Why We Had to Say Goodbye to Jesse Stone? Tom Selleck Explains His Difficult Decision

Tom Selleck has big plans for Jesse Stone’s future – but the tenth movie should wrap up the series. With Blue Bloods ending there is talk of Jesse Stone returning, with the most recent entry being 2015’s Lost in Paradise. Selleck has fronted nine Jesse Stone movies thus far, and while he had planned to juggle the franchise with his Blue Bloods commitments, it didn’t work out that way. With his schedule clearing up, Selleck has confirmed his interest in a Jesse return, also telling TV Insider that part ten “… wouldn’t be a final one because everybody loves it.”

One issue with the next entry is that it’s been a decade since Lost in Paradise. The passage of time means the next Jesse Stone can’t just pick up from ongoing plot threads like previous sequels did, so the time gap will need to be addressed. It may also need to be a soft reboot if it stands any chance of appealing to new viewers. Still, the thought of Selleck donning the PPD cap again is an exciting one, though the star should probably scale back on his ambitions for the future of Jesse Stone.

Tom Selleck Doesn’t Want Jesse Stone 10 To End The Series

Jesse Stone: Leaving Paradise has a nice ring to it

As he made clear in his TV Insider interview, Selleck very much wants to pick up where he left off with Stone. Prior to Blue Bloods, the star was making almost annual Jesse Stone movies, with the biggest gap between installments being the three-year wait for Lost in Paradise. Selleck has always planned to return to the character someday, so it makes sense that after such a long pause, he’d want to make multiple movies. However, that could be tricky, as a lot has changed in the TV landscape since Jesse Stone took a hiatus.

CBS produced the first eight outings before The Hallmark Channel took over for Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise. In the years since streamers like Disney+ and Max have launched and the ways audiences consume media have changed drastically. It feels unlikely Selleck will find a network or streamer willing to commit to an ongoing series of new Jesse Stone fims, despite their continuing popularity.

There would definitely be interest in a one-off finale, as the final installment would be an event in itself. There’s also the fact both Jesse and Selleck are getting older, and while the franchise is hardly focused on action, there is a physical element to them all. Ideally, Jesse Stone 10 would serve as the end, wrapping up lingering plot threads and maybe even seeing Jesse leave Paradise for a town with fewer gangsters and corruption.

Jesse Stone Deserves A Proper Finale

Chief Stone probably isn’t destined for a feelgood ending

The Jesse Stone movies are ultimately modern noirs, with Selleck’s police chief being a good man overwhelmed by his own demons and “hyperactive” sense of responsibility. Jesse Stone’s creator gave Selleck two rules for the TV adaptations: Stone must always be hung up on his ex-wife Jenn, and he can never overcome his drinking problem. The series has made it clear Jesse needs a case to function, though after going to therapy and cutting his former wife out of his life, he’s slowly moving towards self-improvement.

Lost in Paradise was a solid outing, but in no way served as a proper ending. The Jesse Stone saga deserves a finale, where the title character investigates one last big case before either retirement – or death. The tenth entry can deliver on that, and with Selleck having wrapped up one major saga with Blue Bloods, he has unfinished business with Jesse. It would also be nice to see certain stories get paid off, be it capturing “Hasty” Hathaway (Saul Rubinek) or even reuniting with Jenn onscreen.

Will Jesse Stone 10 Actually Happen?

Jesse Stone fans are still waiting for a return to Paradise

While Selleck has been talking up the potential for Jesse Stone 10, it should be noted that nothing has been greenlit yet. The star’s deal with Hallmark for Lost in Paradise included the option for an additional sequel – but that expired during his run on Blue Bloods. Now, Stone is without a home or platform, and Selleck seemingly wants to take a break before deciding what his next project is. Given his enthusiasm for the role, the chances of another sequel happening are strong, and they’re not the most expensive movies to produce either.

Whether there’s a longer-term future for the Jesse Stone franchise is a different question. Given the anticipation for another entry, it feels like the better move to make part ten the finale, and send Jesse off into the sunset – or at the very least allow him to conquer some of his demons and spend his retirement in peace.