Will Estes put his own life in peril to perform a dangerous stunt that could lead to the death of his character Officer Jamie Reagan in tonight's episode.
A vengeful thug will target Jaime after he intervenes in the man's abusive relationship with his girlfriend. The dangerous plot line will see Estes catch fire in his police cruiser and possibly blowing up with it.
"The producer Dave Barret, who's a lot of fun, came to me and said, 'How are you with fire? Being lit on fire?'" Estes told Headlines & Global News at The Paley Center for Media's PaleyFest NY. "I said " I don't know Dave. I've never been lit on fire before.'"
Two weeks later, the cameras roll and the production lit Estes aflame. A stunt man was partially integrated into the shot, but Estes held his own and remembered the three important steps to follow when a person catches fire: stop, drop and roll.
"I was lit on fire in the car, jumped out, rolled around and put myself out," Estes said.
Jamie's life won't be the only one in danger when the psychotic boyfriend throws the flaming torch through the car window. His partner Eddie Jenko is seated shotgun, and the shock of the attack will leave her helpless.
"I'm definitely in the car and I just yell. I can't solve the problem. I just yell a lot," said actress Vanessa Ray, who plays Eddie. She did fear for Estes during the scene. "We were very nervous about him having to get caught on fire."
The two beat cop partners have flirted with a potential romance since Ray joined the cast at the beginning of last season. This near-death experience for Jamie won't necessarily push the two closer to a more serious relationship, but it will add an extra layer to their friendship and partnership.
"I think the thing that we're finding with these two people... is that I don't think there's one tipping point," Ray said.
"I think it's like they've known each other their whole lives, even though they just met. There's just a familiarity there. They're just building a bag full of experiences that make their intimacy kind of go deeper and deeper and deeper."
Love hasn't come easy for most of the Reagan family. Sami Gayle, who plays Nikki, doesn't see the lack of romantic relationships in the family as a necessarily bad thing.
"We're very funny, the Reagans," Gayle said. "It's about our family. We really are rooted in the love that we have for each other. I think when it comes along and it's the right time for us, then great. But until then, we're really happy people."
Nikki will soon have to deal with her mother Erin's new boyfriend. Gayle wouldn't give away her character's specific reaction to the budding romance, but Nikki will stay supportive of her mother as she's always done.
"I think I'm very protective of her but at the same time I want her to have that love in her life so I think I'm supportive of the choices she makes," Gayle said.
"I remember one of the first conversations [my character] ever had with my grandpa (Tom Selleck's Frank Reagan), was in season one on the steps. I wanted to set my mom up on a date because I just want her to be happy and to be with someone that I thought would be good for her."
Nikki may not have to worry too much about her mother's dating habits when she heads off to college next year. Gayle was excited to incorporate the college story line into the show, because many teenagers face the same challenges that Nikki will as she tries to find the best school.
"I'm currently in college myself right now. I think education is so important and I'm so glad we're covering it on the show because it's a part of most teenagers' lives and it's that type of trying to get into colleges and getting into certain places, maybe not getting into certain places that you wanted to go," Gayle said.
"Blue Bloods" airs on Fridays at 10 p.m. on CBS.
