How Many Episodes Will Blue Bloods Have for Season 8

Photo: John Paul Filo/CBS — Tom Selleck as Frank Reagan, Len Cariou as Henry Reagan, Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan

The multi-generational family of cops known as the Reagans—Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck), Detective Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) and Sgt. Jamie Reagan (Will Estes)—will return for the 12th season of Blue Bloods on CBS this fall.

This new season Blue Bloods, which is the No. 1 show on Friday nights, will celebrate its 250th family dinner and we can't wait to see what the family will discuss as they gather together.

While much of season 12 is being kept under wraps, here is the story for the first episode back: As Danny consults a psychic (Callie Thorne returns as psychic medium Maggie Gibson) to solve the murder of a young boy, Frank is at odds with the mayor (Dylan Walsh as Mayor Peter chase) over how best to protect the city from an uptick in crime following a high-profile shooting. Also, Erin (Bridget Moynahan) investigates a decades-old case in which the primary eyewitness to the killing is her boss, D.A. Kimberly Crawford (Roslyn Ruff), who was 13 years old at the time.

Here's the rest of what we know so far about the new season:

**When does Blue Bloods season 12 premiere in 2021?**

Blue Bloods season 12 premieres Friday, Oct. 1 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

**Who's in the Blue Bloods cast for season 12?**

Tom Selleck (Frank Reagan)

Donnie Wahlberg (Danny Reagan)

Related: Donnie Wahlberg Reveals Danny's Relationship Turning Point Moment on Blue Bloods

Bridget Moynahan (Erin Reagan)

Will Estes (Jamie Reagan)

Len Cariou (Henry Reagan)

Marisa Ramirez (Maria Baez)

Vanessa Ray (Eddie Janko-Reagan)

**Which major recurring characters will return for Blue Bloods season 12?**

After some difficulties with Frank's immediate staff in Season 11, it is a sure thing that Abigail Hawks will be back as Abigail Baker, Gregory Jbara will return as DCPI Garrett Moore and Robert Clohessy will reprise his role as Lt. Sid Gormley

"At this point, it's a great pleasure to write for, and in terms of logistics, we just get to take a lot of what would have to be exposition and play it with those guys, either arguing or giving each other a hard time or whatever it is," executive producer Kevin Wade told TV Insider. "It's very useful in being able to push the stories forward as well, and we love having them with Tom."

Over in the D.A.'s office Steven Schirripa will also return as Erin's investigator Anthony Abetamarco, and we would also like to see more of her relationship with her ex, Jack Boyle, played by Peter Hermann. Now that Younger has aired its series finale, Hermann may just have time to be written into story.

Also, back for family dinners will be Andrew Terraciano, who plays Danny's younger son Sean, who is still at home, but it would be nice to get visits from Tony Terraciano, whose character Jack is away at college, and from Erin's daughter Nicky (Sami Gayle), who took a job in San Francisco to allow Gayle to attend college in real life.

**Will Joe Hill return for season 12 of Blue Bloods?**

Joe Hill disappeared in season 11 because he was undercover, which led to the excellent finale, which reunited him in a major way with brothers Danny and Jamie, but he will not be a series regular.

Wade told TV Insider, "We'd like to be able to weave him in and out of stories. He obviously has a great chemistry and connection to our cast, and my anecdotal evidence is that the audience really liked what he brought to the show. He has a fresh relationship with the characters that they've been with for 11 years."

Related: Will Joe Hill Be Killed in the Line of Duty Like His Father on the Blue Bloods Season 11 Finale?

**Are there any Blue Bloods season 12 spoilers?**

Storylines have been kept under wraps to date, but there are a few things we can look forward to. Now that COVID-19 restrictions have eased a bit, Wade says he is going to look for the return of some fan favorite characters, like Dylan Walsh as the mayor of New York City and Whoopi Goldberg as City Council Speaker Regina Thomas pending their availability.

