#cards-onthetable

[ontherockswithsalt]

Like you, I’m not here to think about Jamie and Noble in the context of pandemic quarantine. As a cop and a [redacted], they’re both Essential and wouldn’t probably get to spend any extra time at home anyway. But I’m certainly not opposed to shorter stuck-at-home scenarios for less terrible reasons. And would it be Joble fluff from me without (lap? hip? whatever) straddling? 😘

OHMYGOD y'all. This is what im talking about. Can you believe this is the life that awaits Jamie once his life stops falling apart?? Everyone appreciate this plz.

***

The apartment building’s sheltered hallway takes the edge off as I step out of the bone-chilling wind, but the tension in my hunched shoulders doesn’t melt away until I reach Noble’s front door. I’m greeted in his entryway by a blast of warm air and a subtly sweet aroma I don’t recognize.

“Jamie? That you?”

“No, nope, it’s Santa Claus a month late.”

As he rounds the corner I don’t miss his unimpressed eye roll. “Okay, ha, ha—“

“I’m not showered,” I interrupt, dodging his kiss, “and after today, I really need it.”

“You didn’t shower at work?”

“No, I decided to come straight here since someone had been texting me all day about how bad it’s supposed to get…”

“Hey, it was only like, four texts,” he insists. “To make sure you knew the latest forecast. Now they’re saying eight to twelve inches tonight with more tomorrow.”

I raise a suggestive eyebrow at him as I hang up my jacket. “Eight to twelve inches, huh?”

He’s not amused. “It’s getting bad out there!”

“But it’s nice and warm in here, and you’re not going into work tonight, and I’m going to take a shower and then you can tell me what smells so good.” I’m careful not to lean my body too close to his as I meet his lips with a quick, chaste kiss. “Okay?”

“Your lips are cold!” he grumbles to my back.

I’m already halfway across the apartment. “Give me ten minutes, dude.”

Though I’d intended to shower quickly, I let myself stay under the steaming water for a few minutes after I’m done scrubbing off my shift. After one unpleasant guest managed to both urinate and vomit in the back of our RMP — earning himself a trip to the ER for detox instead of waiting out the snowstorm in a homeless shelter — my partner and I spent the rest of the shift patrolling on foot. The wind picked up and the temperature dropped throughout the day and now it feels good to thaw out stiff muscles before I find sweatpants and a clean t-shirt and head back out to Noble’s living room.

He’s in the kitchen with his back to me when he hears me emerge. “I was gonna order Chinese, how’s that sound?”

“So you wanted me to rush home before it gets too bad out there, but you’re gonna make some poor delivery guy bring us orange chicken in the middle of a blizzard?”

“I’ll give him a big tip,” he shrugs as I move next to him, pressing my shoulder against his at the counter. “Oh, hey.”

“Hi.” Stretching up, I greet him with another kiss, a real one this time. “What’s all this?”

“This” —he gestures dramatically at the crockpot full of dark liquid in front of us — “is the best hot chocolate you’ll ever taste. And it’s about to get even better.”

“Oh. I’m not really—“

I mean to say a big fan of hot chocolate, but Noble shushes me before I can get the words out. I raise inquisitive eyebrows as he reaches into the liquor cabinet to bring down two bottles. “Which one?”

“For the hot chocolate?” I clarify. “Uh, the Kahlua I guess.”

“Really!” Noble’s head falls back with a surprised laugh. “And I figured you’d go for the bourbon.”

“I’m full of surprises.”

“Apparently!” He’s grinning as he spikes the hot chocolate with a generous pour. “Alright, and I know you’ve said you don’t like hot chocolate but trust me, this shit is so rich it’s like dessert in a mug.”

Noble ladles two steaming mugs full and leads the way to the couch. We’re a few episodes into Mindhunter and the blizzard outside, perfectly timed with two days off for both of us, will probably let us finish the rest of the series before we next venture out of Noble’s apartment.

“Okay you’re right, this is good,” I have to admit, settling back against the cushions next to him.

“See? You just have to trust me to expand your horizons.”

“I’m more worried about you expanding my waistline. Whenever we move in together, I’ll have to start—“

Noble leans sideways on the couch to regard me with an intrigued stare. “When we move in together?”

“Well yeah, someday. In the not-so-distant future.”

He glances around his apartment then lets his gaze fall back to catch mine. “As long as when someday comes, you move in here. Your place is nice but I’ve got more square footage.”

“You just don’t want to give up your kitchen island.”

“Yeah, I do like my kitchen island.”

Between my warm, boozy drink and my boyfriend pressed close against my side, that last lingering chill in my bones has finally edged away and I can’t help laughing at his admission. “My bathroom is bigger though! I mean, both of us using your tiny — water closet…”

“We make it work now!” he says.

“Yeah, for what, a night or two per week?”

“We’ll look for a new place then,” Noble decides. “A nice kitchen for me, a big bathroom for you. So we each have a luxurious room to spend most of our time.”

I dig my elbow into his side. “I don’t know why the bathroom is for me when you’re the one who’s full of shit.”

“Oh I’m full of shit? How’s that hot chocolate, Jay?”

“It’s alright,” I shrug noncommittally.

“It’s alright. It’s alright, he says!”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Oh! Why don’t you make me?”

Reaching to the side, I set my drink on the end table. And I lean back into Noble, craning my neck until I reach his lips and shut him up.

He obliges me for a second, his kiss sweet and unyielding until he breaks away to ditch his own mug. With his hands free he meets me again with an insistent mouth and wandering fingers that find their way to my waist. I push against him and he gives up his leverage, shifting to his back on the couch as I quickly follow on top of him, one knee landing on either side of his waist.

Noble’s hands frame my face, trying to maintain a shred of control but I’m quick to grunt my disapproval and grasp his wrists to take it away. Pinning his hands on either side of his head, I let my hips move against his in deliberate slow downstrokes as my lips work down the ridge of his jaw.

“Fuck,” he exhales the airy word and arches to meet my hips, his arousal obvious. “Oh my god, take your clothes off. Right now.”

