enough. 

I felt for Carter.  He lost his girlfriend in one of the most horrific ways possible and will always question what really happened that night. The blanks in his memory will surely drive him crazy for years to come. 

Did the two woman really need to kill his girlfriend when she found them robbing him?  I suppose that's a silly question.  Does anyone ever need to commit murder?  It just seemed like they could have made a run for it and if they'd laid low for a while, they might have gotten away with it.  

Jamie's storyline was difficult to watch because it rung so true.  In trying to help a fellow Officer, Jamie ended up making matters much worse.

If Officer Grosso had not intervened and someone had gotten killed during that robbery I'm sure the press would have been all over him for not doing his job.  But since he'd had a couple of drinks when he drew his weapon he was still under fire even though everything had gone well.  

I understood the reason for the rule.  We certainly don't want intoxicated police officers brandishing their weapons but terminating the man was an overreaction fueled by bad press. 

Despite the backlash, it was good to see Frank hand down a more reasonable sentence. 

I had to laugh at Erin's reaction to getting the phone call from Nicky's school in this Blue Bloods quote…

Erin: I spent 12 years in Catholic school. There is no way the principal is calling me at 7:30 in the morning to request a meeting to tell me you're a straight A student. | permalink

It was fun to see Frank remind his daughter how she used to be the rebel and how the universe had blessed her with a daughter with similar traits.

Even better was Erin pointing out to Nicky that she seemed perfectly ready to enforce the rules when they applied to the police officer but was a rebel when the rules applied to her.

Once again, another great Friday night with the Reagans.

"The Bitter End"was just that. Bitter, as we had to watch a good Officer who had escaped the projects be gunned down in them anyway.  

But it started with a suicide. How horrifying that a mother could be that hopeless for her son's future that she'd rather jump off a rooftop with him than try to find a way to escape. Noni's parents had been killed. Her baby's father was a drug dealer who would never leave the gang and would drag her son down the same path.  

Noni's despair was so great that she saw no other way out than death.

But how do you fight generations of hatred and fear.  No one had that answer but Frank was right, that doesn't mean you stop trying. 

I understood the DA's unofficial policy just as Erin did. Without a victim's testimony the odds of a conviction were weak and as usual, funds are always limited.

But Frank was equally right. That policy meant that poor people who lived in unsafe neighborhoods would have to risk their lives and those of their families to have their day in court. The policy's intent may not have been discriminatory but its reality certainly was.

As Frank was quick to point out in this Blue Bloods quote...

Frank: Doing the right thing may be hard but it sure as hell isn't complicated. | permalink

I appreciated that Frank tried to take Erin's advice and use a little more honey than vinegar to persuade the mayor to see his point of view.  I was extremely disappointed when Grace didn't come through for him.  There's could have been a beautiful friendship.

In the end it took the death of a good cop to bring about change. I had really grown to like Vinny Cruz and he made a good partner for Jamie. They were different enough to keep things interesting but respected one another to where they worked well together.  He will be missed.

At the end of this episode were the words To Be Continued, which can only mean this story is far from over.  

As we head into the Blue Bloods season 3 finale, I think we need to be ready for just about anything.

"This Way Out" picked up with the aftermath of the shooting of Officer Vinny Cruz and everyone was still reeling from his death.

I understood both sides of the argument between the Mayor and Frank.  They both wanted to help clean up the Bitterman Projects but where Frank was focusing on the gang members who held it hostage, Poole saw the people who lived in fear and felt that the NYPD wasn't there for them.

Frank described their difference of opinion quite succinctly in this Blue Bloods quote…

Frank: We got a big divide here. You want to win all their hearts and minds and I want to grab some of them by the short and curlies. | permalink

Mayor Poole had nothing on Grace Newhouse. Grace wasn't in office five minutes when she was demanding to see some shock and awe out of the NYPD and threatening Frank's job if she didn't get it. 

Frank: I can be your top cop Grace. It doesn't make me your guy. World of difference there. | permalink

So true. I was hoping we'd see Frank find a new love interest by the end of Blue Bloods season 3 but Grace Newhouse certainly isn't it. 

In the meantime, Danny was doing everything in his power to get to Santana but the fear the man instilled allowed him to control everyone in his path.  I even felt for the gang member who told Danny that if he talked it didn't matter how well the NYPD would protect him. He'd know that Santana was torturing his loved ones back home.  Who would protect them?

In the end, Santana putting the hit out on his own girlfriend, Nonna played into Danny's hands. The poor girl had no family left to protect.

One of the most interesting parts of the episode was Jamie's crisis of faith.  With his partner dead, an attempt on his father's life, and a mentally disabled kid the only one behind bars, Jamie questioned whether or not his prayers were worth anything or if anyone was even listening.

