Is Lauren Patten leaving Blue Bloods? Will Officer Witten quit?
If you have been following the police drama all season long, then you know already that this is a central narrative. We saw this play out back in the season premiere, as Witten now wonders whether it is worth it to be a part of the NYPD anymore. Anti-police sentiment is higher than ever and for some, it’s hard to feel satisfied doing the job. She faces some tough decisions, and it’s too early to tell whether Eddie or some other characters will be able to sway her.
Entering the episode, we absolutely were uncertain if Patten would stick around; she is a rising star within the Broadway world and is coming off of a significant Tony Awards win. We’re sure that she will have more and more offers in the weeks and months to come, especially as live theater starts to become more and more prominent after the global health crisis. Still, a potential departure here doesn’t have to be permanent; Witten is not a series-regular character and we don’t see her every episode as it is. Effectively, the character can come and go virtually whenever the writers want.
If Witten does leave, it could leave Eddie without a partner for a while — then again, the writers have her taking the Sergeant’s exam soon presumably. They could be shifting her towards some totally different stories altogether.
Did Witten go?
The short answer is yes, sadly. The strange irony is that Patten filmed her locker-room just won day after her big Tony Award win! She eventually went and saw Frank in the closing minutes and made her intentions clear; after that, Frank told her that she should reach back out in one year’s time to indicate if she was still happy with her choice to step aside.
Entering tonight’s Blue Bloods, did you think Lauren Patten could be leaving the show and the Officer Witten role?
Be sure to let us know in the attached comments! After you do just that, remember to stick around — there are some more updates ahead on Blue Bloods and of course, we don’t want you to miss any of them.
(Photo: CBS.)
This article was written by Jess Carter.