My grip eases up and one hand tangles in his hair. “Mhmm,” I hum. “Go ahead, make me.”

[wanderandbloomco]

incoming package . ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ a break from the daily challenge to share another beautifully curated package by @foundandflowered .⠀⠀ ⠀ this may package is my favourite . thank again for curating a wonderful assortment of papers, stickers, postcard and more . here are some of my favourites !⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ .⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ .⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ .⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ #vintage #paper #stickers #postcard #photo #vintagephoto #card #floral #pink #beige #flora #fauna #craft #papercraft #collage #journal #journaling #journalprompts #blankpage #onthetable #flatlay #snailmail #snailmailrevolution #butterflies #horses #unboxing #becreative #creativejournaling https://www.instagram.com/p/BxzfFv8JQpe/?igshid=zrlbj92wjl30

[bb-jamie-fanatic]

Hiding any errant facial hairs from @cards-onthetable​

[cards-onthetable]

Hello and welcome

To another season of the Bullshit.

On today’s episode, we here at @cards-onthetable provide the usual top-notch analysis you’ve come to expect, this time about the promo pictures released for Blue Bloods 200th episode, the season 10 premiere, impending just a couple weeks away (God help us).

Specifically, we will discuss the STUPID RIDICULOUS WARDROBE CHOICES on display.

Exhibit A.

We’ll start easy, with our least offensive example.

On Jamie, we see a classic navy blue polo shirt purchased from the school uniform line of the Young Men section at Target. We’re here for those short sleeves. We’re less here for this dad-dressed-up-for-dinner-at-Olive-Garden (a classy establishment, but not Too Fancy) vibe. Where’s the t-shirt, yo? Rating: 6/10.

On Eddie, the outfit of the day is a pink striped tank top tied at the waist, paired with jeans, we’ll assume (when has she ever worn shorts?). The top is an odd choice for a character who never wore pink, or like, cutesy styled shit like that. Also, the jeans are a shade of denim better suited for soccer moms who drive minivans and want to speak to your manager. All in all, would rather see a v-neck tee or maybe a solid tank top in some neutral or darker color (where’s my olive green at?) and some pants with a little more character. Rating: 4/10.

Exhibit B.

Here, we see our favorite styling department has turned up the heat a little bit. This is a real Dolores Umbridge vibe if you ask me. Erin Reagan sports a pantsuit whose color, if it were a Crayola crayon, would be named “what the fuck raspberry.” The cut is less than flattering, giving the impression of a shoebox wrapped in a 4-year-old’s favorite color wrapping paper. I don’t know about that button placement or jacket length, y’all. And the ‘70s called, they want their wide ass lapels back. Okay and then what’s that blouse she’s wearing underneath? Is it... polka dotted? Floral? Either way it looks like something my grandma would wear out in the garden because it’s not nice enough to wear to church. Also, we have some real questions about those purple earrings. Rating: 1/10.

Exhibit C.

Ladies and gentlemen, this photograph presents some real challenges to our continued unwarranted loyalty to this trashcan show. We don’t even know where to start because this is just. so. abysmal. But we’ll just dive right in on Eddie. That dress is a Choice. A Choice that reminds us of something we may have seen Ma sew for the girls on The Waltons, or maybe Little House On The Prairie. The length. The neckline. The print. The general shape. We’re not saying she should be walking around like in a bikini on this apartment hunting adventure (which also, btw, just gag me it’s fine). But... yeah. This is a Choice. Also, that purse is empty af. Also, she’s a cop. Where the fuck is she carrying in this getup? Nice work, prop folks. Rating: 0/10.

Now, moving on. Sergeant Jameson “Dad Bod” Reagan. In another polo shirt. Did Eddie move in and throw out all his plain, 🌶 t-shirts to make room for her pink tank tops and mom jeans? This one happens to be the color of literal shit, so that’s nice. It’s really a complimentary shade for his skin tone and personality. This Shit Shirt is paired with some khaki pants. But not just any khaki pants, friends. These pants have POCKETS. MANY of them. You could even call them... CARGO PANTS. Like he’s approaching this apartment hunt as a goddamn military black op. Or a dad going into a baseball game who doesn’t want to carry a bag, so he’s got his wallet and his windbreaker and a water bottle and probably half a damn Radio Shack store in there. I bet he’s wearing Merrill low top hiking shoes purchased at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Like this place looks fancy, does he think that outfit is the way to score a lease at some fancy ass place? Or maybe it was his strategy all along to get Eddie to settle on a more Realistic place. You know, because of the Billz. Rating: -8/10.

[kwannemacher]

Soooo Jamie goes to Erin because she let a guy go who actually turned out to be a bad guy. Gee, sounds a lot like the Voorhees story from last season to me.

And here I was hoping the episode on my birthday wouldn't suck. Silly me.

Any thoughts on this one @cards-onthetable ?

[fixomnia-scribble]

For @cards-onthetable ...

May your colleagues not invent a secret plan to fight inflation in your absence. We'll be thinking of you!

[drobs911]

Hey @cards-onthetable I've got your six. Now make sure you deal me a winning hand, just let me put down my steno pad first. #thatwomanisatwatwaffle

[soju4two]

It’s back!! 🍒 🌸 🍓 🍃 Making me crave cherry blossom season so bad! Love this strawberry, matcha and cream treat from @gongcha.official, plus you get three stamps now on their punch card. 🤜 😘 . . . . . , #gongcha #왕십리 #왕십니카페 #서울카페 #쇼핑 #strawberry #벛꽃 #딸기 #서울 #녹차 #fromwhereistand #cafeculture #seoul #southkorea #kdrama #kpop #cherryblossom #seoulcafe #holidays #onthetable #pinkdrink #seoulista #seoul_korea #koreabyme #lifewelltravelled #matchalatte #greentealatte #핫초코 #visitseoul #matcha (at 이마트 (emart)) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtNjfufF9KB/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=3ikod8c87hwz

[pinknounou]

