Amy Carlson's Reaction to Being Written Off Blue Bloods Makes That Death Even More Unfair
Linda's death was one of the most, if not the most puzzling and controversial plot decision on Blue Bloods.
To recap, Linda Reagan (Amy Carlson) was an emergency room nurse at St. Victor's Medical Center who married Danny Reagan, thus becoming part of the Reagan family.
She was a good nurse, and a genuinely caring person who supported her new family, with her subdued personality somewhat balancing Danny's fiery temper.
All in all, Linda was a very likable character throughout the first seven seasons of "Blue Bloods ".
But between Season 7 and 8, right after Amy Carlson completed her seven-year contract, Linda died off-screen in a helicopter crash, an event which raised more than a few eyebrows among the fanbase, particularly as it was hastily mentioned when Season 8 premiered, and then just as hastily forgotten by everyone but Danny.
Outrage among the fanbase was significant, and for a long time a lot of the more desperate fans hoped for a reveal of Linda surviving the crash somehow.
Even Amy Carlson herself could not hide her dismay. As he said in an old interview with Deadline:
"I feel badly that she dies the way she dies. I did not know they would do that, I was surprised. I wouldn't have done that."
She did not argue against the decision to write her character out of the show, but she criticized the manner in which it was done:
"I never wanted it to end that way, so I feel sad for the fans because everyone wants closure, and I hear that a lot from the fans."
Amy Carlson added:
"I could've shown the death. I guess It would've been nice for the fans to see her demise, to be a participant in it, and that was my vote for the fans. I'm not sure how I would've chosen it but I just know that for the fans to have a way to grieve, to move through it, I think it would've been nice for them."
She also expressed a lot of gratitude to fans and said that she was surprised and honored by their strong reactions to her character's death.
And the reaction was strong indeed, given that over half a decade later some of them still did not let go and at least semi-seriously entertained the thought that Linda might not stay dead.