Blue Bloods: What Happened to Linda and When Did She Die?

There are a lot of TV shows about New York. There are even more TV shows about police work. And there are so many TV shows about police work in New York that it's hard to believe there's anything left to film about it.

However, Blue Bloods has no need to prove its originality. Its charm is just the opposite: filmed in the best police procedural tradition, it shows the life of ordinary officers, not some newfangled equipment or super-secret developments.

Blue Bloods is closely tied to the Reagan family. Each episode includes a dinner scene – their tradition – during which they discuss the current case, which is often the same for all of them. And it is only by working together that they are able to come to a conclusion.

How and When Did Linda Die?

All the more shocking for the viewers was the death of one of the family members, Linda, Danny Reagan's wife. In addition to being a beloved member of the family, she was also a moral compass and emotional support not only for Danny, but for the rest of the Reagans.

Linda suffered perhaps the most unexpected death of the whole show – in the first episode of Season 8, it was revealed that she had died in a helicopter crash while on duty as a nurse. This was a huge blow to the entire Reagan family, and Danny, who had two children with Linda, even had to go to therapy because he blamed himself for her death.

However, what appeared to be an accidental death turned out to be a contract killing. In Episode 19 of Season 9, Denny learned that one of the cartel members, Jose, was responsible for the helicopter crash. As a result, Danny teams up with another cartel member who gave him the information to bring Jose to justice.

Linda's death happened off-screen, and this decision seemed outrageous given the love viewers had for the character. However, the showrunners or writers should not be blamed for this.

Why Was Linda Killed Off So Abruptly?

After the seventh season, Amy Carlson, who played Linda, made the decision not to extend her contract without giving a specific explanation.

Showrunner Kevin Wade shared in an interview how difficult it was to deal with Linda's death:

“I was between a rock and a hard place because the simple fact was that [Carlson] decided not to renew her contract. And because that happened after we'd wrapped the previous season, we had very little wiggle room, but we did our best with a tough situation.”

Later, Amy Carlson expressed regret that Linda had to die the way she did.

And all we are left with is the opportunity to revisit the episodes where Linda is still alive.

Source: TVLine