Blue Bloods latest hiatus is short. After a week-long preemption, the Reagans will be back with what appears to be one of their most intriguing plots.
So far, CBS is short on details for Blue Bloods Season 14 Episode 7. What little has been released suggests that Danny and Baez have a big case that might involve the entire Reagan family.
With three episodes before the summer hiatus, will this case move the Reagans toward an exciting cliffhanger?
What little we know so far involves a serial killer targeting people in the hospital.
The promo video focuses on this case, with Danny and Baez talking to hospital staff about a string of mysterious deaths.
The partners talk with healthcare providers, one of whom says that there's something suspicious about all these deaths, and it seems that Anthony and Jamie are both involved in dangerous situations that may or may not be related.
It's hard to tell what's happening, but this is a big story, and if it involves the entire Reagan clan, that could make it even more compelling.
Danny's Case Sounds Like a Thriller Plotline
The scenes in the spoiler video suggest that someone is targeting people after they enter the hospital. This is the opposite of a tired TV trope since we rarely have this type of case on police procedurals, although it's common in medical thriller books.
Since the perp is targeting people who are already in the hospital, it suggests the killer is a doctor, nurse, or other hospital employee. It's more likely that someone with medical knowledge is doing the killings if the deaths are ambiguous enough that they appear to be coincidental.
TV seems to love the trope of someone putting poison in victims' IV bags, so that may come into play here, but let's hope Blue Bloods offers something a bit more original.
The video features Danny and Baez talking to a health care provider who is in tears over the lates† death. Could this woman be a whistleblower rather than someone guessing that foul play was involved?
Conspiracies Could Involve Jamie's Unit
Jamie works for the intelligence unit, which seems like the Blue Bloods equivalent of the unit on Law & Order: Organized Crime.
If there is some organized criminal effort to kill these victims or the hospital is involved in corruption, Jamie could be assigned to investigate.
This would put him in direct conflict with Danny, the lead investigator for the homicide unit. It would be ironic if this ended up similarly to the situation Jamie butted heads with Joe Hill over when they were both investigating a sex trafficking ring.
The spoiler video suggests Jamie will end up in a shootout, with him ducking and grabbing his gun after a bullet shatters the windshield of his car.
Of course, the promo could have spliced scenes from different storylines together, but the inclusion of this clip suggests that Jamie's shootout is related to this case.
A Mysterious Prisoner
The spoiler video includes footage of Danny and Baez questioning a prisoner at Rikers.
There's no information yet about who this person might be. They could be an informant or someone previously working with a suspect.
It's always interesting when the cops have to question prisoners. Prisoners are more vulnerable because they've already lost their freedom and are often trying to survive behind bars.
Prisoners have to worry about being labeled a snitch by their fellow inmates, which could be deadly, as well as not making themselves a target for vindictive guards.
Blue Bloods often depicts the conflicts between cops and prisoners more realistically than other shows, so Danny or Baez interviewing a prisoner could lead to some tense scenes, especially if the prisoner believes they were railroaded the first time they were arrested.
Could a Wrongful Conviction Be Involved?
A prisoner who got a bum deal might be motivated to help the cops in exchange for their case being reopened.
Anthony is investigating something and looking shocked in a short clip on the promo, so could he unearth yet another mistake by the DA's office?
Erin Reagan has always been depicted as a tough but fair prosecutor who takes it hard if she discovers she's contributed to a miscarriage of justice. Lately, that's been happening more than it used to.
Anthony and Erin's story could also have nothing to do with the hospital killings, but there is probably some connection to the prisoner who meets with the cops. It's hard to tell with such little information, so it'll be fun to find out whether these cases are connected!
Blue Bloods Promises a Dark Story
Whether this is an umbrella plot or not, the hospital murder case promises to be a darker story. Blue Bloods does this once or twice a season, often featuring a serial killer or mob boss who is killing people indiscriminately.
This episode promises to be one of the darkest, with someone entrusted with patient care killing their patients instead. If any of the Reagens' lives are threatened as a result of investigating this, it'll make it even more disturbing and impactful.
Over to you, Blue Bloods fanatics. What do you think about this hospital killer story?
Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know.
Blue Bloods airs on CBS on Fridays at 10/9c. New episodes drop on Paramount+ the day after they air.