Blue Bloods (TV Series) In the Box (2015) User Reviews

****

[edwagreen · 10/10 · 21 February 2015]

Nothing is better than a tense hostage negotiation episode and this one plays perfect to that theme. Baez is taken hostage by an alcoholic wanting to see his estranged young daughter. This takes place in the precinct and Danny is as collective and calm as he can be as he feverishly works for her release. You really can't blame the girl's mother for refusing to allow her child to be put in such a situation.

The guy who plays Garrett, Frank's aide, gives a genuine fine performance here as he is a stepfather to a troubled child. He creates an ethical dilemma by using his office to aid his problem son. Frank really doesn't know what to do. We see an officer of the law on the other side of a situation, placed there by events.

Jaime and his partner prove that police are also human when they help a woman whose husband was killed in a shooting pay for his burial expenses. Yes, police take up collections for the needy.

Where was the research?

[bkoganbing · 2/10 · 20 April 2017]

I do wish I could rate this episode higher but whereas one of the story lines contained some fine dramatic work, the other involved something near and dear to me, like where I worked for 23 years.

Will Estes and Vanessa Ray decide to do a mitzvah for a recent widow whose husband was killed by a neighborhood street gang. They pass the hat at a local diner and also among the precinct cops to help bury her husband.

Where were the Blue Bloods researchers on this? My 23 years were spent paying claims for Crime Victims in New York State for victims including reimbursement for funerals. I must have handled over a 1000 such claims in my years there. In fact police officers throughout New York State are mandated to inform victims and survivors about our agency now renamed the Office Of Victim Services. Both Jamie and Jenko would have known about it. In fact I recall an SVU episode where my agency was mentioned in a referral.

The other major story line involved a disturbed man played by Dominick Fumasa who when things go wrong in a custody battle takes Marissa Ramirez hostage in an interview room. With that bulletproof glass snipers are a bad option. That part was well done.

I tell you though I felt dissed kind of after seeing this episode.

Pure Unadulterated Schmaltz

[clintstevens · 1/10 · 15 February 2019]

First off, let me say that I have watched every episode of this 8 star series up to this point, and for the most part have enjoyed all of them. Having said that, I cannot believe how dreadful this episode was. I am thinking the writers must have decided to concoct a feel-good story where everything works out for the best, regardless of how ridiculous and far-fetched it is.

It starts with Jamie and his partner collecting money for a widow to afford a burial for her murdered husband, ending up with $2500 donated by fellow officers and then having strangers and hoodlums adding to the pot. I was expecting everyone to join hands and sing 'Kumbaya'.

Then there's the main story about the alcoholic who holds Danny's partner Baez hostage in the police station, threatening to kill her because his soon to be ex-wife wants him out of his daughter's life (is it any wonder?). Danny gives him a bottle of scotch to be able to steal his phone to contact the wife so she will bring his daughter to the station, hoping he'll then surrender. A man brandishing a gun and a bottle of booze...really? Danny has his sister Erin meet up with the wife and she miraculously convinces the mother to bring the daughter to her father. Never mind the fact that he has a loaded gun. Oh, I forgot how Baez distracts the father by asking him to join her in saying confession together (say what?), holding his hand and then grabbing the gun while Danny wrestles him to the ground. Of course, Danny does all this by taking charge, ignoring his boss and subsequently he takes down the wacko father. When the little girl asks her father if she'll ever see him again, the ex-wife says 'Of course you will. He's your father.' Gag me!

I won't even get into the subplot about Garrett's druggie stepson and how he scolds Frank for meddling in his affairs. It's the first time Tom Selleck's character is shown to be weak and his sheepishness does not fit his character.

This whole episode is beyond belief and tarnishes what up to this point has been a fine series. I hope it was an aberration and the following episodes get back on track.

This show is getting worse

[robertdlar · 3/10 · 7 February 2024]

The first season of this show hooked me. Great plots, great characters and good police action. Sure there was the typical amount of Hollywood stuff added in, like the fact that it only ever takes ONE police officer to Cuff a perp because after they get caught they just fold up like a folding chair and let people cuff them (this never happens), or the fact that perps always surrender when a cop says FREEZE! That is very Hollywood and very fake, but the good plots and characters made it interesting.

However, it seems that after the first season the fired their Police expert and just started to do what ever they want. The plots are stupid and unrealistic, the criminals get away with stuff because of total police incompetence, and the story is SO character centric that only DANNY can save the day!!

In this episdoe they let an ARMED man into a Police station (never happen, they would have to go through a metal detector) and he holds Baez hostage in an interogation room. First problem is NO ONE notices when he pulls the gun, only Danny (see above complaint). Then they say the interrogation room windows are bulletproof!!!! WHAT!! WhY!!!! That stuff is so expensive and with limited Police budgets they would not do that even if there WAS a good reason, which there is NO good reason, except for PLOT. Next a Professional negotiator would be brought in, but wait, we have SUPER DANNY who can do it all. The entire incident is ONLY resolved when Super Danny charges into the room when Baez makes a move to wrestle the gun from the perp. NONE Of the other 20 cops do anything to help!!!!

You dont have to be an ex-cop to know this is just stupid.