‘Boston Blue’ Bosses Tease Big Villain of Season 2

Kelli Boyle October 6, 2026, 11:30 am

Ward Horton as Thad Longfellow and Sonequa Martin-Green as Lena Silver in 'Boston Blue' Season 2 Episode 1 — Seacia Pavao/CBS

What To Know

Ward Horton returns as Assistant District Attorney Thad Longfellow in Boston Blue Season 2.
Mae Silver’s (Gloria Reuben) reelection campaign against Thad will be a major storyline throughout the season.
The creators of Boston Blue tease what to expect from Thad, their “favorite antagonist.”

The Silver family has a major adversary in Boston Blue Season 2. Thad Longfellow, played by The Gilded Age‘s Ward Horton, will step into a bigger role in the second season as Mae Silver (Gloria Reuben) prepares to square off with him in the election for Boston’s District Attorney. Thad debuted in Season 1, and the co-creator of Boston Blue, Brandon Margolis, calls him their “favorite antagonist” whose “presence is felt immediately in the premiere as a reminder of what’s coming.”

Horton is still appearing in a guest/recurring role in Season 2, premiering on Friday, October 9, on CBS. Thad is the cocky Assistant District Attorney who challenged Mae to a reelection in Season 1. Mae said Thad would take Boston back into the “dark ages” if he were to win that seat of power, so she’ll do anything she can to beat him. But it’s clear that Thad would stoop to new lows to win.

“The election is going to be a story that carries throughout the season, dealing with Thad Longfellow, our favorite antagonist,” Margolis told TV Insider. “His presence is felt immediately in the premiere as a reminder of what’s coming.”

Ward Horton as Thad Longfellow and Gloria Reuben as Mae Silver in 'Boston Blue' Season 2 Episode 2

Seacia Pavao/CBS

“While we won’t be actually airing our election during the real election this year, because that’s only four episodes into our run,” Margolis added, “it is a story that will bear fruit throughout the season as Thad is willing to get down in the dirt and poke and prod and try to expose secrets that might’ve been better left alone in order to win the election.”

'Boston Blue' Season 2: Sonequa Martin-Green Teases Lena & Danny's Next Big Challenge

Detectives Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) and Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green) track down a Boston Strangler copycat killer in Boston Blue Season 2 Episode 1, which is also Lena’s first day back on the force after being severely injured on the job in the Season 1 finale.

Lena will also get a lead on the mystery of Detective Brian Rodgers’ (Ryan Broussard) attacker that could be connected to a larger conspiracy, according to co-creator Brandon Sonnier.

“We give very concrete answers in the first episode to what happened, why it happened, how it happened, but those answers do hook into what will drive the rest of the season,” he said.

Learn more about Boston Blue Season 2 in our 2026 fall preview.

Boston Blue, Season 2 Premiere, Friday, October 9, 10/9c, CBS