Why Danny Is The Reagan Character With A Blue Bloods Spinoff (When Jamie & Joe Have More Interesting Futures)

Blue Bloods’ first spinoff, Boston Blue, features Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg), despite Jamie and Joe having stronger potential as leading characters in a sequel series. Blue Bloods‘ Reagan family was at the heart of this cop and drama, and Danny was only one of four characters who got a storyline in almost every episode. The series was still popular during its 14th and final season, leading to a fan-led movement to save Blue Bloods after CBS decided to cancel it.

There were several viable ideas for Blue Bloods spinoffs as the series drew to a close. However, CBS made the surprising announcement that it was developing one focused around Danny moving to Boston. This decision seems especially strange when considering that Blue Bloods season 14 dropped several hints about Jamie and Eddie potentially moving to the suburbs but none about Danny leaving the NYPD. It remains to be seen how Boston Blue will explain this major life change.

Danny’s Blue Bloods Spinoff, Boston Blue Explained

Danny Will Move To Boston And Join The Police Force There

Boston Blue is a sequel series in which Danny transfers from the NYPD to the Boston PD. It will likely preserve the Reagan family values, but with a different family — Danny’s new partner is supposed to be a member of a prominent Boston police family. Thus, her family may have similar family dinners to the Reagans or other family traditions that will demonstrate the same core values as Blue Bloods did. Additionally, his partner’s family may stand in for the Reagans as a multi-generational cop family, thus preserving Blue Bloods’ legacy of depicting police officers in a respectful manner.

That said, there are several significant differences between Blue Bloods and Boston Blue. Although they are in the same franchise, a different team of writers will handle creative decisions for Boston Blue. Additionally, it’s not yet clear if any other Reagans will appear in the new series, which leaves the question open of whether the series will be a true sequel or a completely different procedural featuring a character who originated in Blue Bloods.

Joe & Jamie Have More Interesting Futures After The Blue Bloods Finale

Danny’s Career Move Was Not Set Up Ahead Of Time

The Blue Bloods series finale features final scenes showing each character’s future. The most compelling wrap-ups happen during the final Reagan family dinner in the final moments of the series. Blue Bloods’ Jamie and Eddie reveal that they are expecting their first child in June, and Joe demonstrates his acceptance of the Reagan side of his family when he congratulates them. Conversely, Danny’s wrap-up consists only of realizing he is lonely without a partner and asking Baez (Marisa Ramirez) to have pizza with him.

There is no indication in this finale that Danny is contemplating a career move. Furthermore, Jamie and Joe’s stories would have led to a compelling sequel series, especially if they worked together from time to time. Blue Bloods also foreshadowed Jamie and Eddie moving to Long Island to raise their family, as Eddie told Frank that she hated the residency requirement because she would rather live in the suburbs than the city. However, this arc was not followed up on.

Danny Getting A Blue Bloods Spinoff Is Likely Because Of Donnie Wahlberg

Wahlberg Is One Of The Series’ Most Recognizable Names

Donnie Wahlberg is one of the best-known actors in Blue Bloods, second only to Tom Selleck. He was also one of the most passionate about reversing CBS’ disappointing decision to cancel Blue Bloods, speaking consistently of how beloved the procedural was and how he didn’t want to disappoint fans by ending it prematurely. Thus, from a marketing perspective, it makes sense to focus a new show around his character, as Wahlberg’s presence is likely to attract large audiences.

Danny is a popular character who often got the biggest stories in Blue Bloods, so it makes sense to continue the series with him — even though he didn’t have the strongest wrap-up during the finale. He is also a dynamic character who can represent the conflict between old-school policing and societal changes. Additionally, Wahlberg is one of the executive producers of the new series, demonstrating that he has the creative vision to continue Blue Bloods’ legacy. This position will allow him to continue telling the same kinds of compelling stories for Danny that he had in the original series.

Will There Be Other Blue Bloods Spinoffs?

CBS Doesn’t Currently Have Any Plans To Do So

CBS’ FBI Tuesdays makes it seem natural to have a Blue Bloods Friday with several spinoffs focusing on different characters. However, this isn’t likely for a couple of reasons. The budget is a primary concern; the reason Blue Bloods was canceled despite its popularity was that it cost too much to produce. Three shows featuring Blue Bloods characters would start to resemble the original series in cost, so it wouldn’t work for CBS.

Furthermore, CBS may want to get away from having franchises monopolizing an entire evening. Its cancelation of two of the FBI series while leaving a fourth planned spinoff in limbo suggests this is the case. There is a limited amount of room in the primetime schedule for new shows. Unless CBS wants to put extra spinoffs on Paramount+ without broadcasting them on network TV, it simply cannot accommodate more than one Blue Bloods spinoff and still broadcast all the other shows it has planned for the fall of 2025.