The Blue Bloods series finale threw fans a major curveball at the final Reagan family dinner. Just when it seemed like Danny Reagan and Maria Baez were going to make their romance official, she was missing from the dinner scene.
Showrunner Kevin Wade explained why he didn’t feel the need to include Baez in the family dinner scene, despite Danny asking her out for pizza earlier on in the episode.
“Honestly, it didn’t really come to the forefront,” he told Deadline in an interview published on December 13. “Because at the end of their last scene together, there was a hint of a whiff of a promise that they were going to leave that squad and go off to dinner and end up at one or the other’s house, yes. But it felt like a big leap, with only two minutes left, after 14 years, to introduce them like that at the dinner.”
The episode ended with Frank Reagan saying a prayer as his family members reunited at the dinner table for one final time. Eddie Janko-Reagan and Jamie Reagan announced they were expecting their first child during the final scene. Jack Boyle was also there after rekindling his romance with Erin Reagan. But for Kevin, it felt like it was not the right time to hard-launch Danny and Baez’s relationship.
“We’ve done it in Seas on 8 with Jamie and Eddie, and it felt like we had plenty of tarmac to get there,” he said. “This would have been a little too quick, I think. To me, it was just too fast. But that’s one of those things that I said before. Here’s what you can imagine in the future. If you love the show, feel free to draw it for yourself. We just left little, little crumbs there.”
“I think that Maria Baez really deserved a seat at the family dinner table, and not just pizza someplace else,” one person wrote on X after the finale aired. “Other than that, the #BlueBloods series finale was just fine — except, of course, for the fact that it was the #BlueBloodsFinale.”
“I half expected Baez to be at that dinner table. #BlueBloods,” another person said.
While many were hoping to see Baez at the final dinner, the episode was still one to remember. Donnie Wahlberg, who played Danny for 14 seasons of the hit series, penned a lengthy tribute to his fans on Instagram to reflect on his journey on the show.
“Dearest Blockheads, There is, of course, a sadness in saying goodbye to #BlueBloods. But what a heck of a ride we had together!” he wrote. “You all were literally part of the Blue Bloods family! Not just on Friday nights (trending #BlueBloods every single week that it’s been on the air), not just in your impact on the Ratings (which was massive), you all made yourselves an actual part of the crew! Everybody on set knew you, appreciated you and was happy to see you. None — more than me.”
“Of all the memories, highlights and moments, that I’ll look back on fondly from the last 14 years of filming #BlueBloods in New York City, your set visits will be something that I’ll cherish forever,” the New Kids on the Block singer continued. “From day one filming in Toronto – to day 5,000 and something filming in Brooklyn. You were there. Year round, and around the clock! On sunny days. Rainy evenings. Snowy afternoons. Bitter cold nights. Even on days when you were on the way to Joey’s Broadway plays.”
He concluded the post by writing, “Please know that my heart is full. I can go on forever, about you, but it’s time to stop writing and to simply let these memories live. I thank you. I love you. I appreciate you. I salute you.”