Detective Andy Sipowicz...unluckiest character in TV history
Okay, as a fan of "NYPD Blue" since EPISODE ONE, it has dawned on me over the past year or so what a horrible life my favorite television character has had.
Let's recap. If nothing else, this thread might make us all feel better about ourselves.
1. He's an alcoholic. This fact has played into more than several episodes.
2. First episode (back in 1993), he gets shot 6 times (once in the ass) by some low-rent mob thug. He barely lives.
3. He's a racist and his views and mouth have gotten him into hot water, including a locker room fistfight with his boss, Lt. Arthur Fancy...a black guy.
4. Loses partner and best friend, John Kelly, to a trumped up internal affairs investigation. Kelly (David Caruso) resigns from the force.
5. His best friend and trusted AA sponsor, Dan (played by Peter Boyle), is stabbed and killed by his mentally unbalanced son (Dan's son, not Andy's).
6. Estranged from his first wife and son, Andy Jr.(due to number one above). But finally manages, over the course of half a season or so, get on friendly terms with his son, and a great relationship between them finally builds. Just in time for...
7. Andy, Jr., soon after joining the police force himself, is shot in the head and killed while trying to stop a robbery in a bar. This tragedy results in Sipowicz swan-diving off the wagon...again.
8. Andy gets prostate cancer. 'Nuff said
9. Detective Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits), the guy who replaced Detective John Kelly and became Andy's partner and best friend for five years, contracts a freak heart disease and slowly suffers and dies over the course of about four episodes.
10. A year or so later, his wife Sylvia, a lead D.A., is shot in a courtroom shootout. She dies, leaving Andy to care for their toddler son Theo by himself.
11. Theo himself falls ill for several episodes and a possible leukemia scare hangs over the proceedings. Andy doesn't take this well...and after reviewing 1-10, I can't say I blame him.
12. Detective Simone's replacement, Detective Danny Sorenson (played by Rick Schroeder) ends up disappearing at the end of last season and is found dead and buried under the Brooklyn Bridge in this season's opening episode. He was murdered.
So, let's recap:
He's lost three partners: one to office politics, two to death.
He's lost his best friend, his oldest son and his beloved second wife to violence (one stabbing, two gunshots)
He's had cancer, he's an alcoholic and he's been shot in the ass.
He's JINXED!
I don't think a single character in the history of television has had to put up with this much bullcrap!
Gotta love him...
Comments
Just kidding...I know who you're talking about. She is kinda cute. Didn't think so at first, but she's tough and has a lot of heart, and that goes a long way.
I do think it's funny how Andy has finally come around to gay "upstairs John".
5 years ago, it was a whole different story.
I don't like this disturbing trend of getting former blond child actors to be Andy's new partner.
First Rick Schroeder, now Zack from "Saved by the Bell". WHAT THE HELL?!?
Nah, he seems to be okay, but if you would've told me five years ago that the blond kid from that show would one day be on "NYPD Blue" as Andy Sipowicz's partner, I would've laughed you out of the room.
Frankly, I think having Ricky from Silver Spoons as a partner should have been one of Andy's bummers in the first place. What's next- Zach from Saved by the Bell as a major character?
Edit-whoa, we were posting REALLY close together!
Jeff
[ 11-30-2001: Message edited by: jeffyboy ]</p>
(Marge is about to go out with Homer)
Marge: "Homer, I don't think you should be wearing that short sleeved shirt."
Homer: "Oh, but Sipowicz does!"
I just happened to be surfing and stopped there. It was VERY funny.
I played the 'multiple dead partners' and 'worst luck' angles up heavily.
Hilarious.
Yeah, it's funny to watch the show sometimes (especially the older reruns on TNT and Court TV) just to see how badly his shirt and tie are going to NOT go together.
And his phrases and lines over the years? Too many hilarious classics:
"Wig-wearing hump..." (referring to an obviously toupeed adversary)
"Whipping his skippy" (jacking off)
"Tell you what, counselor...you leave me your business card and the moment your feelings become a concern to me, I'll give you a call."
"Asshole."
"Prick."
"Are you telling me I have to beat enough blood out of you so we can spoon a sample off the floor for DNA testing?" (when a "perp" refuses to submit to a DNA test)
"Oooh, I'm gonna get a migraine tonight because I didn't beat you...".
"Yeah, I'll circle that date with a red pen..." (upon hearing from his doctor that he needs to return in several weeks for another rectal exam
Man oh man...there are so much more!
<strong>I don't like this disturbing trend of getting former blond child actors to be Andy's new partner.</strong><hr></blockquote>Yeah, next I heard they were gonna have Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen on the show.
I hate to admit it, but I might tune in for that-have you seen those girls lately?
Jeff
<strong>Yea but he's going to get that cute blonde on the show now. That makes it all worth it.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Ohhh yeah...Andy's gonna get some primo lovin' from that dirty little monkey. I thought the same thing at the end of the last episode. That the guy who's had the absolute most pitiful run of luck in human history -- HE'S going to get the Blonde who looks like a Grade-A lingerie model.
Wo hooo!
By the way, let's add to Andy's string of bad luck having not one, but two partners who started out as suburban pretty boys in cheesy 80's sitcoms.
Lt. Fancy and James Martinez are gone, as is Donna, Sylvia and others.
My all-time favorite era/cast was:
Sipowicz
Simone
Medavoy
Martinez
Donna Abandando (grrllll...)
Lt. Fancy
Adrian Lesniak (total cutie...grrllll also...)
Sylvia
And with occasional appearances by Andy Jr. and Vinnie, the informant (Joe Pantoliano, or however you spell his name).
These are the episodes that are currently on right now on the Court TV reruns (8pm PST), so I'm enjoying those again.
TNT is currently playing the more recent ones (no Fancy or Martinez, plus Baldwin Jones and Rick Schroeder), but those just don't have the appeal. I never could get into Schroeder.