EXCLUSIVE: Abigail Hawk has previewed the emotional final episodes of Blue Bloods and dropped a tantalising hint towards her final scene as detective Abigail Baker
05:00, 12 Oct 2024
Blue Bloods star Abigail Hawk has revealed she filmed her last scenes as Abigail Baker in a cemetery with several other members of the main cast.
The actress spoke to Screen Time ahead of the show’s return to CBS for its final eight episodes following a shocking cancellation decision.
Millions of fans are expected to tune into the last installments, which will say goodbye to Tom Selleck’s iconic Frank Reagan and his family of dedicated New York police officers.
“My last day, Tom’s last day, gosh, quite a few of our last days on set, was at a cemetery,” Abigail confirmed.
“Which is not giving anything away, but certainly dangling a little teaser.”
While Abigail, of course, did not reveal if any of the major players die in the final season, she remarked that shooting the final scenes back in June was almost like an out-of-body experience, and she and the cast are still processing the show’s conclusion several weeks after the series wrap.
“It was hard,” she went on. “And I felt like I was almost watching myself because it was so surreal and I was so in it that I couldn’t see it, if that makes sense?
“It was almost like being so close to the fire that I can’t actually experience how hot it is.”
The actress, who has starred in countless scenes opposite Selleck across 14 seasons of the hit cop drama, confirmed there were plenty of tears after the final takes.
“We had our wonderful first AD, Tom Tobin, wrap each of us out and say, ‘That’s a series wrap on Abigail Hawk, detective Abigail Baker’,” she recalled.
“And the applause and tears were received but also, like, I just wasn’t able to process it in the moment.
“Just the loveliest thing to be hugged by our executive producers Kevin Wade and Siobhan Byrne O'Connor, who have been with us since the beginning.”
She also touched on Selleck’s incredible TV legacy, the star landing one of his most successful roles several years after becoming an icon with Magnum PI.
“And then to see Tom being wrapped out,” Abigail said. “This wonderful legend of a man who had lightning strike twice. He’s had such an incredible, illustrious career and would have never thought that, after the success of Magnum PI, to have this happen again and create such a venerable character.
“You could see the weight of that on him. We’ve been in touch and we’re keeping the line open. I care so deeply for him. It’s hard, you know? He’s aware of his age but he’s also just still got so much to say.
“And Len Cariou [who plays Frank’s father Henry Reagan] is the same way. You have this 84-year-old who just did this absolutely heart-shattering play, Tuesdays With Morrie, where all of us that were able [to see it] witnessed the mastery of him. He’s not done! In this industry, we hang people up. ‘You’re done’. But there’s so much life there.”
While Abigail admitted her final day was “hard”, it was made better when she came home to find her husband had crafted a touching collage of Blue Bloods’ main cast and guest stars.
As for what the finale entails? While she didn’t reveal much, the actress echoed showrunner Kevin Wade’s sentiment that the final episode will largely feel like any other.
“It’s just beautifully simple and ordinary,” she said. “There’s a lot of peace in that, because I think it leaves it open to whatever the future might hold.
“You’re not going to see a lot of changes for [Abigail] and I’m okay with that.”
However, there’ll still be plenty of emotional moments to cap off the Reagans’ story, as Abigail revealed: “When I finished reading the episode I texted Siobhan and Kevin and I wept. It is a very fitting way to complete the series. I’m not going to say finish, it’s a lovely way to complete it.
“I’m not going to say if the tears were joy or sadness because maybe it’s both.”
Blue Bloods season 14, part 2 premieres Friday, October 18 on CBS.