I ordered @moo cards a few weeks back but they were delayed... do you know what happened when I contacted them? They answered right away and ordered for a reprint that arrived in two days!! This is really really great customer service! And the cards are always beautiful - I say so 😊 and my customers also agree 😉 So I ended up having cards to take to my Christmas markets, great right?! ***************************************************** Algumas semanas atrás encomendei cartões da Moo mas que se atrasaram na entrega... sabem o que aconteceu quando os contactei? Responderam logo e pediram uma reimpressão que chegou em dois dias!! Não é fantástico?! Os cartões são sempre óptimos - eu acho 😉 e os meus clientes também concordam comigo 😊 Depois do susto inicial afinal acabei por ter cartões para levar para os mercados de Natal. Por falar em mercados o último mercado onde vamos estar este ano é o @xtmas_time_market - de 21 a 23 Dezembro vamos estar por lá 🤗 . . . . . . . #pinknounou #illustrationoftheday #illustration #artoftheday #thehappynow #illustratorsoninstagram #pursuepretty #visualsoflife #creativehappylife #dscolor #dshappy #dsrainbow #moocards #onthetable #momblogger #girlboss #smallbiz #mycreativebiz #creativelifehappylife #seekthesimplicity #postitfortheaesthetic #untoldvisuals #thatsdarling #thelittlethings #petitejoys #lovelysquares #choosejoy (em Lisbon, Portugal) https://www.instagram.com/p/BriziU8Hs4_/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1j4j0jvshqtj7

[jennatvlover]

Patiently waiting (not really) for @cards-onthetable and @ontherockswithsalt to update (because it’s not like I am stalking their feeds or anything) lol

[ontherockswithsalt]

OHMYGOD. This is like... a weighted blanket. My breathing is even. My heart rate tempered.. Actually, I’m hyperventilating because of this lap-straddling god it’s everything. HHHhhhnnngggg. Please enjoy with me this submission by @cards-onthetable:

Oh you’re stressed? So’s Noble as he works on the logistics of owning a certain new business in NYC. Good thing Jamie knows how to help.

***

“Babe? Are you still up?”

There’s no reply and I’m quiet as I work off my jacket and shoes in the entryway, not surprised that Noble went to bed with every single damn light in the apartment still burning bright. More likely, he told himself he’d stay up until I got home from work but fell asleep on the bed, on top of the covers with the TV on while he waited.

But when I round the corner into our living room, he’s there, hunched over the desk against the opposite wall.

“Noble?” I call out.

“Hey,” he mutters, distracted.

“Are you still working on the—?”

“Goddamn liquor license? Yeah.”

“What’s going on?” I wonder.

“It’s so… tedious!” He leans back in his chair, letting his head fall to release a tired sigh towards the ceiling. “I thought I’d finish this today, have you look over it and turn it in by the end of the week. But…”

“But,” I cut in, landing strong hands on his shoulders where I begin to work the tense muscles, “the Liquor Authority office isn’t going anywhere.”

He’s obviously exhausted as he stretches under my touch, running a hand through unkempt hair, and I wonder if he even heard me. “Do you mind just taking a look? It’s asking for a number off some T-forty-eight form but I don’t know what that is.”

I laugh as he rifles through the papers spread out in front of his laptop. “I’ve never heard of a T-48 form.”

“Yeah, it’s — I think — one of those papers from the LLC thing—“

“Noble.”

“But I can’t find it anywhere in that folder—“

“Babe?”

“And this needs to get done if I want to have booze at the soft opening. I can’t open if I can’t serve wine—“

“Hey, hey.” I lean over him to catch his wrist in my hand and take the papers away. “It’s three in the morning. Let’s quit for the night.”

“But—“

Pivoting around his chair, I edge between his knees and the desk to lean my hips against his work surface. “I’ll sit down with you tomorrow. We’ll both be better off if we get some sleep first though.”

He still doesn’t look convinced. “If I check one more time…”

I capture his face between my hands to make him focus on me. “One more time after the sun comes up.”

“Jay,” he says, the weary groan rumbling from deep in his chest.

Leaning forward, I press my lips to his for a lingering moment, barely separating in between as I insist, “In” —kiss— “the” —kiss— “morning.”

He hums a soft, happy noise as his hands come up to my hips. “Okay,” he agrees, and he tugs me forward so I’m straddling his lap. My hands slide down, one settling on his chest over his white t-shirt while the other scratches through his hair, tipping his lips to mine once more. Both of us more insistent now, and his needy hands slide around overtop my jeans to my ass, urging me closer until his mouth breaks off a moment later.

“But are you set on that sleep thing right this second?” He asks through ragged breath. “Because I can’t have you kissing me like that at three in the morning if you don’t mean it.”

My fingers toy with the neck of his t-shirt as I arch down for one more quick, hard kiss.

“Kissing you like what?” I wonder, all innocent and smirky.

“Oh-ho—“

I stand up and swing my opposite leg off him. “I’m going in there, and I’m going to take my pants off,” I announce, heading for the bedroom. “Whatever happens after that…”

“Fucker,” he mutters, and his chair slides across the floor behind me as he gets up to follow.

[wanderandbloomco]

incoming package . ⠀ ⠀ i was super excited when i saw this package in the mail ! ⠀ ⠀ there was so much to love in the april package by @foundandflowered . thank for curating a wonderful assortment of papers, stickers, postcard and more . here are some of my favourites ! two of them i have already added to my wall grid . i also love the design of the journal prompts . ⠀ ⠀ looking forward to next months already . ⠀ ⠀ .⠀ ⠀ .⠀ ⠀ .⠀ ⠀ #vintage #paper #stickers #postcard #photo #vintagephoto #card #floral #pink #beige #flora #fauna #craft #papercraft #collage #journal #journaling #journalprompts #blankpage #onthetable #flatlay https://www.instagram.com/p/BwYe2kThcUP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1pbkfuref75oo

[bb-jamie-fanatic]

Luz del mundo (2007) 16min. In this short film Will Estes plays Jack Kerouac, although top billing goes to Austin Nichols who plays Neal Cassady. I found another (6 minute) preview, https://vimeo.com/7189414 but have not been able to find the full 16 minute version.

