After seven seasons on Blue Bloods, Amy Carlson, who played Linda Reagan, did not return for its eighth season.
The character, despite being an important one, was written off rather unceremoniously. Her departure happened off screen when season 8 opened with the news of her demise in a medevac helicopter crash. The news of Linda’s death was revealed in Danny’s therapy session as he grappled with guilt after his wife passed away.
In reality, Carlson's contract with Blue Bloods had ended and she did not renew it. Let us now explore Amy Carlson’s character in Blue Bloods and her departure.
Also Read: Blue Bloods Season 14 Episode 14: Release date and time, what to expect, and more
Who was Linda Reagan in Blue Bloods?
Amy Carlson was Linda Reagan, Danny Reagan’s wife and mother to two children, Jack and Sean Reagan. She worked at the St. Victor's Hospital in New York City as an Emergency Nurse.
Linda’s character was especially important in Blue Bloods because she was the only adult member of the Reagan family who was not associated with the law enforcement in a professional capacity.
Linda voicing her opinions openly during the Saturday night dinner of the Reagan’s remained a staple of Blue Bloods during its early seasons.
She made her first appearance in 2010 during the Blue Bloods series premiere and she was last seen in season 7 finale of the show, which means she had featured in 155 episodes.
Despite not being directly associated with any law enforcement job, being a nurse at the ER, often made her and Danny’s police work intersect. For instance, in Blue Bloods’ Season 5 finale, Linda had to treat a patient who witnessed NYPD Assistant Chief Donald Kent getting shot.
When her patient was killed, she also got injured. Though Linda recovered from the injury, she had to seek the help of a therapist to deal with trauma that it left her.
What happened to Linda in Blue bloods?
In the Season 7 finale of Blue Bloods, Danny’s home got destroyed in fire. Fortunately, all the family members were safe and sound. However, later, in the season 8 premiere, a therapy session of Danny revealed that Linda had been killed off screen in between the two seasons, in a different tragedy.
Danny contemplated leaving his job as he blamed himself for Linda’s death in the medevac helicopter crash. He informed the therapist she was airlifting a patient during the crash, who, in turn said that that given her profession, it was probably the most respectable way for her to go.
Finally, with the help of Maria Baez, his longtime partner and his family, Danny stayed on the job. However, the first episode of season 9 hinted that Linda’s plane crash was not an accident and instead, caused by a Mexican drug cartel.
Why did Amy Carlson leave Blue bloods?
Amys’s exit from Blue Bloods was that her contract had ended in season 7 and she chose not to renew it. However, the reason behind this was not clear.
When Linda’s death was revealed, shocking everyone, Amy made the following statement for her fans,
“My heart is full of gratitude to each of you for your generous support of me and my character for the last seven years of Blue Bloods– Linda Reagan. I have been touched by your compassion and enthusiasm. I loved playing Linda: wife to Danny, mother to Jack and Sean, nurse and working mom. I’m proud of my contribution to building this series. I’m so grateful to CBS and the Blue Bloods cast and crew. Mostly, I am grateful to the fans who have supported me and the show. Peace, blessings and many ‘love you mores’ to all of you.”
But a few interviews later, it seemed that while Carlson’s contract was nearing its end, no one approached her before the seventh season ended. She said to The Deadline that this led her to think that her future in the show was uncertain. This might have led to her final decision behind leaving.
Will Linda ever return to Blue bloods?
Since her character was killed off, the possibility of Linda Reagan returning to Blue Bloods is slim. Unless it's a flashback episode, there is no logical way of bringing Amy Carlson back on screen as Linda Rogan.
Talking about her departure from the show, Amy told Deadline that since her contract had ended and she did not renew it post season 7, she was not there for the season 8 premiere. However, she expressed her disappointment at how Linda’s character’s exit was handled.
"I feel badly that she dies the way she dies. I did not know they would do that. I was surprised. I wouldn't have done that."
She also told Deadline that she is open to the idea of returning in a flashback though it has not been discussed yet. With Blue Bloods set to end with season 14, and only two episodes remaining to air, it remains to be seen if Linda will make one final appearance.
Blue Bloods can be streamed on Paramount+.
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