Critics Have Seen Boston Blue, And They’re In Agreement About Donnie Wahlberg’s Blue Bloods Spinoff
Goodbye, New York, hello Boston! While fans were undoubtedly distraught over Blue Bloods’ cancellation after 14 seasons on CBS, we’re not done with the Reagan family just yet. Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny is the center of the new spinoff Boston Blue, which premieres on the 2025 TV schedule on October 17. Critics had a chance to screen the first two episodes of the new series, and they agree that the Blue Bloods faithful will love it.
Boston Blue sees Danny leaving the Big Apple for Beantown, where he partners up with Detective Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green) at the Boston PD, where his son Sean is a rookie officer (played by Mika Amonsen in this series). With a new city, new cops and a twist on the Reagan family dinners, what else can we expect from the spinoff? Robert Lloyd of the L.A. Times says fans of the original will be pleased and gives a hint of what to expect from Danny and his new partner:
Danny and Lena, the show’s main characters, find themselves unofficial partners, as they go from antagonistic to affectionate. He’s bullish and impatient, she’s flexible and methodical. (‘Sometimes dotting I’s and crossing T’s has to come second to right and wrong,’ says he.) He doesn’t like the fact that she can outrun him. She calls him Brooklyn, he calls her Beantown — although Wahlberg, born in Dorchester, is the most Bostonian of all these cops; it doesn’t take an expert to place that accent.
Aramide Tinubu of Variety says intriguing cases, complex family dynamics and the potential for Blue Bloods cameos — Bridget Moynahan’s Erin Reagan appears in the premiere (and there’s a surprise OG as well) — make Boston Blue is a worthy spinoff for fans still reeling from the series’ cancellation. Tinubu continues:
While Boston Blue isn’t a hit with all of the critics, everyone seems to agree that those familiar with Blue Bloods can expect more of the same from its spinoff. If you want to see more of Danny Reagan, the new series premieres at 10 p.m. ET Friday, October 17, on CBS and can be streamed the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.
Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core ’90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey’s Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.