**Spoilers Ahead for the Series Premiere of Boston Blue**
Boston Blue is finally here! Creators and showrunners Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier recently spoke to PopCulture.com about how the series kicked off.
The *Blue Bloods* expansion premiered on Friday, centering on Donnie Wahlberg’s Detective Danny Reagan taking a new job with the Boston Police Department. Alongside Wahlberg, *Boston Blue* stars Sonequa Martin-Green as Detective Lena Silver, Maggie Lawson as Police Superintendent Sarah Silver, Marcus Scribner as rookie cop Jonah Silver, Gloria Reuben as Boston District Attorney Mae Silver, Ernie Hudson as renowned Baptist pastor Reverend Edwin Peters, and Mika Amonsen as Danny’s son, Sean Reagan.
Fans got their first glimpse into the Silver family and learned why Danny and Sean have relocated to Boston in this premiere episode. The show delivered plenty of action mixed with familiar elements from *Blue Bloods*, as well as some surprises.
Here’s what the Brandons had to say about the new series. *(Interview has been edited for length and clarity.)*
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**PopCulture:** In the premiere, Sean is now a rookie police officer in Boston due to a hiring freeze in the NYPD. Early in the episode, his instincts kick in when he sees a fire, but he ends up getting hurt, which leads Danny to move to Boston. How did you decide on bringing Sean to Boston, and why?
**Brandon Margolis:** Truly, the decision to bring Danny to Boston always came back to family. For the Reagans, family is the only thing that would move the needle enough to get someone to drop everything. Sean turning over a new leaf and starting a new chapter outside of New York was an interesting way for us to launch Danny’s character in a new direction.
After 14 seasons of *Blue Bloods*, Danny has usually been portrayed as the son or brother of a cop — but never as a father to a cop. That distinction allows us to tell fresh family stories wrapped in a police procedural. Danny now has to relate to the stress of having a son who wears the badge and risks his life, and what it means to have someone else to rely on while doing the job.
That was the genesis of why Danny Reagan would leave New York for Boston. The answer was always family.
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**PopCulture:** It was a pleasant surprise seeing Maria (played by Marisa Ramirez) early in the episode and how well she and Danny are doing since *Blue Bloods* ended. Although Danny is now in Boston, could we expect to see her in future episodes?
**Brandon Sonnier:** Yes! They are in a relationship. We saw the beginnings of their relationship in the *Blue Bloods* finale, and as an expansion of that universe, those lives and relationships continue. It’s exciting to be able to drop into their relationship and keep it going.
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**PopCulture:** We already knew Bridget (Moynahan) would return for the premiere, and it was great to see Erin and Danny together again. How did you decide that Erin would be the one to come to Boston to support Danny?
**Brandon Margolis:** The story centers on Danny dropping everything to drive to Boston and immerse himself in the case, sort of to hide from the pain. We imagined what Danny would tell his family about Sean’s situation — likely something like, “I’ve got this. You don’t have to come.”
Of all the characters who would say, “Screw that. I’m on my way to check on you,” it would be Erin. She’s been such a caretaker for Danny over 14 seasons, whether he wanted it or knew he needed it. It made sense she’d come to see for herself how Sean was doing — but more importantly, to see how Danny was handling things.
It felt like an organic opportunity for his sister to check in on him and also confirm for viewers that the *Blue Bloods* characters still exist even as the show spends more time in Boston. The Reagans are still living their lives in New York — and Boston is just a short drive away.
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**PopCulture:** Following that, are there plans to bring back other Reagans?
**Brandon Sonnier:** Yes! We’re excited to bring back other characters we’ve known and loved for so long. They remain a part of Danny’s life, and being a couple hundred miles apart doesn’t change that.
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**PopCulture:** We’ve seen a bit of Sean and Jonah’s partnership so far. What can fans expect from their dynamic and how they navigate being part of prominent families — but in different ways?
**Brandon Sonnier:** Their relationship injects youthful energy into the show. It offers a fresh look at policing on the ground level in Boston through two guys from dynastic families. They’ve been around these family tables for years and have a lot of knowledge, but “knowing it” and “doing it” are two very different things.
We get to watch them, with all their knowledge, learn on the job. They’re often up to what we call “shenanigans” — typical young patrol cop stuff. This gives us room to tell fun, action-packed stories, especially since these shows have an expectation of heightened action, and we really find that with these two handsome, athletic young men.
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**PopCulture:** *Boston Blue* primarily films in Canada, but you’ve been shooting some scenes in Boston, including at a Red Sox game. What is it like filming in the city compared to Toronto — particularly with Donnie being from Boston?
**Brandon Margolis:** Filming at Fenway Park during a Red Sox game with Donnie was probably a career highlight that we might never top. People were so excited to see him everywhere. Even though he was playing Danny Reagan from New York, they put a Mets jersey on him!
Between takes, people called for Donnie, and he happily took pictures and hugged fans. It was such a cool environment.
The City of Boston itself is truly a character on the show. Though we film primarily in Toronto, we go to Boston as often as possible to capture iconic shots and locations — making the city feel alive on screen and serving as a love letter to Boston.
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**PopCulture:** Is there anything else you can tease about the series or anything you’re especially excited for fans to see?
**Brandon Margolis:** I’m super excited for audiences to get to know the Silver family the way they have come to know the Reagans over the years. The Reagan family will continue to exist in our show, with opportunities for more family members to visit. We look forward to surprising viewers with how *Boston Blue* will expand the family stories.
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New episodes of *Boston Blue* air on Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS and stream the next day on Paramount+.
https://popculture.com/tv-shows/news/boston-blue-bosses-brandon-margolis-and-brandon-sonnier-break-down-series-premiere-including-surprise-return-exclusive/