Though it is sometimes hard to tell from looking at him, Tom Selleck, who plays Commissioner Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods, is currently 78.
In fact, some fans only now are realizing his age much to their horror. It is not uncommon for actors, people to whom their faces are literally tools of trade, to look much younger than their real age, but even among them Selleck might be considered notably well-preserved, looking roughly like his character, who is supposed to be at least ten years younger (after all, Frank’s father, Henry Reagan, retired, but not yet completely decrepit, is one of the series’ main characters). As one Redditor said:
“Wait I thought he was in his late 60’s”
However, no matter how hard a man can strive to be fit, age spares no one. And the persistent question for most of the Blue Bloods fandom is: what is going to happen with the series, once Tom Selleck passes, or gets a health condition preventing him from acting (acting in a police procedural might be not a back-breaking labor, but it is still physically demanding to some extent).
As we have covered before, the most likely outcome is the series ending after Selleck’s retirement. His character is the centerpiece of the show, holding the Reagan family together, and it is difficult to imagine Blue Bloods going on without him. There is no accepted successor, whether in terms of acting talent or character development.
Some fans feel that the series is preparing Jamie Reagan for the role of a new Police Commissioner. But, even going purely by in-story limitations, he’s too young, and he’s unlikely to hold his siblings together to continue the series’ traditions of family dinners.
Sure, he might get the job – but probably only in the series’ epilogue, and then after a timeskip.
So again, the most likely outcome for the series once Selleck becomes unavailable is cancellation. But then, Blue Bloods have already went on for 13 seasons, a pretty good run, so it might be better for everyone to conclude it while the scriptwriters still have ideas, rather than to drag it on indefinitely.
