Jennifer Esposito will return to Blue Bloods after a long absence from the CBS series. Longtime fans undoubtedly already know it'll be a treat to see Jackie Curatola back in action in the Donnie Wahlberg-led crime procedural, but newer fans may be in the dark. After all, it's been a long time since Esposito appeared in the series. But rest assured, this return will be awesome.
With such a gap between appearances, readers might've forgotten why Jennifer Esposito left the series so long ago. Here's what went down that led to Esposito's exit and why it'll be great to see Jackie back in action for the Blue Bloods Season 13 finale.
When Jennifer Esposito Left Blue Bloods
Those with a Paramount+ subscription can watch Jennifer Esposito in Seasons 1 through 3 of Blue Bloods, but the actress was written off before Season 4. Reports dating back to 2012 mentioned that Esposito asked for a part-time schedule in order to recover from struggles with Celiac Disease. The show obliged by cutting Jackie from a chunk of Blue Bloods Season 2, but released a statement failing to disclose her reasoning for requesting a part-time schedule.
The actress fired back on her Twitter account, writing,
After a week off my doc said I could return to work but CBS implied that I was NOT truly ill and this was a scheme to get a raise! It’s been almost two months without [bringing] me back to work + keeping me from working anywhere else! So no that article is not telling you the truth. Absolutely shameful behavior.
The situation further deteriorated between Jennifer Esposito and Blue Bloods, and by January 2013, the show officially announced Jackie Curatola would be written off. Esposito's final episode was the Season 3 episode "Nightmares," which saw Jackie shot while on the job. When Danny went to visit her, Jackie delivered the news that she was resigning from her detective position.
Character-wise, it was as good of an exit as a crime procedural can give. Under normal circumstances, an exit like this would give actors who left Blue Bloods a chance to return. Ultimately, Jennifer Esposito made her way back to the CBS series, though it took over a decade for it to happen.
Why Her Return Is So Exciting
Jennifer Esposito's return is exciting for classic Blue Bloods fans who loved the dynamic of Danny and Jackie. Jackie was Danny's partner before she was written off of the show, and the way she was written off was anticlimactic.
Blue Bloods' Season 13 finale will have a chance to give Jackie a new story, and based on what's known, it looks like the story is already on the right track. Jackie will return as a Chief of Police and help Danny and Baez solve a murder. That is quite a turnaround for someone who resigned from the police force a decade earlier. Here's hoping we learn what went down between then and now, but if not, it's just going to be awesome to see her back in action.
There's no word on whether or not Jennifer Esposito's return will be a one-off or not, but the fact she has returned to Blue Bloods after all this time does sound promising. Given the bad blood between the actress and the show a decade earlier, this is a massive step forward, and if both parties are willing, we could see more of her in the future. That's great news because out of the projects readers might recognize Blue Bloods actors from, she has a pretty great resume.
Blue Bloods Season 13 finale airs on CBS on Friday, May 19th at 10:00 pm ET. Be ready for a thrilling return and for a great reunion between Donnie Wahlberg and Jennifer Esposito.
