Boston Blue Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Danny and Lena Face Their Most Dangerous Moment Yet

Boston Blue is only two episodes into season 2, and somehow things are already getting crazy. “Ripple Effect” picks up right where the season premiere left off, giving us more family drama, more police work, and one hell of a shootout that I did not expect this early in the season.

The episode starts with Danny spending some time at the park with Elena when they notice a woman taking pictures of them. Turns out, she is Elena’s grandmother. She wants to meet Elena, but Danny and the family aren’t exactly sure that’s a good idea yet. Danny gets a call from Lena, who needs him back, and Maria gives him the go-ahead even though Danny clearly wants to stick around and deal with the whole “grandmother stalker” situation. I actually like that this storyline is moving slowly because there is obviously a lot of history here that needs to be dealt with.

Brian and Lena also have another conversation about his active-duty situation. Brian basically wants Lena to just be his girlfriend and not mix their relationship with everything going on with the police and his career. Of course, that is easier said than done considering everything that has happened.

Sean and Jonah also get introduced to their new sergeant, Bet Ryan, and this woman does not waste any time letting them know who is in charge. She literally walks into the men’s locker room and starts chewing them out. Then she puts Sean in charge of all the uniforms, which is hilarious considering how much those two have already been getting into trouble.

Mae is busy filming a campaign promo, and honestly, it comes out really good. But of course, Thad has to show up and bring more drama with him. He confronts Lena about showing up at his fundraiser and points out that she had her hand on her gun the entire time. He threatens to go to the press and accuse her of police brutality. Lena stands her ground and says she never crossed the line. Sara tries to step in, but Lena snaps back and brings up Brian’s reinstatement. These two are still carrying a lot of tension from everything that happened.

Meanwhile, Sean and Jonah are chasing a suspect who kicks off her heels and takes off running. The chase eventually leads them to getting cornered by a damn dog. These two cannot catch a break. Later, they find out the woman vandalized a man’s car because she was a sex worker who got stiffed. Their new sergeant isn’t interested in hearing the sob story, and the collar isn’t going to stick. She even gives them a hard time about getting cornered by the dog. Sean keeps digging anyway and discovers that the man has unpaid parking tickets. I already like the dynamic between these two because Sean and Jonah are determined to do things their way, while their new sergeant is clearly going to keep them on a short leash.

Lena and Danny’s main case takes them into East Borough, where they are investigating a meth operation. They head to a biker bar where the Canes Disciples are known to hang out, and Chief Williams clearly knows exactly what kind of people they are dealing with. While they are there, Lena and Danny spot someone who could potentially be connected to the person who ran their car into Brian. That turns this investigation into something much bigger.

Before the bikers make their move, Lena has a heart-to-heart with her father. He feels responsible for everything that has happened because the bikers have beef with him and targeted his family to get to him. He tells Lena that he is going to carry that guilt with him forever. I really like the relationship between Lena and her father because there is a lot of history there, but their conversations actually feel like conversations between a father and daughter instead of just another dramatic TV family argument.

Their suspect eventually makes his move, and Lena and Danny chase him down. It turns into a foot chase that ends with him getting tackled into a pile of trash and getting glass stuck in his leg. Chief Williams has a doctor friend who can patch him up, and the doctor accidentally lets it slip that Chris brags about Lena all the time. Chris also gives Lena some credit for how she handles the suspect and tells her he knows he hasn't earned the title of “Dad” yet, but asks her to call him Chris. That was a nice moment between them.

Sean and Jonah’s storyline gets even more interesting when they have the guy’s car towed and he takes a swing at them. They arrest him, but then they are ordered to cut him loose. Their new sergeant threatens to cut him loose herself if they keep crossing the line. Sean doesn't want to let it go, though, and the two decide that if one of them goes down, they are going down together. Later, they call the man's wife to bail him out, and somehow Sean and Jonah end up helping reconnect the two. Their sergeant is not impressed and tells Sean that he is officially on her list. I’m calling it now: those two are going to end up together.

Lena eventually gets through to the suspect, and he admits everything. He still wants a deal before talking to the DA, but he gives them the location of the meth lab. Just when it seems like things are finally coming together, Sara calls Danny and Lena about the feds getting involved. Danny doesn't understand why, but before they can really talk, the call drops.

Then the episode goes completely insane. Danny and Lena suddenly find themselves boxed in by the Canes Disciples, with two box trucks blocking them in. The bikers have signal jammers, so they can't even call for backup. All the gang wants is the kid, but Danny and Lena refuse to hand him over. They are completely outgunned, but they fight anyway and manage to get some good shots off.

For only the second episode of the season, this shootout was absolutely nuts. I honestly didn't expect the episode to go there. Just when it looks like Lena and Danny might be screwed, the cavalry arrives. Sara gets there just in time and saves both of their lives because the head of the gang is about to take a shot at them. Lena and Sara finally make up, which was a long time coming.

Then comes the big twist. Mae meets with Thad and tells him she has dirt on him, but she refuses to release it because she wants to run a clean campaign. She just wants him to stay away from her family. But while all of that is happening, we find out that the doctor working with Chris is the one who leaked the kid's location. Yep, she's dirty. Apparently, the DEA has already had her on their radar for quite some time, and now they're taking over the investigation.

And then Brian drops another bombshell. He decides to join the DEA and move to DC for the academy. He believes this will actually be better for his relationship with Lena, but Lena gives him some tough love and tells him that he's in denial. She refuses to sit back and watch him destroy himself while pretending everything is fine. Brian still believes he's making the right decision, but the two eventually say goodbye, and honestly, that scene hurt. You can tell they care about each other, but they're heading in completely different directions. The episode ends with Lena and Mae having a conversation, and Mae apologizes to Lena for keeping her father away from her and Maria. Then Danny and Maria finally agree to let Elena meet her grandmother.

“Ripple Effect” is a really strong second episode because it doesn't just continue the story from the premiere, it starts creating new problems for basically everybody. Lena and Sara finally start repairing their relationship, Brian is leaving for DC, Mae is dealing with the political mess surrounding her family, Sean and Jonah have a new sergeant breathing down their necks, and Danny is dealing with the possibility of Elena meeting her grandmother.

And that shootout? Come on. Boston Blue really said, “You thought episode one was crazy? Watch this.” Season 2 is off to a strong start, and if “Ripple Effect” is any indication, things are about to get a whole lot messier.

What did you think?

• Loved it
• Hated it
• So/So