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Filming of Blue Bloods had to change because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But fans might not be able to tell from watching the show since characters don’t wear masks. A new photo shows Len Cariou, who plays Henry Reagan, wearing a mask at the dinner table.

‘Blue Bloods’ Season 11 takes place after the pandemic

Len Cariou as Henry Cariou sits at the dinner table smiling in 'Blue Bloods
Len Cariou as Henry Cariou in ‘Blue Bloods’ | Patrick Harbron/CBS via Getty Images

Season 10 was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and season 11 will follow suit. But the show decided the new season will take place after the pandemic. 

Showrunner Kevin Wade explained this decision to Deadline. “…I don’t want to watch masked actors, particularly,” he said. “Now, I’ve seen other shows that are doing it, and it feels, on the one hand, true and, on another hand, anachronistic. The decision we’ve made was not to play the show that way.”

The first episode did acknowledge the pandemic by having Eddie Reagan, played by Vanessa Ray, help a woman find the body of someone who died from COVID. But the showrunner said he didn’t want to make it a bigger part of the season.

“So, we thought we need to acknowledge that, address is, but it was really considering do people tune into this show to see a reflection of the daily news?” he asked. “Or do they tune into it, be entertained, and possibly look for a reflection but not a documentary?”

The ‘Blue Bloods’ dinners have continued

This means the Reagans have continued their weekly tradition of meeting for dinner. The characters do so without masks. Wade claimed everyone is always wearing masks on set except for the actors, and everyone gets tested weekly.

 Marisa Ramirez, who plays Maria Baez, filmed her first dinner scene this season. She admitted she was nervous, given she had to do it during the pandemic.

“Because first of all, it was emotional and a little nerve-racking for me, as it was the first time I was in a room with so many people without masks on,” the actor told PopCulture.com.

She did say everyone was tested to film the scene. The show gave a peek into how the show is being made.

‘Blue Bloods’ picture shows Len Cariou wearing a mask

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The characters aren’t seen wearing masks on the show. But the actors do wear them while working. Donnie Wahlberg, who plays Danny Reagan, and Ramirez shared a picture of themselves wearing matching masks. 

The show’s Twitter released a behind-the-scenes photo showing Cariou wearing a mask while sitting at the dinner table on March 29. It’s captioned with, “What’s for dinner? #BlueBloods.”

Fans replied to the tweet sharing their love for dinner scenes. The same photo was also shared on Instagram. Abigail Hawk, who plays Abigail Baker, commented, “Cadbury creme eggs!” It looks like it’s business as usual at the Reagan dinner table, except there are masks when the actors aren’t filming.

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