I've been complaining about the lack of meaningful conflict in Boston Blue, but I'm starting to wonder if perhaps what was truly missing was depth. There's no reason a procedural can't have that depth. The weekly cases have served their purpose well, usually offering a passing comment that hints at a wider issue or character dilemma. However, the show's tendency to resolve everything in the most happy and risk-averse way possible was frustrating. Episode 8, "In the Name of the Father, And of the Son," is a poignant reminder that the cases of the week can truly inform the character dynamics by resonating on a deeper level.
This is the first episode where I truly felt like things were going wrong in a meaningful way. We've had glimpses of this before, but not quite like this. The most recent episode found itself slipping back into bad habits, but here, everything is rippling with genuine sentiment, and the whole show is so much better as a result. I would comfortably call it the best outing of the season thus far.
Given the title, you might think the entire hour would revolve around Danny's relationship with Sean, and to be fair, there is a bit of that reflected in the investigation of a young father's murder. But it's more than that. The themes of family and parenting are everywhere, as are those of truth and consequence. They loop back to subplots from previous episodes in unexpected directions, creating an emotional contour that simply hasn't been present in previous episodes, even some of the better ones.
Danny dwells on his responsibilities to Sean, but it's tinged with the specific concern of being a father to a cop, someone constantly in danger in the line of duty, and someone who is also potentially embroiled in a departmental scandal. Sean and Jonah are on the hook for arresting a well-respected fire chief who was drunk and got physical with them. The brass want the whole matter to go away since the fire chief is going through a messy divorce, but Sarah doesn't think that's just, and she's right. But her refusing to back down puts Sean and Jonah in the firing line.
Sarah is also grappling with her own personal issues. As implied in previous episodes, she's struggling to navigate a relationship with her step-daughter, a rebellious teenage girl who is going through that phase of testing the boundaries. Her unwillingness to be the bad cop at home is straining her dynamic with her boyfriend, who seems to be relishing the idea of being an over-the-top disciplinarian. It's later revealed that he had a problem with alcohol addiction in his youth and is fearful of his daughter going down the same path. This reflects on Sarah's approach to dealing with the fire chief problem, especially when it's revealed he was known as the firehouse drunk long before his divorce.
Boston Blue, in its surprising eighth episode, weaves together a tapestry of intrigues that is both captivating and thought-provoking. The murder subplot, with its ingenious inclusion of Edwin, serves not only to coerce the suspect into confessing through a religious appeal but also to unveil a dark family secret: Mae's mother did not meet an untimely end in a car accident. Rather, she took her own life. Edwin, who has kept this secret for years, continues to maintain the illusion of a random tragedy for Mae. Yet, at some point, he must share this truth with her—or must he? Regardless, this new revelation reframes numerous scenes within the episode and the season as a whole, offering a layered exploration of the emotional and narrative landscape.
And speaking of layers, Mae too has her own secrets, keeping the truth about the mole in her office from Lena and Jonah. This secret holds significant implications, as it could result in their father's killer walking free if all his previous cases are discredited. As "In the Name of the Father, And of the Son" typically resolves numerous subplots in a direct and straightforward manner, the emotional aftermath cannot be so easily dismissed. The chickens are indeed coming home to roost sooner rather than later, and at this juncture, it is the most cathartic development for Boston Blue. Ernie Hudson's performance in this episode is nothing short of exceptional.
