“Life Sentence” seems to take its title from that story, in which Frank is surprised by Archbishop Kevin Kearns asking for his help on a murder case. Kearns wants to help the suspect avoid the death penalty… but Frank doesn’t see the case the way he does. Meanwhile, Erin Reagan is randomly accused of jury tampering, which is just one of a whole series of events related to a gang leader. All of the plots have something to offer, but Selleck and Keach bring Blue Bloods back with quiet brilliance.

Blue Bloods Reunites Tom Selleck and Stacy Keach

Old Friends Turn To Enemies in Season 14, Episode 11

After 14 seasons, Blue Bloods has developed a pretty impressive bench of guest stars, and “Life Sentence” features the returns of four well-known recurring characters. Chief among them is Kevin Kearns, the Archbishop of New York, played by Mike Hammer star Stacy Keach. For roughly eight years, Keach has popped in and out of the series — and Season 14, Episode 11 may be one of his best appearances. Kearns tells Frank that a murder suspect named David Benson wants to surrender to the NYPD, but that’s motivated by self-interest. If he faces his charges in New York, he can potentially avoid a worse situation in Ohio, where he’s likely to receive the death penalty. Kearns is hopeful Frank will save Benson from lethal injection; Frank isn’t sympathetic to a murderer.

Blue Bloods Randomly Puts Erin on the Hot Seat

Episode 11 Gets Bridget Moynahan’s Character in Trouble

The biggest plotline of the episode involves Erin, who’s accused of jury tampering in the middle of her trial against gang leader Carlos Ramirez. This is another callback, as the Ace Double Treys have also been in and out of the show for multiple seasons. But “Life Sentence” makes the allegation against Erin so obviously false that it’s hard to believe she’s in real jeopardy, even as the supposed evidence starts to appear. A juror blurts out in court that Erin told her to vote guilty, even referring to her by name; it’s such a scene that it’s clearly performative.

The best part of this story is that there’s a bit of a Younger reunion.

The biggest takeway from this plotline, combined with the Frank and Kearns story, is the power and influence of the Reagan family. That power is why Kearns comes to Frank in the first place and he’s able to sway two governors and an Attorney General, albeit with some favors. Mazar’s character snarkily says “I’m not a Reagan,” and Erin throws that back in her face later with, “You’re not. Reagans have some integrity.” There’s an unintentional feeling of the family sort of reigning over the city, rather than the usual idea of how much the city means to them. There’s also a little bit of frustration at the lack of resolution beyond Erin’s fate. The juror is a minor character, but whent there’s a video of her parents having been beaten by gang members, the viewer can’t help but want to see that family have a happy ending — especially on Blue Bloods, which is all about family.

Blue Bloods Teases a Baby for Jamie and Eddie

Will Season 14 End With a New Reagan?

This is huge news for fans, and a natural progression for Jamie and Eddie, who’ve been married since Blue Bloods Season 9. As TV viewers know from countless other shows, the next step for popular TV couples after marriage is kids. It would also fit perfectly with the theme of family to have the final season — or even the final episode — involve welcoming a new Reagan to the fold. Especially since it’s already been confirmed that no one will be promoted professionally in Season 14, it makes perfect sense to have a big personal development to deliver the grand kind of story that audiences expect in a final season.

Blue Bloods Season 14, Episode 11 is a very busy episode, and one that doesn’t always hit its marks, but it brings everyone back together, and not just around the dinner table… although it’s a pleasure to see them all there again, along with Jack and Joe Hill. With episodes like this, it’s hard to believe this is the beginning of the end.