12×01 Hate is Hate

As Danny consults a psychic to solve the murder of a young boy, Frank is at odds with the mayor over how best to protect the city from an uptick in crime following a high-profile shooting. Also, Erin investigates a decades-old case in which the primary eyewitness to the killing is her boss, D.A. Kimberly Crawford (Roslyn Ruff), who was 13 years old at the time, on the 12^th season premiere of BLUE BLOODS

CBS Press Release

Initial Thoughts

These are my thoughts on the premiere episode of season twelve. A lot of it is my interpretation of what is not said and may exist purely in my imagination. If you agree or disagree, please let me know, as I’d still love to hear from you regardless. I just ask that you’re polite. It’d be great to debate ideas and see what thought-provoking theories emerge.

Both Jamie and Eddie are frustrated and struggling to find a way to make a difference. However, they provide each other with respite from their challenges. Jamie turns his frustration into something constructive, which helps Eddie’s situation as well. Can only wonder whether the frustration seen here prompts both of them to take further action throughout the season. There’s no resolution for poor Witten within the episode, so we’ll have to see whether this has a long-term impact on her. This is all told against the backdrop of the public’s perception of police behaviour.

Scene by Scene Breakdown

Store Disturbance

The editing during this sequence was so tight, it made for a fast-paced intensity; it also meant that Jamie seemed to magically appear from nowhere. The fast cutting made it seem quite chaotic and allowed us to feel as off-balance as Witten. Witten seemed to be in a state of shock as she was still responding to a threat that was no longer there, requiring Jamie to order Witten to holster her gun.

We see how the crime starts in the store, but we don’t know why the man reacts that way; does he have anger issues or health issues, or is it due to substance abuse. All we know is that he acted aggressively; of course, the crowd outside the store know even less and don’t even trust the police to be doing the right thing. This is the reason the situation escalates the lack of trust in the police makes some of the onlookers feel they have the right to intervene. This isn’t a new reaction; when events lead to mistrust, then there is increased public interference; unfortunately, it’s a situation that has been repeated for several decades.

Refusing to Complain

It’s impossible to know whether the man was charged, as we didn’t follow what happened to him after he was arrested. We also don’t know if there were any consequences to the shop owners’ decision not to submit a complaint. It’s easy to imagine that Witten’s situation might have been more challenging if no one was charged. How much more harshly would she be judged for her actions if the original crime she responded to wasn’t considered worthy of prosecution?

The opening of this story highlights a central theme of the episode: how it feels like so many people are against each other. The crowd of onlookers acted in the way they did because they didn’t trust the police. While the store owners refused to get involved because they didn’t appear to have anyone they could rely on. This shows how the system breaks down without the cooperation and trust of the public.

Modified Assignment

Espinoza’s argument is definitely presented in a way to ensure we feel Eddie and Witten’s frustration, especially as he’s so dismissive of the attack on Witten. Witten’s response was probably far from ideal, as it can appear excessive compared to the actual level of threat. However, it seems it would’ve been in line with her NYPD training to assume all threats are potentially fatal. Should the Captain be so blunt if Witten is responding as trained? It feels a little reminiscent of what happened during Witten’s first appearance in season 8 while also echoing Eddie’s issue in season 4’s The Truth About Lying.

The feeling here is that Espinoza doesn’t care whether there’s an underlying issue that should be addressed. His sole focus is on the public relations issue of how it looked. Unfortunately, simply holding an investigation will not regain the confidence of the crowd that had gathered outside that store. So it seems this is the worst of both worlds; the IAB investigation is unlikely to address public perception of the incident, and officers like Witten aren’t supported by their bosses.  

Defender Jamie

Jamie was the senior officer at the scene; there’s no suggestion he was planning to issue a RIP, although he found it necessary to correct Witten’s actions. Considering how diligent Jamie is in applying the rules, this implies he didn’t see anything that caused concern.

We’ve seen before the lengths Jamie will go to defending his officers, but he probably feels the need to speak up because the investigation seems particularly severe. Jamie is not afraid to call out what he sees as poor judgement by their captain, he’s done it before, and he’s bound to do it again.

