Frank Reagan is many things but two descriptors that top the list are stoic and in control.

But that wasn't the case on Blue Bloods Season 8 Episode 11. 

Watching a video of yourself saying something you've never said, and likely never would, is certainly jarring, but not nearly as terrorizing as what Garrett went through when he and his wife were SWAT'd. 

Frank was quick to criticize Garrett for not bouncing back quickly enough after that incident, yet Frank himself had difficulty finding his equilibrium after watching that video.

At least he had the good grace to admit his shortcomings to himself and Erin in this Blue Bloods quote...

Erin: Are you okay?
Frank: Actually I'm being a big baby about it. I know it, but I can't seem to shake it.

• Permalink: Actually I'm being a big baby about it. I know it, but I can't seem to shake it.

I really enjoyed the way Sid stepped up to rein Frank in when he was taking things a step too far. 

I understood why Frank wanted to look Colin Taylor in the eye after what he'd done, but showing up when they actually made the arrest would have been quite the spectacle.

Sid: Boss, can I say one thing? The idea of you being at the arrest, I think it sends the wrong signal. We've got murderers, rapists, arsonists, all kinds of bad guys.
Frank: And I don't show up at any of those collars.
Sid: Exactly.

• Permalink: And I don't show up at any of those collars.

When Frank was asked to come to Sid's office I immediately knew something was up because no one but the mayor summons the police commissioner to their office.  

But when Frank walked in it all made sense. Sid was giving Frank his due by letting him talk face to face with Colin without prying eyes. 

After being so adamantly against the District Attorney's new directive on drug prosecutions, it was both surprising and encouraging to hear Frank voice the concern of most thoughtful individuals about the state of our society...

Frank: I've heard one side called fascist and cruel, the other called fairy tales for snowflakes. Neither is true. The middle ground has gone missing.
Erin: How do you get it back?
Frank: I don't know.

• Permalink: The middle ground has gone missing.

Locking all drug users in prison may just be causing more problems for everyone down the road, but there are certainly no easy answers. Investigating better alternatives seems not only smart, but necessary. 

Erin was faced with the hard reality of some of those consequences. 

Should Dr. Lee McBurn have spent time in prison for his crime? Perhaps, but it only made a bad situation worse. 

Part of that problem is that the prison system appears to be filled with drug abuse, which is a separate issue that needs to be addressed. 

But even once Lee became a heroin addict in prison and was then released, he went through rehab four times, to no avail.  The failure of the rehabilitation system is yet another problem in this complicated mess.

Even though Lee's son, Bryan, decided to try and help his father in the end, one of my favorite moments was when Anthony tried to get Erin to see the foley in continuing to track Lee down...

Erin: How can you say I'm wasting resources?
Anthony: Because you're looking for a guy who doesn't want to be found for his son who doesn't care about finding him. Pretty much defines wasting resources.

• Permalink: Because you're looking for a guy who doesn't want to be found for his son who doesn't care...

Erin needs someone like Anthony who knows when to give it to her straight. Plus, his deadpan retorts usually make me laugh.

Finally we get to Danny, and Baez was spot on in her assessment of his conversation with Jessica...

The minute she said she was looking into an old case of yours, she became the enemy.

Baez

• Permalink: The minute she said she was looking into an old case of yours, she became the enemy.

I couldn't really blame Danny for not investigating the original crime to the fullest extent, considering Ethan gave a full confession.

My gripe was that even when Jessica said her life had been threatened, Danny didn't seem to care. It took Baez to coerce him to ask more questions. 

After Danny and Baez went to meet with Ethan Goodwin, it because clear he was covering for someone, and my first guess was his daughter. The only person someone willingly goes to prison to cover for is their child. 

And if the daughter hadn't been stupid enough to kidnap Jessica, odds are that nothing would have come from her documentary about Ethan. 

Instead Ethan spent years in prison and his daughter ended up dead. Overall, it was a pretty sad story. 

My one nit to pick in this entire plot was Danny announcing to suspects that he had kids at home. 

I know that it's far too easy to get information on anyone, but why hand the bad guys personal information that they can use against you? 

The biggest upside to this entire installment was that there was no sign of the mayor (or the governor) anywhere. Hopefully this will be a trend for 2018. 

Finally I'll log the complaint that has come up far too often this season, and that was Jamie only being shown to share a funny story at the Reagan Sunday family dinner. I'm still lobbying for more screen time for my favorite Reagan and his partner. 

We'll see if I get my wish next week. Don't forget to check back in for my review of Blue Bloods Season 8 Episode 12, and until then, if you want to catch more of the Reagan clan, you can watch Blue Bloods online her at TV Fanatic. 

And you can always check out my Blue Bloods Mid-Season 8 Report Card below to see how I rated all the Reagans and their colleagues so far for Blue Bloods Season 8.

Blue Bloods Midseason Report Card: Baffling Development, Frustrating Trend & More

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C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.