Summary

Linda Reagan’s abrupt departure from Blue Bloods was due to Amy Carlson’s decision not to renew her contract. Linda Reagan’s character was quickly killed off in an off-screen helicopter crash, leaving fans without closure. Amy Carlson expressed regret over the hasty and cold send-off of her character and remains open to a more satisfying closure in the future.

As Blue Bloods barrels toward its Season 14 premiere on February 16, 2024, many fans are still left wondering what caused the abrupt departure of Danny Reagan’s wife, Linda Reagan (Amy Carlson), between Seasons 7 and 8 of the hit crime drama. After all, Linda Reagan was an integral part of the TV series, graduating from a recurring character in Season 1 to a main protagonist by Season 5. The loving wife of Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) and the stay-at-home mother of Jack (Tony Terraciano) and Sean Reagan (Andrew Terraciano), Linda Reagan took on a much bigger role on the show when she returned to her profession as an ER Nurse at St. Victor’s Hospital in New York City.

Just when it seemed as if Linda was poised to take on a more significant character arc following Season 7, she was abruptly killed off in an unceremonious way that was barely mentioned in passing on the show. As such, avid and casual fans alike have been left to ponder what happened to Linda and why such a pivotal character would suddenly vanish from the show under such a strange, rushed, and controversial set of circumstances. While the answer to the central question is fairly straightforward, it’s worth explaining in detail how and why Linda Reagan hastily departed from Blue Bloods in 2017.

Amy Carlson’s Contract Expired

The chief reason why Linda Reagan was unceremoniously killed off between Seasons 7 and 8 had everything to do with Amy Carlson’s professional contract with CBS. After portraying the character of Linda Reagan on Blue Bloods for 155 episodes between 2010 and 2017, her contract with CBS to star in Blue Bloods expired after Season 7. Rather than re-upping her contract to remain as a series protagonist on the hit crime drama, Carlson opted not to renew her contract.

By all accounts, it was Carlson’s personal decision to leave the show behind. She was not forced out by the producers for any controversial reason. Carlson simply felt that her time was up on the show and actively chose not to continue participating in it. Carlson’s final appearance on the show came in 2017, in Season 7’s finale episode, “The Thin Blue Line.” Carlson has not been seen on the show since and is not expected to return in any capacity to the upcoming 14th season in 2024.

What Happened to Linda Regan in Blue Bloods?

Once Carlson declined not to renew her contract following Season 7 of Blue Bloods, the writers were in a precarious bind about ending Linda Reagan’s arc on the show. As such, the creators decided to quickly kill Linda in an off-screen helicopter crash that takes place between the events of Season 7 and Season 8. When fans tuned into Season 8 expecting to see Linda continue her arc as an ER Nurse at St. Victor’s and the loving husband to Danny and their boys, the character was never seen again. Adding insult to lethal injury, the only time Linda’s tragic demise was mentioned in Blue Bloods came when Danny spoke to his therapist, Dr. Alex Dawson, in Season 8, Episode 1, “Cutting Losses.”

Beyond the brief mention of her death, Linda was never given the proper send-off fans felt she deserved and the lack of a satisfying explanation robbed many fans of a genuine sense of closure. Furthermore, because her death was depicted off-screen in between seasons, many fans completely missed the halfhearted explanation for Linda’s departure, which caused controversy and confusion among even the most faithful viewers. For fans of the show and Linda specifically, her ultimate fate was viewed as a disrespectful slap in the face. Yet, in terms of the dramatic explanation given on the show, Linda Reagan died in a fatal helicopter crash at the age of 46 on May 28, 2017.

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Carlson’s Reaction to Linda’s Sudden Off-Screen Death

Although it was her choice to leave Blue Bloods following Season 7, Carlson had no control over how Linda Reagan would be swiftly written off the show as a result. Yet, just like many fans of the popular 21st-century crime show who were left scratching their head upon learning of her sudden departure, Carlson wondered why her character was given such a hasty and cold send-off and expressed regret over the decision.

During a 2017 interview with Deadline, Carlson mourned Linda’s tragic death, stating:

“I feel badly that she dies that way. I was surprised, but I’m also just so honored that all these fans connected so much with that character. It surprised me, but it really touches my heart that they cared so much about Linda and that she meant so much to so many people, I had no idea, I can’t even tell you how many messages a day I get about her and the character.”

Carlson also revealed that, while she was not invited to return for Season 8 in a fan-friendly flashback, she believed:

“It would’ve been nice for the fans to see her demise, to be a participant in it. That was my vote for the fans… I hear from them all the time, ‘We really want you to come back.’ And I’m like, ‘That’s impossible.’ But they also say [they] wish [they] could’ve mourned the character.”

When further pressed about her potential return to the series in some form or fashion in the future, Carlson did not close the door, saying:

“Yeah, I think it’s been hard on the fans. 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. So of course I’d be open to that. Sure. 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.”

What Did Amy Carlson Do After Blue Bloods?

Since leaving Blue Bloods, Carlson has starred in both other TV shows as well as movies and even a short film. Here are all of her projects in a post-Blue Bloods world:

TV Shows:
The Village (2019) The Society (2019) FBI: Most Wanted (2020-Present) Movies and Short Films:
A Bread Factory, Part One (2018) The Incoherents (2019) Sunny Daze (2019) The Letter (Short, 2020) Know Fear (2021) To recap, Amy Carlson left Blue Bloods following Season 7 as a result of her expiring contract. When Carlson opted not to renew her contract, her character Linda Reagan was hastily written off the show in an off-screen helicopter crash that was barely mentioned in the following season. Linda’s abrupt departure from the binge-worthy crime show led to mass confusion among many fans, as well as Carlson herself. Although it isn’t likely that Amy Carlson will return to the show as Linda Reagan anytime soon, the actor has not officially ruled out a more satisfying sense of closure for the character in the future.

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