Diane was my least favorite character. I have no problem believing she was a drunk. However, to me she looked like a spun-to-the-hubs coke fiend. I have known three gals very similar, who tried to hang with the boys, perhaps not realizing they had half the body weight so they were doing double the dose. After about 6 months they are pretty much clinically insane. Diane just so reminded me of these three gals. Its a kind of over-stimulation combined with being dopey and out of touch. It was like she was vibrating inside. I have known many alcoholics who used coke or crank so they could drink more, its a very sad pathology.
That Bochco was a known and an admitted coke-head not only reinforces my thinking Diane was the party girl, but explains why he took her to a new show, so he could have an enabling co-dependent to hang around between episodes. And I doubt that it was some silly contract clause that she did not come back to NYPD Blue, it was because everyone was fed up with Bochco and I assume, her. I wouldn't be surprised if Andy and Smits did a little drugs or booze, but it sure seems like they took their jobs seriously. Heck, Smits asked to be written out after Bochco was so spun he would turn in a script a day before shooting.
What really confirmed my suspicion that Diane was a coke fiend was this affectation she did on-camera. She would wipe her nose with her ring finger, while covering her nose with her first two figures. It looks like a move by someone trying to hide those little white rings around the nostrils. Yeah, coke, I assume to keep her functioning past the booze.
And sure, this is all pure theory and hearsay-- for all I know Diane is a Morman that never did a drop or a snort.
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