If Blue Bloods gives Joe Hill (Will Hochman) the happy ending he deserves, it will be the perfect payoff for the series-long story about his father. Joe is a relative newcomer to the long-running procedural, having only arrived at the end of season 10, but he is one of Blue Bloods' best characters. Joe is the son that the late Joe Reagan never knew he had, and the family did not meet him until Sean discovered his existence and invited him to dinner.
Joe and the Reagans have always had an awkward relationship that becomes openly antagonistic at times. However, Joe reconciled with Danny during Blue Bloods season 14, episode 15, after the two worked together, and he has also made progress with Jamie. Thus, Joe may get a happy ending in which he and the Reagans mutually accept one another, which would be a brilliant payoff for this story.
Joe Hill Embracing His Reagan Lineage Wraps Up Blue Bloods' Premise
His Father's Death Has Always Cast A Shadow Over The Reagans
Courtesy of CBS/John Paul Filo
Blue Bloods' Reagan family has always struggled with the tragedy of Joe Reagan's death. During the first season, Jamie investigated what had happened to his brother. Learning that corrupt cop Sonny Malevsky (Michael T. Weiss) killed Joe gave the family answers, but not the sense of closure they sought, and their grief and pain have been at the heart of many episodes of the long-running procedural. For this reason, Joe Hill's presence is a source of both joy and pain for the Reagans.
His mother's decision to keep Joe's relationship with the Reagans secret deprived the family of getting to know him until adulthood, and his presence is a constant reminder about Joe Reagan's death. However, if Joe can embrace his Reagan lineage and the family can fully accept him, that would provide a satisfying ending to the series-long story about the Reagans' grief, as everyone will finally understand that Joe Reagan can live on in his son.
Joe Is The Perfect Candidate To Lead The New Blue Bloods Spinoff
His Inclusion In The Family Opens The Door For A Fantastic Sequel Series
There has been widespread speculation about a Blue Bloods spinoff since the series' cancelation was announced. Joe Hill's relationship with the Reagans makes him a fantastic choice to lead a sequel series, especially if he fully reconciles with them. While Joe has appeared only regularly on Blue Bloods, he's been established as a detective who works for the Narcotics Unit as well as an occasional presence at the Reagan family dinner table, both of which offer fantastic story opportunities in a show of his own.
Joe leading a Blue Bloods spinoff would preserve the family aspects that make this police procedural so popular. Additionally, the other Reagans could make guest appearances, and one or two could work regularly with Joe. Tying the new spinoff to the original series and characters gives it a better chance to succeed. Joe Hill is an interesting character in his own right but has not gotten a lot of screen time, so a spinoff starring him would also help to correct that imbalance.
