Often seen as the cornerstone of the show’s moral legal framework, she’s been well-regarded by many fans — or at least grudgingly respected for being principled, even if her decisions aren’t what fans want. However, over the seasons, many of those positive sentiments have begun to sour among fans. The problem is that it’s hard to justify why. Perhaps it’s a symptom of being a true fan of a fictional TV series that we often become so enamored with the characters we love that we’re willing to forgo our ethics for them.

In doing so, many fans often express feelings that would ordinarily amount to moral viewpoints we’d never cling to in reality, or perhaps shows like Blue Bloods and characters like Erin (Bridget Moynahan) are so brilliantly layered because they can speak to our darker sides. Either way, Erin has been picking up a ton of hate online for her meanderings from what fans wanted for her — to choose loyalty to her family over what she ultimately thought was right.

The Reagan Family Dynamic Always Cast Erin as the Odd One Out

As a show that deals with the inner workings of a police precinct, it slowly becomes easier for fans to form attachments to members of that precinct — especially those tied to the Reagan family. Unfortunately, the closer the bond many fans forged with the Reagans who carried badges, the more likely they were to begin turning away from Erin. This dynamic came to the fore a little more each time her job conflicted with her family’s interests, as prominent episodes like Season 2’s “Reagan V. Reagan” proved.

Erin’s Progression Through the Show Was in Keeping With Her Talent

As Erin’s career continued to reach new heights in the show, what could never be denied is that she earned her success. As her cases became more complex and her list of successful, high-profile convictions grew, so did her stature as a skilled and determined prosecutor. However, this also saw her hardening even further. By the middle seasons, her son had already grown and left home. Events like these often left Erin feeling even more isolated than her job had already made her, especially compared to the rest of the brood.

“The easiest explanation for why Frank is seen as a man of integrity while Erin is seen as a nuisance is old-fashioned misogyny. It’s not a secret that qualities that are praised in men are often disparaged in women. From that perspective, it makes sense that people see Frank as standing up for integrity when he refuses to be coerced into doing something he believes is immoral, while Erin is seen as too rigid when she does it. That’s not necessarily the whole story, but it’s important to ask ourselves why we see Erin the way that we do.”

Why Erin Was Always Unfairly Treated by ‘Blue Bloods’ Fans

Beyond this, it’s not just that she will always have the moral high ground, but also that the anger shown on fan sites and Reddit threads often grows far too toxic to be considered anything close to logical. With excitement building for the new spinoff show, it’s clear that old dynamics have to shift. While her stern personality drew the ire of her detractors, attacks against her soon devolved into nastiness directed at everything from her demeanor (which many deemed cold and robotic) to the obvious double standard that she was held to. In the end, Erin was far from perfect. However, no Reagan in the show was, but only she was singled out by fans as the so-called bad character and the villain of the Reagan family. Ultimately, it wasn’t deserved. Blue Bloods is streaming on Paramount+ and Fubo TV.