Changes Through the Seasons

Having completed season guides for seasons 4 to 12, it feels appropriate to take a moment to reflect on how things have changed.

I’m not going to revisit the star ratings I gave to each episode; those are entirely subjective, and we will all have slightly different views on what makes a good or great episode. How much we enjoy something is always due to our personal preferences, whether it’s our favourite character or actor, or even a more undefinable quality that solely means a story works for us.

First, a chance to summarise the numbers; when I started this exercise, I certainly didn’t know how it would turn out.

Season	Total Scenes	Jamko Scenes	Jamie Scenes	Eddie Scenes
4	129	70	57	2
5	139	87	48	4
6	153	100	52	1
7	145	82	57	6
8	140	92	45	3
9	178	98	47	33
10	151	74	48	29
11	148	51	69	28
12	195	62	74	59

Significant Seasons

The first thing to notice is that in terms of the total number of scenes for Jamie and Eddie, season 12 is the clear winner. It shows how much the balance has changed, considering it still wasn’t back to the same number of episodes as earlier seasons. For me, this is a sign that the show is that much closer to an ensemble where the main characters receive proportional screentime. It still isn’t entirely equal, but it’s undoubtedly shifted to something closer to it.

Of course, there is a downside to the increased number of scenes. Unfortunately, there’s been a decrease in the screen time that features Jamie and Eddie together. 

It’s still somewhat surprising that season 6 was when they shared the most scenes; surprising because no one thinks of that as a great Jamko season. One of the reasons for that was the relationship theme for that season had them questioning whether they needed a new partner. Another reason this doesn’t feel like a particularly significant season for Jamie and Eddie was that the high number of scenes didn’t translate into lots of stories for them; in several episodes, they’re little more than guests in someone else’s storyline.

One example is Backstabbers, where Nicky asks for help, but there’s never any need for it to go anywhere. The main reason for Jamie and Eddie’s involvement is that Nicky’s friend then discovers that Nicky has a family connection to the NYPD. Jamie and Eddie are only needed to facilitate that conversation; they have no other role in the story. A similar scene occurs in Fresh Start, where Danny and Baez talk to Jamie and Eddie about a missing officer. Jamie and Eddie are there only to create a different way of presenting the exposition, and they play no further part in the episode. The Bullitt Mustang, Road to Hell, Worst-Case Scenario and Down the Rabbit Hole all have a similarly light involvement for Jamie and Eddie, with just enough scenes to provide context for another character’s storyline.

It wasn’t exclusive to season 6; even in episodes like Brushed Off, Jamie and Eddie were only there to provide a familiar face at the beginning of a storyline and allow a funny conversation about the situation later in the episode. (It even happened in season 12’s USA Today, and was more notable because it’s now such a rare event.) However, it appears to have been most common in season 6. If your only requirement is to see Jamie and Eddie onscreen together, then this should be your favourite season – of course, that usually isn’t what most fans want to see.

Although season 6 having the most shared scenes may be a surprise, it isn’t such a surprise that season 9 takes second place. It may not have been consistent, but there was a definite effort to build their new relationship. They took the time to show them spending time together away from work, it may not have been much, but it was more than we’ve generally seen in subsequent seasons. Season 12 started to reverse the trend; hopefully, we’ll see that continue in season 13.

Significant Episodes

Season 8’s The Devil You Know is the episode with the highest number of scenes where Jamie and Eddie are onscreen together. It isn’t entirely surprising as this episode felt like it was telegraphing the change in their relationship and built up the momentum that carried us into My Aim is True.

Overall, season 12’s Be Smart or Be Dead is the busiest Jamko episode due to Jamie’s eventful storyline with Danny, plus Eddie and Henry’s affecting story. It, therefore, demonstrates my earlier point that the increased number of scenes is partly due to both characters having separate storylines with only occasional relationship moments.

Final Thoughts

With the changing season lengths, it isn’t as obvious how much things have changed in terms of screentime. However, even with a reduced episode count, it is apparent that Jamie and Eddie have a much-increased presence in the show in season 12 than in any previous season. As much as I would prefer to see them spend more time together, it seems likely that the production team are trying to make the best use of their cast.

I’m repeating myself, but it demonstrates great confidence in the two characters that the show has felt able to have them work independently, that neither character would suffer if they weren’t always together. It’s a shame that we miss out on some of that magic that occurs when they can bounce off of each other.

We don’t know what season 13 will bring, but things will likely continue to change. All we can hope is that the production team keep working to find a better balance. So we get the advantage of seeing Eddie and Jamie playing a role in more stories, but not with it becoming a rarity that they appear together (or solely at family dinner).