Blue Bloods Ending Has Still Felt Far Away. That All Changed For Me When Donnie Wahlberg Shared A Touching Message From The Final Day Filming

For more than half a year, Blue Bloods' ending has felt really abstract. Like it’s something that we all know –well everyone but Tom Selleck knows – is happening, but it’s so far away still that it hasn’t really computed for me. That all changed when Donnie Wahlberg dropped one bombshell post: a touching video and message for the fans as the Season 14 finale finally, officially wrapped.

It’s not uncommon for stars of long-running shows to share footage from the last day of filming, particularly when it's a series ender and not a season ender. The cast of Modern Family had a lot of sentimental posts when that comedy was filming its final episodes, for example. Now that Blue Bloods is saying goodbye, Donnie Wahlberg also shared a sweet post from the set, showing up after a stint with New Kids on the Block to film the end of his procedural drama. He also thanked the fans, the cast and crew, and particularly the NYPD for their support during the CBS show’s run. You can check out what he had to say, below.

While Wahlberg had just the right touch of sentimentality to his post, the fans were clearly a bit emotional about what was happening. Many of them expressed sadness that the show will be ending. They aren’t the only ones. Both Wahlberg and Selleck have expressed they’d be excited to come back, and there is even a #SaveBlueBloods campaign in full swing as we speak.

• I’m still in denial that it’s really ending. Some amazing memories of the set visits over the years. ??

• ?? Miss you Danny Reagan. But at least the bus is blue. ??

• This family became part of our family. Will miss BB so much. ??

• Blue Bloods will live on forever and though we will miss seeing new episodes, we will always watch the show! Thank you for all of your hard work and commitment! ???? We appreciate you Donnie!!!!

• Full spectrum of emotions for you this week…New tour kick off, Celtics championship win and the close out of Blue Bloods. ??

Probably what’s the hardest thing for me is the fact the show just wrapped filming its final episode, now, in the middle of June. Everything about how Blue Bloods is ending has felt so off. There was the announcement that came even before Season 14 had premiered. Then, we had a spring finale that hit the schedule in May--but wait, there are still new episodes coming in the fall before the show officially gets canceled!

Now, in the midst of June when most shows are on hiatus, the CBS drama is wrapping up, yet we have to wait until the fall to see those episodes? The whole thing has felt elongated.

I’m not complaining, to be clear. I get that the show is filming between NKOTB shows and letting Tom Selleck have time on his avocado ranch. It even makes sense the drama would continue filming even after the spring finale given the shortened season in the fall, but as the one commenter noted it's easy to feel "denial" over the end being nigh.

At the end of the day, it's really nice CBS is giving this show a proper sendoff, particularly when a slew of 2024 shows were canceled by the network in the spring. I’m sure the likes of NCIS: Hawai’i and So Help Me Todd would have loved the chance to say goodbye. So, on the one hand I feel grateful we are even able to have this post from Donnie Wahlberg. But on the other hand, the feelings I’m dealing with about the show ending are hard to explain. You know that moment of anticipation before a bandaid gets ripped off? It’s like I’m stuck with that feeling, only the tug never seems to come. I think it will probably feel that way until the fall 2024 TV premieres hit the schedule.

Maybe then this whole thing will feel real. And hey, at least there may be a Blue Bloods “extension” to look forward to.