Season 2 of the CBS cop/family drama Blue Bloods is a procedural at heart, and though it aims at something more challenging–each episode features some social problem within in the department and outside it–it always resolves a heady premise by the end of the one hour time slot. This is the undoing of some otherwise well-worked and informed writing. No matter how sticky it gets: immigration issues, protecting child molesters, crooked cops, family matters, there’s inevitably an arrest, a reversal, someone getting booked or released and you can always see it from a mile ahead. This isn’t anything new in a cop drama, but what’s a little disturbing is how it’s done so efficiently and usually by the guiding hand of an authortative, white male acting on his Irish-Catholic instincts.

Danny, played by Donny Wahlberg, often swindles his sister Erin (Bridget Moynahan) in to issuing a warrant, or he barges into a property without any recompense. His methods only come in to question when he kills another cop, or from his hysteric wife Linda (Amy Carlson) who concedes with her head buried in his chest. His punching bag is little brother Jamie (Will Estes) “with a law-degree.” Danny’s an anti-intellectual and Jamie doesn’t have the guts to defend himself without making a low blow and settling the whole thing in a brotherly brawl for which Danny’s the victor. His female partner Jackie (Jennifer Esposito) can’t help but be inspired by his “brass” and accepts it with chin-to-navel.

This kind of patronizing behavior is intergenerational. Frank, played by Tom Selleck, is the families figurehead and Cheif Commissioner of the New York City Police Department. And both at home and in the office, his word is just about as close to law as it gets. With a frown through that trademark mustache, Frank carries the burden of leadship at work. In his dealings with the newly elected Mayor Poole (David Ramsey)–a young, black baptist who’s a slippery deal-maker– and his fanatical, left-wing cohorts (thinly veil as “you-know-who”) Frank always takes the moral high ground. At home, Frank always gets the last word, or at least quiets the table with a wink and a nod between him and his father Henry (Len Carou). From time to time, when the two worlds collide Frank finds himself often doing favors for his family, still wagging his finger with the faintest sign of reluctance. His running mantra is that in the real world, leaders operate on instincts. After all, there’s little time to think when you’ve got a gun in your hand.
Season one’s biggest narrative artery was the Blue Templar, a fraternity of crooked cops behind the murder of one of the Reagan boys who tried to expose it. Now, as if following in his footsteps, Jamie goes undercover in hopes of exposing the Cavazerre crime family. The personal stakes are set

by his friendship with Noble Sanfino played the wry and energetic Will Morris. The end result is a predictable bust, and a suggestion that Jamie may be prepared to leave the force for a career as a defense attorney. Erin struggles to balance romance, her career and a teenage daughter played by pixie in braces Sami Gayle, often finding herself on the other side of the fence in a house full of cops. And Danny struggles with his temper, and always ends up with the benefit of the doubt. There is a nice bit toward the end of the season with Frank who’s stoking an old-flame, forgive the expression. It provides his character with a bit more depth and demonstrates a weakness, but it’s again resolved by the one-hour mark.
Some nice features on this box-set. Thirteen episodes of the twenty-two episode season contain deleted scenes, many of which demonstrate how much more the series could have offered without the self-imposed constraints. Guest stars Tony Benett and Carrie Underwood are present on a featurette on the first disc, in promotion for his new album. It’s a charming bit, if a little heavy on the marketing. Amy Carlson and writer Brian Burns provide commentary on one of the best episodes of the season “The Job”, but there’s not much they share in common so the writer gets a little chatty, this happens again with writer Keith Wade and Will Estes in the commentary for “Moonlighting.” Disc six only contains two episodes and closes with a two part featurette with interviews of the cast called “A Higher Standard: The Story of the Reagans.” This side-by-side with a gag real and two other on-set special features, which could have been scrapped. Some of the episodes were aired out of order so there are a few discrepancies here with the initial broadcast; though as I mentioned before, you don’t need to watch this in order to understand it. If you’re a fan of the show, the price tag is worth it.