One of the best moments was when Jamie confronted Frank with his suspicions of Hector's abuse at the hands of the NYPD. He truly questioned whether rogue officers were the cause or if orders had come down from his father's office that condoned such treatment. 

I found it quite telling that Jamie felt the need to bring his big sister along for this conversation. Deep down he didn't know what his father's response would be.

Jamie: There's parts of you that I have no idea what goes on. | permalink

The NYPD prevailed and the Reagan family came through it all, a little more weary and beleaguered than they'd been before.  But at least we get to imagine them recovering together on the beach this summer as we head off for the long hiatus and await Blue Bloods return this Fall.

Marisa Ramirez has received a nice promotion from CBS.

The actress will be a series regular when Blue Bloods returns for Season 4 in the fall, after the former Against the Wall star joined the drama toward the conclusion of Season 3.

Ramirez's Detective Maria Baez will be the permanent partner of Donnie Wahlberg's Danny going forward.

She joined the cast following a falling out between producers and Jennifer Esposito in October and also after Megan Boone and Megan Ketch briefly stopped by to fill the void.

It's first in the ratings and now it's the first network to reveal its 2013-2014 primetime schedule.

Yes, CBS has come out with the premiere dates for its unscripted fall shows, beginning with Survivor on September 18 and then truly kicking things into high, fresh gear on Monday, September 23.

Set that DVR accordingly, schedule those September vacations and scroll down now...

Wednesday, Sept. 18
8:00-9:30 PM SURVIVOR

Monday, Sept. 23
8:00-9:00 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
9:00-9:30 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS
9:30-10:00 PM MOM
10:00-11:00 PM HOSTAGES

Tuesday, Sept. 24
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES
10:00-11:00 PM PERSON OF INTEREST

Wednesday, Sept. 25
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI

Thursday, Sept. 26
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00 PM THE MILLERS
9:00-9:30 PM THE CRAZY ONES 
9:30-10:00 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN 
10:00-11:00 PM ELEMENTARY

Friday, Sept. 27
8:00-9:00 PM UNDERCOVER BOSS
9:00-10:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS

Sunday, Sept. 29
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES 
8:00-9:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE 
9:00-10:00 PM THE GOOD WIFE
10:00-11:00 PM THE MENTALIST

Monday, February 24
10:00-11:00 PM INTELLIGENCE

Vanessa Ray is on her way to CBS.

The actress (Pretty Little Liars) has landed a recurring role on Blue Bloods Season 4, according to TV Line.

She'll appear on multiple episodes as Edit “Eddie” Janko, a rookie officer who comes on board as Jamie Reagan’s new partner and who is described as "fresh, eager and ready to roll."

Ray has also appeared on The Mentalist, Suits and Damages and her character of CeCe is expected to pop up against next month on Pretty Little Liars.

Blue Bloods, meanwhile, kicks off Season 4 on Friday, September 27 at 10/9c.

Marc Blucas is headed to CBS.

The former Necessary Roughness star, who will appear on the ABC midseason drama Killer Women, will guest star on an early Blue Blood Season 4 episode.

According to The Huffington Post, Blucas will portray a movie star who rides along with Danny for a night in order to conduct research for a role.

But, as you might expect, all does not go as planned for the character, as a secret of his is exposed and he strikes a deal with Danny to help the detective track down a perpetrator.

Blue Bloods Season 4 kicks off on Friday, September 27 at 10/9c.

Bebe Neuwirth is set to stir up some trouble, and a few sparks, on Blue Bloods Season 4.

The veteran actress, last seen presiding over a case on The Good Wife, has been cast on multiple episodes of this CBS drama.

According to Entertainment Weekly, she will portray Kelly Peterson, the new Inspector General that oversees Frank Reagan's department. Yes, the character will clash with Tom Selleck's police chief, but the two will also share a very personal history from several years prior.

Blue Bloods returns with new episodes on Friday, September 27.

When we last talked with Marisa Ramirez, she was just starting an arc as Donnie Wahlberg’s new partner on the CBS hit crime drama, Blue Bloods.

What a different a few months make!

Ramirez clicked so well with Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan that she’s been promoted to series regular and, starting tonight when Blue Bloods Season 4 kicks off, we’ll see her catching bad guys every week.

I jumped on the phone with Ramirez last week to chat about the new season, when we might learn more about her Maria Baez and if she’s geeked out at all since Wahlberg is also still performing with boy band New Kids On The Block.

TV Fanatic: Is it safe to say maybe we’ve got a little more insight into who Maria is in the new season?

Marisa Ramirez: Not yet but I heard there’s stuff coming that I don’t really know what it is and I’m not one to ask a bunch of questions but I’ve heard that some good stuff is coming for me. So, I’m excited about that!

