The Reagans, or at least a handful of them, are returning to CBS in the new “Blue Bloods” spinoff, “Boston Blue.” Developed by Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis, the Boston-set series follows former NYPD Detective Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg), who decides to take a position in the Boston Police Department in an effort to form a closer relationship with his patrol cop son, Sean (Mika Amonsen). Though the Reagans’ name looms large in the Big Apple, in The Hub, it’s the Silvers who are are law enforcement royalty. Forming an unlikely friendship with his new partner, Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green), Danny decides to see what Boston has to offer. A thoughtful and well-paced police procedural, “Boston Blue” expands the “Blue Bloods” universe into a new city, without losing the essence of the original.
“Boston Blue” opens on an unassuming evening in the New England city. Two 20-something guys, Sean and his best friend Jonah Silver (Marcus Scribner), are out on the town. As the pair chat up a couple of young women, they spot a burning building in the distance. Despite being straight out of the police academy, the rookies run toward the fire, desperate for help. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes apparent that these two are in way over their heads. One woman on the premises is already dead — and it’s not from the fire. Moreover, Sean is severely injured in the rescue mission, and he is placed in a medically induced coma to recover.
About 200 miles south in NYC, Danny gets word that Sean had been injured, and immediately goes racing to Boston. Never one to sit idly by, Danny grabs his NYPD shield and goes bulldozing his way to the crime scene. What he doesn’t expect is to be walking into Boston Detective Lena Silver’s territory. Though Lena is reluctant at first, when the pair realizes the connection between her younger brother Jonah and Danny’s son Sean, they team up to investigate who killed the woman and started the fire in an attempt to cover their tracks.
“Boston Blue” has enormous shoes to fill, considering the 14-year run of “Blue Bloods.” Yet, in the episodes screened (critics received two for review), it is clear that this new show has the foundation to go all the way. Like Danny, Lena also has family in high places. Her mother, Mae (Gloria Reuben), is Boston’s District Attorney and her stepsister, Sarah (Maggie Lawson), is a BPD superintendent. Rounding out the Silver family is Mae’s father, Reverend Edwin Peters (Ernie Hudson), a well-respected leader in the community.
While crimes are a dime a dozen on network police dramas, in the series’ opening episodes, Lena, Danny and the Silvers confront issues that address real-life problems. In the pilot, a facial recognition software, which unjustly targets Black people and people of color, creates an issue for their investigation. Then, in Episode 2, “Teammates,” Sarah struggles to balance her role as a leader with her personal relationship to a fellow cop. The cases feel grounded in real life and have texture beyond the basic facts, motive and perpetrator.
“Boston Blue” relies on weekly cases that either Lena and Danny or Sean and Jonah dive into. Still, as the Reagans and the Silvers become more interconnected, and Danny begins to explore Boston, it will be intriguing to see how the show evolves, and whether it might become as well-loved as the original show. For now, amid a handful of intriguing cases and varied, complex family dynamics — especially when familiar faces like Bridget Moynahan’s Erin Reagan make appearances — “Blue Bloods” fans still reeling from the series’ cancellation may find some solace.
Overall, “Boston Blue” is a solid police procedural. Though there are a slew of new faces, with Wahlberg at the helm and the Reagan family in the distance making room for the Silvers, it is a worthy spinoff that will undoubtedly endear viewers for seasons to come.
“Boston Blue” premieres Oct. 17 on CBS with new episodes dropping weekly on Fridays.
Editor’s note: The original version of this review incorrectly credited who created “Boston Blue.”
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