The vibe of "Boston Blue" certainly feels like it's in the midst of a learning process. Just like the previous episode, which for the first time meaningfully challenged almost all its characters, Episode 6, titled "Code of Ethics," introduces a few new twists, particularly for Danny and Baez. The premiere of this spin-off fulfilled a long-time wish of "Blue Bloods" fans for these two to get together, but by all accounts, their relationship might not be viable given the distance between New York and Boston. And I'd argue that's a good thing.
It's for the usual reasons: stories thrive on conflict; this show rarely has enough of it, and the more it creates, the more engaging it becomes. The other issue is that "Boston Blue" can sometimes be painfully idealistic, and it irks me when situations are resolved with no difficulty. There's a bit of that here, granted, and the whole thing's a bit too amicable for my tastes. But I'm glad that Danny's suggestion that Baez just up and move to Boston was met with the right amount of skepticism. These things aren't supposed to be easy.
The entire episode is about complex relationships, both existing ones that older characters are trying to navigate safely and newer ones that younger characters are trying to explore. Sean even gets in on this action. He meets a felon named Penelope on a routine bust and immediately strikes up a connection with her, but wonders whether her criminal past will make her a no-go for his father. Eventually, the Silvers push him to pursue it, and Danny comes around, which is a bit weird for me since it isn't like Penelope got caught shoplifting – she was the lookout in a robbery. That should probably be a tiny bit more difficult to look past, even for Sean.
"Code of Ethics" – that title is making more sense now, right? – tries to pull the same sneaky trick with Danny and Baez, with the former answering the latter's question about whether they're going to make it in the affirmative. But I'm not so sure, and I think that's intentional. Baez's latest visit featured precisely zero quality time. Danny was repeatedly pulled away by the case of the week, and Baez was eventually summoned back to New York. It's a non-starter; the show is just too reluctant to make that official.
The wisdom Danny imparts on Sean in "Boston Blue" Episode 6 should apply to his own relationship, but it doesn't, really, which I suspect is a bit of a clue that the whole thing with Baez isn't meant to be. If he practiced what he preached, he'd be running back to New York and leaving Sean to it – maybe that's what this season is building towards, with Sean coming into his own – so that he could fall into Baez's arms. But he's not doing that, at least not yet.
There's a subtle undertone of Lena's relationship with Brian, but it's cleverly set aside—for fear of a romantic overdose that might make one ill—allowing her to focus on an ethically perplexing case involving an old friend whose little brother has been arrested for gang affiliation. Thankfully, this doesn't end happily, as the kid was more involved than his sister realized, and the District Attorney (D.A.) can't be seen as pulling personal strings just because. Justice is blind, even when it's happening to those we love. Meanwhile, Mae has her own concerns to worry about. There's a leak in her office, and throughout "Code of Ethics," she, Sarah, and Charlie unearth the culprit—Assistant District Attorney Philip Beakman. You might think this wouldn't be a significant problem, given the justice discussion I just had, but it's not that simple. Opening an investigation into the ADA could result in all of his previous cases being thrown out. While that might not seem like a bad thing at first glance, as Sarah reveals, when Mae recused herself from handling the trial of her husband's killer, Beakman stepped in to indict him. If he's proven to be corrupt, it could mean that her husband's killer walks free.
