Is Sipowicz the greatest tv character ever?

I also loved this show in it's prime, and enjoy reliving the magic via the Audience Channel. I agree that watching daily, you can have a different take on the characters. For instance, my view on Simone has changed. I love his character, but it seems to me he was a bit unreasonable regarding his relationship with Russell. He wanted everything HIS way. My reasons for saying this are 1) He knew that dating within the squad frowned upon, but did it anyway; 2) he seemed personally peeved that Diane had a drinking problem and wasn't always available when he needed her; 3) wanted to dictate which cases she caught, because it might put her in harms way....HELLO! It's the nature of the job as a cop!

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I've been working in law enforcement for over 19 years now. A few weeks ago, after I started rewatching the entire series, I jokingly said to my boss "by the way, I've started watching NYPD Blue again. If I start acting out like Sipowicz, don't be surprised".

Right. And that is exactly what came to concern me as I've gone through the series... that although art was to some degree imitating life, given that an ex-cop helped to produce the show, that hopefully life would not imitate art. So I find your comment concerning.

I'm sure though that you are referring to Sipowicz' keen wit and wry sense of humor. Right? You couldn't mean you are being influenced by the Sipowicz character in terms of how you deal with the public, persons of interest, suspects, collars, and even your own colleges.

You wouldn't be inferring that lying, intimidation, physical assault and even torture are now becoming justified due the fantastic results Sipowicz achieves with a controlled scripting of the outcome in a fictional TV show.

I'm sure you, unlike Sipowicz and his co-workers, do not live in fear of interviewees "lawyering up". You realize that the wheels of justice spin quickly on a fantasy TV show in order to complete the story arc in an hour or so. You fully understand that the wheels of justice are designed to purposefully run a bit slow, because if they are spun too fast they come flying off.

And I'm sure you realize that in the big picture, the ends most certainly do NOT justify the means. Because such logic is a slippery slope to the heart of corruption.

I hope you and all law enforcement officers understand that the citizens have temporarily, and with due pause, given you extraordinary powers, and that we have faith that our faith and trust is held up. Because when you look at the current world it is clear that someone along the way forgot whose party this really is.

All the best...

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