Variety recently revealed a major piece of casting news for the upcoming Blue Bloods continuation, Boston Blue, that could dramatically alter the fabric of the new series. The role of Sean Reagan, the youngest son of Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg), has been recast. Mika Amonsen now officially takes over the role of Sean, replacing Andrew Terraciano, who portrayed Sean in Blue Bloods across nearly 300 episodes! Furthermore, the casting news of Amonsen as Sean Regan comes along with additional plot details for Boston Blue that could dramatically alter the direction of the upcoming spin-off. It’s time to unpack the new information regarding the next chapter in the saga, Boston Blue.
Sean Reagan’s Casting Change in ‘Boston Blue’ Is Important
Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) sitting with his sons Jack and Sean (Tony and Andrew Terraciano), and eating dinner on Blue BloodsImage via CBS
Several months ago, CBS announced that Boston Blue would follow Detective Danny Reagan, who leaves New York City to move to Boston and start a new career with the Boston Police Department. In Boston, Danny will partner up with Detective Lena Peters (Sonequa Martin-Green). When Blue Bloods ended, Danny was a widower, and his kids, Sean and Jack, were in college. However, the latest casting news for the series reveals that, as the story begins, a now-grown-up Sean has already moved to Boston and started a career in law enforcement as a BPD patrolman, following in his family’s enormous footsteps. While this opens interesting story opportunities for the story, Sean’s move to another state to pursue a career in law enforcement is a shocking and unexpected revelation, given the character’s history.
It seems the reason Sean opted to become a police officer in Boston is that he wanted to start his career on his own terms by joining a department outside his hometown of New York. Danny partially decides to move to Boston because he wants to reconnect with his son on a deeper level. Sean’s new career as a patrolman is a rather astounding development for the Blue Bloods continuation, as the initial synopsis and story materials for the show did not indicate that Danny’s decision to relocate to Boston had anything to do with Sean already living there. The twist suggests that something happened between the father and son that Danny wants to fix, leading to the dramatic change of setting.
Sean Reagan Never Appeared Interested in Becoming a Cop in ‘Blue Bloods’
Sean joining the BPD is fascinating since he never previously showed an interest in law enforcement in Blue Bloods. In the series, Sean participated in school athletics, and he once expressed interest in becoming a firefighter because they got to wear cool uniforms. Although Blue Bloods never specifically established Sean’s future career path, even after he enrolled in college, he never appeared keenly interested in becoming a cop, which is an odd thing to leave out, given his family’s legacy. It’s not simply that the series didn’t address the ambitions of the younger generation, as Sean’s situation contrasts with his cousin, Nicky Reagan-Boyle (Sami Gayle), who expressed interest in becoming the first woman in the family to become a police officer throughout the show’s run. Sean always respected the importance of the family legacy, but it did not appear to be a major part of his character arc to carry on the Reagan family tradition, as it was for Nicky and Sean’s uncle, Jamie Reagan (Will Estes).
The recasting with Amonsen not only marks a change in actors for Sean but also highlights a dramatic shift in the direction of Sean’s life. Hopefully, the new series properly establishes Sean’s motives and feelings about becoming a police officer and leaving New York City for Boston. Did he feel his family cast too large a shadow? Was Sean worried that his father’s reputation as a “loose cannon” could negatively affect his career hopes in the New York Police Department? Additionally, what does Danny think about Sean’s move to Boston? Does he respect his son’s decision and reasoning? Will Danny’s relocation to Boston cause negative ramifications for his relationship with his son? Surely, it will be awkward that Sean is trying to build his career and make a name for himself in the BPD, and his dad suddenly shows up and likely overshadows him. At the very least, the new scenario offers compelling dramatic material on how the major change in the status quo could affect Danny and Sean’s father-and-son relationship.
‘Boston Blue’ Could Subvert the Past Dynamics of ‘Blue Bloods’
Now that the cat is out of the bag about Sean’s joining the BPD, Boston Blue has a chance to subvert the old dynamic from Blue Bloods. Danny must play the role of concerned parent, worrying about his son, and he will have to come to terms with the fact that his little boy has matured into a young man and is following his own journey. Considering how Danny often butted heads with members of his own family about policing in New York City, it remains to be seen if similar instances will occur between Danny and Sean. Danny certainly had some harsh disagreements with his family members throughout the years on Blue Bloods, especially with his little brother, Jamie, when Jamie was a patrolman for the NYPD, and also with his sister, Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan), who works as an Assistant District Attorney. It won’t be surprising if Sean and Danny have similar differences in opinions and conflicts over their duties. Besides, the show would not be a Blue Bloods spinoff without a little spicy family drama here and there. That said, Sean becoming a cop offers a fresh story thread for the franchise.
This is mere speculation, but the synopsis almost suggests that Sean moved to Boston because he wanted to get away from his family. It would be even more interesting if a specific event caused an estrangement between Danny and Sean. That would add more intrigue to Danny seeking to reconnect and bond with Sean following a tumultuous falling out. The Blue Bloods casting news certainly raises the stakes and adds significant levels of unpredictability to the upcoming spin-off. The news of Sean’s recasting is surprising, but it could potentially provide just the element that the show needs to differentiate itself from Blue Bloods.