*****UPDATE: I looked closer at Vimeo and found this, which is not the 16 min. cut, but probably the director’s cut: https://vimeo.com/5159911 which I believe is the full film.***** [WARNING - There is adult content in the movie.]

Snarling........

The screencap below (from the behind the scenes) is dedicated to @cards-onthetable​

UPDATE: I found an actual scene with dialog, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1jElaoqpfQ 

I dedicate the next screenshot to @frustratedbyejbb​

[cards-onthetable]

Jamie Reagan’s Wedding Look:

An analysis

Thanks to Donnie Wahlberg’s Instagram post.

Folks, let’s just take a closer look here. I guess people are invested in this wedding, or something, and can’t wait to devour every snippet of wedding info we get between now and May Whatever. I, your faithful friend @cards-onthetable, am here to tag myself and then assist in your endeavors. From top to bottom, we see here:

Sunken, shadowy eyes. Is this the crappy lighting, or a sign of Will’s complete and total misery? We leave this for you to decide.

Pointy collar. I am informed by my google searching that it’s called a Wingtip Collar. An... intriguing choice.

Weird tie. I am finding few results with my google search of “old fashioned tie that looks like an infant’s bib” but maybe it’s considered a cravat? ANYWAY I have issues here. I looked forward to a formal bowtie situation as one small, tiny piece of sexiness in this miserable affair. And you know what? Even a normal long tie would be acceptable; in a well fitting suit we know Jamie pulls off that lawyer look quite well. BUT NOPE HERE’S WHAT WE GOT INSTEAD so that’s cool.

White jacket. Considering that in the full picture we can see Danny and Henry in dark suits, there is clearly a Style Choice to make the groom stand out. Cool, fine, okay. But... a.... white jacket? We couldn’t have just stuck with a different tie (like god, please) or maybe a vest? Nope, it’s a white jacket at an indoor formal church wedding. Alrighty then.

Note: possibly a white vest? But considering the lapel and his sleeves (see below) as well as the arm fabric disappearing behind Donnie Wahlberg’s head, I am concluding it’s a jacket.

Poorly fitting sleeves. We can see excess fabric above his wrists. This is hopefully from sitting down and/or the angle of the picture messing up the jacket. But geez, can we at least put the man in well fitting attire at his own wedding? I hope so. Maybe I’ll be proved wrong on this one. But I have CONCERNS until such time that I am.

THESE

PANTS

WHAT

IS HAPPENING?

These pants look like someone took a ribbed terry towel the approximate color of mud and sewed them into pants. Are those giant fat lines supposed to be pinstripes? Is Jamie getting married in an actual literal clown costume? I guess we’ll have to wait until May Whatever to find out. (Still too lazy to look up the date, I’d much rather google Bib Ties).

Socks: not visible in the Instagram picture. We can only assume that he’s wearing generic brand athletic crew socks pulled up to mid-calf. These socks definitely have a grey toe/heel and fit poorly.

Shoes: not visible in the Instagram picture. We can only assume that for sentimental and style reasons, he is sporting these Pumas, you know, the ones that are roughly the same shade as his passionate burning love for Eddie Janko.

So who else is ready for this awesome fun emotional meaningful and most of all stylish wedding?!?!

[kwannemacher]

Not gonna lie, I cant wait to see how much @cards-onthetable is gonna hate this.😂😂😂

[fixomnia-scribble]

Blue Bloods 9x05 “Thicker Than Water” Recap/Ramble/Rant

The ranting is very mild this week. This was An Good Episode.

I am trying to condense these Recaps somewhat, so that they’re less novelizations and more Highlights. It’s my tendency to novelize bloody everything…and I’d like to have room for a screenshot now and then.

That said, let’s get started. SPOILERY SPOILERS THAT SPOIL below the cut.

OPEN ON: Reagan Annex, that is, the House of Dudes. The living room is a semi-controlled vortex of bins and clothing. Jack is off to college, and Danny is in a bit of a state, trying to juggle bill collector calls and advise his elder son on clean socks and condoms while he has the chance.

I sincerely hope that at some point, there was little more detailed a sex talk than “You’re not a kid anymore and there’s gonna be girls there.” But good call on simply packing them like NBD, this is your grown-up packing list now, son. And if not for Jack, then they could be a lifesaver for someone else. [I enjoyed being the Condom Fairy in a hostel for several weeks, even though I was completely solo myself: an awesome way to make friends and also double-check that people actually wanted to do the do with their fellow travellers without being pressured.]

As Danny takes another call, this time from Baez, Sean and Jack get into an absolutely spot-on bit of brothering, with Jack being just the slightest bit condescending and Sean ragging him just enough to get a reaction.

Sean heads off to school with a little backwards glance at his big brother. The Terraciano brothers have grown up so well, and clearly they still get a kick out of working together.

CUT TO: Street scene. Baez and Officer Cosgrove (tall, blonde and radiating sass even without a word) greet Danny, who is noticeably frazzled. Baez comments on the frazzle and asks if he wants to talk. Aww. Danny, surprisingly receptive, says with a certain self-awareness, “I probably do, but not now.”

They’re there to investigate the most futile shooting ever. A doctor was targeted and took twelve shots, but instead of a messy cleanup, Baez freestyle raps, “No need, all shots missed / except the one that grazed his wrist.”

The doctor, McCandless, is sitting on the stoop of an ambulance, and I can sense @cards-onthetable twitching about bad medical hygiene and doctors who should know better.

CUT TO: Office of E. Erin wanders down the hallway with her morning coffee, looking absolutely On Point in a long, sleek belted sheath dress in black and coloured stripes and soft-looking hair. (Hair & Makeup has also stopped plastering eye makeup on both Bridget and Vanessa, and they both look years younger and less weighed down by the world.)

Erin is looking for Tony, who shuffles in late and discombobulated. After some gently prying – and a notification from Camryn the clerk that someone ran up eight grand on Tony’s office credit card that morning – Tony fesses up that he got rolled by an online hookup. The poor guy is mortified and wants nothing more than to forget it ever happened. Yikes. That’s an expensive forgetting, there, champ.

Erin is left with an utterly priceless look on her face.

