Season 14 is an emotional time for Blue Bloods fans.
CBS has announced that the show will not be returning for a 15th season, so viewers are bracing themselves for what is sure to be a difficult goodbye. But, last week, the series took a heart-wrenching turn for a different reason.
On the episode titled “Fear No Evil,” the show paid tribute to one of their own, Treat Williams, who starred as Lenny Ross on the longtime series. The 71-year-old actor passed away in June after a motorcycle accident in Vermont. On the show, it was explained that Lenny died after a battle with cancer, and Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) spoke about his friend during a family dinner.
Frank told his family, “There’s also someone who ate here with us over the years but who won’t be back. Lenny Ross was my oldest friend, my closest confidante, my getaway driver. And I lost him this week, and it hurts like hell. But Lenny would hate it if we got all teary and quiet and sad. So Lenny, we’ll miss you, and save me a seat at your table, and we’ll see you on down the road.”
Blue Bloods shared the clip on Instagram, and fans shared their feelings in the comments, with messages like:
“Great tribute to Treat Williams. Love this show and am so sad it’s ending 😢.”
“Wow you could also tell the hurt was very real for the actors, not just the characters.”
“Beautiful tribute to Treat! I was in tears.”
Abigail Hawk, who plays Detective Abigail Baker, wrote, “💙To Lenny. And to Treat.”
The episode ended with a final message: “In memory of our great friend, Treat Williams 1951-2023.”