Most people have a breaking point when it seems that they're being buried under an avalanche of pain, suffering, and despair.
We saw Andy start off the series a veritable mess, but it wasn't until Andy Jr. Was killed that we saw Andy risking life his new wife and new baby (Theo) when he went binge-drinking. Fortunately. Andy realized that he couldn't continue to go on. Had he been alone--no wife or new baby--there's almost no doubt that his path of self-destruction would have continued, likely losing his job and possibly even his life.
There haven't been many characters in TV history that have suffered more loss than Andy Sipowicz. His son, his wife, and two partners (Simone and Sorenson). And yet, Andy has found a way to keep going.
Clark has just suffered another loss--Dr. Devlin has succeeded in committing suicide. Clark unwittingly finds her in her apartment, just as he found his father. Clark teetered on the edge after his father died, but he kept it together. This time, however, it's clear that he's unable to deal with yet another loss in the same form and fashion.
Clark shows up at Andy's apartment, clearly agitated. Andy tries to get him to stay, but of course, Clark refuses, seeing himself as a burden. Andy sweetly tells him, "You're not a burden, John. You're family."
Andy has already been through more than a lifetime's worth of heartache, and as this carries over into the next season, he finds it difficult to be around someone who reminds him of himself. It isn't that he doesn't care about John. He cares about John more than even he realizes. John is practically a son to him, but Andy sees much of himself in Clark's anguish, and the pain is simply too near and dear for him.
It isn't until we get to one of the best episodes of the series in "The Vision Thing" next season, that Andy finally understands that he can't be afraid to be there for Clark and to reach out and help him. Because in many ways, he's paying it forward; being there for Clark just as he needed someone to be there for him (Sylvia and Simone, most notably).
This is powerful television that, I'm sure, many people can actually relate to on some level.
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