BLUE BLOODS: Cutting Losses

BLUE BLOODS is always fascinating. The “Cutting Losses” episode is exemplary. It deals with some of the characters all related to Police Commissioner Reagan, played by Tom Selleck, who are facing intractable problems and want to give up, including the Commissioner. It is clear, however, that God has a plan and isn’t finished with each of them yet.

The program starts when it’s reported a young policeman shot an unarmed woman in cold blood. The Commissioner starts a press conference to announce the PD will do everything to find out the truth, when the new mayor barges interrupts him. She takes over the press conference and says the people have to be represented, even if it means cleaning up the PD. Commission Reagan disagrees with her, and she tries to fire him.

Meanwhile, Jamie, the Commissioner’s youngest son, and his partner get a 911 call to go to a sleazy nightclub where women have taken an unknown drug and are dying.

Meanwhile, Erin, the Commissioner’s daughter who works as a prosecutor finds her ex-husband has been stabbed. She asks Danny, her brother, to help find the assailant, but Danny won’t take the case because he’s ready to quit, blaming himself for the accidental death of his wife, a nurse who died.

So, the many questions in the episode are, Will the Commissioner give up his job? Will Danny quit the police force? Will the truth come out about the shooting of the unarmed woman? Will they discover the drug dealer responsible for the dead women? Will they find out who stabbed the ex-husband? And, will the family survive these terrible events?

The resolution to these questions is often unexpected, which makes the program even better. After the plot problems are resolved, the family prays in the name of Jesus and the grandfather presents the truth that, in all the pain and suffering, he sees God’s plan for each of them and he trusts in God’s plan. Thus, in the midst of a real world with real pain and real suffering, there is real hope.

“Cutting Losses” is superbly written, directed and acted. Donnie Wahlberg is a standout in this particular episode. So is Bridget Moynahan as the assistant district attorney and the Commissioner’s daughter.

Content: (CCC, BBB, L, VV, DD, M) Very strong Christian worldview with a very strong statement at the end saying “I see God’s purpose or divine hand in everything and every day and trust in His plan” and a very strong prayer mentioning Jesus; four obscenities; several acts of violence including police detective beats up a psychiatrist who killed a couple people, women die in seedy nightclub from some unknown drug, descriptions of death, and a woman’s corpse found in a secret basement in an oil drum; no sex; no nudity but some female cleavage; alcohol use; no smoking, but villain passes out deadly drugs; and, lying, deceit, acting female mayor abuses her power.