Boston Blue Season 1 Episode 10 Proves Its Status as Blue Bloods’ Successor With a Powerful Midseason Premiere

Critic’s Rating: 4.8 / 5.0

4.8

Boston Blue Season 1 Episode 10 was one of the Blue Bloods’ sequel’s strongest episodes.

After that intense midseason cliffhanger, it was either going to stick the landing to Jonah’s story incredibly well or crash spectacularly.

Not only did the Boston Blue midseason premiere exceed expectations, but it leaned harder into the family values at its core than ever before, proving its worth as a sequel series.

Boston Blue Established Quickly That Jonah Was Innocent — As It Should Have

Most fans guessed that Jonah did not shoot his father’s killer after the credits rolled during the midseason finale, but there was always a tiny sliver of doubt.

Boston Blue made the smart decision by clearing that up almost immediately.

It could have dragged that question out — along with the one of whether Jonah was going to face legal trouble or accusations of murder — but that would have completely changed the tone of the episode.

Boston Blue didn’t have Jonah be found over a dead body with blood on his shirt for shock value or to put the character in unnecessary danger.

Instead, it was an entrance into exploring his response to the trauma of learning his father’s alleged killer was walking free.

For me, the power of this story didn’t come from visual evidence suggesting guilt.

It came from the fact that although Jonah was innocent, his mental state was such that if he’d confronted the guy while he was still alive, there was a possibility he would have pulled that trigger.

The scene where the family confronted him about that, and Lena reminded him that he had to be better than his anger, was one of Boston Blue Season 1 Episode 10’s strongest for that reason.

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This episode was brilliant overall because of all the family moments, which made it feel more like Blue Bloods than ever before, and this scene was especially compelling.

The family wasn’t happy about how Jonah had acted, but they rallied around him, believing in him and trying to get him to rein himself in before he did something he couldn’t take back.

Boston Blue Continued the Tradition of Family Having Each Other’s Back In a Myriad of Ways

Although Boston Blue has always tried to have the same family spirit as Blue Bloods, it hadn’t been seriously tested until now.

The strength of any relationship doesn’t come from how it is during normal times. It comes from what happens during traumatic moments.

The Reagan family’s bonds were solidified by Joe Hill’s death and again by Linda Reagan’s, and the Silver’s by Ben’s.

But this shooting was the type of family crisis that could have gone badly. If Jonah lost his badge or were arrested, it would severely damage his future as well as the family’s reputation, and their response to this risk said everything.

They followed rules about not getting involved in the investigation (mostly, anyway) even though it hurt, but they made up for that with showering Jonah with love and support — the tough kind that he didn’t exactly appreciate at times.

His annoyance with Lena is fascinating. I love complicated sibling dynamics, and I know what it’s like to be the kid who feels like he always has to prove himself.

I doubt this conflict between Jonah and Lena will disappear forever after one or two conversations — in fact, I know it won’t because Marcus Scribner implied it in his interview with us.

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But I enjoyed Boston Blue making this dynamic explicit on the screen, and I can’t wait for more of it.

There were also many other great Silver family moments. I especially enjoyed Lena’s conversation with Edwin and his anecdote about when she wanted to sell Girl Scout cookies.

Danny and Sean Provided a Counterpoint to the Silvers’ Grief and Determination

Danny and Sean approached this investigation from a different angle.

I was glad that Danny saw through Sean’s obvious lie in five seconds, and I loved their conversation in the squad room the next day.

Although Danny was frustrated with Sean’s impulsive behavior, he’s grown past trying to watch his son over his shoulder.

Instead, he became a mentor, treating his son like a rookie cop who could benefit from his expertise rather than like a kid who didn’t know what he was doing.

Danny has mellowed a lot since Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 1.

He used to be my least favorite Reagan because he was so hotheaded, but during Blue Bloods’ final seasons and on Boston Blue Season 1, he began to grow on me because he was less impulsive and more committed to seeking justice in the right ways.

That paid off in his conversations with Sean. He could teach Sean to slow down and think because he’s been that hotheaded cop who paid the price for impulsive behavior.

I loved all the echoes in this episode.

Danny helped Sean process the trauma of witnessing a car explosion and taught him the right way to have his partner’s back because he’s been there. Sean then passed those same lessons on to Jonah.

Additionally, Sean understood Jonah’s pain because of having lived through Linda’s death, making Boston Blue Season 1 Episode 10 the first explicit reference to how Sean experienced the loss of his mother.

Those moments made Boston Blue feel like a cohesive show about two families — the Reagans, who had carried their legacy over from Blue Bloods, and the Silvers, who have one of their own.

Plus, we got rid of the silly Sean/Jonah stories, which is a huge win for the series.

What did you think, Blue Bloods Fanatics?

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If you enjoyed this article, check out our thoughts on other police dramas such as The Rookie or Chicago PD.

Boston Blue airs on CBS on Fridays at 10/9c and streams on Paramount+ on Saturdays.

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