Boston Blue’s second season on the 2026 TV schedule is off to a great start, and I’m so excited about the connections to Blue Bloods we already know we’re getting. However, as fans prepare for Will Estes’ return as Jamie Reagan, the age-old question of whether Tom Selleck will ever come back remains unanswered. There’s been a lot of chatter about a potential appearance, but it’s still hard to tell if it will ever happen. Now, Donnie Wahlberg has revealed what it’ll take to get his on-screen father to make a comeback.
Selleck was vocal about not wanting Blue Bloods to end following its cancellation after 14 seasons. He also made sure fans knew he was not ready to say goodbye to Frank Reagan, so one would think he’d jump at the chance to reprise the role in a spinoff. However, his feelings about Boston Blue are reportedly complicated. Nonetheless, conversations have continued. On that note, Wahlberg told People what could eventually bring the Magnum P.I. star back into the fold, and it makes a lot of sense:
I love him and respect him so much. I know what it will require. It’s going to require the most thoughtful, elegant episode that the Brandons [co-creators Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis] and I can pull together. And he will do it, but it has to be something really special, because he takes what he does very seriously. And he takes the legacy of the show seriously. He takes Frank Reagan seriously.
Since Selleck spent 14 years as Frank Reagan and was very passionate about Blue Bloods, it’s understandable that he wouldn’t just come back on a whim.
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It’s also on par with what Wahlberg’s co-star Sonequa Martin-Green previously said. She had shared that while there were ongoing talks about Selleck’s return, the story had to be right because he was so adamant about it. It sounds like creators Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier are just as adamant as Wahlberg when it comes to this too, and it makes me hopeful. Plus, the Danny actor would love nothing more than to reunite with his on-screen dad:
I learned so much from him, and I have the utmost respect for him. I love him and I miss him. I want him to be on the show at some point.
Blue Bloods wrapped filming over two years ago, but there’s a piece of advice Wahlberg learned from Selleck that he still uses on the Boston Blue set. It’s to “Slow down to hurry up,” meaning to take time in your craft and not rush. So while Selleck may not be walking onto the Boston Blue set any time soon, his legacy lives on.
On top of the story, financials are reportedly a factor in Selleck’s potential return, which is also understandable. The Blue Bloods cast took a pay cut in order to make Season 14, so bringing back its lead for Boston Blue cannot be easy for the budget. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did all they could to make it happen, since it is so anticipated.
Well, while we continue to hope that this happens, new episodes of Boston Blue air on Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day with a Paramount+ subscription. Fans can get their Selleck fix with all 14 seasons of Blue Bloods on Paramount+.
