Boston Blue put a spotlight on the growing emotional distance between Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan and his onscreen son, following the character’s recent recast.
During the Friday, November 7 episode of the Blue Bloods spinoff, Sean confided in his best friend Jonah about his strained relationship with his dad.
“I only wish I had that kind of relationship with my dad,” he admitted. “My dad is the best when he’s around.”
Sean explained that even after his older brother Jack left for college, Danny was still constantly working. “I never thought he’d leave New York, and now he’s here,” he said, noting that the move hadn’t changed the distance he feels.
Jonah reminded him that Danny relocated to Boston because of him, but Sean still felt disconnected. “I figured me becoming a cop us having that in common would bring us closer. But we’re not.”
Although Sean kept his feelings to himself, Danny picked up on it by the end of the episode. He admitted the truth in a rare moment of vulnerability:
“I moved here to be closer with you and I’ve done a lousy job. I’m sorry. What I always do is put my job first. Cops have an excuse to do the job 24/7 because we’re out saving lives and helping people.”
Sean tried to brush it off, saying that working nonstop is “what Reagans do.”
Danny disagreed: “Reagans don’t do it at the expense of family. My old man didn’t do it with me, and I can’t do it with you. I have to make time and carve out new traditions and celebrate the old ones.”
That included finding a new Catholic church a detail Danny added with a smile after revealing his father, Frank, gave him a lecture about skipping Mass.
The episode closed on a hopeful note, with Danny and Sean promising to make more time for each other.
This storyline follows the audience’s reintroduction to Sean after the character was recast. The role was previously played by Andrew Terraciano on Blue Bloods, but the series announced before the spinoff premiere that Mika Amonsen would take over.
Co-showrunner Brandon Margolis addressed the change in an interview with Variety, explaining that the new chapter of the story naturally led to fresh casting.
“We love Andrew and the work he did over the years on Blue Bloods,” he said. “Really, it came down to we’re telling a new chapter in both of their lives.”
Margolis added that because Sean has now joined the family business, the creative team saw “an organic opportunity to bring in a new performance with a new energy, to help dramatize that change.”
“It is the same character, it’s the same relationship, but it’s also completely different,” he explained. “We love what Mika has brought to Sean
this vulnerability, and this desire to prove himself. It’s been great to watch it come to life.”