Tom Selleck's mustache is majestic tho

Also that's not what a selfie is

"white, black, Hispanic, female." ah yes, the fourth race, women.

My favourite episode was the one where they find out one of the cops is an active child molester, they don't want to arrest him at first but it gets revealed later by the plucky daughter that he had forged his cop documents and was actually not a cop So they were able to arrest him and sleep at night

Hold on, it’s a show about a close knit family that’s in the same business together, no one outside their family is allowed to criticize them, you never rat out your friends and family, and they see themselves as attacked on all sides. Are we sure we’re talking about Blue Bloods and not Sopranos or Goodfellas?

“If you got a problem with her then you got a problem with me.” That threat sure works when your dad runs the NYPD, your brother is respected detective, and your sister is a prosecutor.

If some cop pointed a gun at me in an quiet stairwell while I was unarmed, I might throw myself out a window to safety. Like, if Blue Bloods wasn't forcing me to read it as a frame job, I'd see it as a scared desperate man making a poorly judged bid for safety.

It bothers me so much that the police brutality was portrayed as a malicious hoax when Markie Mark was literally just threatening to throw him out of the window.

In a way, Blue Bloods depicts cops with the same ironic affection as The Godfather depicts the mafia. The difference is that The Godfather is tonally aware that its characters and their worldviews are fundamentally wrong, whereas Blue Bloods unironically believes the same line of bullshit its characters do.

Something that made me so uncomfortable was theres a liberal leaning granddaughter who is always framed as being too young to understand and/or the plot somehow enforces that her thinking is inherently wrong.

The irony of blue bloods portraying police brutality as not a problem while Danny constantly commits acts of police brutality and thinks it's acceptable behavior.

It's kind of incredible that a pro-cop show seems to make the police look like a gang and just concludes that it's ok.

My Grandpa loved this show because it was so forgetable that he could just re-watch old episodes every couple weeks because he wouldn't remember who did it. he also never remembered the name, always called it "New York Cops"

I burst out laughing when it turned out the Bitterment issue's solution boiled down to "the citizens should take more risks so police can have an easier job."

Bruh, they got the actor with the darkest skin they could find to play the bad guy Reverend. They knew that was the only way they could make a reverend the villain in a cop show for old white people. This show is like babies first cop show for geriatrics.

I've always thought Blue Bloods had a great, unexplored spin-off premise: Someone trying to take down the corrupt Reagan dynasty as an outsider.

That police brutality episode with a Reverend lying about it makes me SO mad. As if the problem is black people making up cases. 🙄

It took a few times for me to hear it, but that clip of the gang leader being arrested used Heartbreaker from the Rolling Stones. That song is about kids being shot by police.

I'm pretty sure the "easy solution to the gang in the projects" is essentially a coded racist message. It says "if 'those people' would just do exactly what the cops say and rat out the gang members, we could be living in harmony". It's an excuse for people removed from the situation to just sit back and blame the victim when they think about the complicated relationships between gangs and police.

The nice suburban house that the Reagans appear to live in is also a big red flag -- unlike many cops in smaller towns in America, the NYPD and police in other large cities generally don't live in the communities they're policing. This contributes to the "Us vs. Them" mentality that a lot of cops have, and makes them feel less accountable to the people they're supposed to serve. I don't know if Blue Bloods ever actually addresses this but it seems like it should be important.

The funniest thing about the Reverend Potter character, he's obviously this evil strawman who only goes after NYPD for fake accussations of miscconduct, but the show DOES have Danny commit the usual cop procedural police brutality in several episodes. It's like the opposite of Moral Luck-dude's only wrong because he has shit luck of picking his fights.

That selfie line was probably a result of a focus group full of old people.

"The blue wall of silence", i.e. "snitches get stitches". Now where have I heard that before? 🤔

My standout memory of this show is a a judge being chewed out by her boss for following protocols as "this isn't law school" because she didn't sign a search warrant for the commissioner's son since he could given no evidence of probable cause as the evidence he had was illegally obtained and so couldn't mention it

Leaving the name Reagan in context makes it better imo, because of how fucking abhorrent the man actually was (ignored AIDS, increased drug war, Iran-Contra, trickle-down myth, vetoing anti-Apartheid measures, etc.)

I had no idea this show was so bad- the organic sniper plot line gave me a good laugh though!! The most insidious thing about this show is the fact that the reverse mortgage guy is being portrayed as ‘trustworthy’ to the older demographic that those mortgages prey upon.

It's funny how Tom Selleck's character has a photo of Teddy Roosevelt hanging on wall in his office, all while Teddy Roosevelt when he was a police commissioner in NYC, was known to physically beat up corrupt cops. Do you think any of the cops who watch this show know that about Teddy Roosevelt? Also, Teddy had a pretty high pitched voice lol which is funny because I always thought he probably had a deep voice, too.

