Blue Bloods Fans Not Holding Back Their Disapproval of Nudes Plotline in S13E16

The latest episode of Blue Bloods, Season 13 episode 16, has sparked quite a debate among fans. The show's creators delved into a complex and nuanced plotline, featuring a police officer moonlighting on an OnlyFans-like site and posting her nude photos.

While some fans disapproved of the storyline, others found it to be a refreshing take on a controversial subject.

The episode revolves around Frank, the usually by-the-books Police Commissioner, being confronted with a morally grey situation. Officer Gilson, who was about to be commended for her bravery, is revealed to be moonlighting on a site similar to OnlyFans, sharing her nude photos. She does so to cover the healthcare costs of her seriously ill mother, a situation that many blue-collar workers can relate to.

The show's writers demonstrated the complexity of this issue, as opinions within the Dream Team varied regarding whether Officer Gilson's behavior warranted termination. The episode highlighted how outdated rules about "personal conduct unbefitting of an officer" were, given they were created long before the internet or the current healthcare crisis.

Furthermore, Frank had to tread carefully, as firing Gilson could lead to a potential discrimination case, considering she had an excellent police work record and went to great lengths to hide her identity on the site.

Some fans, however, were unhappy with the episode, criticizing the writing and arguing that Frank's character was inconsistent for not immediately firing Gilson. They felt that it was an attempt to normalize such behavior, and that the show's creators should have stuck to a more traditional ethics clause.

"It's so dumb, and it's completely out of character for Francis to behave the way that he did. This is really sh---y writing," one of the disappointed Blue Bloods fans wrote on Reddit.

On the other hand, many viewers appreciated the nuanced approach taken by the show. They praised the writers for introducing a real-life issue and allowing the audience to empathize with Gilson's character without being judgmental.

"The usual societal response to news like that would be pretty awful. Yet the writers of the show introduced nuance. She was doing OnlyFans because her police pay wouldn't cover her mother's treatments for pancreatic cancer. That's nuance. As an audience we don't get to judge her and that's an excellent thing, IMO," one of the fans said.

One fan even highlighted the stark contrast between healthcare systems, noting that this dynamic would not happen in countries like Canada, where a medical "death sentence" doesn't come with a financial one.