Marisa Ramirez’s Detective Maria Baez made a surprise return in the Boston Blue premiere, and fans won’t have to wait long to see her again.
In the second episode, which aired Friday, October 24, Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan decides to remain in Boston to be closer to his son, Sean. The episode concludes with a heartfelt father 
son conversation, highlighting the emotional difficulty of Danny’s choice and the potential strain it could place on his budding romance with Maria, which began in the premiere. Despite the challenges, Danny assures Sean they’ll “figure it out,” with the wider Reagan family fully supporting his decision.
Showrunners have confirmed that Maria will return multiple times this season. Co creator Brandon Margolis told TVLine, “Baez will return multiple times in the first season and it’s a story we’re going to tell,” emphasizing the emotional complexities of moving and leaving loved ones behind.
Boston Blue has already featured appearances from Erin Reagan, and, as noted, Sean Reagan has been recast with Amonsen. Margolis teased that more familiar faces from the Blue Bloods universe could appear: “We’re blessed that the Blue Bloods universe has so many rich characters to draw from, so there are a lot of opportunities.”
The spin off follows Danny as he navigates life in a new city following a family incident, integrating into a new law enforcement family. He teams up with Sonequa Martin Green’s Detective Lena Silver to investigate Sean’s situation and ultimately decides to stay in Boston, forming what Margolis calls “one big happy, kind of confusing family.”
Speaking with Variety, Margolis emphasized the importance of continuing Danny and Maria’s story: It’s about where they are a year after Blue Bloods ended and how that could complicate a move from New York to Boston. It was important we pay service to that relationship.