The fact that the show tries to make the watcher think that all police brutality against black people was just the victim “faking it” is horrifically disgusting.

one of my favorite scenes is Tom Selleck explaining to a Black officer who shot a white guy and was suffering from discrimination that this is a country of immigrants and how we all came here to make a better life. then the scene ends with some cheesy uplifting music to drown the pure bonkers of it all

How fitting that their last name is Reagan. Been dead for over 10 years and he still haunts us all

I love how they trivialised how good cops coming forward and facing retaliation for reporting dirty cops can all be solved by one of the main characters giving the rest of the guys an "empowering" speech.... Don't report them for leaving a fellow officer to DIE, don't make them face ANY consequences..... nope just need a "good speech"??? How many cops who've MURDERED someone have multiple incidents of using excessive force got a "good talking to" before they finally KILLED someone

Trying to explain what a selfie is and getting it wrong

The bottom was reached when the show began saying that cops are the true victims of hate.

I remember the episode with the window and always thought the guy leaped out to try and escape, not necessarily to deliberately injure himself to frame Danny, with the look of realization coming over him being more along the lines of him thinking Danny basically inadvertently just handed him his escape route. Only to then break his legs because they were higher than he'd thought. To me it was a botched escape attempt that only turned into a frameup after the fact.

My mom watches Blue Bloods and every time she brings it up her follow-up is always "I know, it's awful but I just like it. They also pray at the end of the episodes" or something along those lines. Basically, I think she literally just watches it because the "good guys" pray, which is just a weird reason.

If I had a nickel for every time Donnie Wahlberg played a bastard cop with the last name "Matthews", I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

i think about my Criminal Justice professor who swore by this show and claimed it was the only realistic portrayal of policework on tv and literally would make us watch episodes in class and take quizzes after

I watched a couple episodes of this with my parents. The one where Tom Selleck manipulated an activist into not burning a flag by arranging for the protest to be at the activist's father's graveyard told me everything I needed to know about this show.

Instead of saying 'Reagans' or 'cop', say 'gang' and ask yourself if it's a feature or a bug?

"No one ever laid on their deathbed thinking they should have been tougher on their friends for their missteps." I'm only 26 and I have absolutely thought this, frequently. The fact that the show so matter-of-factly assumes most people wouldn't is very telling. No my dude, sorry, we don't all kiss our friends' asses to a fault, that's very much a you thing.

*watches scene of black kid framing cops for brutality* Ben Shapiro must love this show.

This show should be called Blue Balls because it never delivers a satisfying payoff

My mom used to be mega into this show, and I've never forgotten the downright insulting pro-stop-and-frisk episode that came out at the *height* of the legal battle over stop-and-frisk in New York. Just disgusting.

I remember an episode where apparently a cop shot an unarmed kid, but oh no he actually did Have a gun but someone just took it to make the police look bad. I used to watch this when I was younger, but that episode was burned into my head about what this show is about, and it was around the time I began changing my own views on a lot of things.

Please don't assume no oldies are watching your vids. I'm an oldie, and, while I've never seen even one episode of Blue Bloods, I am watching you, babe, and you're doing a great job!

If the cops are a "family," then these days they're coming across as criminal at best and downright abusive at worst.

The "Reverend" character on Blue Bloods is almost certainly an unflattering caricature of Al Sharpton, a favorite punching bag for racist right-wingers.

still angry about that line... "the reward of full compliance given by the police". like, they DO realize that justice should be an expectation, not a reward, right?

While trying to explain to my dad that equating a persons actions to their skin colour is racist I found out that he thinks that anyone who commits any crime, regardless of the severity, should be killed. I hope he never finds out about this show and the only thing that I can be happy about is that he's not a cop

what we need is a method of poping the information bubble that shows like these create

As a Regan from Ireland, let me apologise for Irish America

17:32 "The whole world is watching" was a chant by antiwar protestors in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention while the cops beat and dragged them through the streets. While that doesn't seem to tie directly into the scene as presented, its use as an 'anti police' catchphrase seems like an intentional reference.

i'm just waiting for a drama about roofers and the tough times their families face, as their loved ones go off to work at breakneck heights everyday and no chance at hero status for keeping your house dry.

I work in elder care, working at an old lady's house for a few hours every day to keep her house clean, making sure her medicine is taken, and her fed. She watches this show from noon to 4 every day, and good god is it hard to stay politely silent while that shows on 'cause it just makes me fume in rage whenever it's on.

