Blue Bloods Review: Understanding Faith

"Lost and Found" took a few turns I didn't expect and left me remembering how different Blue Bloods is from anything else on TV.

When Frank found out that police chaplain Father Markham had been let go on four possible DWI charges, I had no doubt how the Police Commissioner was going to handle it. Yet Frank still did the decent thing and let the man turn himself in instead of sending someone to arrest him.

What I didn't see coming was why the priest had fallen off the wagon or how personally it would affect Frank.

The stories about the police officers sifting through the rubble looking for bodies after 9/11 and that picture in Frank's office of the towers burning before they fell still put my stomach in a knot after all these years later. I can't imagine the affect the memories must have for the people who worked the front line.

But it wasn't just the alcohol or one man's suicide that was plaguing Father Markham. He was feeling useless as cops who used to seek his counsel were now opting for doctors who prescribed pills and diagnosed them with things like depression and PTSD.

I'm not saying either way is wrong but I could see how it could push the man into a criss of faith. It turns out even priests can lose their way.

Across town Jamie was about to face his own crisis as he brilliantly played out a hostage situation. For as much as Grady felt he'd gotten played, Jamie was right. Another cop probably would have shot the man the moment he could get to his gun. Jamie truly wanted to help.

But Jamie's best intentions couldn't change Grady's situation or his choices. The look on Jamie's face was like a punch to the gut when he found out the man had killed himself in jail.

Jamie had done everything right but as he explained to Danny's sons in this Blue Bloods quote…

Jamie: Even when you do what seems like the right thing it can still turn out wrong. | permalink

Speaking of which, when was the last time you saw a family sit down to Sunday dinner and openly discuss a church sermon? Or witnessed parents and grandparents struggle to explain the meaning of faith. I loved it when the question, "How does God take sides?" stumped the entire table.

Blue Bloods tackles these quiet moments in a way that sets it apart from the rest of what's on TV. It's what makes the show stand out from every other cop procedural or family drama out there.

Finally we get to Danny's kidnapping case.

I liked how the sometimes hot headed detective kept his cool about the entire situation, taking the investigation one step at a time. And it made sense that a father with kids around the same age would recognize a dojo patch on the girl's pant leg. A detail that could have easily been missed by someone else.

Detective Baez has also fit right in with Danny this season. Her quiet brand of sarcasm works well against Danny's brasher version and I had to laugh when she pointed out the kidnapper's flaw.

Baez: He did break the number one rule of kidnapping. Don't take your victim out for pancakes. | permalink

In the end the undercover plan was a good one. Unfortunately with such short notice they couldn't find two officers who spoke Croatian.

When it all fell apart I couldn't help but think Danny was reckless to be shooting at the man from such a distance in a crowded park. And in the end it wasn't a gun that took the man down but NYC traffic.

Leaving us with a stellar episode of Blue Bloods and a good lesson to remember…always look both ways.