I was about to complain about Jonah and Sean AGAIN when suddenly they had a better story.
Boston Blue Season 1 Episode 8 gave them a subplot closer to what we used to get on Blue Bloods, rather than some ridiculous rookie misadventure.
It wasn’t perfect, though, and in at least one respect, their story made it even clearer what the problem with the writing for this duo has been.
Sean and Jonah Finally Got a Supervisor, but He Was Worse Than Useless
One of the worst problems with the Sean and Jonah story on Boston Blue Season 1 is that the two rookies seem to be wandering around Boston doing whatever law enforcement thing pops into their heads, rather than a supervising officer directing them.
That’s unrealistic and silly, and I’ve been asking all season where the heck their supervisor is.
So I was thrilled that their captain finally made an appearance… until he opened his mouth.
This guy has never once (on-screen anyway) chastised them for the myriad of unprofessional, dangerous, or time-wasting things they have done in the past. That’s been Danny’s job.
But the second they arrested someone who it was politically inconvenient to charge with OUI (Boston’s term for drunk driving), there he was, ready to insist they drop the complaint.
(A minor nitpick that maybe someone who is more familiar with law enforcement can help me out with: since when do cops drop charges? Isn’t that up to the district attorney’s office?)
It wasn’t as if the rookies had followed the letter of the law on a quality-of-life crime like riding a bike on the sidewalk. What the arrested fireman did was extremely dangerous.
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Not only was his blood alcohol level twice the legal limit, but he drove erratic ally, crashed into a wall, and attacked the arresting officer.
Turning a blind eye to this meant putting the public in danger, which was not acceptable, so the captain could miss everyone with that nonsense.
Sean’s Behavior Was Surprising, Considering His Upbringing
Sean and Jonah don’t need a captain who will encourage them to participate in cover-ups. They need a supervisor who will actually train them AND will redirect misguided behavior while supporting them against institutional pressure to ignore problems.
Jonah’s decision to stand up to a cop who was bullying him and Sean was one of the best moments on Boston Blue Season 1 Episode 8.
While Sean was a kid throughout most of Blue Bloods, he was raised around Frank, who never compromised his values for optics.
Yet it was Sean, not Jonah, who immediately agreed to drop the case against the drunken fireman when the captain asked them to consider it.
I know Sean isn’t Frank and can’t be expected to be, but I expected some of Frank’s values to rub off on him since he was always close with his grandfather.
What Would Frank Do?
After they too quickly shifted it to Sarah to take care of, I couldn’t stop comparing her response in my head to Frank’s hypothetical one.
How do you think Sarah did with this case?
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Frank would have been arguing with Garrett and Sid about the best course of action, annoyed them by not allowing optics to enter the conversation, and ultimately brokered peace between the police and fire departments.
It happened many times over Blue Bloods’ history, and it’s a shame this type of story couldn’t involve Frank now.
Sarah Did a Good Job, but I Wish It Had Stayed With the Rookies
I liked the way Sarah handled it.
It wasn’t Frank Reagan, but nobody is, and as I’ve said many times before, looking for Blue Bloods 2.0 is a waste of time because that isn’t what Boston Blue is.
Boston Blue is a similar show with its own cop family dealing with situations in their own way, and Sarah’s way —talking to her romantic partner, researching the fireman’s history, and confronting the chief with his complicity in the next incident — worked perfectly.
It felt like, for the most part, Sarah handled the conflict rather than the guys dealing with it.
I have decidedly mixed feelings about that.
On the one hand, it makes sense for Sarah, who is closest in job title to Frank, to do the investigating and heavy lifting.
Sean and Jonah going up against their captain on their own would likely have resulted in another goofy, annoying story.
Still, it felt like the rookies’ story was mostly taken away from them, and I didn’t like that.
Sarah Also Dealt With a Relevant Family Issue
I enjoyed Sarah’s family drama.
Teens and screen time (and getting out of screens, grounding them) is a familiar topic in my own family now that I have three teenage nieces and a nephew the same age, so this story was incredibly relatable.
Additionally, both Sarah and Seth had valid points of view. Nobody was off-base or ridiculous; they just approached the issue from different perspectives.
That’s good writing, and it was a bonus that Phoebe’s misbehavior and Seth’s fears were relevant to the dilemma that the fire chief was causing.
As for Lena, her storyline was pleasantly surprising.
The commercial made it look like she was going to have another hotheaded moment, but her story was actually about family dynamics.
She and Danny both seemed completely in character, with Danny the hotheaded one and Lena the more cautious one, but she was different when dealing with her mother.
Lena felt as if she were held to a higher standard than anyone else, and it was vital she confront that.
I’m glad Mae listened to and considered Lena’s perspective rather than denying there was a problem, as most TV mothers do.
I’ve talked enough. Now it’s your turn.
What did you think about Boston Blue Season 1 Episode 8?
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If you enjoyed this article, check out our coverage of other police procedurals like Chicago PD, FBI, and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
