Warning! Spoilers ahead for Blue Bloods season 14, episode 15.
Joe Hill and Danny have a breakthrough during Blue Bloods season 14 that could tease Joe's fate in the show's upcoming ending. Joe has had a contentious relationship with the Reagans since he was first introduced at the end of season 10. Blue Bloods explained Joe Hill's relationship in a story that revealed he was the late Joe Reagan's son, but his mother had kept his relationship with the Reagans secret until Joe reached adulthood. Jamie and Danny have always had a hard time accepting Joe, especially since Joe tends to ignore their instructions whenever they work together on cases.
In season 14 episode 15, "No Good Deeds," Joe and Danny work on a joint investigation focused on the murder of a delivery man who might have been involved with a gang that is running drugs in the city. Danny finds it difficult to work with Joe because Joe ignores his advice and pressures reluctant witnesses too hard to come forward. Despite this obstacle, Danny and Joe are able to find new respect for one another, demonstrating why both men are some of Blue Bloods' best characters.
Danny's Case Shows How Much Joe's Relationship With The Reagans Has Changed
Danny Has Been Less Annoyed With Joe Than Usual
While in the past, Danny might have been annoyed to have to work with Joe, "No Good Deeds" highlights how their relationship has matured. While working together on the case, Danny is mostly good-natured about it. He teases Joe at the beginning of the case about calling him, saying, "So the Boy Wonder needs some help from his Uncle Danny." However, the two quickly get to work and Danny attempts to guide Joe rather than getting aggravated with Joe's behavior on the job.
Although his intentions are to help solve the case more quickly, Joe often takes independent action that sets things back and irritates his uncles. In "No Good Deed," he continually pushes a witness too hard despite Danny's advice to ease up and not trigger her fear of cooperating with the cops. However, Joe redeems himself by the end of the episode. After saving Danny's life, he says that rescuing the kidnapped witness is more important than making the narcotics arrest he'd hoped for. This comment demonstrates that Joe has been listening to Danny even though he didn't follow his directions.
Joe Saving Danny's Life In Blue Bloods Season 14, Episode 15 Earns Him His Uncle's Respect
Danny Realizes That Joe's Skills Are More Than Up To The Task
Danny has a close call during the climactic Blue Bloods season 14, episode 15 scene. After the witness that Joe pushed to testify, Pilar, disappears, Danny thinks she ran away, but discovers she was abducted. Thus, Danny and Joe set out on a rescue mission but split up when they get to the place where Pilar is being held, putting them both in a precarious situation as neither one has any backup. When a perp attacks Danny, he struggles to fight himself off and eventually fails, getting pinned down by the villain while Pilar screams and struggles to free herself.
Joe appears just in time, presumably having heard Pilar's screams, and fires a fatal shot as the offender is choking Danny with his bare hands. This makes it clear that Danny owes his nephew his life — something that he brings up later. Joe earns the respect from his uncle that he never had before because of it. Rather than simply being a thorn in Danny's side, Joe demonstrates sharp instincts and the ability to be useful in an emergency. Thus, he is elevated in Danny's eyes to an equal rather than simply being an impulsive rookie who doesn't follow directions.
Joe Fully Accepting His Reagan Lineage Would Be The Perfect Blue Bloods Ending For Him
This Ending Would Resolve The Conflict Between Joe and The Reagans
Since his introduction, Joe has struggled to accept his status as a Reagan. Joe sometimes sees the Reagans as overly privileged, and he resents the fact that they grew up with Blue Bloods' Joe Reagan while he never knew his father. This has led to mutual resentment, as the other Reagans sometimes are uncomfortable with Joe because he is a perpetual reminder of his father's death and their own failure to stop it from happening.
However, Joe and the Reagans have already made some strong strides toward mutual acceptance during Blue Bloods' final episodes. Jamie gave Joe the car that once belonged to his father, which has been Jamie's since the series began, and now Danny has acknowledged Joe's talent as a detective. Hopefully, this setup leads to a happy ending for Joe in Blue Bloods' finale, allowing him to takes his rightful place at the Reagan dinner table and fully become part of the family.
Joe's Reagan Reconciliation Makes Him A Good Candidate To Lead The Reported Blue Bloods Spinoff
His New Connection With The Reagans Makes Him A More Interesting Lead Character
There have been rumors and speculation about a Blue Bloods spinoff since the series' cancelation was announced. One idea is for a similar procedural focused on Joe and the work he does for the Narcotics Department. This idea only works if Joe fully reconciles with the Reagans and embraces his identity as one of them, however. Otherwise, he would be just another cop and only tangentially connected to the family that made Blue Bloods so popular. However, reconciling would give Joe a tangible connection to the Reagans that could connect the two series.
Joe's reconciliation with the Raegan family would mean he could occasionally attend Blue Bloods' Sunday dinners as part of his own show or work with Danny or Jamie from time to time. This paves the way for some of the beloved core cast members of Blue Bloods to appear in the potential offshoot. While they aren't going to be series regulars, having the familial tie to the new show's lead could not only continue the Raegans' legacy of serving the city of New York, but it can also keep its familial storytelling aspect.
A Blue Bloods spinoff starring Joe would also allow him to explore his relationship with his mother, who never wanted him to know about his connection to the Reagan family. The narrative can focus on their conflict about his increasing closeness to his father's side of the family, with his mother potentially being unhappy that he is fully embracing Frank and the rest of the clan. This would be a powerful narrative that would tie back to Joe's introduction, as it connects the spinoff to the original series in creative and emotional ways while also carving its own plot.
