NYPD Blue

Just finished watching Episode 5 -- the one where Kelly brings down a terrible cop and saves young James Martinez from having to do it and become known as a snitch who rats out cops.

Interesting to see Luis Guzman playing Martinez's father considering that in real life they're not even 5 1/2 years apart. Also interesting to see Mitchell Ryan (one of the villains -- The General -- in the first Lethal Weapon movie) as the crooked cop. A far cry from his character as Greg's father on Dharma & Greg.

 

Just caught Episode 6 and saw some very familiar faces.

Kelly's priest friend is played by Dean Norris, now famous for being Hank on Breaking bad. Another one of their friends from their pickup basketball games was played by Tobin Bell, who played one of the paid hitmen for Bendini, Lambert & Locke in The Firm. And, finally, James Pickens Jr., who had a lengthy run on Grey's Anatomy.

 

Tobin Bell would be Jigsaw.

 

To me, Tobin Bell will always be the guy from Bleeker Bob's record store on Seinfeld.

 

Good call.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o8yjjoFocs

 

Looking at these episodes now, I have two reax: Dennis Franz was spectacular, and I wish we'd had several more seasons to see Caruso's Kelly character.

 

Also, I loved Charlotte Ross.

Edit: the early 2000's Charlotte Ross. Today she looks like hell, gone all Nikki Cox and stuff.

 

As much as I enjoyed Smits and Schroder and Gosselar, Caruso really was the heart and soul of the first season. You're right that Franz was spectacular, but Caruso really is the star of the first season. And when he left after Season 1, there were no storylines left for Sherry Stringfield or Amy Brenneman. I really missed them, too.

 

I remember being bummed that an old favorite from "The Rockford Files," Joe Santos (Lt. Dennis Becker) got offed so early in NYPD Blue's first season. Watchable actor.

 

Anna Gunn sighting in the 18th episode of Season 1.

Edit: Also Leland Orser.

 

Into Season 2 now and the second episode of Bobby Simone. Jimmy Smits really was great in this show. Some cool bonding between Bobby and Andy at the end of Simone's first episode.

By the way, as much as I love Amy Brenneman, John Kelly screwed up picking Licalsi over Robin Wirkus.