Blue Bloods Season 5: Episode 14 Recap - The Poor Door

Story By David Clark

The main plot of this episode opens with Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) and his partner Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez) investigating the murder of a young man found in an affluent residential building. Reagan and Baez learned that the young man was dating the daughter of a very wealthy resident. This girl’s father did not like the relationship developing between his daughter and the young man. Through the investigation it became clear that the girl’s father was the one responsible for the young man’s death. The father had hired an old associate to kill the boy so that his daughter could not continue the relationship.

Unfortunately for Danny Baez the father covered up the murder well and they could not prove his involvement. Baez shared what information the investigation had brought to light with the heart broken daughter. When the man’s daughter learned of her father’s actions she was stunned. Shortly after learning the news of her fathers involvement in her lover’s death she committed suicide by overdose. The last scene is that of Danny telling the father he would have to live with the consequences of his actions. The father truly did love his daughter and though he could not be charged with murder he would live with the knowledge his action led her to suicide.

While Danny’s investigation commenced his father Commissioner Frank Reagan was also dealing with a difficult situation. One of New York’s finest narcotics officers was caught driving around a car worth more than a cop should be able to afford. The commissioner was suspicious the officer in question was doing something illegal. The investigation turned up information that the officer was running a real estate scheme based upon information learned while performing his officer duties. In terms of investment, the commissioner viewed these actions as a form of insider trading.

Sergeant Gormley (Robert Clohessy), the commissioner’s advisor, was friends with the officer and finds his loyalty to his friend and his duty to the commissioner tested. The commissioner determined the officer in question was gaming-the-system by abusing his law enforcement position and put it on Gormley to make an example of his friend. Gormley found the situation very difficult but eventually determined his duty to set an example for the department more important than helping his friend. Gormley allowed the narcotics officer to keep his job but put a halt to all actions that both he and the commissioner deemed to be against department policy.

The other Reagan son opened up the episode in a hair raising situation. Jamie Reagan (Will Estes) and his partner Officer Jenko (Vanessa Ray) respond to a code three with shots fired. When they arrive at the scene they were shot at by two fleeing suspects. During the exchange of gunfire another responding officer was shot in the arm by one of the suspects. As the firefight continued one of the criminals was shot in the stomach. The shot suspect was apprehended but unfortunately the other man, the one that was actually shooting at the police, managed to escape.

The shot suspect was taken to a hospital and looked to be recovering from his gunshot wound. Attempting to learn where the escaped suspect might be Jamie and Jenko interrogated the man while still in the hospital. At first Jamie was very angry with the suspect. To Jamie, any man involved in the shooting of a cop is little better than scum. However, as the investigation continued Jamie started to realize the guy was not a horrible person. He was a regular guy who had made some very bad decisions and was paying the price. Eventually it became clear the man’s gunshot wound was actually fatal. When the man realized his wound was likely going to kill him he decided to help Jamie. On his death bed he gave Jamie the location of the escaped suspect that was responsible for shooting the cop..

This was another strong yet compartmentalized episode the Blue Bloods series. Episodes featuring the exploits of either Danny or Jamie can be counted on to be exciting. This episode gave a full dose of both.

With only a half-dozen or so episodes left in season 5 it will be interesting to see what happens next. Will Blue Bloods be renewed for a 6th season? If so will there be a cliffhanger between the end of the 5th and the start of the 6th season? If Blue Bloods will be canceled will it disappear into obscurity with 6 more compartmentalized episodes or will it end with a bang?