Boston Blue, the new Donnie Wahlberg expansion of the Blue Bloods universe, has made it clear that it will fix one serious problem that plagued its parent series for 14 years. It was disappointing that Blue Bloods was one of the shows CBS canceled in 2025, as it was still popular after 14 years on the air and told compelling stories about a family of cops in New York City. Blue Bloods was unique among police procedurals because it centered around the Reagan family rather than simply being about the cases of the week.
Soon after the series ended, CBS announced a Blue Bloods spinoff starring Wahlberg, who is set to reprise his role as Danny Reagan. The spinoff takes place in Boston rather than New York. There has been widespread speculation about why Danny moved to Boston to work with a prominent cop family there instead of remaining in New York with the close-knit Reagan family. Additionally, recent casting news has made it clear that there is at least one way Boston Blue will differ from Blue Bloods.
Blue Bloods Didn’t Accurately Represent The Diversity Of New York
Although It Had Black And Latino Characters, The Majority Of The Cast Was White
Although Blue Bloods told compelling stories about New York police and family issues, the cast was less diverse than the city it represented. Since Blue Bloods’ Reagan family was white, it followed that most stories centered around white characters. Of course, the series didn’t have an exclusively white cast. Notably, Danny’s partner, Baez (Marisa Ramirez), was Latina, and Erin had two bosses who were Black: Monica (Tamara Tunie), who was shot, and then Erin, who was was constantly butting heads with Kimberly Crawford (Roslyn Ruff).
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Why Danny Is The Reagan Character With A Blue Bloods Spinoff (When Jamie & Joe Have More Interesting Futures)
Blue Bloods’ first spinoff has a reason for focusing on Danny, even though Jamie and Joe seem like more natural choices to carry a sequel series.
Blue Bloods often touched upon the way New Yorkers saw the Reagans as privileged, but the series was told from the point of view of white cops, and non-white people often played criminals or suspects. Additionally, the Reagan family contained no members who were part of the LGBTQ+ community. These critiques in no way suggest that Blue Bloods was not a high-quality show; however, it was less realistic than it might have been because New York is a highly diverse city, yet the series was white-centered.
Boston Blue Will Have Better Representation Thanks To Its More Diverse Cast
The Silver Family Is Interracial
When Danny moves to Boston, he will encounter the Silver family, a prominent cop family in Boston. This family includes a district attorney, a couple of cops, and a police supervisor, spread across several generations, making it nearly equivalent to the Reagan family. One noticeable difference is that this family is interracial, with several Black members. Well-known Black actors such as Gloria Reuben and Ernie Hudson will star in the series alongside white actors like Maggie Lawson. Creating an interracial family more accurately represents what Boston looks like, including the police force.
It will be refreshing for Boston Blue to continue to provide a nuanced perspective on policing.
This change also provides the opportunity to explore police-related issues from a different point of view. Blue Bloods was well-known for showing the NYPD in a fair and mostly positive light, so Boston Blue will likely continue that trend. However, police officers who are from marginalized groups may have a different perspective on how the department works or what its priorities should be. It will be refreshing for Boston Blue to continue to provide a nuanced perspective on policing. Most procedurals have not moved past stories in which Black cops feel caught between their community and their jobs.
How Danny’s Police Work Will Be Impacted As He Moves From NYC To Boston
Danny Is Now The Outsider Instead of The Commissioner’s Son
Frank (Tom Selleck) was committed to being objective on the job, so he refused to give special treatment to Danny or Jamie. However, Danny could count on his father to have his back in the face of public criticism of his behavior on the job. Additionally, Frank could pre-emptively address potential issues by speaking privately with Danny as a son. Danny was privileged in a way he wouldn’t realize until he moved to Boston. In Boston Blue, Danny will no longer be the son of the head of the police department.
Danny will be exposed to a new perspective by working with an interracial family of top cops in Boston Blue.
Instead, he will be the outsider who has to deal with his partner’s family. He will need to make a positive impression and temper his tendency toward impulsive behavior, as that wouldn’t go over well with his new bosses, and he will no longer have the same type of backup. Additionally, Danny will be exposed to a new perspective by working with an interracial family of top cops in Boston Blue. The Silver family will have a different perspective because of their experiences as Black or biracial cops, which will expose Danny to ideas he never considered before.
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