What Would Sipowicz Do?
ed. Glenn Yeffeth
book reviews:
· general fiction
· chick lit/romance
· sci-fi/fantasy
· graphic novels
· nonfiction
· audio books

Click here for the curledup.com RSS Feed

· author interviews
· children's books @
   curledupkids.com
· DVD reviews @
   curledupdvd.com

newsletter
win books
buy online
links

home

for authors
& publishers


for reviewers

click here to learn more




Buy *What Would Sipowicz Do?: Race, Rights and Redemption in NYPD Blue* online

What Would Sipowicz Do?: Race, Rights and Redemption in NYPD Blue
ed. Glenn Yeffeth
Benbella Books
Paperback
240 pages
January 2005
rated 3 1/2 of 5 possible stars

previous review next review

Now that NYPD Blue has gone off into the special place in the sky where classic TV shows go to rest (though you can still catch the re-runs on TNT or Court TV), I would have thought this book might have tickled my fancy more. Sadly, it didn’t. Right off the bat, the title - What Would Sipowicz Do? - is a little bit of a misnomer. It conjured up images in my head of hypothetical situations (or actual, for that matter) where a roundtable of people from different areas of expertise would discuss or debate (heatedly, if need be) the question of what Sipowicz would do. But that’s not how this book was formatted. It turned out to be sixteen personal essays on a myriad of subjects ranging from cop talk to homophobia to religion, realism, alcoholism, racism, sexism and every other “ism” or topic that the show has ever tackled.

It would be next to impossible to judge this as a whole since it’s sixteen points of view on sixteen different subjects that sometimes talk more about Steven Bochco’s other shows than NYPD Blue, let alone sticking to any sort of Sipowicz theme. That’s not to say that the writers' opinions or feelings are wrong; it’s just that there is the lingering question as to whom this is marketed and why it is here. Is it for casual fans of the show? Is it hardcore fans of the show? Is it for college professors to use as a tool for teaching? I have no idea. Does anyone really need a psychological breakdown of everything from the minute to the monumental? That’s for the reader to decide.

The essays themselves vary in length and scope and go from overly analytical to straight-out, thinly veiled rants on topics with just a hint of having to do with the actual show. Some are excellent and insightful, giving examples of dialogue from the show and being brief and to the point. Others are redundant and monotonous, citing too many examples of dialogue and going off on tangents that are neither insightful nor interesting. Still others come off as anal-retentive plot breakdowns of the show where I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the dizzying detail of character motivations and episode titles (can anyone really remember the names of specific episodes from five, six, seven, or even ten years ago with a show that aired two hundred and sixty-one episodes over a twelve-year period?).

I know. This sounds like I’m being overly harsh. But truth be told, as a whole, the essays cover the topics well (sometimes too well) and from every conceivable angle. The gripe really is in expectations from the title. I was expecting more of a fun or even controversial look at what Sipowicz would have done in certain situations. Instead, I got what is tantamount to a thesis on all aspects NYPD Blue. More appropriate titles could have been “A Deeper Look Into NYPD Blue” or “A Philosophical Look At Blue.” These would more accurately portray what the book encompasses. It would also lend a hand to the reader enjoying the books content than being disappointed by the lack of any hypothesis on what Sipowicz (the old grouchy drunk or the new improved, sober father figure) might have done.

Three and a half stars for those wanting a comprehensive, analytical overview of characters motivations, plot breakdowns, impact of the myriad of show topics. One star for those expecting a “What Would Sipowicz Do?” book.



© 2005 by Bobby Blades for curledup.com.

Also by Glenn Yeffeth:

buy *What Would Sipowicz Do?: Race, Rights and Redemption in NYPD Blue* online
click here for more info
Click here to learn more about this month's sponsor!


fiction · sf/f · comic books · nonfiction · audio
newsletter · free book contest · buy books online
review index · links · · authors & publishers
reviewers

site by ELBO Computing Resources, Inc.