TVF: Danny and Maria, you said before they’re kind of brother/sister, is that the same dynamic between the two of them or are they butting heads at all? How is the relationship with them this season?

MR: Not at all. They’re just getting along like great partners, just really working as a team, and having fun together and just going off of each other’s personalities, but it’s fun solving cases together and stuff and there’s definitely a lot of teamwork and they haven’t been butting heads at all.Who knows, maybe that’s coming too. I don’t know.

TVF: What’s it been like working with Donnie Wahlberg especially now that you’re a series regular and are spending a lot of time with him?

MR: It’s so much fun. He just has this kind of youthful energy about him and he makes everything just so much fun, and long days don’t feel long when we’re working together, because everything is just happy and fun and no drama. He loves to make the crew laugh and tell jokes and do silly, boyish things. I just love working with him, really. I couldn’t think of another person in the industry I’d rather be working with.

TVF: Does it ever dawn on you, like, ‘this guy was a teen idol at one time, dancing around and singing.’

MR: I’ve gone to see him and the band twice. I went to Staples Center and then I drove down to Atlantic City when he was out here. I think it dawned on me there, like, ‘Oh my God, I’m working with this guy every day. Now he’s a detective, but he’s standing up there and his shirt is off and he’s shaking his ass for all of these chicks who are just screaming their heads off, but I actually get to work with him every day. Hang on a minute, is this real?’ Yeah, but he’s so much fun, and all the guys in the group are just so nice, and it’s such a cool thing and such a neat experience.

TVF: Tell me about shooting in New York City. In the season premiere, you did a scene in Grand Central, which is pretty cool!

MR: Oh my God, that was so cool. That was only my second time in there ever. I think the first time I went, it’s so crowded and there’s so many people, and they’re just going to get on their train or wherever the hell they’re going, so you try to keep up with the flow and just walk through, but this time, we actually were in there for hours. I got a chance to look up at the ceiling and just look around and just take in all the energy of the place. There’s so much history. It was just so beautiful, and then I saw in the episode, it really translated just beautifully on camera. Yeah, shooting in New York City is kind of crazy and it’s definitely surreal.

It’s very different than L.A. In L.A, nobody cares. Here, I don’t know if they’re tourists, I don’t know if they’re huge Donnie Wahlberg fans but there’s all these people just stopping and watching and taking pictures, wanting to talk to on the street, and it’s a big production. Last  night, we tried to shut down a sidewalk, and it was crowded. There were so many people. You can’t really shut anything down in New York City.

TVF: Have you gotten to know Tom Selleck a little better? Last time you said you got giddy around him.

MR: Yeah. Still, I don’t work with him so I rarely see him. Sometimes he’ll do the family dinner thing in the morning and I’ll have a scene later in the evening so it’s just in passing, like, ‘Hey, how are you?’ and he’s leaving and I’m getting there or something like that, but he’s been really sweet and nice, and just very warm when I do see him. So, I feel a lot more comfortable being a part of the cast and the family and stuff.

TVF: When you get invited to the family dinner, I think that’ll be a big deal.

MR: Oh, I don’t know if that’ll ever happen, but maybe I can knock on the door and deliver some doughnuts or something, I don’t know.

TVF: Did you have any say in Maria’s look or even her hair?

MR: When we first started back in February, again, I thought it was just going to be one episode, so wardrobe had their idea of what I was going to wear, and Donnie’s always wearing a suit and tie, so they said, ‘Well, you’re a classier detective so you’re not going to be in jeans and a leather jacket sort of thing. You’re a grown-up so we’re going to have you in suits all the time.’ Okay, fine, and it just went from there.

So, as far as me having a say in things, I don’t really like to overstep my boundaries. The wardrobe department has their job and that’s their vision, and if I completely hate something, like a color or something, then I’ll speak up but I feel pretty comfortable in everything that they put me in and I think my look is just very detective-like, and hopefully we’ll get to do some undercover fun stuff.

Blue Bloods kicks off Season 4 tonight at 10 p.m. on CBS.

Some rules are clear, but frequently there are "Unwritten Rules" on the job. On the Blue Bloods season 4 premiere, Erin had to struggle with both the rules of her job and the ones within her own family. 

The fact is that Danny got them into this mess. Leading old Mrs. Caruso into identifying Angelo may have given him enough for probable cause to haul the guy in, but it was never going to be enough to convict him. 

Danny handed his sister a weak case, then railed when she told him so and left her to suffer the consequences.

No one had Erin's back. Her boss was more than willing to hang her out to dry, Danny gave her nothing but attitude and her own grandfather inferred that she was being disloyal to her family and cops everywhere. 

Doing the right thing can be a very lonely undertaking. 

