Blue Bloods’: Reagan Family Hilariously Breaks Sunday Tradition With Plant-Based Burgers
Many people set in their ways hesitate trying new things. Not even the famous Blue Bloods dinner scenes can overcome that.
During a February episode of CBS’ long-running police drama, the Reagans sat down to try one of the newfangled plant-based burgers, similar to the Impossible Burger. It seemed the only impossible thing was getting the Reagans to try it.
How did the Reagans and fans react to plant-based burgers?
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the look on Tom Selleck’s face at the opening of the scene, when he checked out his dinner, could be summed up in three letters: WTF?
The burgers were served at the behest of Eddie (Vanessa Ray), Jamie’s (Will Estes) partner on the police force, and more recently, his partner in life. Eddie quickly found out that her in-laws were none too receptive.
“You could all stand to take a heart-healthy break once in a while,” she asserted, but she lost a bet to Erin (Bridget Moynahan), who said, “Reagan men have a lot of strengths, but embracing change is not one of them.” That prompted some of the Reagan men to dare a bite.
Fans on Twitter and Facebook found the scene hilarious, calling it one of the best dinner scenes ever. One fan even asked if the burger was a Wahlburger, in reference to the burger chain spearheaded by Donnie’s brother Mark. On Facebook, a fan said, “The Reagans normally enjoy their Sunday Dinner, but that was probably the worst dinner they had in 10 seasons.”
What are the best Blue Bloods dinner scenes?
The dinner scenes are one of the signatures of the show. Police and crime shows are a dime a dozen, but one thing that makes Blue Bloods stand out are the heart-to-heart dinner scenes. There are many lists floating around the Internet of the best Reagan dinner scenes, but CBS put its own list together of 14 of the best scenes.
The list isn’t ranked, but the first scene on the list is the one where the Reagans had dinner in full police uniform for the police academy graduation at which Frank was to speak. He said, “Your most valuable weapon will always be the bond you share with your fellow officers, and your empathy to the public you have sworn to protect.”
The dinner scenes are often lighthearted and sometimes even rather silly, as the burger episode indicates. Sometimes the dinners strike a more serious and somber tone. Once, a diplomat’s son was suspected in a rape case, which led to an intense discussion on diplomatic immunity. CBS’ recap pointed out: “It’s easy to think about the experience of a diplomat in the United States, but diplomatic immunity spans the whole globe—including areas that are volatile and dangerous for US embassies. “
Plant-based burgers are all the rage
Despite the Reagan family’s chilly reception of the plant-based burgers, they’ve made inroads into the national consciousness more than ever, appearing in fast-food restaurants and at Disney parks.
Veggie burgers have been around for decades, being made from whole vegetables. The newer “impossible” vegan burgers are made from processed vegetable proteins, leading to the unappetizing-sounding ingredients listed on Blue Bloods. Nevertheless, the new kind has caught on, leading the New York Times to taste-test several. The Impossible and Beyond Burgers are the two top-rated, with the Impossible being “the most like a beef burger by far.”
The Reagans aren’t convinced. They probably think all these burgers are among the lower-rated ones on the New York Times list.
