NYPD Blue (TV Series) Safe Home (1999) User Reviews

This Episode Will Leave a Lump in Throat

[jimalba-87887 · 10/10 · 23 December 2019]

Yet another terrific episode of one of the best shows ever to grace a television screen. This episode picks up the story from the previous episode that ends with Sylvia Costas (Sipowicz) having been shot in a dramatic scene at the courthouse. The show opens with Andy Sipowicz getting his young son Theo ready for school, making oatmeal with his little boy. We still don't exactly know what has happened with Sylvia, but we can see right away that things are different in the Sipowicz household. Andy gets breakfast ready, then walks Theo to school. Theo asks: "Where is mommy?" and Andy says: "Mommy's visiting". At the 15th Squad, you see a distraught Diane Russell asking Danny Sorenson what Andy was up to and Danny lets everyone know that he walked Theo to school and then walked back home. At this point, we know or at least strongly suspect that Sylvia has died. Meanwhile, the heroic PAA John Irvin is getting out of the hospital and Det. Jill Kirkendall goes to pick him up. The detectives are still working on the case against Malcolm Cullinan, the evil dirtbag who kicked off the events leading to former PAA Dolores Mayo's death, along with Sylvia's. The detectives finally get Cullinan back into the squad and they convince Andy to come in and talk to him, and it took quite a bit of convincing as Danny "just happened" to run into Andy as he was walking Theo home from school. So, Andy comes to the squad and Cullinan just comes apart while talking to him as Andy asks him: "What are you doing?", then Andy, who had told Danny that he would come to the squad but didn't want to see anyone. Well, as the episode unfolds, it just so happens that Andy ends up seeing everyone including John Irwin, and he walks right by John, who is already feeling responsible for Sylvia's death, and when Andy walks by him without saying a word, John is heartbroken. Then you see Andy appear as John is being consoled, and the things Andy says to John give John some peace and show us that Andy is a changed and spiritual man. To me, it is one of the best scenes in the history of TV, let alone a series full of terrific scenes. The work done by Dennis Franz, Bill Brochtrup, Ricky Schroder, and Kim Delaney is exceptional. This is NYPD Blue firing on all cylinders.

Deeply Emotional

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 31 August 2021]

This concludes Season 6. Andy, of course, has lost Sylvia, and faces the future with his little boy, alone. He manages to do the stuff to survive and take care of Theo, but we can see he is empty inside. He strikes out at anyone who tries to help him. Danny has been acting as a spy from a distance, keeping people informed on what he is doing. Paralleling these events is a gut wrenching scene involving Cullinen, the despicable creature who killed Dolores and other women, watching them as they OD'd on a drug he gave them. Andy's ex-wife, who has found sobriety, and hangs on to the Christianity of the 12 step program they are in, comes forward and takes Andy's abuse, not complaining. She is a victim. Also John Irvine feels he caused the death of Sylvia. For a season that had some slow moments, this really puts the crown on.