Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Season 1 finale of Boston Blue, streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription.
The first season of Boston Blue has ended on the 2026 TV schedule, and Friday’s finale was not without some surprises. Fans were once again treated to an appearance Marisa Ramirez’s Maria Baez following the crushing breakup between her and Danny. Baez wasn't the only Blue Bloods alum to return, though. During the closing moments of the finale, another familiar face from the franchise's OG series showed up, much to my surprise. Now, one one of the show's EPs is shedding light on the reason for that cameo.
Boston Blue has seen a few Blue Bloods actors return aside from Ramirez. Bridget Moynahan reprised her role as Erin Reagan a couple of times, while Len Cariou also appeared as Henry Reagan. At the end of the episode, “Patrol,” the Silvers and Reagans got together for the season's final family dinner of the season, and they were joined by none other than Will Hochman’s Joe Hill. Joe is, of course, Sean’s cousin and Danny’s nephew, who is the son of the former's late brother, Joe Reagan.
As happy as I was to see Joe, his appearance did throw me for a loop a bit. Yet series co-showrunner Brandon Margolis told Us Weekly why Joe's return was fitting:
It made sense — honestly — for the story we were telling about discovering new family members and what it meant for Joe Hill and how he learned about the Reagans later in his life. It was a nice parallel to what Lena was going through. It was fate that he was in town when we were telling this story. It made all the sense in the world to get him there and we would love to have him back.
Margolis revealed that Hochman’s appearance happened because Wahlberg found out that he was in town filming another project. The practical logistics aside, after hearing the EP's comments, I can definitely understand why the creative team would want to include Joe.
These last few episodes of Boston Blue have partially centered around Sonequa Martin-Green's Lena Silver taking steps to meet her biological father, Chris (Erik King), and the two finally become acquainted in the finale. So, considering Joe's own history of not knowing his family for a while, his appearance does indeed make sense.
Of course, after Joe's appearance and Danny and Maria patching things up, fans are likely itching more than ever to have more Blue Bloods characters return. Tom Selleck’s possible reprisal of Frank Reagan is still up in the air, and Will Estes’ Jamie Reagan has been name-dropped on a few occasions, as well as his and Eddie’s baby. So what’s the possibility that either of them or someone else could come back? Co-showrunner Brandon Sonnier shared the honest truth, and it’s a reasonable take:
It’s a big move and we want to make sure we’re telling the right story. It has to be the right story for Frank and that it’s the right story for Danny and for Sean. When that time is right, maybe we [already] know and maybe we don’t.
With Boston Blue returning for Season 2 later this year, there will surely be more opportunities for Reagans and other fan-favorite Blue Bloods characters to return. Of course, the Brandons don’t want to just bring someone back for the sake of fan service. It’s better to bring someone back when the story calls for it, and the wait is always worth it. That way, an appearance like Joe's will make total sense, if it's initially surprising to a fan like myself.
Even without Blue Bloods stars returning, there is going to be a lot to look forward to in the second season. There was a major cliffhanger at the end of the finale that will certainly shake things up, as Danny looks towards a future for both him and Baez.
Boston Blue Season 2 will premiere this fall on CBS and, in the meantime, stream the first season now on Paramount+.
