‘Blue Bloods’ Star Will Estes Addresses Season 10 Cliffhanger: ‘It Was an Awesome Idea’ (Exclusive)

At the end of Season 10, Blue Bloods introduced a new character and a surprising twist for the Reagan family. The clan learned there was a previously unknown member of the family named Joe Hill, the son of Frank's eldest son, the late Joe Reagan. Hill, played by Will Hochman, was welcomed to the Reagan family dinner table and was brought back for the Season 11 premiere, which airs Friday at 10 p.m. ET on CBS. In a recent interview with PopCulture, Will Estes, who plays Jamie Reagan, called Joe's introduction an "awesome idea."

In the premiere, "Triumph Over Trauma," Jamie gets to work closely with Joe after Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez) go missing while searching for a murderer. Estes said he loved the addition of Joe "from the moment" he heard about it. "I think it's really cool for everyone in the family," Estes said, adding that Joe gives Jamie a chance to spend time with part of the brother who passed away. Joe is "obviously his nephew, but I think he sees his brother in him and... this family member they didn't know," Estes said.

The actor called working with Joe a "really powerful experience" for Jamie. "It's just been a new cool thing on a show that's run so long to have a new character come in like that... is really a cool bit of oxygen for all of it," he said.

The way Blue Bloods is structured, many of the stars don't often work with each other during the season, save for the Reagan family dinner scenes. So far this season, Estes has more work with Donnie Wahlberg though. "It's been a blast," Estes said of the actor who plays his older brother. "It's been really cool and fun." He has not had too much work with Tom Selleck, who plays the family patriarch, Commissioner Frank Reagan. "that's always been great historically when I get" to work with Selleck, Estes said.

Estes admitted that his favorite pairing on the show does not even involve himself. Bridget Moynahan, who plays Erin Reagan, and Steve Schirripia, who stars as Anthony Abetemarco, "just pop off the screen for me," Estes said. "I love watching their stuff every time." Blue Bloods fans will see more of these pairings play out in new episodes on Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.