‘Boston Blue’ Co-Showrunner Explains Why Danny’s Son Jack Hasn’t Appeared

Boston Blue fans are getting some more insight into the the Reagan family’s whereabouts after the events of Blue Bloods.

In the midseason finale of the CBS spinoff, which aired on Friday, Dec. 19, viewers learn that Danny’s son, Jack (not to be confused with Boston Police Department rookie cop Sean, whose relocation the spinoff revolves around), has been stationed in Africa as part of Doctors Without Borders.

While the revelation is brief, co-showrunners Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis elaborated on the latest episode in a new interview with TVLine. Sonnier said that the show tries to “keep track of where the rest of the family is” in the Blue Bloods universe, since Boston Blue is an “extension” of it.

“It’s a big deal that Jack is overseas and that he’s in medical school,” Sonnier said.

He added, “We never want to lose sight of the fact that Danny has two sons. Part of placing Jack so far away was logistical — it gives Danny the space to fully focus on Sean right now, because there’s not a lot he can do for Jack.”

Actor Tony Terraciano played Jack in the original series during its run from 2010 to 2024. He’s also the brother of original Sean actor Andrew Terraciano, who was replaced by Mika Amonsen in Boston Blue. Sonnier explained that Jack is now “doing fine” and “thriving” over in Africa, taking notes from his family’s “duty to serve.”

“This felt like a way for Jack to follow that calling — while being far enough away, for now, to serve the story we’re telling,” he said.

The midseason finale of Boston Blue also featured a shocking twist involving the Silver family — and a resulting decision from Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) to apparently stick around in Boston a little longer as he continues to solve crime. Moving forward, fans will be able to catch more of the Reagan family on screen, too, Margolis told TVLine.

“It won’t be Jack,” he said. “We love the idea, and we’re open to it if it makes sense storytelling-wise. We’re never closing the door on any of the Reagans or any possibility of bringing pieces from the larger universe into our bubble in Boston.”

Sonnier added, “We really wanted to establish the Silvers first. But now, especially coming out of the midseason finale, we’re fully embracing the Reagans as part of the larger Silver family. I don’t know that we should say which Reagans are coming, but there will be more — including some you haven’t seen on the show yet. And there are other branches of this family tree we’re excited to explore.”

Terraciano, 22, previously opened up about his recasting as Sean in the Blue Bloods/Boston Blue universe, telling Us Weekly this month that he and Wahlberg, 56, had a “really beautiful moment” when he called him after the news.

“It doesn’t mean for even a second that somebody else can’t go and do something beautiful with it,” he said of the show. “I got the joy of playing Sean, and I got to send him off into the world. Now somebody else gets that joy. We’re both getting to show what we do and then send Sean off into the world.”

Boston Blue airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS after returning on Feb. 27. Episodes are available the following day to watch on-demand via Paramount+.