When CBS confirmed that Blue Bloods would be ending with its 14th season, fans immediately began speculating which characters might carry the Reagan family legacy forward in a spinoff. While names like Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) and Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan) have always been strong contenders, another possibility once floated among fans was Joe Hill (Will Hochman), the late Joe Reagan’s son and a rising NYPD detective. But as Season 14 has unfolded, Joe Hill’s storyline may have quietly shut the door on that possibility.
Why Fans Saw Joe as a Spinoff Candidate
Joe Hill’s introduction was one of the more emotional twists in Blue Bloods. His existence gave Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) another grandson to mentor and allowed the writers to explore themes of legacy, identity, and family duty in fresh ways. Many fans envisioned a spinoff where Joe took center stage, possibly focusing on his life as a young detective navigating both the Reagan name and the pressures of the NYPD.
How His Ending Shifted the Narrative
Instead, recent episodes have framed Joe as someone who values independence over tradition. Rather than stepping into a leading role within the Reagan family circle, Joe has often kept one foot outside, appearing sporadically and resisting the kind of familial pull that defines the rest of the clan. His storyline concluded in a way that leaned into closure rather than expansion, emphasizing his personal journey rather than setting up future arcs.
Why That Matters for Spinoff Potential
For a spinoff to work, the character needs both narrative momentum and audience attachment. Joe’s limited screen time and the way his story was wrapped up made him more of a poignant side note than a central figure ready to anchor his own show. Where Danny and Erin’s arcs leave room for ongoing battles—legal, moral, and personal—Joe’s ending was a quiet bow, one that symbolically closed off the possibility of him carrying the franchise forward.
The Bigger Picture: Why CBS May Have Passed on Joe
CBS seems focused on expanding the Blue Bloods brand with Boston Blue, a spinoff that highlights new characters while preserving the Reagan legacy in a broader sense. Joe Hill could have been a bridge to that future, but the creative choice to write his story as one of individuality rather than dynasty all but eliminated his spinoff prospects.
In the end, Joe Hill’s character offered Blue Bloods a powerful exploration of heritage and loss—but by giving him closure, the show also made it clear that his role in the Reagan saga was always meant to be finite.
