(NOTE: This column originally ran in The Star-Ledger of NJ on Feb. 27,
2005.)
Farewell to NYPD Blue: Sufferin' Sipowicz!
By Alan
Sepinwall
New York cops describe themselves as being "on the job." In
Sipowicz's case, it was more like "on the Job," considering the number of
dead loved ones he suffered over the course of the series, including:
- Dan Breen (AA sponsor): Stabbed to death by his schizophrenic son
- Andy Sipowicz Jr. (oldest son): Shot trying to bust up an armed
robbery just days before he was to enter the police academy.
- Bobby Simone (second partner): Died of heart failure after a
failed organ transplant.
- Sylvia Costas (second wife): Killed by a crazed gunman's stray
bullet.
- Danny Sorensen (third partner): Killed during an undercover
operation, rolled up in a rug and dumped.
But being related to any "Blue" regular was a dangerous proposition.
Among the other fatalities:
- Dominic Gennaro (Janice Licalsi's father): Shot himself after he
was outed as a Mafia mole.
- Roberto Martinez (James' brother): Overdosed on heroin.
- Pete Russell (Diane's father): Shot and killed by the wife he
abused.
- Don Kirkendall (Jill's ex-husband): Shivved by a fellow inmate at
Riker's.
- Don Harrison (Rita Ortiz's ex-husband): Murdered by his mistress'
angry husband.
- Michelle Colahan (Connie McDowell's sister): Died from internal
injuries inflicted by her abusive husband.
- Angela Lugo (Tony Rodriguez's ex-wife): Overdosed on heroin.
- Robert Irvin (John Irvin's father): Died of congestive heart
failure.
- John Clark Sr. (John Clark's father): Shot himself after he was
outed as an Internal Affairs mole.
- Dr. Jennifer Devlin (John Clark's ex-girlfriend): Committed
suicide after going off her medication for manic depression.