CUT TO: The shooting scene. Cosgrove is about as sassy as she looks, trading eyerolls and patter with Baez like they’re old pals (my headcanon is that Baez is Big Sister to every female officer and a few male officers in the five-four). Danny is speaking with Doctor Sunshine – sorry, “The Baby Magician”, a fertility doctor. He’s extremely smiley and has a hip little micro-ponytail like he’s a Vegas showman or something. He toothily assures Danny that he has no enemies. Everyone knows he only wants to help them. He’s even about to go to an annual picnic in his honour. Uh huh.

Cosgrove is roped in to drive McCandless to his damn picnic, and Danny and Baez get serious, deciding where to start interviewing.

CUT TO: A PT room in a hospital, filled with walking bars and balance bars and therapy tables, and just a bit of natural light from high windows. A middle-aged man, Detective Moreno, is slowly and painfully working on his walking, with the help of his therapist. Enter Frank, in beige trenchcoat and tinted glasses, looking more potboiler private eye than PC. He smiles and waves, and Moreno greets him, pleased to see him.

Moreno rolls up in his wheelchair, and the two chat easily at first. Moreno has taken two bullets in the back on duty, and Frank assures him that the department will take care of all of his expenses and needs. Moreno wants his job back. Frank has come by with the news that unless he’s willing to ride a desk, his return to active duty is not going to be okayed by the medical and insurance people. Ouch. That’s got to sting. Frank offers him full retirement or an admin job, which is pretty decent. But it’s cutting him up to have to say so. Moreno has the whole outward aspect of someone who lives for being a cop, and a good one.

Moreno then asks for one favour: to find and fire the cop who refused his son Jay, also a cop, the guarding post at his father’s hospital room when he was injured. Frank’s moustache promises to look into it.

CUT TO: Credits! A long intro, but felt faster than eight minutes. Great pace. Dorky musical couch dance interval.

CUT TO: The two-nine. Daytime, so Eddie’s tired amble down the hallway is possibly because she’s at the end of a long shift. Or she may be back on days. Who knows? An Officer Irving has called her on account of finding Frank’s courtesy card on Sean, who claimed that Eddie was family (Awww.) We get a close-up of Sean and some of his classmates sitting meekly all in a row on a bench, in school uniform, a bag with a broken twelve-pack beside them. Oh, dear. We’ve been down this road with Jack before.

As Irving coordinates with Eddie, Sean pipes up, “JUSTYOUNOTUNCLEJAMIE” and I melt. Good call, Sean – I rather think Eddie’s been there herself. She rolls down the corridor, thinking of how she’s going to handle being dropped in the deep end of Aunthood.

CUT TO: Office of F. After Frank finishes being cute about wanting to take a swing at-bat instead of throwing a ceremonial first pitch at an event, Gormley brings up Moreno Sr. and Jr. It turns out that it was Jay’s choice not to guard his dad in the hospital, not an order from above. The entire family are cops or work in emergency services. It’s unprecedented to refuse that kind of duty, Frank says in wonderment.

“Kinda like if a Reagan did it,” Gormley anvils usefully.

CUT TO: Adams Park, where Eddie is speaking to Officer Irving and his partner about her class-cutting nearly-nephew. Eddie takes a mild approach, at first: “Skipping school, getting boozed up…really?” I think that would be my reaction, too. This kid knows better. It’s more a matter of why? Mind you, I was a kid raised in a Held To A Higher Standard family, too, and sometimes you just gotta do shit. Eddie keeps it pretty cool, reminding Sean that even aside from the Higher Standard crap, cutting class to drink while underage is clearly never the right thing to do. But she pulls out a bit of hardass, telling Sean that he’s used up his one-shot courtesy card, and insisting that he answer her properly. And then –

“Good, ‘cause I’m starting to sound like your Uncle Jamie, and it’s scaring the hell out of me. Let’s go.” AHAHAHA CACKLING FOREVER! Girl Scout.

CUT TO: Doctor Sunshine’s ex-wife’s house. Danny and Baez are making preliminary enquiries. The good doctor was more sunshiney on the outside, according to his ex, and soon there was no room in the marriage “anything but his patients or his ego”.

Danny calls the son out for eavesdropping (Ha! More good Dadding from Danny), and the surly youth offers to hire the shooter a lawyer when they find him. All his mother says is, “Oh, honey, don’t say that.” Danny chortles, but has to ask him where he was at the time of the shooting. The kid was studying at NYU, and the ex-wife was at Pilates.

The kid gets up in Danny’s face and tells him it’s time to leave. Attitudinal little twit. Danny give him quiiiite a look, and he and Baez leave without further ado.

CUT TO: Office of Tony. As he is shaking his head sadly over the online profile of Donna, 36, Erin comes in. Tony hides his phone under a newspaper – literally – and switches to business. Erin gingerly removes a bag of takeout barbeque or something from his guest chair, and sits down. She’s had the fraudulent credit card charges written off, and has dug down on Donna, 36.

“Didn’t I tell you to drop it?” Tony asks.

“Yeah,” Erin agrees. “That’s the beauty of being the boss. I get to call the shots.” It’s lovely how her affection just shines through all of this. She explains that a woman with the same description has pulled this off with at least ten other guys, and assures Tony he’s not the schmuck he feels like.

“If we grab her, I’ll get outed,” Tony protests, when Erin wants to go after her. And I feel a real pang for the guy, because for all it’s nearly impossible for women to report date fraud (let alone date rape) male victims have their own social barriers and reactions of disbelief and scorn to contend with, too.

His job is to see things a mile off, he says. If this gets around, he’ll be laughed out of the building.

Erin gets serious at that. “You are the victim of a crime,” she says, “Now, what do we tell victims in this building?”

(“I believe you”, I hope…)

“There’s no reason to feel shame, because you’ve done nothing wrong,” Tony recites. Pulling himself together, he prepares to launch a search for her through the dating app. Erin points out he won’t get in the door without a subpoena. Her eyebrow says she has something cunning in mind and with less paperwork involved.

