Danny Reagan’s road to recuperation after Linda’s death is painful to watch as he struggles to find a new significant other — mainly, because he doesn’t need to.
Unlike most other procedurals, Blue Bloods isn’t all that focused on each character’s love life, and we’re thankful for that. It’s a show about the hardships of police work and the treacheries of human relationships, sure, but first and foremost, it’s a show about family — its importance and pack strength. Amen, said Vin Diesel.
Jamie and Eddie have been long married at this point, so their love life is not the focal point of Blue Bloods; but many fans are still rooting for Danny Reagan to find himself a new sweetheart after his wife Linda’s tragic death. Fans ship Danny with Baez or Jackie, depending on who you ask, but realistically… They don’t have to.
Danny Reagan Doesn’t Need A New Partner
Admittedly, there’s too big of an emphasis on good old Danny finding a new love of his life. If you step back from the “everyone needs a partner” perspective and look at the bigger picture, it’s not like Danny Reagan is in a desperate need for that sort of thing. His late wife was the one and only special person for him, and that’s it.
Not because Danny doesn’t deserve to be happy again, of course; it’s just that we already have a “cop partners into lovers” couple on the show, and there can’t be a second Linda — the woman who made the 100% work-centered Danny reject the shackles of his detective self at home. Neither Baez nor Jackie could do that.
Some Fans Oppose Danny’s New Relationships
While there are many fans who can’t wait for Danny and Baez to finally get together — and even those who are still rooting for Jackie against all odds — others agree that the detective doesn’t have to be forced into a new relationship by writers.
“I don’t think Danny ‘needs’ to ‘move on’ at all. What he had with Linda was special. As much as I often criticize Danny, Linda brought out the best in him, and I don’t think the show should try to ‘replace’ her. It’s not as if Danny is alone in life: literally THE central theme of this show is that the Reagan family is always there for each other,” Reddit user JerseyJedi pointed out.
All in all, there’s no need to push Danny into either Maria Baez’s or anyone else’s embrace in the final season if his character development doesn’t call for it. Danny’s not the kind of guy who can only be happy with a partner, and his recovering solely thanks to the other Reagans’ support would only highlight the show’s main theme.
