“Blue Bloods” Series Finale: Donnie Wahlberg and Tom Selleck Discuss Danny’s Romantic Conclusion and Frank’s Retirement Decision

After 14 seasons and 293 episodes, CBS’ Blue Bloods officially wrapped up its run on Friday night with its final episode.

The series finale didn’t feature a dramatic, explosive conclusion but instead carried the familiar tone of the show’s enduring episodes, with a few pivotal moments. The Reagan family faced a dire situation with an attack on the city and police officers in particular. Eddie (Vanessa Ray) and Mayor Chase (Dylan Walsh) were both shot but survived, while Eddie’s partner, Luis Badillo (Ian Quinlan), tragically died from gunshot wounds sustained during a call with her. The loss deeply affected the Reagan family.

However, the finale also offered a sense of closure and happiness. Erin (Bridget Moynahan) quietly remarried her ex-husband (Peter Hermann), and just before she could share the news with the family, Eddie and Jamie (Will Estes) revealed that they were expecting their first child.

Meanwhile, Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) took a step back into the dating world after receiving advice from Grandpa (Len Cariou), asking his partner Baez (Marisa Ramirez) out for pizza. Some longtime viewers, myself included, wondered if the show might rekindle a romance between Danny and his former partner Jackie (Jennifer Esposito). Wahlberg shared that while that idea “might have been considered,” he wasn’t involved in those conversations.

“It was important to [producer] Kevin Wade to not turn every partnership into a romance. I respected that, and I agreed with it,” Wahlberg told Variety. “For me personally, I thought it was more important for Danny’s character to grow. As the audience began to want a relationship between Danny and Baez, I felt that it was more crucial for her to have a meaningful impact on him, and for him to truly respect her in ways he hadn’t always done with other characters on the show.”

Wahlberg emphasized how essential it was for the audience to see the deep respect and affection between Danny and Baez, not necessarily as a couple, but as human beings. “I pushed hard for some closure on that front. I went to [writer] Siobhan O’Connor and said, ‘Listen, you don’t have to have them get married, but it would be nice to show there’s a future for them, or that their relationship has really evolved.’”