CUT TO: Tony’s apartment, a spacious, airy open-plan flat about four or five storeys up, overlooking a ball park. It’s very modern and clean, in total contrast to all of Tony’s workplace habits, as Erin points out.

Erin stands in the kitchen in her lovely dress, gloved up for a search, like a proper Reagan. (No booties, bonnet or bunny-suit, though: she’d never pass muster at an actual crime scene.) Tony comes around the corner and tries to hurry her along, saying they’ve looked everywhere and there’s nothing to print and nothing to pull DNA off. (Um, really? I think CSI could find something.)

Tony ribs her a little about having booty calls with Jack, which she denies (you little liar), but then he soliloquizes about being lonely and single. Aw, Tony, you big bug. He tells her a little more about his date with Donna, and she doesn’t bust him at all, but sympathizes genuinely. He asks her plainly why she’s settling for random Jack reruns, and she just shrugs and admits it’s a good question. These two are so great when they let themselves lean on each other.

Tony tries once again to hurry them out, and Erin says she thinks he’s holding back on something. Which was entirely predictable, but they play it perfectly in character as a genuine moment: Tony sheepishly pulls out his handcuffs and suggests they might get Donna’s prints off them.

“You know the expression TMI? This goes way beyond that,” Erin keeps her voice very calm, as the Soundtrack of Lilting Nonsense plays.

CUT TO: The two-nine, where Eddie is feeling badly about spilling Sean’s secret to Jamie right away, as much as being concerned for Sean.. And really, I don’t think Sean would expect Eddie to keep a real secret from Jamie. Kid just needed a bit of a buffer, without the entire family sitting on his head. Jamie tries to calm her down. They’re back on form, with the perfect timing and poking each other even when they’re supporting each other totally.

Eddie asks about the Reagan Rules regarding secret-keeping. Jamie tries to explain that certain things are more of a need-to-know, like giving the boys courtesy cards.

“It’s good, what you did,” Jamie tells her, earnestly. “Any of us would tell you the same.” Eddie moves from concerned to dubious to charmed to alarmed in half a second, because Vanessa can do that.

When suddenly: Danny walks in the door right behind Jamie, loaded for bear.

“Danny! Come to see the new digs?” Jamie tries. Danny is having none of it. He’s on his way back to work after being called into Sean’s school. Oh, dear. Everyone’s busted. And Danny’s concerns are bigger than one escapade: Sean’s picked a fight, he hasn’t been doing his homework and his grades are slipping.

“That’s rough,” says Uncle Jamie, perhaps thinking of how recently Sean’s mother passed away, and how soon his big brother is going to be going to college and leaving him baching up with his old man.

Danny proceeds to take a small strip out of Eddie for getting Sean off the hook for underage drinking. Which, okay, a first warning with a responsible adult to take charge? That’s what most cops would do.

“You two wanna raise kids, feel free to have your own,” he says, “But leave raising Sean and Jack to me, okay?”

I am stuck somewhere between big sappy heart’s-eyes and OUCH.

Jamie turns his puppy dog eyes to Eddie, who looks highly nervous about the next dinner. Also? I adore the old office gack they have for the two-nine sets. I remember those card files and OMG FLOPPY DISK BOXES and scrolled wooden desk chairs and all…

CUT TO: Office of E. Erin, still looking like a million bucks in a slim grey pencil skirt and grey and white fluttery blouse, emerges from the elevator. Tony has tracked down Donna’s real name. She’s actually a Maud Weaver. Hm. Okay. Maud has a long string of complaints and a history of rental fraud and/or offering sex for rent. There’s no current address.

Tony, sly dog that he is, suggests making a fake profile on the dating app to snare her.

CUT TO: Office of Dr. Sunshine. Danny and Baez have examined local security video, and while they haven’t spotted the shooter, they’ve found footage of a young woman who’s been lurking around the place. The Dr. recognizes her as someone who worked just one day as a clerk, two weeks back. She wasn’t fired – she was great, he says, but she left after one day without even her paycheque.

At least he has her ID and place of residence.

CUT TO: Office of F. Baker (Baker! Baker! Baker!) greets young Jay Moreno outside a borrowed office at the One PP, and assures him, “No formalities today, Officer.” Moreno, hat in hand, finds Frank therein, with coffee and sandwiches. Frank sits him down for a fatherly chat, assuring him that this is a way to stop the entire office clocking who’s been summoned to the fourteenth floor. (And for sure nobody is going to make eye contact with Baker, standing guard outside.)

Frank asks Moreno to explain why he didn’t take the hospital post to be near his old man. Jay explains that out of a family of cops, he’s the only one whose heart isn’t in the job, despite his Excellent Service Award. He’s a good cop because he’s been well trained, but he has a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning – shades of Jamie Reagan, but into community development rather than law. Jay, however, feels stuck, and he can’t back out now that his Dad’s out of the business. He loves his Dad. But he can’t stand all the Brothers-in-Blue that would come along with guarding him, not when he knows it’s not his true calling.

Frank seems to understand. He has to have wondered from time to time if all three of his boys could really have been called to be cops, or if they were just doing it out of love and duty. He promises Jay to keep the conversation between them.

This whole scene was so well played. The young man playing Jay slid so easily into character across from Tom Freaking Selleck, and held his own the whole way. Tom just gave him space to work, trusting him, and they made what could have been a maudlin bit of script into something that felt like the sand everyone gets under their skin where family is concerned.

CUT TO: Office of F, fourteenth floor. Frank, Baker and the Two G’s are sitting discussing the situation (so I guess the idea of “keeping this between us” in Frank terms just means not bringing Moreno Sr. into the loop). The Moreno family has a combined century of service between then, something they should be proud of. Gormley thinks maybe the kid hasn’t has his defining moment as a cop yet, the event that makes him really feel that he’s living the life.

“Is this a first, you without an opinion?” Frank asks Garrett, who is over at the coffee tray.

“As has often been pointed out, I’m not a cop,” Garrett says, and SERIOUSLY let it go, Moore. But he does have a point to make: “As a non-cop, I don’t go all butterscotch-and-marshmallows talking about a big cop family.” Heh. What if they were talking about a surgeon who didn’t want to practice surgery, he says. What if he’s in a shootout and has to cover his partner?

