Donnie Wahlberg explains Boston Blue season 2 twist: Elena's grandmother and risk to Danny and Baez
In interviews with TVLine and Screen Rant, Donnie Wahlberg and the showrunners discussed Boston Blue's season 2, episode 2, in which Elena's biological grandmother Dania appears and complicates life for Danny Reagan and Maria Baez.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Centre · 2In season 2, episode 2 of the Blue Bloods spin-off Boston Blue, titled "Ripple Effect", Dania (Sandra Flores), the biological grandmother of Maria Baez's adopted daughter Elena, resurfaces and says she wants to be part of her granddaughter's life. TVLineN “Elena's biological grandmother, Dania (Sandra Flores), resurfaced and expressed a desire to be part of her granddaughter's life” Read at TVLine ↗ Screen RantN “it soon became complicated with the appearance of Dania, Elena’s biological maternal grandmother.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 2Baez (Marisa Ramirez) and Elena are now living with Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) in Boston, after the couple kept up a long-distance relationship through season 1. TVLineN “It was established in the Season 2 opener that Baez and Elena are now living with Danny.” Read at TVLine ↗ Screen RantN “he and Baez have maintained their romance long distance” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1Wahlberg told TVLine that Elena's adoption involved "a cartel and ... a bomb that almost took Danny's life, too", so Danny worries the grandmother could be watched and might have "unwittingly" led the cartel to the family: "So there's a real danger." TVLineN “"Did she unwittingly lead the cartel to Danny and Baez and Elena? We don't know. So there's a real danger."” Read at TVLine ↗
Centre · 1Wahlberg told Screen Rant that Danny is becoming a stepdad "for all intents and purposes", which raises the stakes and the danger because Elena's biological father, who ran a cartel, is in prison but "nobody's ever really safe". Screen RantN “he's also becoming a stepdad for all intents and purposes.”“He’s in prison, but as we've learned with this cartel, nobody's ever really safe, no matter where they are.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1According to Screen Rant's recap, Danny and Baez ran a background check on Dania and by the end of the episode decided Elena should meet her; Wahlberg said Danny would usually say bringing her in is a bad idea, but he has seen how Lena Silver was affected by not knowing her biological father. Screen RantN “By the end of “Ripple Effect,” Danny and Baez decided it would be a good idea for Elena to meet her grandmother.”“before the latter ran a background check on the older woman” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1Showrunners Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier told TVLine that the Elena and Baez storyline is "at the heart" of a climax building toward the midseason finale, and that viewers will see Danny and Baez in a new home this season. TVLineN “We are building to a pretty incredible climax for our midseason finale and then premiere into the spring. That storyline with Elena and Baez is at the heart of it.”“We're going to see them in a new place.” Read at TVLine ↗
Centre · 1The episode also saw Det. Brian Rogers (Ryan Broussard) take a DEA job in Washington, D.C., and Lena (Sonequa Martin-Green) end their relationship; the DEA took over the investigation into the biker gang Cain's Disciples after a standoff with Danny and Lena. Margolis called the split "a goodbye for now" and said the case will be revisited. TVLineN “Det. Brian Rogers (Ryan Broussard) accepted a job with the DEA that will take him to Washington, D.C., for training.”“It is a goodbye for now.” Read at TVLine ↗ Centre · 1In the Screen Rant interview, Wahlberg also described filming the bridge shootout as exhausting, said Danny dislikes federal agencies taking over cases, and said his promotion to sergeant should not change his partnership with Lena much. Screen RantN “Exhausting. It was super intense”“Danny tends to get annoyed when any federal agencies get involved in police work.” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both entertainment outlets run spoiler-flagged interview pieces that treat the grandmother's arrival as a setup for future danger and family drama, using Wahlberg's own words.
- Emphasis
- TVLine pairs a Wahlberg video interview with a showrunner Q&A covering several storylines; Screen Rant gives longer Wahlberg answers on Danny's family, the shootout, the DEA and his promotion.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither piece offers outside or critical views; both rely on the show's makers and recap plot as fact.
- Charged language
- “Tremendous”“Major Blue Bloods Franchise Twist”
- For example
-
“Should fans fear for Danny and Baez after [Spoiler]'s introduction?” — TVLine
“Boston Blue just delivered a major shakeup to Danny Reagan and Maria Baez’s relationship.” — Screen Rant
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Elena's biological grandmother Dania appears in Boston Blue season 2, episode 2 and wants a relationship with her.
- Baez and Elena now live with Danny.
- Wahlberg says the cartel link to Elena's background creates possible danger.
- The DEA took over the biker gang case in the episode.
Donnie Wahlberg person
Wahlberg says Danny values family and wants Elena to know her grandmother, but fears the cartel link could bring danger to Elena, Baez and himself.
“There's a history to how Maria became a mother to this child” — TVLine
“it's also gonna create more challenges and possibly danger because of who Elena is.” — Screen Rant
Boston Blue other
The show's showrunners describe it as working best as both a police procedural and a family drama, with the Elena and Baez storyline central to the midseason finale.
“our show works best when we are playing on two levels, when we are a police procedural and also a family drama.” — TVLine
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
-
TVLineN ·
Neutral Interview-driven episode explainer that leads with Danny's wariness and follows with a showrunner Q&A on the season ahead.
-
Danny & Baez's Major Blue Bloods Franchise Twist Explained By Donnie Wahlberg
Neutral Exclusive interview recap presenting the grandmother as a major franchise twist, with Wahlberg's answers on family, danger and the job.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 17 Oct 04:00 First TVLineN Donnie Wahlberg, Boston Blue Showrunners Tease 'Tremendous' Complication For Danny And Baez — Plus, Lena And Brian's Future
- 17 Oct 04:00 First Screen RantN Danny & Baez's Major Blue Bloods Franchise Twist Explained By Donnie Wahlberg
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
Ask about this story
Loading…