Blue Bloods Season 14 is officially the last of the series. It won’t all air at once, though. Why is the final season split in two parts?
It was bad news for Blue Bloods fans last month. We learned the series would officially come to an end with the upcoming 14th season.
If we’re honest, the writing was on the wall. The actors took a major pay cut to keep the show on the air, and it looked like it would only be for one season. The cost of creating TV has shot up, and the strong Friday linear ratings are no longer enough to justify the costs of the series. Plus, the SAG-AFTRA strike will have changed things for TV networks and streamers.
One thing that may have surprised fans is hearing that the show won’t end in May 2024, though. Instead, the show is being split into two parts.
Blue Bloods Season 14, Part 2 will air in fall 2024
The plan is to air 10 episodes starting in February 2024 and then break for the next eight episodes to air in fall 2024.
While CBS hasn’t declared why this is happening, it’s likely linked to the episode count to be able to bring the story to an end. Deadline reminds fans that the majority of shows will get between 10 and 13 episodes this year due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes delaying everything. The only show to get more is Young Sheldon, which is also coming to an end this season. It will have 14 episodes, and that’s probably linked to it being a 30-minute comedy series with the ability to film on weekends easily to get more episodes in the can.
Blue Bloods will have 18 episodes for its final season, putting it at around the usual length for the show. There isn’t enough time to film all 18 episodes this TV season, and CBS will want to take advantage of strong linear ratings for the series in fall 2024. The best way to handle that is to split the season in two. We’ll probably say goodbye to the characters around Thanksgiving or during the winter finales next year.