“If he freezes up,” Frank says, standing directly in-frame with the portrait of Roosevelt that could be his own father in looks, “That’s his defining moment.”

In such a cultish show about cops, it’s refreshing that the writers deal with the family outliers who definitely don’t want to be cops – Jay Moreno, Erin herself. Jack still on the fence. Also, that scene was beautifully claustrophobic in framing. Just saying. It fit the theme perfectly.

CUT TO: A classy looking diner, into which strides a classy looking Erin. She spots Donna, 36, and make a beeline for her table. Sliding herself across from Maud, she sweetly explains why she is there, outlining the many crimes Maud is accused of, and placing her under arrest. (Erin is wearing a heavy silver chain necklace that in certain contexts would clearly be a slave necklace, and when put together with Maud’s prints on Tony’s cuffs, my brain is now in double-TMI land. I’d have figured Erin for a dom, but hey, switch away, my good lady.) When Maud laughs in her face and claims that Erin must be making a huge mistake, Tony appears out of nowhere and assures her there’s no mistake.

Such teamwork. As Erin smiles to herself, Tony marches Maud out of the diner in cuffs, and not for fun.

CUT TO: Reagan House. Dinnertime. Nicky asks Jack if he’s signed up for his classes. Not yet, he says – he’ll wait till he gets down there. (WHAAAT? Says I. No, no, no, son. You get all of your classes ready to enroll and you wait with your finger on “Submit” the very second your reg window opens.)

“Most of them will already be filled up,” Nicky assures him. Yup.

“Seriously? Why?” Jack asks. Seriously, you have to ask, a bright kid like you?

“Nobody knows. Just the way it works, for freshmen,” Nicky smirks, being a recent graduate and all.

Ain’t that the truth. First year you take the crumbs on the ground. Second year, the herd has thinned out and it’s way easier. Third year, you’ve got mostly small seminars instead of lectures again, and whoa, things pack up. Fourth year, you better pray to your favourite great whatever high atop the thing that you get the mandatory courses you need without having to wait around another few terms…but anyway. My Spring Term reg date is two weeks away, and you better believe I’ve got seven upper level courses ready in my online cart, in hopes of landing a seat in three of them…

Sean instigates another round of brotherly heckling, which Danny shuts down as Jamie tries to re-direct things into asking after Jack’s major.

Now this is where I get interested, because in my head/fic canon, Jack plans to major in broad Public Policy studies with a Cognitive Science concentration, at Princeton. Eddie did Business and Marketing at a private college upstate, and Erin did a joint Lit and Poli Sci degree before law at Columbia.

The writers proceed to burst my bubble by making it canon that Jack hasn’t yet decided on a major, that Eddie did Art History and Erin did (or started) Botany. What? I could see Eddie taking a few Art History classes, and I could see Erin maybe enjoying learning all the Latin names and respiratory structures of variegated begonias and monocots, but not as a major…whereupon I pull out my CANON IS FOR SUCKERS t-shirt.

Anyway. The adult siblings™ are totally on their game, back-and-forthing about how they turned out okay despite majoring in subjects that have nothing to do with where they ended up. I’m 100% nodding along, having ended up so far off where I thought I’d be that I still marvel at it.

Frank launches into a classic Frank homily that is nevertheless heartfelt and wise, and I wonder if Tom really was speaking to the grandkids who have grown up onscreen around that same dinner table. Frank, though, is clearly thinking of his conversation with Jay and with Garrett, and maybe remembering Danny’s past conversations with Jack about To Cop Or Not To Cop. He wants Jack to be aware of his right to be his own person, to take what is valuable from his family but forge his own way.

“I like to think that your dad, and your aunt and your uncle do what they do because they were called to it, not because they were pushed. I like to think…to hope, anyway,” he finishes. Erin, who we know went through her own turmoil about joining up, looks particularly keenly at her father, watching his face. The others look pretty touched.

The family raises its collective glasses to Jack.

CUT TO: The kitchen. Jamie (ROLLED SLEEVES DOMESTIC JAMIE ALERT) is scrubbing the dinner dishes, and Danny is bringing in the last lot.

Jamie tries to re-open the issue of Sean, or rather, Eddie getting involved with Sean’s troubles, and Danny turns on the snark. Jamie takes a breath and tries to keep going. He thinks he knows why Sean’s acting out so much, he says. Jack’s going away, and maybe in Sean’s mind, he’ll stay home if he sees that his kid brother is going off the rails and needs him. He knows, because he did it himself when Danny left for Camp Lejeune. Aww. He must have been, what, eight or nine?

“What, you get a B-minus on a test?” Danny cracks.

“A-minus, it was a dark time,” Jamie answers in a rush, like it’s a painful memory he doesn’t want to revisit, and I nearly snort my tea.

It doesn’t quite work, though. Danny, trying to keep his cool, says he sincerely loves Eddie (Awww) and that they’re great together (WE KNOW) but that the two of them have to mind their business.

That get Jamie in the buttons. “You know what, we already apologized,” he says, “You got a problem with that? Go to hell.”

Yup. Brothers.

Danny knows he’s probably in the wrong but he’s not going to admit it just then. He throws his kid brother a look and stalks off.

CUT TO: Office of E. A female detective is taking custody of Maud, because Tony intends to take the stand. As the detective says she’ll return his cuffs, Erin pipes up, “You might wanna wash those, first.” Hee!

“Could you not?” Tony growls.

“What?” Erin asks, all wide-eyed. Then they share a truly lovely smile. “I’m proud of you,” she tells him. She offers to set him up with a friend from the Brooklyn DA’s office, but he declines, with thanks.

CUT TO: The five-four. Finally, back to the shooting plot. Danny and Baez have the lurker in the interview room. They unwind a sad and sordid story from her, culminating with the fact that Dr. Sunshine the Baby Magician is not only the fertility specialist who assisted her parents, but her biological father. The good doctor used his own sperm to create her and nobody knows how many others.

“Could be one of them’s our shooter,” Danny says, looking ill.

