Blue Bloods is preparing to say goodbye to one of their own. The long-running procedural will pay tribute to the late Treat Williams in an upcoming episode of Season 14. When is the Treat Williams tribute episode and how will his character be written off? Find out below.
CBS’ Blue Bloods is a popular police procedural that focuses on the fictional Reagan family, who have a long history with law enforcement. The series first premiered in September 2010 and has anchored CBS’ Friday night lineup ever since. It stars Tom Selleck as New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan, Will Estes as Jamie Reagan, Bridget Moynahan as Erin Reagan-Boyle and Len Cariou as Henry Reagan, among others. Late actor Treat Williams recurred as Lenny Ross, a New York Police Department detective and Frank Reagan’s former partner. He appeared in six episodes across six seasons, making his final in the Season 13 episode “Irish Exits.”
During the episode, Lenny told Frank that he was dying of cancer related to being one of the first responders at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. One month after the episode aired, Williams tied in a motorcycle accident on June 12, 2023, at age 71.
Several cast members reacted to the news of his passing, including Selleck, who was very close to the actor. “It has been said that we are all just passing time and occupy our chair very briefly,” Selleck said in a statement to People. “My friend Treat was aptly named and occupied his chair so well. I will miss him but I will not forget him. Well done, my friend.”
The show is planning to honor Williams and close out his character’s story arc in an upcoming episode of the 14th and final season. Read on for everything there is to know about Treat Williams’ tribute episode on Blue Bloods.
When is the Treat Williams’ tribute episode on Blue Bloods?
Veteran actor Treat Williams will be honored in the upcoming Season 14 episode “Fear No Evil,” which airs on March 1, 2024. The episode will see Frank Reagan grapple with the loss of Lenny, as well as how best to help his daughter Tess (Simone Policano) when she lands in jail. Policano will be reprising her role as Tess, having first guest starred on the show during the Season 10 premiere. Although the official synopsis doesn’t reveal what Tess was arrested for, she looks disheveled in first look photos as she meets with Frank in the police stations.
The synopsis also does not state how Lenny passed, but it’s safe to assume the late detective lost his battle to cancer. Elsewhere in the episode, Jaime and Joe will race against the clock to reunite a trafficking victim with her sister, while Danny and Erin clash when she goes behind Danny’s back to use his criminal informant in an investigation.
In addition to Blue Bloods, Williams also recurred on Chicago Fire as Benny Severide, Kelly Severide’s (Taylor Kinney) dad. He was well known for his extensive career in film as well, with credits that include the 1971 film adaptation of Hair, 1985’s Smooth Talk, and Hallmark’s history-making LGBTQ+ movie The Christmas House.
His role as Lenny Ross was a favorite, though, mainly for the chance to work alongside Selleck. “It’s really wonderful because Tom [Selleck] and I are basically of the same period, the same era, so we’re very comfortable together,” he told TV Insider in 2019 ahead of his fourth appearance on the show. “I think the chemistry is great because you can really tell these guys have been through the wars together back in the day. Both of us having played cops so much, we’re very comfortable with that, too.”
“I just love the fact that Lenny always does something to screw up Frank’s day [and] make [his] life more difficult because he’s a bit of a live wire,” he added, noting: “I was very honored that I was invited to the family dinner … No outsider had ever had dinner with the family.”