The long-running hit series Blue Bloods will end in December, after 14 seasons. The good news is that CBS plans to continue the series in the form of potential spin-offs or franchise extensions for its Paramount+ platform. With CBS planning new franchise extensions for its established hit television shows, there is a good chance that Blue Bloods will receive a new spin-off series, prequel, or continuation on the streamer. But how should CBS move forward with Blue Bloods? Personally, I think the answer can be found in the show’s later seasons. The way forward for Blue Bloods would be a spin-off series that follows the characters of Jamie Reagan (Will Estes) and Joe Hill (Will Hochman).
Jamie and Joe Have One of the More Interesting Relationships in ‘Blue Bloods’
Joseph Hill debuted in the Season 10 episode, “Family Secrets.” He was revealed as the anonymous son of the late Joseph Reagan, a character who died before the events of the first season. Joseph’s mother, Paula Hill (Bonnie Somerville), withheld the truth about her pregnancy from Joseph Reagan, along with the rest of the Reagan family, before he died. Joe was introduced in the series as an established detective in the New York Police Department. After learning about his parentage and connection to the prestigious Reagan family, Joseph has struggled to live up to the Reagan family name and find his own identity. At the same time, he wishes to find a deeper connection to the father he never knew and his extended family.
Until recently, Jamie and Joe clashed and had not always seen eye to eye. In Season 14, Episode 9, “Two of a Kind,” they outright came to blows, getting into a bar fight. This forces the police commissioner and the Reagan family patriarch, Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck), to put them on patrol together as partners to get them to settle their differences, which they eventually do. Later in the Season 14 episode, “Life Sentence,” a plot involving Jamie’s stolen car, his prized 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS, forces him to reevaluate its possession. He ultimately donates the car to Joe, realizing that the car is not as important as family. For Joe, receiving the car represented a grand gesture from his uncle, since it previously belonged to his father and meant a great deal to Jamie and Joseph. The moment served as a true culmination of the evolving emotional arc between the two characters.
I think Jamie and Joe’s relationship is incredibly interesting since they act more like brothers than an uncle and nephew, as Jamie is the youngest sibling of the Reagan family and is closest in age to Joe. Both are strong-willed and hot-blooded, resulting in the two sometimes clashing. I believe finding out about Joseph’s son was difficult for Jamie; the series always hinted at Jamie’s close relationship with his older brother before his murder, which took place before the series began. Jamie reveals in “Life Sentence,” that he first studied to become a lawyer to live up to his family’s expectations, even though he always dreamed of becoming a cop. Joseph was the one who encouraged Jamie to fulfill his dream and enlist in the NYPD. “Joe gave me permission to become a cop. I only wish he’d lived long enough for me to thank him for it,” Jamie said. So, Jamie letting go of Joseph’s prized car and donating it to Joe displayed a moment of closure for Jamie. In a way, Joe’s receiving the prized family heirloom strengthens his connection to the Reagan family while keeping the car within the family. The evolution of Jamie and Joe’s relationship convinces me they could headline their own series together.
Jamie Reagan and Joe Hill Could Easily Star in Their Own Spin-off Series
To me, Jamie’s role as a staff sergeant in the NYPD Field Intelligence Bureau and Joe’s experience as an undercover detective create limitless opportunities to place them together in a new spin-off series. Doing so would maintain their strong relationship dynamic and develop their arcs. Joe should continue to face the conflict of forging his own path while simultaneously living up to the Reagan family name and stepping out of his family members’ shadows. Jamie is destined for bigger and better things within the NYPD. His current role as staff sergeant in the Intelligence Bureau looks like a precursor to a higher role within the department. Additionally, Jamie’s wife, Eddie Janko (Vanessa Ray), who is also an NYPD officer, recently informed Jamie that she wants to start having kids. This is another plot thread introduced late in the 14th season that I think should continue in a potential spin-off series.
A spin-off series revolving around Jamie and Joe would maintain the connection with the Reagan family. The theme of family is crucial to the identity of the Blue Bloods franchise. While the potential exists for other spin-offs centered around other characters in the Blue Bloods cast, I think it’s important for any first attempt at a spin-off to try to maintain that Reagan family connection, along with the familial subject matter. Additionally, if the spin-off series features Jamie and Joe, it would call for cameos by other Reagan family members. I’d like to see Jamie potentially put in charge of the Intelligence Bureau or forming his own division within the NYPD, perhaps one where Joe also gets recruited. More than anything, it’s crucial that the first attempt at a Blue Bloods spin-off maintains a strong connection to the original.
‘Blue Bloods’ Concludes With Its Final Episode in December
Blue Bloods will conclude with its final episode, “End of Tour,” on December 14. As of now, details are fairly mum on what CBS is planning for potential spin-offs or franchise extensions for Blue Bloods. However, cast members such as Donnie Wahlberg appear open to the possibility of working on the upcoming series follow-ups. Whatever direction the spin-off takes, I hope it maintains the exceptional quality of the original flagship series over 14 seasons and themes of family values.
New episodes of Blue Bloods debut on Fridays on CBS. The entire series is also available to stream in the U.S. on Paramount+.
