I’m Disappointed Blue Bloods Gave a Spinoff to Danny When There Was a Much Better Option Hiding in Plain Sight

After 14 years, Blue Bloods has officially ended with season 14, episode 18, “End of Tour”. As the Reagan family worked together to set New York City back to rights, the entire family reunited for one last family dinner. It was a heartwarming moment, made better by a pregnancy announcement, and it allowed the show to end on a positive note. Still, the very fact that it was ending was devastating for loyal viewers, who had been following the show since it first premiered in 2010. It was a complete surprise success, but it managed to connect with audiences, thanks to the strong family relationship that all the Reagans shared.

With Blue Bloods over, CBS has lost a flagship show and now desperately needs a suitable follow-up. The network hopes that Danny Reagan’s Boston Blue will be an appropriate replacement, but there is no way to know if it will be a success without the Reagan family’s involvement. Any show would be risky after following up on such a beloved series, but Boston Blue is unlikely to be everything that CBS hopes for. After all, the network failed to realize that the perfect spin-off show was actually hiding in plain sight.

Blue Bloods Ended Too Soon

The Cancellation Devastated the Cast and Crew

Image via CBS

While Blue Bloods may be missed, it came as no surprise when the show was eventually axed. Given its high budget and declining viewership over the past few seasons, CBS was seeing diminishing returns with every successive episode. The situation was so grim that the cast and crew reportedly agreed to massive pay cuts just to ensure that the series would continue production. Unfortunately, even that was not enough, as season 14 featured the end of the Reagan family story and the Blue Bloods‘ series finale. After a decade on the small screen, the show reached its final arc.

Unfortunately, that finale came far too soon for a procedural that could have continued for years to come. As long as the central characters and actors remained involved in the show, it easily could have continued to thrill its devoted viewers. CBS may have been seeing diminishing returns on traditional television, but the same has been true across the industry, as network TV has declined significantly in recent years. As viewers transition into a streaming-focused model, shows that depend on traditional viewership have been struggling. CBS could have taken advantage of the shifting distribution methods by embracing a streaming focus for Blue Bloods. Instead, it was canceled to make way for a replacement show with a much lower price tag.

Boston Blue Is Set To Take Blue Blood’s Place

Danny Will Lead His Own Show

Boston Blue may not be pivoting away from the familiar TV model, but it does mark a major break from expectations for the Blue Bloods universe. The first major shift is that Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan will be leaving New York City for Boston. There, he will connect with an entirely new family, embrace a new police force, and interact with a city that he has had comparatively little experience with. Danny is a fan-favorite character, but he will be the only major star to participate in the new series.

Danny will be working alongside Detective Lena Peters (Sonequa Martin-Green) while settling into a fresh environment. The show is hoping to capture the attention of loyal viewers by embracing the family dynamic, even if it is leaving the Reagans behind. The show was originally planned as a stand-alone procedural, but the Blue Bloods cancellation was the perfect opportunity to tie the concept into an existing universe. In doing so, CBS hopes to draw in a new audience, alongside long-time viewers. Unfortunately, by choosing Danny as the leading man, the network missed an opportunity for an even more exciting spin-off.

Jamie and Joe Deserved a Spin-Off Instead

More Reagan Family Members Could Have Cameos

Danny is a popular character, so it is no surprise that he was chosen to lead a show of his own. Despite that popularity, however, he was never the star who had the most potential, given that he had so much focus in the original show. Jamie Reagan (Will Estes) and Joe Hill (Will Hochman), however, had potential that was never fully realized. Joe, the son of Joe Reagan, was a late introduction to the show, having only debuted in season 10. Joe lived most of his life completely unaware of his connection to the Reagans, which made his familial relationships incredibly strained. As a consequence, his relationship with Jamie was extremely rocky, which is why Frank (Tom Selleck) eventually forced them to work together.

Jamie and Joe did eventually resolve their troublesome relationship, as Joe learned to value the Reagan family and Jamie learned to accept him. Though Joe initially rejected his family, the finale revealed that he quickly found that familial bond to be extremely valuable. As it stands, that story ended there, as the two characters will likely only appear in cameo roles going forward.

A Jamie and Joe spin-off, however, could have continued the Reagan family story, which would have allowed for more appearances by the entire family. The key to Blue Bloods‘ success was that family, and Joe and Jamie could have led a buddy-cop show that emphasized that love. It could have included action, comedy, and the drama that defined this series. Given Jamie and Eddie’s pregnancy, the introduction of a baby could have given way to new storylines and greater stakes.

Why Jamie and Joe Did Not Receive a Spin-Off

It Would Defeat the Purpose of the Cancellation

Tragically, the Jamie and Joe spin-off was never meant to be, as it would have defeated the purpose of cancelling the show in the first place. After all, the high budget was a major reason for the show’s ending, and a Jamie and Joe story would only continue those problems. Jamie and Joe are regulars at the family dinners, so the rest of the cast would still need to be heavily involved in the series. Both characters are also likely to remain in New York City, which would mean maintaining an expensive production environment.

The reason that Boston Blue is even possible is that Danny is leaving the Reagan family behind. Given that Jamie is expecting and Joe just learned to value family, there is truly no reason for either character to walk away from the Big Apple. There will reportedly be many surprises in Boston Blue, but none of them could explain why Jamie and Joe would walk away from the Reagans. A Jamie and Joe spin-off would be a continuation of Blue Bloods, which is why it would be an exciting idea. Unfortunately, CBS is not interested in a continuation, as that would only reinforce the reasons for its original cancellation.