Boston Blue Review: Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan moves to the BPD! Find out if the Blue Bloods spinoff, co-starring Sonequa Martin-Green, successfully balances new family drama and classic procedural action.
The Reagan legacy continues! Fresh off the heels of the Blue Bloods finale, CBS wastes no time in expanding its police procedural universe with Boston Blue.
This new spinoff successfully transplants Detective Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) to the titular city, introducing a new law enforcement dynasty—the Silver family—and proving that the core DNA of its predecessor is as compelling as ever.
The Premise: New Town, Familiar Family Focus
Boston Blue wastes no time establishing the high-stakes reason for Danny Reagan’s move from the NYPD to the BPD: his son, Sean (Mika Amonsen), is now a rookie cop in Boston and is involved in an incident that puts him in danger. This crisis brings Danny to town, eventually leading to him accepting a position on the Boston force.
In Beantown, Danny is partnered with the sharp and principled Detective Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green, of Star Trek: Discovery fame). Lena is an integral part of Boston’s own law enforcement royalty, a family that echoes the Reagans in their dedication—and their propensity for high-stakes professional conflict.
The Silver Family Power Structure:
- Mae Silver (Gloria Reuben): Boston’s District Attorney and the family matriarch.
- Superintendent Sarah Silver (Maggie Lawson): Lena’s sister, a high-ranking BPD official.
- Jonah Silver (Marcus Scribner): Lena’s younger brother and a rookie patrol cop, partnered with Danny’s son, Sean.
- Reverend Edwin Peters (Ernie Hudson): Mae’s father, who acts as the family’s wise patriarch and moral center.
A Successful Balancing Act: Old Comfort, New Perspectives
The series premiere, “Faith and Family”, immediately hits the familiar beats fans love: a compelling, ripped-from-the-headlines-style case combined with rich family drama.
What Works:
- Wahlberg and Martin-Green’s Chemistry: The heart of the show is the dynamic between the veteran, rule-bending Danny and the rising star Lena. Their initial friction—a clash of styles and a difference in how a white, male detective can operate versus a Black, female detective—quickly evolves into a foundation of mutual respect and easy, engaging banter. This buddy-cop dynamic is instantly the show’s strongest asset.
- The Dinner Table: Just like Blue Bloods, Boston Blue centers its family debates around a weekly meal—in this case, the Silver’s Shabbat dinner. This tradition provides the essential forum for the family’s professional and personal conflicts to play out, offering an anchor of warmth and continuity.
- Progressive Elements: Critics have noted that the inclusion of the interracial, interfaith Silver family allows the show to tackle issues of race in policing and the justice system more directly and subtly than its predecessor, giving the classic procedural formula a fresh, modern edge.
More Than Just a Copy
While Boston Blue clearly uses the “if-it-ain’t-broke” template of Blue Bloods—a formula that guarantees reliable procedural entertainment—it manages to feel like a genuine expansion rather than a simple retread. The casting of Sonequa Martin-Green and Ernie Hudson, along with the complexity of the Silver family’s interconnected roles in the city’s power structure, gives the show its own distinct, engaging flavour.
For fans mourning the end of the Reagan dinners, Boston Blue offers a satisfying new chapter. It’s a police drama that’s unafraid to explore the personal cost of public service, all while delivering the crime-solving competence and strong family loyalty that made the original a hit.
Boston Blue airs Fridays at 10/9c on CBS.
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