The Silver family believes their worst nightmare has come true when Ben’s murder conviction is vacated and his killer, Ronan Flaherty, walks free. But as Friday’s “Boston Blue” comes to a close — and fans are left waiting until Feb. 27, 2026 for the next episode — the hour ends with a devastating reversal that leaves one Silver facing consequences no badge can shield them from.
Ben and Mae’s son Jonah — a rookie cop still finding his footing — goes rogue and confronts Flaherty on his own. By the time Jonah’s sister Lena arrives with Danny and Sean, Flaherty is dead, having been shot multiple times in the chest, and Jonah is at the scene, covered in his blood. All he can offer is a shaken “I’m sorry”” before Danny quietly asks him to hand over his gun.
But did Jonah actually pull the trigger? Or did he stumble upon Flaherty’s body after the real assailant fled? And why is this particular turn of events what ultimately prompts Danny to retire from the NYPD and officially join the BPD?
For answers to those questions and more — including a mid-show update on Danny’s other son, Jack, which reassures “Blue Bloods” fans he hasn’t been forgotten — TVLine hopped on Zoom with series co-creators Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier for a midseason check-in.
Did Jonah Kill Ronan Flaherty?
TVLINE | The episode ends with Jonah at the scene, covered in blood, but his “I’m sorry” leaves room for interpretation. How deliberately are you inviting viewers to question whether Jonah actually pulled the trigger?
SONNIER | Extremely deliberately. Throughout that episode, we’ve seen Jonah go on an emotional journey spurred by the murder of his father, by decisions his mother made, by advice from his grandfather. It involves the entire family.
But when you get down to that moment, Jonah was alone, and no one was really there to see what happened until the last minute when Sean comes in. I do wonder: How mad was he? How angry is he in that moment? What is he capable of? And what really happened?
Why Did Jonah Go After Ronan Flaherty in the First Place?
TVLINE | Why was Jonah the right Silver to be at the center of this cliffhanger, as opposed to Lena or Sarah?
MARGOLIS | There’s the show reason and the behind-the-show reason. The show reason is that Jonah is the youngest brother in a very powerful female family. Having lost his father, it’s tough for young men without those role models. He has his grandfather, but he lost his father. There’s this inherent masculine need to show how strong you are, how tough you are, how willing you are to defend your family — and that can be misguided.
Young men, in particular, can let anger and grief take them down dangerous paths. It was interesting for us to explore how his reaction would differ from his older, more experienced sisters.
The outside-the-show reason is that we love working with Marcus [Scribner]. He’s incredibly talented and naturally funny, but audiences don’t often get to see the darker side of his range. As we worked with him, we realized there was an opportunity to explore that, and he nailed it. We don’t want to live in that world forever because we love funny Marcus — but it was really exciting to see him go there.
Why Does Danny Decide to Join the BPD?
TVLINE | It’s when Danny asks Jonah to hand over his gun that he says he’s going to need that Boston badge after all. Why is this the moment that ultimately convinces him to commit to the BPD?
SONNIER | The only reason Danny would ever move to Boston was for family. We felt like this midseason finale was the moment for him to declare, “I’m a part of this family now, too.”
That declaration — “I’m going to take this on, I’m going to get to the bottom of this, I’m going to need that badge so I can run lead here” — is Danny planting his flag with the Silvers. It’s him saying, “I’m part of your family now. Let’s go.”
What Does Danny’s Choice Mean for Relationship With Baez?
TVLINE | Danny makes a point of saying he’s “spoken for,” but when Baez last visited, long distance was clearly taking its toll — and she isn’t explicitly part of his decision to retire from the NYPD and commit to the BPD. When will we see Baez again to directly address that choice?
MARGOLIS | We will see Baez again in the second half of the season — more than once. There will be a continuation of that story — a check-in to see where they are and to further establish the difficulties they’re facing with a long-distance relationship. We’re going to continue telling that story through the back half of the season, and it will run through to the end. There’s more to come.
Where In the World Is Jack Reagan?
TVLINE | This episode also offered an update on Danny’s other son, Jack, who we’re told has committed to Doctors Without Borders and is currently stationed somewhere in Africa. On “Blue Bloods,” his future path was left somewhat open — so what went into the decision to send him down this one and place him so far from home?
SONNIER | We really try to keep track of where the rest of the family is within the “Blue Bloods” universe, because we are an expansion of that world. It’s a big deal that Jack is overseas and that he’s in medical school.
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. Jack’s doing fine. He’s thriving. This family has a duty to serve, a calling to service, and 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.
Will More Blue Bloods Characters Appear in Season 1?
TVLINE | Now that you’ve had roughly half a season to establish the Silver family and this new corner of the world, should fans expect to see any more Reagans visit Danny and Sean in Boston in the back half of Season 1? Maybe Jack…?
MARGOLIS | We can say there will be more Reagans appearing in the back half of the season. It won’t be Jack. 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 | 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.
What to Expect From Midseason Premiere
TVLINE | We’ll be running an exclusive photo from the midseason premiere (see above). But what else can you tease in terms of the fallout from this cliffhanger — not just legally for Jonah, but emotionally for the entire Silver family?
SONNIER | We come back to the moment where we leave off. It’s a true cliffhanger. Jonah is standing there covered in blood, Danny is asking for a BPD badge, Lena is wondering what the hell happened, and Sean is in the mix.
We pick up immediately and follow through with, “Now what do we do?” We see Danny take the lead. We see Mae show up, Sarah show up. We see the Silvers and the Reagans rally — first to get to the bottom of what Jonah has done, and second to be there for him.
Episode 10 is very emotional. It offers closure to this chapter of the Silvers’ lives, but it also opens up new paths, new relationships and new directions moving forward.
What did you think of the “Boston Blue” fall finale? Grade it via our poll, then leave a comment with your full review — and your hopes for the remaining 11 episodes of Season 1.