“Boston Blue” midseason ending explained: Does Danny officially join the BPD?
- - “Boston Blue” midseason ending explained: Does Danny officially join the BPD?
Randall ColburnDecember 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM
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Brendan Adam-Zwelling/CBS
Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan and Sonequa Martin-Green as Lena Silver in the 'Boston Blue' fall finaleKey Points -
The Boston Blue fall finale sees Ben Silver's killer released from prison after Mae investigates a corrupt ADA.
A shocking cliffhanger portends a dark road ahead for one key character.
Season 1 returns on Feb. 27, 2026.
Boston Blue slaps a fresh coat of paint on Blue Bloods, the CBS procedural that ended its 14-season run last year. Not only does the spinoff transplant Donnie Wahlberg's Det. Danny Reagan from New York City to Boston, but it introduces an entirely new police dynasty for him to solve cases alongside.
The series' midseason finale, "Collateral Damage," finds Danny considering a permanent spot on the Boston Police Department, ending on a shocking cliffhanger that will no doubt complicate the future of one key character.
So, what happens in the Boston Blue midseason ending, and what does it mean for the Silver dynasty? Let's break it down.
Who is Ronan Flaherty?
Michael Gibson/CBS
Ronan Flaherty's conviction is overturned in the 'Boston Blue' fall finale
Ronan Flaherty (Jack Murray) is the man who killed Ben Silver, a judge and Silver family patriarch who was murdered prior to the events of the series.
Ronan was serving time for the murder, but is released in "Collateral Damage" due to Mae's (Gloria Reuben) decision earlier in the season to investigate a corrupt assistant district attorney. That ADA, it turns out, worked Ronan's case. While he's able to be retried, the ADA's behavior complicates his original conviction.
Ronan's release throws the Silver family into disarray. While Mae stands by her decision to follow the rule of law, her children are none too pleased to have their father's killer walking the streets. Each of the Silvers cope in their own way. Sarah (Maggie Lawson), the BPD's Superintendent of Detectives, pulls every open warrant tied to the housing projects where Ronan grew up, hoping to secure some intel that can help them lock up Ronan again. Beat cop Jonah (Marcus Scribner), meanwhile, lashes out at his mother and siblings, adamant that keeping Ronan in jail was more important than taking down a corrupt ADA.
As the episode unfolds, we learn that Ronan is a member of an Irish gang called the Red Saints, which leads the Silvers to consider how the gang may have been involved in Ben's murder. Prior to this discovery, they thought Ronan was simply seeking revenge for Ben putting him away on an old drug charge.
Furthermore, it appears "somebody wealthy" is protecting the Red Saints. Not only does Ronan have a high-powered attorney backing him, but that same attorney suddenly starts representing Ronan's allies — without them actually hiring him.
Who killed Marty?
Brendan Adam-Zwelling/CBS
Storm Steenson as Lexi, Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan, and Sonequa Martin-Green as Lena Silver in the 'Boston Blue' fall finale
Danny, meanwhile, catches a case with Lena (Sonequa Martin-Green) involving a 57-year-old National Security Agency (NSA) analyst named Marty who was bludgeoned to death with a golf club in his apartment while handcuffed. With a little help from Steven Owen (James Madio), an old Marine buddy of Danny's at the NSA, they learn a few key details about Marty.
First, he was involved in signals intelligence and recently suspended for his unfortunate habit of compromising top-secret intel by bringing it home with him. One of his specialties was working to foil Russian-led cyber terrorism, which got him on the radar of terrorist group called Volknet.
Suspecting that the murder was linked to his work with the NSA, the first suspect is a Volknet stooge named Nikolai Romanov (Nikita Naydenov). But Nikolai claims that while he was hired to follow Marty, they ended up becoming friends. He even has an alibi proving his innocence.
Maybe, then, the murder was unrelated to national security. Marty, after all, was lonely following the death of his wife and would routinely hang out at a strip club called Filmore's. There, he cozied up to a dancer named Aurora (Brandi Burkhardt), though he'd recently taken an interest in a newcomer to the club named Lexi (Storm Steenson). Since a slick of body oil was found on Marty's arm, they begin to suspect a dancer could've been involved.
When Danny and Lena interview Lexi, they learn she'd made a house call to Marty's the night of his murder. When they discover Marty's watch, which was stolen off his body, in her locker, they take her in for questioning.
Lexi maintains her innocence, saying the watch was planted in her locker. And as Danny and Lena dig deeper into the case, the details just aren't adding up. For one, the body oil on Marty's arm couldn't have been used by Lexi, as she's allergic to that specific brand.
They begin to suspect that Aurora framed Lexi, which they prove by matching the DNA in the body oil with her own (which Danny gets with a cherry stem she knotted with her tongue).
Why did Aurora kill Marty?
Brendan Adam-Zwelling/CBS
Nikita Naydenov as Nikolai, James Madio as Stephen Owen, Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan, and Sonequa Martin-Green as Lena Silver in the 'Boston Blue' fall finale
While we're initially led to believe that Aurora killed Marty because of him partaking in Lexi's services over her own, it actually does end up being linked to national security.
Aurora, hilariously, is revealed to be another member of Volknet. (She even assumes a Russian accent once Danny exposes her.) She broke into Marty's home to steal classified ciphers he'd taken out of the office.
Does Danny officially join the BPD?
Brendan Adam-Zwelling/CBS
Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan and Sonequa Martin-Green as Lena Silver in the 'Boston Blue' fall finale
"Collateral Damage" begins with Sarah officially asking Danny to join the BPD. All season, he's been "on loan" from the NYPD, and if he accepts the badge he'll need to retire from the NYPD.
The offer is tempting. He's gotten into a groove with Lena, and setting up shop in Boston will keep him close to his son, beat cop Sean (Mika Amonsen). And they really want him.
"BPD is better with you here," Sarah tells him.
But he's hesitant to accept it. He's been a New Yorker his entire life. It isn't until the final moments of the episode that he appears to make a decision.
What happens at the end of the Boston Blue midseason finale?
John Medland/CBS
Marcus Scribner as Jonah Silver in the 'Boston Blue' fall finale
Nobody is taking Ronan's release harder than Jonah, who asks to be put on a patrol unit near the projects where Ronan is known to live. When he spots Ronan with his pals outside a diner, he tells Ronan that he's going to be his "shadow." This leads Ronan to make a crack about Ben's murder, prompting Jonah to throw a punch. After Ronan's allies descend on Jonah, Sean is forced to pull his taser to break it up.
This leads to ample tension between the partners, as well as a reprimand from Sarah, who says Jonah would be suspended if not for him being a Silver. Sean, who doesn't have that same level of privilege, fears that his career will suffer due to Jonah's recklessness.
Edwin (Ernie Hudson), Jonah's grandfather, comforts him with talk of how "revenge is not the answer," but it's not enough to stop Jonah from finding Ronan while off-duty. After spotting him on a rainy evening, he follows his father's killer into an abandoned building.
Danny, Lena, and Sean, fearing for Jonah's safety, track his car to the location, but they're too late. Gunshots ring out, and they eventually find a bloodied Jonah standing over Ronan's dead body. "I'm sorry," Jonah says.
Knowing how bad this is bound to get for the Silvers, Danny says that he's "gonna need that Boston badge, after all."
When does Boston Blue come back?
Season 1 of Boston Blue continues on Feb. 27, 2026.
Where can I watch Boston Blue?
Boston Blue airs Fridays on CBS and streams on Paramount+.
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