Donnie Wahlberg Fought for Danny and Baez

SPOILER ALERT: This put up comprises spoilers from “Finish of Excursion,” the Dec. 13 collection finale of “Blue Bloods.”

After 14 seasons and 293 episodes, CBS’ “Blue Bloods” formally got here to an finish on Friday night time, airing its ultimate episode.

The final hour didn’t cross out with a bang; actually, it felt somewhat like the standard episodes that lovers have grown to like for the decade and a part — with a couple of large moments. The Reagan circle of relatives used to be pressured to maintain an assault at the town and on police specifically. Each Eddie (Vanessa Ray) and Mayor Chase (Dylan Walsh) have been shot however survived; Eddie’s spouse, Luis Badillo (Ian Quinlan), on the other hand, did now not, being shot all the way through a choice together with her, leaving the Reagan circle of relatives devastated.

Thankfully, the finale ended with a couple of large, satisfied moments for the individuals of the Reagan circle of relatives. Erin (Bridget Moynahan) made up our minds to quietly remarry her ex-husband (Peter Hermann). Moments sooner than she used to be making plans to proportion the scoop with the circle of relatives, Eddie and Jamie (Will Estes) introduced they have been anticipating their first kid.

In the meantime, Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) dipped his toe again into the courting international for the primary time, after recommendation from Grandpa (Len Cariou), asking his spouse Baez (Marisa Ramirez) out for pizza. In fact, some longtime audience — myself incorporated — have been curious if the display would convey again his former spouse Jackie (Jennifer Esposito) for a romance between them.

Wahlberg tells Selection that that risk “would possibly were regarded as,” however he wasn’t a part of that dialog.

“It used to be essential to [producer] Kevin Wade not to have each and every partnership grow to be a courting. And I revered that, and I agreed with it. I feel it used to be simply more than likely essential for me in my opinion that Danny grows,” mentioned Wahlberg. “Because the target market began kind of clamoring for a courting with Danny and Baez, I believed, it’s extra essential for them to develop and for her to start out making an affect on him, and him to truly appreciate her in some way that he hasn’t all the time revered positive other people within the display.”

He felt it used to be essential that the target market know the way a lot love — “now not at the same time as a pair, simply as human beings” — there used to be between the 2 characters.

“I feel that used to be a large number of me truly pushing. I driven so much for some closure with that. I went to [writer] Siobhan O’Connor, and I used to be like, ‘Pay attention, you’ve were given to do one thing. They don’t wish to cross get married, however one thing could be great, simply to turn that there is also a long term for them, or that their courting has truly developed,’” he defined.

O’Connor got here up with the scene between Danny and his grandfather and sought after to marvel the actor with it. “I did the scene with Len, and it used to be simply gold. You realize he’s taking Grandpa’s recommendation. And I believed it used to be finished magically,” he recalled. “I believed it used to be finished with appreciate to the display. It wasn’t ‘Let’s tie this up with a pleasant bow.’ It’s just a bit nod to what may occur one day for them.”

Tom Selleck, who performs Commissioner Frank Reagan and serves as an govt manufacturer at the collection, “wasn’t a part of any of the discussions concerning the finale” storylines, and used to be stunned by means of the whole lot that opened up.

“Someplace alongside the road, I got here to welcome [the surprises] as a result of Frank doesn’t know what’s coming to him,” he instructed Selection.

Over the process the overall season, many questioned if Frank would retire from his position as commissioner. When requested whether or not or now not Selleck is excited he didn’t, the actor used to be stumped.

“I don’t know. I used to be by no means faced with it. I feel there’s a tale there. I do know that he hated the process. He hated the duty, the burden at the shoulders. He didn’t need it. He didn’t audition for it when it initially got here up. So, it could were attention-grabbing,” mentioned Selleck. “He couldn’t surrender. I feel he must get himself fired. Something he used to be blessed or cursed with used to be this hyperactive sense of duty that he attempted to implant on everyone at that dinner desk.”

Wahlberg says that Frank’s emotions about his process added to the circle of relatives dynamic over time.

“It’s simply so essential that the patriarch of the circle of relatives hates the process, however has the integrity and sense of duty to do it to the most productive of his talent all the time,” he says. “And all of his youngsters have other emotions about it.”