"Ends and Means" made me remember why I've always liked Erin, as well as ponder why anyone puts up with Danny.

Let's start with the latter. 

He was an arrogant ass for much of this Blue Bloods episode. 

That he was upset that Linda wouldn't allow him to speak to the accomplice was understandable…in the moment. Emotions were running high. Adrenaline was pumping. He'd just witnessed a man gun down people in a public setting.

But at some point he should have been able to realize that Linda had a job to do as well. As Linda said over pizza, Danny will always believe that his job is more important than hers. Yes, perhaps he could have caught the killer faster if Linda had allowed him to talk to the suspect, but what if the added stress caused the man to die even sooner? It not only could have jeopardized the patient but left the hospital open to a possible lawsuit and put Linda's job on the line. None of that seemed to matter to Danny.

That he continued to hold the grudge was annoying. When I thought Danny couldn't have ticked me off any more he did something even more stupid. Instead of waiting for his partner who had his vest, he entered the girlfriend's apartment solo. For a guy who claimed to get paid to know when people were lying to him he seemed obvious to the fact that Sheri's discomfort was because the killer was in the next room.

Danny deserved the beating he got for being so asinine. 

To make matters worse, when Linda found him beaten and bruised at the precinct, he presumed that she should feel guilty for his beating because if she had just let him have his way in the beginning this never would have happened. Yes, what he said was she shouldn't feel that way but on some level, that's exactly what he was thinking. Sometimes Danny can be a real jerk.

Of course Danny takes after his grandfather.

I couldn't believe that Henry could stand there so proudly touting the Reagan family record of derby racing wins when he'd cheated for every race. 

But it did lead to the absolute best scene of the night with Frank and Jamie sneaking around the garage in the middle of the night as Frank confessed his father's sins in this Blue Bloods quote…

Jamie: He rigged the car. Why would he do that?
Frank: Because he got grounded when he was seven. | permalink

Like Danny, Henry just can't let things go. 

Frank was devastated that his derby win as a child wasn't really his, so much so that he decided to black out the garage windows and grab a welding torch in the middle of the night to try and make things right.  

But the best line of the night went to little Shawn. As the family worried over how he'd do in the race, Shawn didn't seem to care very much as he told his father…

I was in a coma a few weeks ago. I think I can handle this. | permalink 

The child seemed to have more brains than his father and great-grandfather combined.

Erin's promotion was punctuated by one of the most entertaining acceptance speeches that even included a crown...

I just wanted to say that now that I'm your boss nothing has changed. Except now I can fire any one of you at the drop of a hat. So, you should remember no direct eye contact and don't forget to bow. | permalink

But Erin had her own ethical dilemma as she had to decide whether doing the right thing was worth a rapist doing less time and her losing a wonderful career opportunity.

When Amanda mentioned that she worried some idiot juror could have let their rapist walk, I bristled. Not that she couldn't have been right but it's disheartening to hear it from someone who has dedicated her life to our system of justice. 

Frank's words over dinner were equally meant for Linda and Erin…

It takes guts to stand by your principles, not just when it's easy but when it can cost you something. | permalink

Where Danny takes after Henry, Erin and Jamie obviously resemble their father. It makes me wonder what Joe was like.

In the end, Erin did the right thing and was willing to deal with the consequences. I don't think she could have lived with herself otherwise and it did lead to another great moment. I felt for poor Rachel when she walked in to Erin's office to find Amanda sitting there as well. That poor girl couldn't leave that room fast enough.

Overall, it was an excellent night for Blue Bloods. 

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.