'Blue Bloods' Returns for Its 9th Season as Polished as Ever

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE SEASON 9 PREMIERE OF BLUE BLOODS

Blue Bloods has been a ratings grabber since it premiered in 2010, and over eight seasons, it has taken viewers on a roller coaster ride of emotion, action, humor, romance, and drama. So fans were expecting nothing less than the best when Season 9 premiered on September 28th.

Blue Bloods ended Season 8 on a high with the engagement of Jaime Reagan and Eddie Jenko. Though Commissioner Frank Reagan had misgivings, the couple, who were also patrol partners, was determined to continue riding together. And so Season 9 opened with the conflict between father and son taking front and center, but that wasn't the only drama unfolding.

Danny Reagan faces his past when he finally meets the man, played by Lou Diamond Phillips, who torched his home at the end of Season 7, but his revenge is short-lived when he discovers he can't arrest him. The final wrap-up of this plot line is reminiscent of an episode of another successful cop drama, The Closer, when Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson released a killer, knowing the streets would provide justice. I believe we might have gotten a hint of even more similarities by the preview of next week's episode which showed Danny potentially facing charges.

The drama continues to explore the pain of a losing a spouse as Danny struggles with finding closure which, in the end, he realizes doesn't exist. It's admirable that the series isn't setting Danny up for a romance as it's only been a year since Linda died. Both Danny's father and grandfather still wear their wedding rings despite the passage of time since the loss of their wives. It highlights the strength of their love, and it looks like Blue Bloods will continue to reflect that, at least for a while, with Danny as Executive Producer Kevin Wade told TV Insider back in May that there were no immediate plans to introduce the second Mrs. Danny Reagan.

Yet another plot unfolds on the premiere episode when Erin Reagan is promoted to Bureau Chief in the District Attorney's office. After the shocking death of District Attorney Monica Graham, it stands to reason that Erin would be up for a promotion, but this could put her in the line of fire even more often than she normally is. And though there was no sign of ex-husband Jack Boyle, the series will explore that relationship this season, according to EP Wade.

Before it's ending, the season premiere circles back around to the battle of wills going on between Frank and Jamie Reagan. In true Blue Bloods' fashion, the episode wraps up with a quiet moment between father and son with the revelation that Jamie is moving from patrolman to boss as he took and passed the sergeant's exam.

Once again, the series reclaimed its Friday night spot with its usual polish, the addition of Officer Jenko at the dinner table was both welcome and cause for a moment of heartache when one realizes she has filled the empty chair left by Linda Reagan.

Overall, by its strength, this episode could have been a series premiere. As it is, it has set the stage for myriad plots that can play out through the season, and, no doubt, will ensure its survival for one more year.

Blue Bloods airs on Monday nights at 10:00 PM EST on CBS.