Aah, Teddy Roosevelt. The guy who enacted %80 of all the federal environmental laws. You know, back when it used to be conservative...to CONSERVE!

Blue bloods feels like it was written by someone with a thin blue line bumper sticker for someone with a thin blue line profile picture

"We have guidelines", and "A reverse mortgage isn't a way to steal your home". Sure.

Also I'm going to be honest, a show about social workers would be way more cool than any show about cops

Yep. I had cops invite me to be friends only to turn around and say I ain't in their family and I ain't allowed to have an opinion. I'm only allowed to sit quietly at their table and admire everything about them. No thanks!

I watched part of a single episode of Blue Bloods once, because my parents happened to have it on (it's not their fault, the options on our tv are sparse). As soon as I heard a kid get shamed and intimidated into silence for daring to ask why shooting a cop is worse than shooting anyone else (hint: it's not) I noped right out. Now I feel vindicated. Also uncomfortable and sad.

In a police ethics class i was in. The professor who was a former cop himself had us watch a episode of the show and write down what was wrong anf unrealistic about the episode as a homework assignment. When we wenf over in class he basically tore up the episode.

The need of this show to prove everything Frank says to be correct, and confirm every bias he seems to have, especially in light of he’s close to the same age as most of the shows viewers, is really all you need to know

Blue bloods Is basically the Godfather but with cops

The irony of casting the original Sweeny Todd on Broadway to play a former police chief. That show is literally about a corrupt judge who looks the other way on sexual assault, and pisses Sweeney off so much that he *spoiler* literally kills that judge at the end of the show!

That one episode where Jamie purposefully made a suspect fall off a fire escape shocked me. Is that in the NYPD handbook?

Im pretty sure that there was a real incident where an officer threw a man out of a window and claimed he did it to himself🤔

When you get caught speeding you can either pay the fine or write an episode of Blue Bloods.

A few clips kept coming up on Facebook and the show is horrific. They act like the police are exempt from oversight, they’re corruption and harassment is fine, and that the blue wall of silence is absolute. In one episode an officer edits files to make a fine for her neighbour go away, she even admits doing it the next scene. They then follow a man from the same office (stalking) to give him a ticket at the first minor traffic infraction he has (harassment). She could have just paid the fine for her neighbour, or appealed it, but instead we have a cop who complains about the fact they’re not allowed to just scrap files they don’t like.

As someone who was a huge Brooklyn 99 fan before all this recent police discourse, I am curious your thoughts on Michael Schur's shows and how they handle police.

Small counterpoint: By presenting the police perspective on themselves, and how excuse themselves for their real problems, it HAS given us a tool with which to better fight them.

"l don't don't care if you're dirt poor and homeless or an inevitably well connected billionaire who has bodyguards, enormous resources and a team of highly skilled attorneys or whatever, if you break the law I'll break your head". Or something like that. Might be paraphrasing here a little.

As an attorney, I’m super annoyed by the way they just brushed off the conflict of interest when she has to investigate the use of force policy. If she’s investigating the department, headed by her father, she has a personal conflict and that can’t just be brushed off. She may need to withdraw from the representation, and, at a bare minimum, she’s going to have to get a waiver from her client.

THE WIRE was the BEST and probably the most REALISTIC cop show ever. unfortunately, the show depicted cops TOO realistically for real cops to appreciate.

Me being from Mexico and doubting someone from my family actually watches CBS: 👁️👄👁️

We Own This City was a very accurate portrayal about the Police than many of these shows on mainstream TV and even better it was based on a True Story.

The best part of the show is when the DA sister refuses to charge someone because there is no evidence and the rest of the family gaslights her into feeling bad about it

The Sunday dinners make me call this ‘If The Waltons Were Cops’ (and I loved The Waltons). Keep expecting one family member at the table to be called John Boy. What’s especially sad (besides Selleck not being in a sequel to MPI where he’s a retired magnum basically doing the Higgins role now while Lily is the PI) is seeing actors from shows like The Wire and The Sopranos on this show. Like they were hired to give all the tv cop cliches some credibility.

" I watched it so you don't have to." Amen. You're a hero, I'm serious. I hadn't even heard of this shit andI probably would have gone mad watching a single episode.

Weird how Tom Selleck is yet again scamming seniors while skating away from consequences (and if you don't get that, look up his IRL role as a re-mortgaging agency spokesperson).

I'm really interested in this one as ice always felt that Blue Bloods is one the more blatantly manipulative cop shows but couldn't fully articulate why.

I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to rise to the level of NYPD Commissioner without having A TON of political savvy. Seleck’s character just reminds us that the best politicians are those who don’t LOOK like they’re playing politics.

