Criminals on “Blue Bloods” are usually forgotten quickly, though some do tend to return to the scene of the crime, like Molly Chavez. Stephanie Andujar, best known for “Marjorie Prime” and “Orange is the New Black,” debuted in Season 8, Episode 20 (“Your Six”), playing the girlfriend of an escaped cop killer. During their search, Chavez almost killed Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) and several cops with a door rigged to explode, though she was eventually arrested after her partner was shot for drawing his weapon.
Chavez returned in Season 9, Episode 9 (“Handcuffs”), having just finished a nine-month prison stint. Claiming to have changed her ways, she asks Danny for help with her brother, Romeo (Tyler Dean Flores), who joined a gang and, when approached, is caught with a pistol linked to several gang-related initiation murders. After clearing her brother of any killer connection to the firearm, Molly and Danny, despite their differences, share an alluring moment, hinting at more interactions in the future.
After playing Molly Chavez, Andujar has remained active, headlining a one-woman sketch comedy series, portraying several personas based on people she has encountered. She also produces “StephA: One Woman Show” with her family through Andujar Productions, which was started in 2016, and since then, they have released over 30 episodes throughout five seasons on YouTube. And even though the final fate of Molly Chavez and Andujar’s future with “Blue Bloods” may be unknown, some might be surprised to learn how the actor’s initial performance impacted her character’s comeback.
Stephanie Andujar’s smart moves kept Molly Chavez alive
Stephanie Andujar revealed to Close-Up Culture that the “villainous beauty” Molly Chavez was “so much fun to play because she was a bomb expert and could run really fast.” After such a rewarding experience, she wasn’t the only one interested in seeing more from Chavez. “I still have fans who want me to reprise my role as Molly,” she said. “But we’ll have to see what the writers decide.” Fortunately, she eventually returned, which is surprising considering what was originally planned.
If viewers thought Chavez’s survival at the end of her debut entry was a close call, they don’t even know the half of it. It turns out that Andujar’s bomb-making persona wasn’t initially set to make it past the credits. “Molly Chavez was supposed to get shot up at the end of the first episode where her boyfriend Malbaten gets shot up, and I was supposed to go through that,” Andujar revealed during an interview on “THINK BIG with Michael Zellner.” “Honestly, I was dreading putting on those squibs.”
Luckily, the decision was made to spare Chavez a bullet-ridden demise, and the actor believes the way she approached the performance influenced that outcome. “I think it was the choices I made for Molly Chavez,” she shared. “I kind of was inspired by Heath Ledger’s Joker and Al Pacino’s Scarface.” But while Andujar’s decisions were undoubtedly helpful, the actor’s back and forth with a certain Reagan didn’t hurt Chavez’s comeback chances.
Molly Chavez and Danny Reagan had killer chemistry
The actor’s first “Blue Bloods” performance as Molly Chavez pitted her against Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan, where the two went toe-to-toe in the interrogation room, endured an explosive encounter, and capped off their first memorable moments together with an arrest at gunpoint. But it appears people liked what they saw, especially considering that when she returns, Chavez refers to Reagan as her cop crush, and their relationship starts to turn toward romance.
The twist of fate during her return can possibly be credited to, at least in Andujar’s opinion, having great chemistry with Wahlberg, which she believes is because they come from similar backgrounds. “I think that’s why our personalities vibe, you know what I mean,” the actress said on “THINK BIG With Michael Zellner.” “I think we both kind of have that attitude where he’s an alpha male, I’m an alpha female kind of thing going on.”
She also has an interesting take on the pair’s flirtatious back and forth. “We know he shouldn’t be interacting with an informant and kind of getting in this relationship, but that’s what’s exciting,” Andujar said. “You don’t hear about that kind of stuff. It’s kind of frowned upon. And so I think too, that’s what kind of made it all the more delicious.” Surprisingly enough, the actor isn’t the only one to hype up a possible romance between Danny Reagan and Molly Chavez, as many “Blue Bloods” fans have been buzzing over the possibility of the pair ending up together.
Fans have strong feelings about Danny and Molly
As far as whether Stephanie Andujar will return to “Blue Bloods,” fans believe there is still a possibility, with a shocking number of them weighing in with their intriguing thoughts on the chances of her character Molly Chavez and Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan becoming an item. Some fans have made it clear that a third appearance from Chavez would be appreciated, like one Reddit user who posted, “I wish they would bring her back in some form.” Others also believe her return is likely, such as u/MAJOR_KONG, who wrote, “I am pretty sure that we haven’t seen the last of her.”
But the idea of the reformed bombmaker entering into a loving relationship with a detective in the Reagan family has also caused quite a stir with a section of the show’s fandom, like u/nafrenzy, who posted, “Molly and Danny connecting would bring some spice to Blue Bloods! I could see her shaking up the family!” But others believe the pairing wouldn’t be very serious, such as u/raknor88, who wrote, “If there’s a season 15-20 of the show then yes, maybe. Even then, she’d likely only be an occasional hookup, never anything serious.” And then some weren’t very fond of this idea in any form, like u/Jessica19922 posting, “Oh gosh, I hope they don’t go down this road.”
While people have mixed feelings about the Chavez-Reagan pairing, there’s no denying that Stephanie Adjunger left a lasting impression, and it will be interesting to see if she returns in future episodes of “Blue Bloods.”