When CBS officially announced Boston Blue, the highly anticipated spinoff centered on Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan, Blue Bloods fans were thrilled — at first. After all, Danny has been one of the franchise’s most beloved characters for over a decade, known for his fiery personality, relentless pursuit of justice, and deep emotional core. But as the excitement settled, some longtime viewers (myself included) began to feel a pang of disappointment. Because while Danny is undoubtedly a strong anchor, there was another, arguably better option for a Blue Bloods spinoff hiding in plain sight — one that could have expanded the universe in bold, refreshing ways. And her name is Erin Reagan. For fourteen seasons, Bridget Moynahan’s Erin brought a unique moral depth to Blue Bloods. As an Assistant District Attorney navigating the fine line between law and justice, she represented the franchise’s intellectual heart — the calm, reasoned counterbalance to Danny’s impulsive fire. A spinoff following Erin as she transitions into her long-hinted political career (perhaps even becoming Manhattan District Attorney) could have been a powerful evolution of the Blue Bloods legacy. It would’ve given fans a fresh perspective on justice — one rooted not in the streets, but in the courtroom, and more importantly, in the complex machinery of politics and ethics. Imagine a show that blended the emotional weight of Blue Bloods with the sharp intrigue of The Good Wife or Law & Order: Organized Crime. Erin’s world already has built-in tension, fascinating secondary characters, and moral gray zones that the franchise has only scratched the surface of. But instead, CBS went with the safer bet — Danny Reagan. There’s no denying Donnie Wahlberg’s star power or the loyalty of his fan base, but Boston Blue risks treading familiar ground. A cop procedural, even one set in a new city like Boston, can only push the franchise so far unless it truly reinvents itself. And while early reports promise a grittier, more grounded tone, there’s a sense that we’ve seen Danny’s story arc before — the haunted detective, the emotional turmoil, the relentless drive for justice. Without the Reagan family dinners and their moral debates to ground him, the question becomes: what new story is left for Danny to tell? Meanwhile, Erin’s potential storylines remain largely untapped. Her rise through the legal system could have addressed some of the most relevant issues in modern policing and justice — accountability, reform, and the balance between power and integrity. A political-legal spinoff starring Erin Reagan would have offered CBS a chance to evolve Blue Bloods for a new generation without losing the soul of what made the show compelling: family, faith, and the price of doing what’s right. It could have featured guest appearances from other Reagans, occasional visits from Danny, and even crossover cases that tie the two worlds together. Instead, we’re left wondering whether Boston Blue will feel like a true expansion — or just a familiar story in a new setting. Of course, this doesn’t mean Boston Blue won’t succeed. Wahlberg’s charisma and emotional range have carried some of the series’ best episodes, and seeing Danny out of his comfort zone could bring surprising depth. The show’s promise of darker, more psychological storytelling might finally give him the complexity that Blue Bloods only hinted at. Still, there’s an undeniable feeling of missed opportunity — the sense that CBS could have taken a real creative risk and given the spotlight to a character who’s long deserved her own stage. Because for all its crime scenes and moral conflicts, Blue Bloods has always been about family and legacy. And if the goal was to expand that legacy, Erin Reagan’s story was sitting right there — poised to show what justice looks like not through the lens of a badge, but through the conscience of a woman trying to do the right thing in a system built to compromise it. So yes, I’ll watch Boston Blue. I’ll root for Danny and hope it honors the Reagan spirit. But deep down, I can’t help feeling that the best spinoff CBS could have made — the one that could’ve taken Blue Bloods from a beloved cop drama to a generational saga — was hiding in plain sight all along. And her name was Erin Reagan.