For 13 seasons, “Blue Bloods” has turned most of its attention to the Reagan family. Led by family patriarch Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck), the Reagans work in law enforcement to keep New York City safe. But they’ve had plenty of backup over the years, and when it comes to keeping Frank on track, he relies heavily on the talents and professionalism of Abigail Baker (Abigail Hawk).
While she’s mainly in the background and can usually be seen sitting in Frank’s office, she gets a chance to take the spotlight every so often. There have been some great Abigail episodes over the years, but she’s never gotten as much character development as some of the other secondary characters, like Baez (Marisa Ramirez). As the show prepares to enter Season 14, it’s high time it does right by this long-running character by devoting more storylines to her.
Many “Blue Bloods” fans agree that they’d like to see more of Abigail Baker. There are numerous opportunities to give the character more to do, and while Season 14 may seem a little late to start utilizing her more, it could be the most opportune time.
Abigail Baker is still pretty much a blank slate on Blue Bloods
Abigail Baker has been on “Blue Bloods” since its first season, and there’s still so much viewers don’t know about her. She wasn’t even originally supposed to be named “Abigail,” and in the first episode, the character is actually listed as “Det. Melissa Baker” in the credits. It wasn’t until later she took on the name of “Abigail” and began taking on a more prominent presence in the NYPD.
13 seasons later, and Abigail still doesn’t have a ton of canon information out there. Fans know she’s married and has two children, but the kids’ names have never been stated. And in “Leap of Faith,” she mentions that she’s not Catholic (unlike the Reagans), but she doesn’t mention her religious affiliation. This opens up a ton of potential to explore other storylines with her. Since she hasn’t been locked down to many specific details, the writers can have fun creating new lore for her.
Why not have an episode where we explore Abigail’s marriage? How’s her relationship with her kids? Does her job take a toll at home? Does she have bigger career aspirations than being an aide to the commissioner? These are all questions that could easily be explored and give her a chance to shine. Viewers know the Reagan family inside and out at this point, so a good way to keep things fresh may be to focus on these other characters. And if “Blue Bloods” is going to continue past Season 14, focusing on different characters may be the move to make.
Pay cuts could mean some actors don’t want to carry on with Blue Bloods
Fans were no doubt excited to hear that “Blue Bloods” was renewed for Season 14, but it came with a major caveat. The cast and producers agreed to a 25% pay cut to keep the show going. While it’s admirable to take less money to give fans more of their favorite show, it does beg the question of how much longer the procedural can go on. Season 14 could easily be the show’s swan song, but if it goes any further than that, there’s a chance some actors may not be all right taking that much less money in the years to come.
Certain characters may take on less prominent roles or disappear entirely. If that were the case, bringing Abigail Baker to the forefront would be a great idea. Granted, Abigail Hawk could decide to leave, but if she stays on, whereas other characters leave, she could get far more stories devoted to her and her life. And putting a greater emphasis on her starting with Season 14 could prime viewers for seeing more of her in the event the show continues. There’d be no need to bring on additional characters because there’s a perfectly good NYPD personnel sitting right there.
Even if Season 14 is the final outing for “Blue Bloods,” Abigail Baker deserves something climactic for her character. She’s been around from the start and should have at least one more episode that delves into who she is, and perhaps we can even learn what she named her children. Abigail should get a chance to do more than sit by a desk and deliver exposition. Abigail Hawk has appeared in hundreds of episodes of “Blue Bloods,” so it’s about time she’s treated to a story that showcases her talents.