Danny Reagan Leaving New York for the ‘Blue Bloods’ Spin-Off Will Be a Major Shift

The first spin-off of the CBS hit series, Blue Bloods, is finally official. Although Blue Bloods concluded its fourteenth season last December, the saga will continue in the new series, Boston Blue. Donnie Wahlberg returns as Danny Reagan in the CBS drama series, which debuts later in the fall. The new series will find the eldest Reagan sibling moving from New York City to Boston, Massachusetts, of all places. Leaving New York City is a bold choice for the Blue Bloods spin-off because New York is an indelible part of Danny’s personality and the identity of the series. Danny Reagan leaving New York City for Boston in Boston Blue will be a difficult adjustment process for longtime viewers.

Danny Reagan’s Life as a New Yorker Feels Integral To His Character

Danny’s move to Boston is so difficult to accept because Danny’s life as a New Yorker plays like an integral part of his personality in Blue Bloods. Throughout the show’s run, Danny has been portrayed as a proud New Yorker who loves his city. Danny comes from a multi-generational family of native New Yorkers and police officers. The Reagan family first immigrated to New York City in the early 20th century with Charles Reagan, the father of Henry Reagan (Len Cariou). Danny’s father, Francis Reagan (Tom Selleck), serves as the commissioner of the New York Police Department, and Henry was the former commissioner before retiring. The grandfather of Danny’s mother, the late Mary Reagan, was one of the builders of the Brooklyn Bridge in the 1800s. The Reagan family holds deep cultural roots in the city, going back over a century, so it’s hard to imagine Danny working anywhere else.

The premise of Danny picking up and permanently relocating to Boston and leaving New York, at first glance, appears far-fetched. Perhaps Danny will view the job as a temporary assignment at first before he settles in and decides to stay in Boston indefinitely. The upcoming series will require a strong scenario to sell viewers on the premise of Danny permanently leaving New York City for a new job with the Boston Police Department. Not to mention, Danny will be moving away from the rest of the family, and he’ll no longer make regular appearances at the Sunday dinners, a staple of the Blue Bloods television franchise.

Danny Leaving New York City Potentially Jettisons His Burgeoning Relationship With Detective Baez

Unfortunately, Danny’s departure from New York City suggests that Boston Blue will have to jettison any potentially burgeoning relationship between Danny and his longtime partner, Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez). In the series finale, “End of Tour,” Danny finally asks out Baez, who became Danny’s partner after joining the cast in the third season. Danny has been single since the death of his wife, Linda Reagan (Amy Carlson), in Season 7. Although the series depicted Danny flirting with other women and teasing the start of other relationships after Linda’s death, nothing ever materialized in the romance department.

During “End of Tour,” Henry encourages Danny to finally find someone to share his life. Viewers waited a long time for the moment when Danny asks Maria for a date, and the scene demonstrates that Danny is finally ready to move on and find someone else. However, the premise of Boston Blue indicates that Danny is picking up and leaving New York City for good, leaving behind a potential relationship with Maria. In the new series, Danny finds a new partner in Boston with Detective Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green), a rising star from a powerful law enforcement family. Silver’s background gives her something in common with Danny, but it’s currently unknown if they are meant to have some type of romantic chemistry or relationship. It would not be realistic for both characters to spark a long-term romance in the show’s first season. Regardless, it’s disappointing to see Danny and Maria’s relationship potentially vanish just as it finally seemed ready to begin.

The Spirit of New York City Plays an Indelible Part in ‘Blue Bloods’

New York City served as an indelible character in Blue Bloods over fourteen seasons, as the Reagan family works to safeguard both the city’s resounding spirit and its populace. The setting of New York plays an integral part in Blue Bloods, and it’s hard to imagine a new show connected to the original that isn’t in New York. The city is woven so heavily into the fabric of Blue Bloods that it’s part of the show’s identity. New York City is more than just a place in Blue Bloods, just like the Enterprise is more than a mere spaceship in Star Trek. A new series away from New York offers a fresh setting and location, but also risks messing with the formula that worked so well for almost fifteen years. Hopefully, the writers are up to the task of making Boston as strong a character in Boston Blue as New York City was for Blue Bloods.

The Potential Benefits of Boston as the New Setting

Conversely, there are many potential benefits that Boston Blue brings to the table to freshen things up. As a native New Yorker, Danny’s moving to an unfamiliar city makes him a fish out of water in the first season. His adjustment to the new setting runs parallel to viewers’ and longtime Blue Bloods fans. Although Danny is a veteran police officer, he must navigate a different police culture. In Blue Bloods, Danny’s history as a “loose cannon” and sometimes stepping over ethical boundaries creates grounds for strong narrative conflicts in Boston Blue. His new commanding officers in the BPD may not approve of such behavior. Danny will also have to deal with new officers and colleagues after an entire lifetime in the NYPD, as well as being away from his family.

Boston Blue also offers fresh storylines along with its setting. Danny will have a brand-new set of characters and actors to interact with, marking the next chapter for him. After a while, Blue Bloods did generate an overwhelming sense of repetition with its cases and episodic plots. The spin-off provides a chance to shake up the format, offering new challenges, personally and professionally, for Danny Reagan. Perhaps Danny will feel like he grew complacent in New York City, and his new role in the BPD becomes an interesting challenge that he will seek to overcome. Or maybe a personal reason provokes his move to Boston. It will be interesting to learn more about how relocating to Boston impacts Danny’s future in Boston Blue.

Boston Blue, starring Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan, debuts on CBS later this fall. Meanwhile, the entire Blue Bloods series is streaming now on Paramount+ in the U.S.