NYPD Blue ended its twelve year run last night with an episode that suggested that the squad would just keep on going as it had for the last dozen years; it’s just that we won’t be able to watch them anymore. It was by far my favorite television drama of all time. It portrayed the life of a New York City detective squad in a realistic, compelling manner. Was it always perfect or accurate? Of course not. As others on this page have noted, the interrogations on the show regularly crossed the line of what can be done legally — but don’t we all want the bad guy to be treated that way anyway? Very few crimes went unsolved — would that that were the case in real life. And there probably were a few too many gorgeous detectives than reality would permit. Finally, some complained that the show was too bawdy and foul — but it was on in the last hour of prime time when kids shouldn’t be watching anyway. Heck, my church complained when “Soap” aired in the 70s, but that show was one of the funniest sitcoms ever and, by today’s standards, looks positively quaint. At bottom, though, Blue was just a great show that showed us a cop trying to conquer his demons. The final episode suggested that Andy Sipowicz may have, at least, gotten control over his life and his past — that he’ll always have to struggle but that we know he will survive. It wasn’t the best episode ever, but it left the hardcore dedicated viewer (like me and my brother Chris) satisfied. It was a little sad not to see “scenes from next week’s episode” at the very end. I’ll miss it.