CBS’ prolific police procedural, Blue Bloods, has said goodbye to a lot of characters over the years. However, season 14’s tribute to Treat Williams was more heartfelt than most.
Throughout the tenure of the series, Williams played Lenny Ross, best friend of Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck). Appearing in six episodes over the course of the series, Lenny had become as integral to the DNA of the series as those family dinners. In the farewell episode, the Blue Bloods production said goodbye to Lenny, who died from cancer offscreen.
This revelation was not out of the blue — pun intended — for the characters of the series. Earlier in the show, Lenny had been diagnosed with the disease. This storyline concludes in season 14, as the characters come to terms with saying goodbye to a friend. Though he does not appear on screen, Lenny’s presence is a force throughout the episode. Frank, in particular, struggles with Lenny’s departure, and becomes concerned with the best way to honor him.
This materializes after Lenny’s daughter gets arrested for her role in a barfight. Frank wants to do right by Lenny, and ultimately points her toward a defense attorney. The episode concludes with Frank saying goodbye to Lenny around the dinner table, in a touching tribute meant for the character, as well as the actor.
Why did Blue Bloods say goodbye to Lenny Ross?
Last we saw Lenny on Blue Bloods, he was going through some trials. His daughter was acting out while he was contending with some health issues. Though he tries to keep it a secret from Frank, Tess (Simone Policano) lets it slip that being a first responder left some residual effects on her father. However, his last appearance didn’t seem like it was a goodbye. At least, not a definitive one.
Frank offers to look in on Tess while Lenny deals with his personal issues. It was unlikely that the Blue Bloods production knew that would be Williams’ final episode. On June 12, 2023, the actor died at the age of 71 after a motorcycle accident. Williams was beloved in the entertainment industry, not just for small parts in police prodcedurals, but as an icon. His breakout role was in the musical Hair, and went on to endear himself to audiences as Dr. Andy Brown in the teen drama, Everwood.
Williams was a long-standing figure in Hollywood, and Blue Bloods honored him well by acknowledging his role as Lenny Ross. At the end of the episode, a dedication card states: “In memory of our great friend, Treat Williams 1951-2023.” While only in a few episodes in over a decade and a half of content, Blue Bloods said goodbye in the best way possible.