How Jackie Left Blue Bloods Was a Failure

Jennifer Esposito reprised her role as Jackie Curatola in the Season 13 finale of Blue Bloods. Esposito previously departed the series for behind-the-scenes reasons, giving her character an unsatisfying ending.

Regardless, the Season 13 finale makes up for past mistakes by giving Jackie a new title.

Blue Bloods Makes Up for Jackie's Lackluster Send-Off

Jennifer Esposito left Blue Bloods in 2012 after playing the dynamic Jackie Curatola for three seasons. Her departure from the CBS police procedural was something of a dramatic affair as Esposito had been unceremoniously fired. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Esposito had been given doctor's orders to take a week off work because of her celiac disease, but CBS had been convinced it was a scheme to get more money.

Considering those circumstances, most Blue Bloods viewers assumed they would never see Jackie again. But in a truly surprising turn of events, Esposito reprised her role as Jackie in Season 13 -- over a decade after she departed. Jackie returned in Blue Bloods' Season 13 finale and with a new job title at that. This means Esposito was finally able to give the character she was so abruptly parted from the closure that Jackie and her fans have always deserved.

Jackie and Danny Team Up in the Season 13 Finale

On April 13th, TVLine broke the news of Jennifer Esposito's return to Blue Bloods, alongside another long-absent cast member. The reveal confirmed that Jackie has returned to police work -- and showed her wearing a jacket that said "Chief of Police." This promotion is much more appropriate for the character than a quick resignation. She was a skilled detective who put her all into police work, such as when Jackie went undercover to help stop a serial killer in Season 2, Episode 7, "Lonely Hearts Club.

" Blue Bloods fans can feel better knowing that in her time off-screen, Jackie persevered with her career despite her previous misgivings and rose through the ranks.

Jackie's resignation in Season 3 felt like a defeat, but her becoming Chief of Police felt like a triumph. It represents the culmination of her hard work and dedication. The position also gives her the authority she previously was frustrated by not having. By not only re-introducing Jackie but doing so in this way, Blue Bloods is undoing the missteps it made in 2012.

Instead of tearing the character down, the series is building her up, the way it should have in the first place.

How Jackie Could Return in Season 14

True to the promo, Jackie's return in Season 13 of Blue Bloods was a testament to her character. The reunion between Jackie and Danny is brought on by Dr. Walker's killing spree. Jackie is now the Chief of Police in a small town in Suffolk County, and although Danny wants to take on the case on himself, Jackie insists that she tag along since she has victims of her own in her town.

Walker was recently released from prison on account of too little evidence. The pair go searching for Walker's deceased mother after finding a lock of her hair, and she's found in the walls of an old home under her birth name. After Jackie leaves the scene to go home, Walker sneaks in and attacks her, fleeing after Jackie fights him off.

With the news that Blue Bloods will be ending with Season 14, the upcoming season will be the last chance for audiences to see more of Jackie Curatola. Even if she simply makes one more guest appearance, audiences certainly want to see Jackie one last time before Blue Bloods comes to an end.