CUT TO: Dr. McCandless’ office. Danny and Baez arrive and put him in cuffs. He laughs it off at first, saying it’s just a misunderstanding. Eventually his mask slips off and he yells that of course he did it – he was helping people, giving them something they needed. YUCK. We’re actually dealing with a case of this up here right now. Yuck.

CUT TO: A bench on the East River Promenade on a beautiful autumn afternoon. A portly fellow tucks his phone back into his pocket, and pulls out a small handgun instead. Oh, dear.

Danny appears beside him, speaking softly. He explains that his daughter covered for him, diverting their attention to unknown persons, until he sent her a goodbye message an hour ago. (I assume they pinged his cellphone by super-urgent red-hot subpoena.) Danny keeps him talking, and eventually gets him to give up his gun.

The man turns around, and his daughter is there waiting for him. Thicker than water indeed. The full text of the proverb, by the way, is “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” 99.99% of the time, it’s misquoted and twisted 180 degrees from its intended use. The point is supposed to be that family means many things, and doesn’t have to define an individual.

CUT TO: Reagan Annex. The camera drone swoops down from above on Danny and Jack stuffing Danny’s car as full as they can, for the first of many college runs.

Eddie and Jamie step out of the house. Jamie is still wearing the same black polo and beige chinos he’s worn on every day off this season. Eddie’s in – I swear to God – a denim pantsuit with a ruffled halter top. As Vanessa, it’s a sweet look to rock to brunch on a sunny Saturday. As Eddie, it’s…please, no. Eddie helping someone move would be in her oldest jeans and a ratty t-shirt. I love the bouncy ponytails they’ve had her in, though I did see that Vanessa’s tired of cop hair. (I know, honey, I know. I’m sure she’s seen what real live female officers go through with their hair, and why so many chop it all off.)

ANYWAY. This was supposed to not be a novel.

“Maybe he wants to show off how good a dad he is?” Jamie wonders. I’m getting all melty with these two and the this-will-be-us-soon chat. Highchair at the dinner table in a year, you think?

“Gonna miss you guys,” Jack says sincerely. For the hundredth time this episode, AWW. He gives his uncle a hug, and then his Aunt-in-waiting.

“We’re only a phone call away,” Eddie reminds him. I don’t know where the fictional Hadleigh College is supposed to be, but it’s apparently a drive away, too.

Jamie slips Jack some mad money, being that kind of uncle, and no doubt remembering what being a broke college kid is like.

Sean appears in the door, looking a bit surly and down.

“C’mon, man, come say bye to your brother,” Jamie calls.

“Alright, I guess I’ll see you around,” Sean mumbles.

“Actually, you’re coming with us,” Jack tells him. Sean brightens right up. I guess he thought he was going to be staying at his grandpa’s house, or maybe being semi-babysat by Jamie and Eddie? Jack says he can help him get settled in, and have a campus tour to get ready for weekend visits. Sean practically leaps for the car, but does not yell “SHOTGUN”.

As the boys get ready, Danny comes over to Jamie and Eddie, and everyone falls over themselves apologizing. Danny insists he’s the one who screwed up, “running around with my hair on fire” which is a pretty apt visual.

Danny and Eddie hug it out (again, AWWWW), and Jamie wrestles Danny into a tackle-hug with an actual growl, which, okay. I’m going to need to replay that a couple times.

Danny ribs Jamie about needing some mad money too, and Jamie replies he’s got his own circus coming up soon, called a wedding. Eddie rolls her eyes. I guess that Sergeant’s pay bump will come in handy.

“Well,” Danny says, gesturing to Eddie, “You chose well.”

“Let’s not go overboard,” Jamie deadpans, earning him a whack from Eddie.

“Hey!” she squawks.

“What?” he asks, and busts out a grin. He reaches out to bring her in for a hug like we haven’t seen in years, just the two of them being natural and goofy and honest-to-God enjoying each other’s company, and it’s glorious. The camera swirls above them, in an allusion to all the open possibilities ahead, for them, and for Jack.

CUT TO: Office of F. Baker is escorting Moreno Sr. and Moreno Jr. to the fourteenth floor. Jay is pushing his father’s wheelchair. As Frank welcomes them in and Jay gets his father settled, Baker fixes Frank with yet another eloquent look as she closes the door – but this time it’s one of approval.

“My son, Jay,” Detective Moreno introduces them – or thinks he does. Frank plays it off like he’s never seen Jay before, as he promised.

“You find that idiot who refused my son’s transfer?” Moreno asks.

“I did, John. Heads rolled, that’s all I can say.”

“Thank you, Frank,” Moreno replies. That’s really all he needed to hear.

Frank sits down and outlines a quandary he’s in. He’s always fought the Housing Development Board to bring in a cop into the actual planning of the projects that they’ll end up policing. There’s always been pushback. And they still won’t allow a cop on a board. The only solution to getting cop perspective and expertise on the board is for someone with a valuable degree in Urban Planning, who is also a cop with a strong track record, to resign his badge and move to a civilian consulting position. For the greater good and the future of the city.

Having dangled this bait, Frank waits to see what the Morenos make of it. Jay is stunned but quiet, but when his father says it’s a request they can hardly refuse, he perks up, in his understated way. So while Frank has to cut a good cop free, he’s also freeing up an unhappy and undervalued man to do what he’s best at, with his policing experience as an extra asset rather than an albatross.

A tad contrived, but you know what, I’ll take it.

For all the wildly divergent plotlines, this stories were well-balanced, and even if the theme was a little sledgehammery at times, it was lighter than some episodes. I love love love that the actors just took scenes and ran with them - it felt very natural, and I wonder how much ad-libbing was going on. The parallels between Danny and Baez and Erin and Tony, as working partners, are becoming clearer, especially as Danny and Baez become less reactionary and performative, and Erin and Tony poke each other into more friendly and less professional interactions.

And of course, watching Jamie and Eddie trying to make sense of everything is hilarious, even if they definitely shouldn’t be working together. Maybe when Eddie’s a Sergeant too, they could collaborate on community projects, but not as CO and Officer, no, no, no...

Looking forward to next week.