Family, duty, honor, and complex moral situations — those are the hallmarks of the best episodes of “Blue Bloods.” While the show might espouse so-called traditional values and its belief in the family way, there are also complexities that introduce themselves into the narrative frequently, and not every criminal will pop up as a horrifying foe for the Reagans to defeat.

The very best episodes of the show often lace together scenes of the Reagans spending time together and talking alongside whatever cases the group are dealing with in their individual careers. Sometimes the show chooses a grander plotline, maybe centered on a hostage crisis or a larger threat to New York City. But more often than not the cases are intimate, personal, and even daringly open-minded for a show that’s often accused of being simplistic copaganda. Here are the 10 best episodes of “Blue Bloods,” chosen via authorial opinion and IMDb listings, in no particular order.

Read more: The Real Reason These NCIS Actors Left

Exiles (Season 4, Episode 22)

Usually, the best thing “Blue Bloods” does is tell small stories about a close-knit family. But in the case of “Exiles,” Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) manages to uncover something that’s so earth-shaking that, thanks to his suspension, it ends up scooping every single member of the Reagan clan into the drama, ultimately landing the case in the capable hands of his father, Frank (Tom Selleck). The end result is quite compelling, easy to rewatch, and results in an 8.4 from viewers on IMDb.

Danny and Maria’s (Marisa Ramirez) case ends up entwining with a DEA-controlled sting. The twosome quickly learn that Ms. Ilene Clayton had a strong — and very personal — connection to a prostitution case being run by the state DA. Danny doesn’t believe that Ilene killed herself and can’t stop himself from investigating the situation; he’s placed on suspension for his disobedience.

But soon the other Reagans step in — each of them fielding a piece of the case — until what really happened to Ilene becomes apparent and a much deeper well of corruption is revealed. This is what the Reagans do best — ferret out the most wicked of New York’s hoi polloi — and “Exiles” distills many of its best elements into a single outing. The episode’s subplot — in which Jamie (Will Estes) and Eddie Janko (Vanessa Ray) get personally involved in an apparent domestic dispute — is also beautifully handled.

New Rules (Season 5, Episode 21)

NYPD Deputy Chief Donald Kent only appears once on “Blue Bloods,” but he’s played by the self-assured and talented Dennis Haysbert, who automatically elevates this episode with his prodigious skills and ever-remarkable voice. The murder of Kent once again forces all of the Reagans to group their specific skill sets together to get the bad guy in Season 5’s “New Rules.” IMDb users love this formula and put this at an 8.4 too, making it another top-tier episode (and a rewatchable one, even if only to enjoy Haysbert’s vocals) as Team Reagan goes all in for justice.

Kent and his wife die together in what appears to be a gang hit, and Frank goes scorched earth looking for suspects. Kent commanded the gang division, so the connection initially seems quite clear to Frank. Danny and Maria search up members of the Warrior Kings gang and soon find that one of the members is in proximity to Linda (Amy Carlson), Danny’s wife, in the hospital. While the episode ends on a cliffhanger, there’s plenty to love in this packed outing in and of itself.

The Bitter End (Season 3, Episode 22)

One of the saddest moments in “Blue Bloods” history occurs in “The Bitter End,” which features the death of a young gang member, who jumps off of the roof of her building with her baby in her arms to escape the violent life she’s been immured into. That moment alone is worth watching again and again, but the heartbreak that action causes is what brings viewers back.

It’s a deed that Jamie witnesses, and one that deeply affects his partner, Vincent “Vinny” Cruz (Sebastian Sozzi). Cruz grew up in the housing project the young lady lived in, and to say he’s shaken by the sudden act of violence is putting it mildly. Danny soon manages to figure out that the girl who leaped to her death had a connection to a previous crime — the deaths of her parents, for which she always blamed herself. A complicated web of defiance, guilt and loyalty all falls on Danny’s shoulders when he realizes he failed to protect the girl as he’d vowed to do long ago. Now he has a second chance through the girl’s sister; but a bigger problem surfaces when the local gang vows revenge on the NYPD.

Frank and Erin (Bridget Moynahan), meanwhile, get into a roundelay over the city’s decision to drop cases against the housing project’s residents in the hope of convincing them to testify. Intense and filled with complex emotional ugliness, that unforgettable opener is just one hint as to the drama that’s hiding inside. “The Bitter End” has an outstanding 8.5 on IMDb for a reason.

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Unbearable Loss (Season 7, Episode 10)

Some of the most interesting episodes of “Blue Bloods” feature the Reagans trying to relate to civilians that absolutely, and understandably, hate everything the police force stands for. In “Unbearable Loss,” Frank’s the one shoved out of his comfort zone when the Reverend Darnell Potter (Ato Essandoh), a longtime critic of the police force, loses his son in an act of violence.

Darnell and Frank have to put aside years of bitterness and work together to find out who killed Michael. Darnell must resist the temptations of extrajudicial force, and Frank must figure out the limits of his position while helping Darnell grieve and find justice. It’s their relationship that brings about rewatchable gravitas.

Potter is another recurring character who makes a great impact on the Reagan family, and Essandoh projects quiet dignity in the part — and as another of his appearances on the list will prove, he provides perfect friction for Selleck. It’s a performance that makes the episode and makes the viewer want to rewatch it again and again. IMDb viewers agree and it stands at an 8.5.