Blue Bloods S05E17 Recap: Occupational Hazards

To Trust Or Not To Trust

Story by David Clark

Blue Bloods this week focused on: Tom Selleck (Frank Reagan), Bridget Moynahan (Erin Reagan), Donnie Wahlberg (Det. Danny Reagan), Will Estes (Officer Jamie Reagan), Vanessa Ray (Officer Eddie Jenko), Marisa Ramirez (Det. Maria Baez), and guest starring David Shumbris (John Johanssen) and Phyllis Somerville (Beth).

Occupational Hazard was a fitting name for this episode though a name like Momentum might have suited it even better. The episode opens with a slow conversation between Commissioner Frank Reagan and his granddaughter. Once the episode lulls the audience into believing it is another slow episode the explosions, shootouts, and mayhem take center stage.

This week’s episode was themed with an ethical quandary. Is it healthier to assume the best of people and risk being disappointed or is it safer to assume the worst from people and leave room for surprise? This was highlighted most emphatically when Commissioner Frank Reagan took it upon himself to investigate a non-profit charity organization. The charity claimed to help first-responders and their families that have faced hardships after incidents like the Trade Center tragedies.

Fans of the series know Frank Reagan’s outlook on humanity is somewhat jaded due to his years spent working as a cop. However, at the behest of his granddaughter, Frank Reagan decides to hope for the best when the charity organization fails to produce any legal documents legitimizing their operation. Of course, being the police commissioner Frank decides to hedge his bet to trust the organization by doing an investigation into their business on the side.

As the investigation unfolds Frank learns the charity founder operated under several different aliases over the years. In addition to the aliases, several cities around the country had arrest warrants for her on charges of financial fraud. Inevitably the commissioner arrests the woman running the fake charity in a manner that was both sad and smug. It seemed as though the commissioner was upset at himself for believing that someone might have truly had altruistic thoughts. This was a somewhat depressing way for this episode storyline to end. Having a negative opinion of humanity might be common amongst peace officers, but there are still optimists who would like to see a better side of humanity portrayed from time-to-time.

The ethical question was again visited in this episode when an elderly woman named Beth mistakes Officer Jenko for her niece. That misunderstanding nearly cost the lives of both Jamie and Jenko when a pipe bomb explodes in Beth’s apartment. The pipe bomb was created by a disgruntled individual named John Johanssen; a tenant in Beth’s apartment. The ensuing investigation was filled with twists and turns as Jamie and Jenko try to learn the identity of John Johanssen from Beth, even though she suffers from severe memory loss.

Jamie and Jenko face further difficulties when the lead detective on the case dismisses their attempted contributions because they are beat cops. Realizing the extreme risk to the unsuspecting public that a disgruntled bomb maker presents, Jamie and Jenko forged ahead with their investigation. The case broke when Jenko, pretending to be Beth’s niece, helped Beth remember the identity of the bomb maker. In the end Jamie was forced to put-down John Johanssen when the man tried to blow up a room full of people with a suicide bomb.

This was an exciting storyline that likely had people on the edge of their seats. As the episode came to a close the Jamie-Jenko storyline came back to the ethical question. Jenko felt bad about impersonating Beth’s niece and decided she should tell Beth the truth; Beth’s niece died of cancer years earlier. However, Phyllis portrayed her character Beth with such integrity in this episode and the idea of Jenko crushing that woman’s heart seemed horrible. The decision being made by Jenko forced the audience to decide whether it was right or wrong to tell the truth. If humanity is innately good than Jenko should allow the woman her delusions even though it is a lie. If humanity is actually bad then Jenko can tell the woman the truth and crush the woman’s spirit. In the end Jenko realized that allowing Beth to be happy was more important than her telling the truth.

This storyline indirectly balanced out the plot involving the commissioner. Frank was faced with a situation showing the worst that humanity had to offer. Jenko embodied the exact opposite when she put another person’s well being ahead of her own peace-of-mind.

The third and final storyline in this episode that took a backseat to the others involved Erin and Danny Reagan. Erin’s situation did not broach the ethical questions of the other plot points. Prosecuting a dangerous leader of a local biker gang Erin found herself being threatened by unknown individuals. As Danny investigated it appeared members of the biker gang were the culprits. After multiple infractions that involved breaking and entering, assault, battery, and attempted murder, it became clear that the individuals threatening Erin were from a rival gang. The rival gang was trying to frame the man Erin was prosecuting to ensure that he would be found guilty.

In a dramatic finale to the episode Danny and his partner Baez were in a shootout with the perpetrators of the threats against Erin. Despite almost getting their heads blown off Danny and Baez manage to apprehend the suspects without firing a single bullet.

Stay tuned next week for episode 18, Blue Bloods: Bad Company.