Children and Animals

The old adage may be to never work with children or animals, but as several storylines have shown, the introduction of a child character or even an animal can produce fantastic results.

Even before Jamie and Eddie became a couple, there were times when we saw hints of what they would be like as parents. Since they got together, it’s an area that’s had more fan interest. In response to one of the recent fan questions, Vanessa Ray indicated there’s still no certainty of when and how it might be incorporated into the show. For now, we must live vicariously through the various children (and sometimes animals) that Jamie and Eddie encounter.

Sometimes when children appear in a storyline, it prompts a discussion about having a family of their own but can also propel a story on love, family and general plans for the future. Children can often act as a useful plot device for emotional storytelling, even if it isn’t directly related to the child. The inherent vulnerability of a child allows for quick emotional investment in a situation.

It doesn’t always have to be based around a baby or young child; teenagers have also provided moments of reflection. Eddie’s attempts to help Morgan in The Bogeyman were because she was reminded of how she was at that age. Similarly, the storylines involving Sean have led to introspective conversations between Jamie and Danny about how he reacted to past situations.

Animals have been more of a rarity, except for Jamko (the dog) in The First 100 Days and the provider of unconditional love in Strange Bedfellows. Therefore, the focus of this post is primarily the children who have appeared in several of Jamie and Eddie’s stories.

Youngsters

A run-through of episodes where Jamie and Eddie helped young children.

Impact on Jamie & Eddie’s lives

Family Secrets (10×19) – Of course, this was the episode where it felt like they’d decided to head in a particular direction, but ultimately there’s been no follow-through. It isn’t a bad thing that they’d decided not to progress with having a child just yet, although the impact of this episode is lessened because the emotional build-up didn’t lead to anything. However, there’s no questioning Eddie’s protective instincts towards ‘Cayden’ and Jamie’s willingness to support her.

The Devil You Know (8×21) – The central focus was saving a stolen baby. Of course, the baby was practically a metaphor for Jamie and Eddie’s romantic relationship. Had the arrival of Barry made them realise that they were in danger of losing something special? The emotional impact of rescuing the baby definitely removed Barry from the picture and put Jamie and Eddie’s relationship in a better position. Eddie’s emotional journey in this and Family Secrets is comparable as both lead her to a realisation about her life.

Time to Discuss

Strange Bedfellows (9×20) – Eddie’s concern about baby Annie’s situation led them to actively talk about what they both wanted. It also allowed them to acknowledge the risk their job carries. Their conversation about planning for the future was assisted by the presence of a dog: meaning this episode managed to include children and animals, so bonus points for incorporating both categories.

For Whom the Bell Tolls (11×09) – No child was seen during this one, but Diaz’s unborn baby had a role in the story. They never addressed it directly, but this story allowed them to air their views on how they’d deal with a pregnancy.

Common Ground (8×7) – Unfortunately, it didn’t make it into the aired version of the episode, but the deleted scene had Jamie and Eddie discussing their preferred names for a baby girl. Eddie’s preferences were Scarlet or Summer, while Jamie preferred Shannon, Grace, or Alana. It then becomes an excuse for flirting as Eddie advises Jamie that he only gets a say on the name if he gives birth. Jamie states that he’s proven his skills for delivering a baby and is probably even better at making them… It may not have made it into the final version of the episode, but it’s a reminder that these discussions don’t have to be addressed seriously.

What if?

No Regrets (3×18) – This feels so long ago, but it’s another instance of helping a child by safeguarding their home life. I don’t think I can be alone in wanting to see how a similar story would work now, with Jamie’s different perspective as a married man. Understandably, the recent baby stories have centred on Eddie due to the impact it would have on her life, but when it comes to wanting to help a child in an unsafe situation, then those stories can be told from both perspectives.

The Reagan Way (12×12) – Ruiz’s photo of his child was part of how Jamie connected with him and earnt his trust by stressing the importance of family. There was no further comment on this within the episode, but it’s possible to imagine that rescuing Ruiz’s daughter while dealing with the difficulties of building a relationship with his brother’s son would have given Jamie plenty to discuss with Eddie.

Teenagers

These are a couple of the episodes where Jamie and Eddie tried to help teenagers. There are a few more, including ones involving Nicky and Sean, but those lend themselves to a different type of storytelling, such as the tragedy of Gina’s death in The Forgotten.

The Bogeyman (4×12) – Eddie’s interactions with Morgan allowed the episode to allude to events in Eddie’s past while avoiding stating what happened. Since then, Eddie has shared several memories of what it was like to grow up with Armin and Lena, so we can make educated guesses at what caused her problems. There’s so much potential to be explored with Eddie’s past; maybe we’ll learn more due to the cases she might investigate once she’s a detective.

Home Sweet Home (5×12) – This was one of those stories driven by Jamie’s compassion for someone in need and everyone else warning him he was going too far. Above all, it allowed Jamie to reflect on his own good fortune; there have been times when Eddie has commented on how idealised his early life appears.

Just want to say how blessed we are to have this food, this house, four generations of Reagans sitting around this table. We should never take that for granted.

As Will Estes said, all we can do for now is wait for the writers to decide when the time is right to introduce a new addition to the Reagan family. But in the meantime, there are plenty of ways they can tease our imagination with what it might be like when it happens.