When Boston Blue was initially announced, it didn’t make as much sense for Danny to get a spinoff as some other characters, but it’s clear now. The original series was beloved because of the emphasis on Blue Bloods’ Reagan family. The family worked and spent time together to a degree that is rarely seen on television.
Shortly after Blue Bloods became the first of many shows CBS canceled in 2025, the network announced a spinoff with a seemingly bizarre premise. It was unclear why Danny Reagan would ever leave his close-knit family in New York to work for the Boston PD, especially since he had begun dating Baez in the Blue Bloods series finale.
However, recent updates suggest that Danny’s inclusion will make for a stronger show. One aspect of this premise indicates that the new series may fix a problematic aspect of Danny’s character.
Danny Working With A Black Partner In Boston Blue Can Address His Most Problematic Trait
Although he mellowed somewhat by the end of the series, Danny was originally one of the NYPD’s most hotheaded cops. He was prone to shooting his gun prematurely and engaging in other police violence. While Blue Bloods often made a distinction between cops making split-second decisions and using violence indiscriminately, it never fully condemned Danny’s poor decisions.
Boston Blue’s premise should help address this. Danny is no longer the son of the commissioner he works for. He is an outsider who is partnered with a member of a prominent Boston cop family. Additionally, his new partner is Black, which means she will likely have different experiences and opinions about effective police work.
Being from a prominent police family will not make Lena immune to experiencing racism, and she will likely have strong opinions about Danny’s behavior as a result. Danny may be forced to confront his biases as well as any inappropriate behavior he still engages in.
How Danny’s Boston Blue Story Will Tackle The Most Uncomfortable Aspect Of Cop Shows
Many cop shows paint police as heroes even when they’re in the wrong. Although there has been a concerted effort to be more responsible about addressing police violence in scripted dramas, many shows still default to justifying violence against suspects, especially those who have committed disturbing crimes.
Male detectives in particular are expected to bend the rules. Danny Reagan is not an anomaly — he shares his impulsivity with characters such as Elliot Stabler, Hank Voight, and Wes Mitchell. That said, the new Blue Bloods spinoff could change that narrative.
Now that Danny is the outsider, he could learn a new perspective from Lena and can slowly begin to change. Thus, if it offers realistic, nuanced stories about police work, Boston Blue could retain Blue Bloods’ legacy of showing the police in a fair light while also acknowledging some of the systemic problems and need for police reform.
