Blue Bloods' Amy Carlson Isn't Happy About How Linda's Death Was Handled

Blue Bloods' Season 8 opener revealed that Linda Reagan (Amy Carlson), beloved wife of Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), had died in an offscreen helicopter crash. Fans were shocked and saddened by the sudden and barely-explained death of the character, who had been part of the show since the pilot, and are still sending Carlson supportive messages more than a month after the Season 8 premiere, Carlson said in an interview with Deadline.

In the interview, Carlson opened up about her exit, saying that she doesn't think the show handled Linda's death well and that she'd be willing to return for a flashback giving her a proper sendoff.

"I feel badly that she dies the way she dies," she said. "I did not know they would do that, I was surprised. I wouldn't have done that."

If it were up to her, Linda's death would have been shown. "I guess It would've been nice for the fans to see her demise, to be a participant in it, and that was my vote for the fans. I'm not sure how I would've chosen it but I just know that for the fans to have a way to grieve, to move through it, I think it would've been nice for them. That's just what I hear from them all the time, 'We really want you to come back', and I'm like, that's impossible. But they also say we wish we could've mourned the character."

Carlson's contract was up at the end of Season 7 and was not renewed. She said she was not invited back to guest-star in the Season 8 premiere to wrap up her storyline. But she did say that she's open to returning to give fans the closure they want.

Her onscreen husband Donnie Wahlberg would probably like that, too, since he had a hard time adjusting to Carlson's exit. "Rather than try to act or find something to do, I just thought about my friend Amy Carlson," he said last month. Carlson had kind words for Wahlberg, too, saying that working with him is what she misses most about the show and that he's been "so generous and sweet" since her exit.

Blue Bloods airs Fridays at 10/9c on CBS.

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