Ugh. I work for cops, and they talk just like this show . Constantly having no self-reflection, pining for the "old days" when they were "allowed" to beat people, and constantly hmm laming "the media" for making them look b ad. And constantly seeking out people to hero-worship them. And being in a red county, they often get their wish 🙄 . It's super gross.

This doesn't have NEARLY enough views, likes, and comments. Time to snort some ALGORITHMICAINE

I actually am pretty grateful you watched this show and got the gist of its themes and political messaging so that I wouldn't have to. Saved me time and irritation

Law & Order does a LOT more "ripped from the headlines" episodes than Bluebloods does.

I'd really like to see a police/copaganda breakdown like this for Twin Peaks, given how Dale is probably the closest we can get to the mythical Good Cop.

I just started this video but I remebe en I lived with my grandparents they were watching this i think around 2017-2016 and there was a whole thing where a cop shot a black kid and in the fantasy of the show the kid actually had a gun.... as soon as I saw that I was lik "oh copiganda"

never even heard of this show before but that's. a little terrifying

There's literally one episode where the commissioners right hand man gets SWAT'd, the cops slam the guy to the ground and throw his wife to the ground (both are like in their 50s-60s), on top of it according to the phone call, they were told the wife was the fucking victim in the situation and they still chokeslammed her. And when the Right hand dares to say to the commissioner that "the cops took it too far, they hurt my wife" the commissioner has the actual balls to go "well you cheated on your wife so do you really have room to say that?" Yeah, no really. Reagan then blames his right hand for being "armed" even though he says that he thought there was an intruder and the police didn't identify themselves at first and Reagan insists that he only got swatted because "he made an enemy." Who, I shit you not, turns out to be a make-a-wish kid who the Right hand man didn't give a good enough gift. The Comissioner makes no attempt to address the police brutality, the right hand man forgets about all his anger because "we caught the real culprit," and ends with this statement that the police did no wrong and the swatter was the real monster. And while yeah, i can agree swatters are fucking scum, maybe the situation could be a lot less dangerous if they didn't go into a house assuming everyone was a culprit

"It's 10 PM. What are you parents watching?" Hilariously enough, my mom would be watching the SciFi channel (back before it was called SyFy).

You are doing amazing work. Surprised at how in depth some of those clips were... you really did your research! Thank you very much for the good content

I had a friend who wasn't exactly on the side of law who said this was his favorite show, after being baffled by that I analyzed it deeper and saw that his reasoning being the blue wall of silence is a direct analog of criminal omerta and stop snitching. But even deeper the problem solving of the characters especially wahlberg's was the mirror of criminals.

I'd be fascinated to see an analysis of how UK police dramas compare to US. I know that The Bill used to frequently get complimented by actual police who'd say that the only inaccurate thing about it was that they always wrapped the case up at the end of half an hour. It felt very warts-and-all to me, they definitely showed bad sides to the police. I probably just want to believe that my guys aren't as bad, but I wonder if there is a significant difference there that is exemplified in the gulf in quality and ideology between the original and the American Life on Mars.

Ah yes, the show that takes the already rancid “show all about how cops are always the good guys” premise and lumps on an extra “it’s totally cool that everything should be controlled by one guy and his family” for no extra charge.

I used to watch it when I was in highschool but after an episode in which during family dinner, comish stache started talking about the broken window theory and I remember thinking that it sounded like hard bullshit and like after that I just changed the channel.

14:00 This is goddamn insanity. "As awful as something looks, it might still be a trick" is truly a flimsy last-ditch hurdle response to witness video.

Cops (or anyone) talking about the colour of blood in order to reassure people is such a odd choice.

i used to watch this with my family, and i didn't realize how messed up it was until i started learning about politics. like damn this copaganda really convinced me that the police were good when i was younger, and it boils my blood. i'm acab now, so looking back i get so angry at this show and its portrayal of cops looking back i think i liked it bc it has crime family energy, like how they would use their family connections to bypass laws. obviously is terrible for the police to be doing that, but it was entertaining they literally felt like a crime family, but the perspective is subverted so they are the good guys. everything they do it objectively bad, but it justified police brutality, conflict of interest, and the condemnation of people fighting for their civil rights. i mean they are active participants in the deaths and/or assaults of many people throughout the show (specifically danny abusing people he has in custody), and he is able to get away with it bc of his dad. so they are basically a self-righteous crime family

dayum, just found this channel. first off, can't believe you actually watched that many eps of blue blood XD. secondly, your demeanor and dialogue are both spot on and entertaining. and thirdly, i cant wait for the next one! awesome channel, bout to binge the rest of it. keep it up!

I'm pushing 70 and I've never watched this show.