‘Blue Bloods’: Can Paula Hill Just Go Away?
During the latest episode of Blue Bloods, we see Paula Hill (Bonnie Somerville), Joe Hill’s (Will Hochman) mother, again. As you would expect, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Paula has some words with Frank and puts him in another awkward position.
Paula visits Frank at his office
Paula makes an unannounced visit to Frank’s office. She wants him to talk to Joe and convince him not to reveal that he’s a Reagan.
When Paula apologizes for showing up without making an appointment, Frank says it’s OK because she’s family, so she gets a pass. Paula responds by saying they’re not family; they’re just related by blood. It’s bad enough that Paula charged into Frank’s office without an appointment, but she then has the nerve to correct Frank about whether or not they’re family.
After Paula stabs Frank in the heart with that insensitive comment, she goes on to say she wants to make sure her son stays Joe Hill. “He is Joe Hill,” replies Frank. Paula responds by saying that her son’s identity will change if people find out he’s related to the Reagans. She wants Frank to remind him that he’s still a Hill.
What is wrong with Paula?
Paula is being selfish. Whether she likes it or not, she’s part of the Reagan family now and so is Joe. She needs to step aside and allow Frank to make a connection with his grandson.
Frank lost his son (Joe’s father), so developing a relationship with Joe might allow him to find some closure. Paula needs to put herself in Frank’s shoes and think about how this situation must be for him. Right now, she’s only thinking about herself.
Paula mentioned that Joe is all she has. “Are you going to claim him as one of yours?” she asks Frank. “He’s all I have, and he’s a Hill.” Paula is afraid of losing Joe to the Reagans. However, by pushing the Reagans away, she also runs the risk of losing him that way.
Despite what Paula said, Frank still invites her to family dinner. After she said they weren’t family, we’re surprised he didn’t throw her out of his office. Instead of thanking him for the invitation, Paula just gives him an unhappy look.
Paula’s attitude rubbed off on Joe
As we saw last week, Paula’s bad attitude rubbed off on her son. Jamie attempted to get closer to Joe, but he pushed him away. He turned down an invitation to family dinner and was cold toward Jamie and Danny throughout the episode.
Joe seems conflicted about getting to know the Reagans. At one point, Joe saw Danny and Jamie hugging after Danny was rescued from the basement (season 11, episode 1). For a moment, he had a look of longing on his face.
Joe seemed to wish he had a connection like the one Jamie and Danny have. It was clear, even during that moment, that Joe desires to be close to his family. However, he hesitates to move forward and get to know the Reagans because of his mother’s reservations.
Our advice for Paula
Paula, please calm down. Frank is excited to have another grandson. Let him enjoy his moment. We know you don’t want to lose Joe, but you need to relax. Let your son get to know his family. Give Joe space to make his own decisions and live his life.
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