The Reagan family tends to stick together no matter what, and no subject unites them more thoroughly than the late, lamented Joe Reagan. Despite persistent fan theories that he’s still alive, Joe has stayed dead throughout “Blue Bloods,” and his memory permeates every single inch of the family’s lives. Whether it’s how they interact with one another or how they perceive themselves as law-abiding citizens, the saintly Joe influences them all.

However, not everything related to Joe’s death can be colored with shades of black-and-white morality. The Reagans must confront this fact in Season 14, Episode 4, “Past is Present.” Here, Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) learns that the son of Joe’s killer, Sonny Malevsky (Michael T. Weiss), has joined the force under a presumed name. Mike McFadden (George Papadimatos) is well aware of the weight of his family name, having chosen to apply to the police academy under an alias to avoid being tarred with the same brush as his father.

Frank quickly finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one end, Mike is up for disciplinary action due to his lies. On the other, he hasn’t done anything wrong while on the beat and has been an exemplary officer. Frank, therefore, must choose between punishing Mike for the sins of his father or showing mercy and allowing him to continue working in the field.

The other Reagans express their mixed feelings about the possibility of Mike continuing to patrol the streets of New York City during one of the family’s iconic Sunday night dinners. But a surprising face surfaces to guide Frank’s choice and help him do right by Mike.

Joe Hill helps Frank forgive Mike McFadden

It’s Joe Reagan’s son, Joe Hill (Will Hochman), whom Frank asks for help in figuring out what to do about Mike McFadden. While Joe is initially horrified by the notion of a Malevsky dispensing justice, Frank asks Joe to meet with Mike and then give him his honest opinion about the situation, both as someone who knows what it is to be a cop laboring under the weight of a well-known family name and as a person who knows what it’s like to lose a father.

Ultimately, Joe and Mike bond over being raised by their maternal lines and living as fatherless sons. Joe finds a sense of empathy for Mike and realizes he’s nothing like his father. That’s good enough for Frank, who declares that Mike won’t be forced to leave the police work behind. Frank does, however, say that Mike will be disciplined for lying on his application. The result is further closure for Joe, one of Frank’s better moments on “Blue Bloods,” a new beginning for Mike — and, for the show itself, a completely different approach to an often stale and frequently revisited storyline.