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**Will there still be a family dinner each week on Blue Bloods season 12?**

It goes without saying that there will still be lively conversations around the dinner table each Sunday by members of the Reagan family, but what was newly added in season 10 was the addition of a guest who was not a family member: Treat Williams as Frank's old partner Lenny.

In season 11, this new element continued with the occasional addition of a guest. Erin brought Jack to family dinner after they had gone away together for the weekend, and Danny brought his partner Maria. Who shows up at the table in season 12 is anyone's guess.

What is going on with Erin and Jack? Are they back together?

It is hard for us to say and equally impossible to get a straight answer from Wade, but he did tell TV Insider: "I tip my hat to Siobhan Byrne O'Connor who is always the one who writes those episodes that bring the ex back into Erin's life. Peter Hermann's a fantastic actor. He's been on Younger for seven years, so we don't have the availability in the real world, but the chemistry there is fantastic. And I think the idea of two people getting into their 40s with a significant ex-spouse and never having found the replacement for it is a delightful almost romantic comedy string to play out."

**Will Danny and Maria become an item in season 12 of Blue Bloods?**

It was hard for viewers not to notice the more intimate moments between the detectives at the end of season 11, what with Danny keeping an eye out for Maria when she had a murderer after her, and then inviting her to family dinner, but that story was already told with Jamie and Eddie's partnership turning into marriage, so it is doubtful that the writers would repeat themselves.

"We recognize it and certainly the actors like each other, in front of the camera and between setups," Wade told TV Insider, but "there really aren't stories in happy couples and there are definitely not stories in police detectives on the job having a personal relationship with their partner."

**Will Jamie and Eddie get pregnant in Blue Bloods season 12?**

At this point in the storytelling, it is not planned that Eddie will get pregnant, although she has been caught looking longingly at kids and has gone out of her way to assist a few. But right now, both Eddie and Jamie are focusing on their careers. There is some discussion about Eddie becoming a detective based on the success she's had when she's gone undercover on assignments. Of course, if Ray were to get pregnant in real life, that could change everything.

**How many episodes of Blue Bloods season 12 will there be?**

This has yet to be revealed. After two seasons that were shortened by COVID-19, the hope is for the series to return to its normal 22-episode season.

How many seasons of Blue Bloods are there?

Blue Bloods premiered September 24, 2010. Season 12 premieres in 2021, which means there are 11 complete seasons of the series.

**Is Tom Selleck staying on Blue Bloods?**

Any rumors about Selleck leaving Blue Bloods are untrue. He told People, "I think there is a lot of life in the show, as long as you let your characters grow and get older."

The only part of the series that is difficult for its star is the commute. Selleck lives in Southern California and Blue Bloods films in New York City.

Related: Tom Selleck onBlue Bloods Season 10 Finale's 'Huge Surprise,' the Status ofJesse Stone, and More

Where is Blue Bloods filmed?

Blue Bloods is filmed on location in New York City.

**How did Blue Bloods season 11 end?**

In the two-hour finale for season 11, we learned along with Danny that Joe Hill had been loaned out to the ATF for an undercover mission involving gun running. And Danny only discovered it when he almost shot Joe when Joe showed up in a case that Danny was working.

Because of Danny's takedown, the boss of the op that Joe was working on, became nervous and wouldn't let his team make any phone calls. Joe did his best to leave a trail of clues for Danny, who called Jamie, who knew what Joe was up to, in to help, so they were able to track him down.

And track him down just in the nick of time they did. The result was a big shoot out with the Reagans taking down the criminals, but not without Joe taking a non-lethal bullet.

And in the final scene, he ends up back at family dinner, where Frank pronounces him "definitely his father's son."

**Where to watch and live stream Blue Bloods on TV and online**

To get your Blue Bloods fix, you will need to subscribe to either Paramount+ or Hulu. Paramount+ currently has all 11 seasons of the police drama on its site. Hulu currently has seasons 1-9.

What channel is Blue Bloods on?