Tom Selleck, star of BLUE BLOODS, has opened up about the show’s landmark episode and explained why it was so emotional for him.
Blue Bloods was a CBS drama that followed the Reagan family, led by patriarch Frank Reagan (played by Tom Selleck), who takes pride in the fact that his entire family works in law enforcement.
The most recent episode, titled ‘Guilt,’ was a major milestone for the show, and as a result, Tom Selleck revealed why it made him cry.
Blue Bloods’ most recent episode was the show’s 250th episode.
The 77-year-old actor answered fan questions about his role as Frank, the New York City Police Commissioner, ahead of the film’s release.
Frank first appeared in the pilot episode, which aired in 2010, and has since appeared in all 12 seasons of the show.
When asked about his favorite episode, however, one iconic episode from 2011 remained fresh in the actor’s mind.
Selleck told TVInsider, “The one that will always be my favorite is ‘The Job,’ [Season 2, Episode 12].”
“It was quite stirring because 9/11 was still fresh in people’s minds when you found out that Frank was in the World Trade Center’s North Tower on 9/11.”
“It was difficult for me to be strong as an actor, not to break down because Frank is tougher than that,” he admitted.
“My friend F Murray Abraham [Leon Goodwin], but Frank doesn’t like psychologists, so the episode ends up dealing with the people who became ill as a result of being there at the time.”
“We were the first show allowed to show the Trade Center Memorial, right after it was finished,” Selleck recalled. It was written by Brian Burns, who had just completed his 250th.”
The police commissioner recalled the mission that landed him and his partner John McKenna (Mitchell Mcguire) in the North Tower in the episode.
They were both inside, assisting v1ctims, when the second tower was hit and then collapsed.
The episode revealed that Frank was still dealing with trauma from what he witnessed as well as the aftermath of 9/11.
This included John’s d3ath, and while the show never revealed what k1lled him, viewers were made aware that he had a respiratory problem.
After inhaling the air at Ground Zero, he began to have breathing problems.
As a result, Frank was left to deal with survivors’ guilt, despite the fact that they had both been breathing the air but only John d1ed.
Fortunately, he sought professional help from a therapist when he realized he couldn’t deal with his insomnia on his own.
Another fan questioned Selleck on why he thought the show remained relevant and received high ratings after 12 years on the air.
“Because it’s a character-driven show, the cop drama serves as a backdrop for the lives of the five main characters,” he explained.
“Because the audience is so immersed in the minds of these characters, the biggest danger in our show is often when one of the relationships in the Irish Catholic family appears to be unraveling.”
“For example, Erin [Bridget Moynahan] and Frank are increasingly at odds the higher she rises in the DA’s office,” he concluded.