How Blue Bloods' 2026 Return Will Pay Off Previous Storylines Teased By Boston Blue Showrunners

CBS Broadcasting, Inc. Published Oct 9, 2026, 1:10 PM EDT Grant Hermanns is a TV News Editor, Interview Host and Reviewer for ScreenRant, having joined the team in early 2021. He got his start in the industry with Moviepilot, followed by working at ComingSoon.net. When not indulging in his love of film/TV, Grant is making his way through his gaming backlog and exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The world of Blue Bloods is back with Boston Blue season 2, and its showrunners are keen to deliver on their previous storylines. The next chapter of the hit CBS sequel series picks up sometime after season 1's shocking cliffhanger ending, in which Ryan Broussard's Detective Brian Rodgers, boyfriend to Sonequa Martin-Green's Lena, was run off the road by a mysterious figure. While she and her now-partner, Donnie Wahlberg's Danny Reagan, continue to investigate the attack, they suddenly find themselves pulled into a new case regarding a series of murders mirroring the Boston Strangler, getting help from original Blue Bloods star Len Cariou in his second return as Grandpa Henry. Alongside Wahlberg and Martin-Green, the majority of Boston Blue's cast roster has remained intact for season 2, with Maggie Lawson also returning as Lena's stepsister and Boston PD Superintendent Sarah Silver, Marcus Scribner as Sarah and Lena's younger half-brother Jonah, Mika Amonsen as Danny's son Sean, Gloria Reuben as Jonah and Lenah's mother Mae, and Ernie Hudson as Lena and Jonah's grandfather Reverend Edwin Peters. The cast will also see a variety of major recurring players return, namely Marisa Ramirez as Blue Bloods' Maria Baez and Xochitl Gomez as Sean's girlfriend Penny. Ahead of the show's return on October 9, ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns interviewed showrunners Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis to discuss Boston Blue season 2. When asked if there were fewer nerves going into the new season compared to when they launched the Blue Bloods spinoff, Sonnier began by sharing that there wasn't as much anxiety from the pair "as much as gratitude" when they were developing the show, as they were thrilled at "where we get to start" the characters and story "based on the hard work that other people have put in" and that "we love": Brandon Sonnier: It was more exciting that it was so organic. Donnie is so amazing. The show that we were building on was so fully formed, and such a part of our lives that it felt right and it felt smooth. That's sort of the same moving into season 2. It's like, "This is where we're meant to be, and we've been here all along." Margolis went on to explain that one of the big differences in the writers room for Boston Blue season 2 is that they "get to pay off some of the things that we planted last season," teasing that major storylines established are going to evolve in the new season, and could even come to a conclusion by the time it ends: Brandon Margolis: Season 1, we had to lay the groundwork and introduce a lot of new folks, and explain how that world works. But now that we've done that, and we've lived with these folks long enough, we get to just lean more into the stories and the soap and the drama of their lives without having to establish this world, and remind people who everybody is, which just makes it fun. Lena Will Still Be Experiencing "Growing Pains" With Her Biological Father's Return Seacia Pavao/CBS ScreenRant: Another question I did have before we dive into proper story details is that season 1 got great reception from critics, and fans who tuned in, obviously, loved it even if they were missing the OG show on top of it. I'm curious if there was anything from the reception on either end, any key takeaway or lesson, that you really brought into the writers room with you for season 2. Brandon Margolis: Just for me, it was that the fans are very passionate, and as much as they were willing to trust us on a new adventure and meet new folks, they were very protective and loving of the show that preceded us. So, we always wanted to keep that in the back of our minds, and to come at this with a level of respect for who came first, but also to reward the audience for embracing these characters, and to just try to continue to tell stories about law enforcement and, most importantly, family that resonates with people, and to not lose sight of what we're here to do, which is just telling these stories about these good folks. ScreenRant: Now that we have Sonequa and Ernie's characters growing closer, and we had that very emotional confrontation in the hospital between them, and her biological father, what can you share about how that family dynamic is going to continue to evolve and grow in this season? Brandon Sonnier: Well, there are certainly growing pains involved whenever new members of family are introduced. We actually saw it on Blue Bloods when, as we alluded to in the finale, Joe Hill came into the picture. Everyone sort of has a difference of opinion about how to embrace, and when to embrace these new family members. But also, you have to remember that Lena's father that's being introduced is also a police officer, so it gives us an opportunity to move down procedural lanes with that character. What does it mean to introduce a new cop into Lena's life as a father, as a role model, as someone who can bring both knowledge of her past, but also can bring an influence and how she polices? New episodes of Boston Blue season 2 air Fridays at 10 p.m. EST on CBS! Release Date October 17, 2025 Network CBS Directors Alex Zakrzewski, Anthony Hemingway, Antonio Negret, Randall Zisk, Jackeline Tejada Cast Donnie Wahlberg Danny Reagan Sonequa Martin-Green Lena Silver Boston Blue follows NYPD officer Danny Reagan as he transitions to a role in the Boston Police Department. Partnered with detective Lena Peters, the eldest daughter of a notable law enforcement family, the series explores their collaboration within the dynamics of Boston's criminal landscape. Writers Terri Kopp, Pam Veasey, Rebecca Perry Cutter, Brandon Margolis, Brandon Sonnier Main Genre Drama Creator(s) Brandon Margolis, Brandon Sonnier Executive Producer(s) Anthony Hemingway, Brandon Margolis, Brandon Sonnier, Donnie Wahlberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, KristieAnne Reed Producers Donnie Wahlberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, KristieAnne Reed, Brandon Sonnier Seasons 2