Boston Blue Season 2 Review: The Blue Bloods Formula Is Still the Secret Ingredient

Boston Blue returns on October 9th, the spinoff of the highly successful and, some might say, improbable run of Blue Bloods, the CBS procedural that ran for fourteen years in the time slot of death, Friday at 10 p.m. EST. When the network announced that Tom Selleck-led procedural, it was an afterthought, a placeholder for a time slot that would battle Dateline and Seinfeld reruns.

Boston Blue shouldn’t exist, since series like Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell’s The Defenders and the critically panned William Shatner sitcom $#*! My Dad Says had more commercial potential. Then something funny happened as it left obscurity. The series peaked at a top-ten spot, never led Friday nights, and drew 15 million viewers a night at its height.

What is Boston Blue Season 2 about?

You could argue Blue Bloods pandered to middle-class, red-state America, tired of political correctness. Others might point out that the network found a show baby boomers embraced, sitting at home on Friday nights while rubbing liniment on their aching joints. However, the series found its greatest strength in an exceptional cast that ended every episode around a Sunday dinner table that felt like, well, home.

It’s a tradition Boston Blue carries forward, replacing the familiar Reagan dinner table with a melting pot of perspectives and proving that while the faces and philosophies may change, the feeling of home remains the same, bringing grit, gravitas, and charm in a smartly updated procedural where family remains the beating heart.

The series follows Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) in his second year at the Boston Police Department. No longer the new kid on the block, Danny gets a job after moving closer to his youngest son, Sean (Mika Amonsen, who replaces Andrew Terracian). While there, he reconnects with his former partner, Baez (Marisa Ramirez), and they become romantically involved.

Boston Blue Season 2 Review

From there, Baez and her adopted daughter, Elena, move into Danny’s home, along with her mother, who is battling Alzheimer’s disease. Meanwhile, Sean’s partner, Jonah (Marcus Scribner of Black-ish fame), has joined the Reagan clan. He’s the son of District Attorney Mae Silver (Gloria Reuben) and the half-brother of Danny’s partner, Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green of Star Trek: Discovery).

Boston Blue comes from showrunners Brandon Sonnier (The Blacklist) and Brandon Margolis (L.A.’s Finest), who wisely don’t reinvent the wheel. Whatever you want to say about the show, Wahlberg has cultivated a magnetic, funny character who is entirely his own. An underrated performer since Band of Brothers, Wahlberg makes each case feel like a high-stakes moral dilemma.

The series also knows how to keep its core fanbase happy. Len Cariou returns as Henry Reagan, Danny’s grandfather, whom Danny calls for advice. Will Estes will make his debut on the series, reprising his role as Danny’s youngest brother, Jamie. This follows guest appearances by Bridget Moynahan and Will Hochman, who play Danny’s sister Erin and nephew Joe, respectively, in the first season.

Is Boston Blue Season 2 worth watching

We should also point out Psych‘s Maggie Lawson, who plays Superintendent Sarah Silver, Lena’s stepsister, bringing grit and toughness in uniform, along with unexpected warmth and emotional vulnerability. As you can tell, the cast is a deep bench of familiar and fresh faces. Then, when you fold in the guest star nostalgia, the show becomes family procedural comfort food.

However, what sets the show apart is that Boston Blue doesn’t merely recreate the family dynamics at the dinner table. The spinoff intentionally gives the formula a facelift and broadens its perspectives, yet it still offers that comforting feeling of knowing every seat is filled at the dinner table. After all, family isn’t defined by shared blood; people with different backgrounds and beliefs can still find common ground around the dinner table.

The new season of the CBS series Boston Blue premieres October 9th! Critics screened the first two episodes for this review.

Boston Blue Season 2 Review: The Blue Bloods Formula Is Still the Secret Ingredient