You may have noticed a familiar face on the Blue Bloods season 13 finale on Friday, May 19. Danny Reagan’s (Donnie Wahlberg) former partner, Jackie Curatola (Jennifer Esposito), made a comeback after leaving the show 10 years ago. Now, the question remains: Is Jennifer Esposito coming back to Blue Bloods for good?
As a refresher, Blue Bloods is a police procedural on CBS. It follows the Reagan family, all of whom are deeply involved in the New York City Police Department. Jackie joined the show during its first season in 2010. She remained Danny’s partner for three seasons, until being written off the show following her Celiac disease diagnosis. There was known tension between Jennifer and the network because the actress claimed the studio kept her on contract and suspended her without pay before replacing her, according to TVLine.
“Look, they have a job that they need done. I get it,” she told FOX Files. “You don’t think I can do it in the two or three days that I am offering in that… work space of eight days? Then I get it, you have to replace me. But that’s not what happened. What happened was ugliness.”
Considering the drama that surrounded Jennifer’s exit from the show, many assumed they’d never see her back with Danny. Alas, the network had different ideas. For the season 13 finale, Jackie rejoined Danny on the set of Blue Bloods when both she and Danny had victims with the same MO. While fans were thrilled to see Jackie back on their screens, it’s unclear whether or not it was a cameo or a true return.
Regardless, it does seem like Jennifer had a great time during her rare appearance. On finale night, she shared a few call-outs to the show on Twitter.
Some things never change pic.twitter.com/MsbgHp4lmY
— Jennifer Esposito (@JennifersWayJE) May 19, 2023