The premiere of Boston Blue, the highly anticipated spinoff of the long-running family and police drama Blue Bloods, wasted no time delivering an emotional bombshell. In its opening moments, the new series confirmed the answer to a question fans have debated for years: the beloved “will-they-won’t-they” tension between Detective Danny Reagan and his longtime partner Detective Maria Baez has officially become “they will.”
In a moment that caught viewers completely by surprise, Marisa Ramirez—who portrayed Baez for 11 seasons on Blue Bloods—made a brief but powerful appearance in the Boston Blue pilot. Though short, the scene carried enormous weight, unmistakably establishing her character’s romantic relationship with Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan as he embarks on a new chapter in Boston.
Speaking in a post-premiere interview, Ramirez revealed that the creative team deliberately kept her involvement hidden to maximize the emotional impact of the reveal. She acknowledged the “overwhelming fan demand” for Danny and Baez to take their partnership beyond the professional, and expressed excitement about how the series will explore their evolving relationship—particularly the challenges and tenderness of maintaining a long-distance romance while Danny adapts to his life in a new city.
With its dramatic first-episode twist, Boston Blue has signaled that it’s ready not only to honor the legacy of its parent series but also to carve out bold new territory—starting with one of the most anticipated relationships in the franchise’s history.
