'Blue Bloods': What you need to know about final season's first episode

The second half of the 14th and final season of the CBS police-family drama "Blue Bloods" is set to premiere Oct. 18 with an episode exploring such topics as jury tampering and the death penalty.

The network announced Tuesday that the episode, "Life Sentence," finds the family of second-generation NYPD Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) facing multiple challenges. An allegation of jury tampering against his daughter, Assistant District Attorney Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan), intertwines with a homicide case being investigated by Frank’s NYPD detective son, Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg), and Danny’s partner, Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez), as well as impacting Officer Eddie Janko’s (Vanessa Ray) bond to a child who witnessed a murder.

Additionally, Frank Reagan clashes over the death penalty with his friend and confidant, Catholic Archbishop Kevin Kearns (guest star Stacy Keach, reprising a recurring role he’s played since 2016). And when the car of Frank’s youngest son, Officer Jamie Reagan (Will Estes), is stolen, Jamie teams with Frank’s grandson NYPD Det. Joe Hill (recurring guest Will Hochman) to try to recover it. Guest star Peter Hermann reprises his recurring role as defense attorney Jack Boyle, Erin’s cocky ex-husband, with whom she shares a daughter.

Siobhan Byrne O’Connor, a longtime "Blue Bloods" executive producer, wrote the script, directed by Jackeline Tejada, who has helmed more than a dozen "Blue Bloods" episodes since 2018. "Blue Bloods" shoots at Brooklyn’s Broadway Stages.

The show in March 2023 was renewed for a 14th season, but CBS announced in November that though it remained a ratings hit, this season would be the last, and that it would be split into two parts. The first half aired Feb. 16 to May 17.

Despite a Save Blue Bloods fan campaign, CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach reconfirmed the cancellation at the network’s fall season press announcement this May. "It is important to give the show the send-off it deserves," Reisenbach told reporters, according to the trade website Deadline.

She added, "We love this cast, we love their passion for the show. All shows have to come to an end. It’s important to us to refresh the schedule. We are going to end the show come December."

Parts of "Blue Bloods" may continue, said Brian Robbins, co-CEO of CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, in the public portion of the annual shareholders meeting in June, stating that "new franchise extensions are coming for ‘Dexter,’ ‘Billions’ and ‘Blue Bloods.’ " He did not specify if this meant a "Blue Bloods" spinoff series, TV-movie franchise or some other form, or whether it would be a prequel or a sequel. Robbins has not publicly commented on the possibility since.