Home Visit

This is a really emotional scene for Witten; unfortunately, we don’t see her again for the rest of the episode. We can assume that the IAB investigation is resolved, but what happens with how Witten is feeling? At this point, we can only assume it will be touched on in a later episode. The presence of her dad’s gun raises quite a few questions about what Witten might have been thinking.

It was a little surprising how Witten called out Eddie’s connection to the Commissioner. It felt a little out of character for Witten, especially as it only led to Eddie reminding her that Frank was responsible for reinstating her as a member of the NYPD. Of course, it also should be acknowledged that Frank was the one who decided Witten should be fired in the first place.

Evidence & Punishment

Jamie is never one to sit back: and after his own experiences with IAB, it isn’t a surprise that he isn’t relying on them to conduct a thorough investigation. Although you are left wondering why the Trans decided to provide the evidence when they previously said they didn’t want to get involved. Was Jamie following up with them to try and improve the chances of convicting the person who attacked their store?

It’s clear that some things never change, Jamie may no longer be a patrol officer, but he’s still getting into trouble for calling out what he sees as bad decisions by his bosses. The way Espinoza accuses Jamie of doing it because he’s a Reagan is a reminder of something Jamie said back in season 6’s Unsung Heroes. When challenging senior officers, Jamie was afraid everyone thought, “He’s the Commissioner’s son; he thinks he’s entitled”. But it’s an intrinsic part of Jamie’s character, as commented on by Frank, that he wants everything to turn out right, even if it’s to his own detriment.

Reagan Family Dinner

Oddly the whole of this scene was released as a sneak peek, so there was a definite sense of deja vu. It’s one of those dinners where they highlight the similarities between the various stories. With everyone sharing their challenges and admitting that it isn’t easy doing their jobs. That there will be times when they question whether they want to do it anymore, especially when it seems to be a constant struggle. Jack is the one who states the underlying issue; that so many people in the world are ready to believe that everyone else is against them.

IAB Interview

Eddie’s responses here are so much like Jamie’s conversation with their captain, saying what the powers that be don’t want to hear. In many ways, this IAB investigation doesn’t feel very different from previous appearances. They always seem to presume the officer involved is guilty (at least when it’s Jamie who’s being investigated).

There’s no uncertainty about how Eddie feels about the whole process. Starting with how assertive she is when questioning how Witten is being treated and ending with her obviously defiant attitude while she waits to be interviewed.

Kerbside Conversation

Even if you ignored the number of times that Espinoza pointed out that Jamie hadn’t been promoted, there’s something about how he talks about the job that demonstrates that he’s on that path to moving higher up. The way he spoke about coping with the stress had the exact tone of a boss.

Of course, Jamie’s comment about skipping Law School brings a touch of fun to such a serious conversation. Feels like it’s probably not so much the education he had but the debts it saddled him with, especially once he started the job he truly wanted to do.

Making Things Better

Have to suspect that Jamie had been working on this idea since the store owners didn’t seem to have anyone to help them. Jamie wanted to make them feel like part of a community. It feels like there was possibly more to the story arc with the Trans, especially with how Jamie offhandedly mentioned them providing video evidence. The idea of bringing Eddie with him probably developed because of what Eddie said during family dinner.

Really the interaction with the Trans is almost incidental; this scene is about Jamie and Eddie lifting each other up when faced with challenges. With this one act, Eddie goes from not knowing what she’d tell her 18-year-old self to the certainty that her message would be, “Marry Jamie Reagan”.

Final Thoughts

This was everything I’d been looking for last season, a story that said something about how they feel about each other. We saw more interaction between Jamie and Eddie, but significantly, this storyline was centred on what they believe in and how happy they make each other. A story like this demonstrates the strengths of their relationship and how well they work as a couple without having to disagree before they can end with a romantic gesture.

There’s a limited amount of shared screen time, but they’re a team when they are together, and they still speak with a similar voice when they’re apart. Both Jamie and Eddie are acting with the same intent and view of the world. This episode demonstrates how they can create a sense of continuity and togetherness even if they’re separated; it shows that it is possible, although it’s a challenge.

Both Jamie and Eddie show their frustration at different points of the episode. One of the repeated answers during the interviews on Friday was about finding their identity within the marriage. Can only wonder if these two aspects point us in the direction their stories will take for at least the early part of the season?