‘Boston Blue’ Officially Shakes Up Its Winning Formula for Season 2

There’s some positive news on the Boston Blue front that will prove incredibly exciting for longtime fans of the Blue Bloods franchise. Series star Donnie Wahlberg recently revealed a video earlier this month, revealing that his fellow Blue Bloods co-star, Will Estes, is joining him for the hit CBS show’s second season. TV Insider later confirmed that Estes is indeed appearing in a guest star capacity on Boston Blue in a move that will certainly shake up the show’s winning formula. The Reagan family members making recurring guest appearances should work to Boston Blue’s overall benefit.

Will Estes’ Return to ‘Boston Blue’ Is Important to the Story

Boston Blue primarily focuses on two families: the Reagans through Danny (Wahlberg) and Sean Reagan (Mika Amonsen); and the Silvers through District Attorney Mae Silver (Gloria Reuben), stepdaughter and BPD Superintendent Sarah Silver (Maggie Lawson), sister and BPD Detective Lena Silva (Sonequa Martin-Green), and their little brother Jonah Silver (Marcus Scribner). Boston Blue begins as Danny arrives in Boston to visit the recently injured Sean, and he later opts to permanently move there to help mentor his son as he begins his career as a rookie BPD officer. During the first season, Danny officially retires from the NYPD and transfers to the BPD, reinforcing that his move is permanent, despite most of the Reagan clan and his girlfriend, Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez), still residing in New York.

A couple of guest appearances from Blue Bloods veterans thus far include Bridget Moynahan, reprising her role as Erin Reagan, and even a guest visit from Len Cariou as Henry Reagan. However, Jamie Reagan has not yet appeared in the spin-off, although we did hear that Jamie and his wife Edith “Eddie” Janko welcomed a son, Joey Francis Reagan, between the end of Blue Bloods and Boston Blue Season 1. Estes’ return is fantastic news, as it reinforces the continuity between the two shows. Jamie and Danny always had a great dynamic in the flagship series, so it will be interesting for Danny and Sean to get a visit from Jamie.

Why ‘Boston Blue’ Needs More Reagan Guest Appearances

Boston Blue is still in a period where it’s searching for its identity. We have already established that Blue Bloods ended prematurely, even with plenty of material left to cover after 14 seasons. Blue Bloods star Tom Selleck even revealed during a recent conversation with Ted Danson on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast that none of the main cast wanted the show to end. Appearances by more of the veteran Reagans from Blue Bloods in Boston Blue soften the blow of the flagship series’ untimely loss as Boston Blue finds its footing and forges ahead as the next chapter in the saga.

Additionally, a Jamie Reagan appearance demonstrates the saga’s cohesion with the Reagan clan and sells that Boston Blue is a spin-off and continuation of Blue Bloods. Plus, it will be nice to check in to see how Jamie Reagan is doing, how he’s progressing in the NYPD’s Field Intelligence Unit, and dealing with becoming a father. In Erin’s last appearance on Boston Blue, “L’dor Vador,” she visits Danny in Boston to assist him with a case involving a dangerous suspect and a missing child. The show wouldn’t be much of a procedural drama if Jamie were simply visiting to check in with his brother and nephew. We can surmise that there will likely be some collaboration between the NYPD and the BPD, where Jamie and Danny are again thrust together in a dangerous case. It will be just like old times when the youngest Reagan sibling returns on Boston Blue.

Will Estes Should Signal the Last Major Holdout From ‘Blue Bloods’

Image via CBS

The last big holdout from the Blue Bloods cast, who was referenced throughout the first season, is Danny’s father, NYPD Commissioner Francis “Frank” Reagan (Selleck). The one thing that the first season of Boston Blue was genuinely missing was a giant crossover episode, where all the members of the Reagan and Silver families could come together for a big family gathering and dinner. The Shabbat dinners in Boston Blue have been good, and they functionally serve a similar purpose as the Reagans’ Sunday dinners on Blue Bloods. Now, it’s time to combine the two.

Will Estes returning as Jamie Reagan should serve as a grander buildup to the return of Selleck’s Frank Reagan and a major crossover arc. It should culminate in a giant family dinner between the two families and could appropriately pave the way for the Reagans to pass the torch to the new cast and series. Additionally, it will attract fans of Blue Bloods who have not yet checked out Boston Blue, while providing a huge event storyline for viewers of both shows. It will be interesting to see what the writers have in store for Danny and Jamie when Boston Blue returns for its second season on October 9 on CBS.