I've spent much of my coverage of Boston Blue lamenting the absence of conflict, which has often been the case here. While recent episodes have shown some improvement in this regard, Episode 7 brings to light another, closely related issue: conflict for the sake of conflict. I'll admit that I'm putting the show in a no-win situation here, but not all character drama is created equal, and there's something slightly unconvincing about the foundation of the A-plot in "Baggage Claim."
The idea is that Lena Silver has once again been confronted with her "white whale" case. Early in her career, she suspected a state senator of killing a sex worker, but due to political red tape, she was never able to secure a conviction. Now, a hotel worker is found stuffed into a suitcase by Sean and Jonah, and Senator Lowell (played by guest star Gabriel Burrafato) is once again implicated.
However, this time it means doing things the right way, which largely boils down to Danny constantly lecturing Lena on how to properly work a case and not let her personal feelings get in the way. This leads to a natural conflict between them, but it felt somewhat inauthentic to me, as if professionalism is something one can only learn in New York. I understand that Danny is supposed to be the more senior and experienced detective, but Lena isn't exactly a spring chicken. There's no way she wouldn't know all this.
This makes the minor arguments between Danny and Lena feel somewhat artificial, but it also kills any dramatic potential in the main case since there's never really any doubt that Lowell is guilty. The arc of the case is more about Lena having the patience to prove it. This is fine in theory, but since you know a show like Boston Blue is never going to deny her the catharsis of finally catching Lowell red-handed and putting him away, it takes something away from the A-plot.
And the A-plot is really all there is to Boston Blue Episode 7. Sure, Sean and Jonah, Mae, and Sarah all have their own things to be getting on with, but they're largely placeholder storylines. Sarah's is probably the most interesting, once again putting her in a position where her professional role chafes against her sense of moral responsibility, dealing with an officer waving her gun at an abusive partner. But this feels underserved and buttoned up a bit too quickly to really make the most of it.
Meanwhile, Sean and Jonah are on a wild goose chase orchestrated by a pickpocket, who is also a drug dealer hiding his stash in a cute plush toy. It's quite a spectacle to witness, but these two rarely get to engage in anything that's truly intriguing. It's peculiar to see Sean's romantic storyline from last week completely abandoned.
You'll recall the major cliffhanger from last week involving Mae and the corruption in her office. Her attempts to defend her reputation in "Baggage Claim" are a slight extension of that, but, like Sarah's story, they feel underdeveloped and lack the necessary time and space to truly resonate. Perhaps it would have been better if "Boston Blue" didn't try to cram in a subplot for every character in every episode and instead gave the deeply personal cases more room to breathe. It would have been more balanced, I think, if we saw less of Sean and Jonah this week and devoted more time to Mae or Lena, so that her personal feelings felt more robust, and her fallout and eventual reconciliation with Danny weren't so hastily portrayed.
None of this is bad, don't get me wrong. But after a couple of solid episodes, it highlights some lingering issues and worrying tendencies that I hope some more focused storylines can help alleviate.