In the end her plot to get Angelo to confess was quite a risk. I understood that she needed to make it a sweet enough deal that he'd seriously consider taking it, but so many things could have gone wrong. He could have called in his own attorney at any time and this could have blown up in Erin's face. 

Thankfully that didn't happen and in the end the family came back together to admire funny family vacation photos. But I was still most upset with Henry. Maybe I should expect it by now but Erin was right when she reminded her family that loyalty is a two way street, and there are members of it that don't seem to have Erin's back when it comes to her job.

As usual Frank's reactions were perfect from beginning to end. I liked that Garrett told him the names of the slain officer's husband and child. The department may have lost a fellow officer but Andrew lost his wife and 5 year old Katie lost her mom. That is far worse.

I also appreciated it when Frank asked Jamie to be the one to protect Angelo. As he explained to his son in this Blue Bloods quote…

Jamie: I thought I was just another cop.
Frank: You are. You're also a lawyer and you'll understand the why of this more than most. | permalink

Frank was also spot on in his handling of the Blue Flu and his new deputy. Although Frank likes and respects Dino, there won't be another second chance.

Frank: If you ever withhold vital information from me again, you'll be gone in a heartbeat. | permalink

It doesn't get much clearer than that. 

Finally, Jamie got a new partner. My only issue with Eddie is that she's fresh out of the academy. Aren't rookie officers assigned an experienced training officer during their first few months on the job?

But Eddie and Jamie could be an interesting match. All we know right now is that she's gorgeous, smart, has a rich daddy, and is still figuring out the kind of cop she wants to be. 

All in all it was great to have the Reagan family back once again but I do hope for a more light-hearted, entertaining family dinner next week. 

In "The City That Never Sleeps," many characters were not what they first appeared to be, while the twists and turns that finally took us to the truth made for an interesting episode.

Danny and the movie star. Danny had a shadow in film actor Russell Berke played by one of my favorite actors, Marc Blucas (Necessary Roughness, Buffy the Vampire Slayer). 

I had to laugh when the police dog "liked" Russell Berke. When a drug sniffing dog sits in front of you and barks, it's not because he's being friendly. I was really surprised that Erin, being a prosecutor didn't pick up on that. Then again, I guess she was far too enamored with the actor to notice much of anything else. 

Berke was handsome, charming, and certainly appeared to be the typical Hollywood womanizer. But apparently it was just another role that he played, and darn well if you consider how he had Linda, Erin and Nicky fawning all over him. 

The ladies reactions to having met the movie star were so comical that even Danny had sympathy for the guy in this Blue Bloods quote…

Danny: If the guy wants any kind of privacy he's got to move around like a wanted man.
Erin: Well he is wanted. I want him. Linda wants him. Everybody I I know. | permalink

Little did they know what Russell Berke wanted wasn't them and he was risking his life to hide it. As Danny told him during the investigation to find an attacker targeting gay men, 

Danny: I don't give a damn if you like men or women or cream filled donuts. | permalink

It's sad to think that in this day and age, even Hollywood is prejudice if their stars don't fit into a preconceived mold and it pushed Danny to risk his own job to keep Berke's secret.

Frank and the Rank and File… Who else hoped that Frank would throw a barbecue for 35,000 police officers? Talk about a party. 

instead he showed his concern by making spot inspections. I loved Frank's reaction when he found the patrol cars hanging out near the docks…

Frank: Seems the rats and pigeons are safe and secure for the night. Move on. | permalink

I didn't expect the ending with the Lieutenant's ill wife. It was very sad and highlighted how something that appeared simple on the surface could be many times more complicated and more human than one would think.

The Midnight Shift….Jamie and Eddie took their turn working midnights. 

Jamie: I'm not saying working midnights is fun but I don't think you can call yourself a New York City cop until you've survived a few. | permalink

If naked yoga and open windows were their greatest concern, I'd opt for the midnights more often. 

I did worry when they left naked yoga man (now clothed) alone in the woman's apartment. Perhaps I watch too many crime shows but I couldn't help but imagine all of the horrible paths that scenario could take. 

But maybe there are times when a naked man and a woman with a glass of wine are exactly what they appear to be, at least that seems to be the case on this episode of Blue Bloods.

This seems appropriate for a show that centers on a family of cops in New York City:

CBS sources confirm exclusively to TV Fanatic Aida Turturro will guest star on an upcoming episode of Blue Bloods Season 4.

The actress (Nurse Jackie, Law & Order: SVU) is the cousin of recurring actor Nick Turturro and will portray Marta, a neighborhood shop owner whose business is located near the shooting of a 14-year old boy.

Look for Marta to provide a bombshell piece of evidence for the police that takes the case in an entirely new direction.

No air date has been set for the installment, but Blood Bloods airs a new episode this Friday at 10/9 c.