Greetings,
I am going to say something that applies to all the shows in the Law & Order franchise. I love when I see a familiar face show up in those opening credits. And after having to wait an extra long time to get to Season 18, I was so overjoyed to get one in that first episode. Looks like it's time to talk about Cyrus Lupo.
Cyrus Lupo was portrayed by Jeremy Sisto from Season 18 to Season 20. Yes, I was quite excited about this, because I am from the era of Clueless. And he was in that, in case you didn't know. I actually had been a fan of Jeremy Sisto's and his entire body of work for quite a while, so I was looking forward to seeing him and Jesse L. Martin together. That's right. For the first time, we were getting two, young, male cops partnered together. Thank you, Casting Director. Of course, that did only last for about fourteen episodes, but I'll take what I can get. Moving on.
When Cyrus Lupo first showed up, he was not just thrown into working in Homicide at the 27th precinct. Actually, he had been working overseas investigating terrorists groups and was called back when his brother, Thomas, died of an apparent suicide, which was brought on because he was dying of cancer. When it was discovered that his brother had some Kevorkian-style help, Lupo wanted to assist in the investigation, though considering the circumstances it was a conflict of interest or something. Eventually, due to more assisted suicides, he was able to get involved. By the end of that first episode, Lupo was partnered with Green and working Homicide. Goodie.
I said this before, but I really liked the chemistry that Lupo and Green had. They sort of reminded me of frat brothers, but the responsible kind who aren't obnoxious. Do those even exist? Then, once Green left and he was partnered with Kevin Bernard, that same comradery continued on with that relationship. Even though, I think, on certain issues, it was clear that Lupo and Bernard were not on the same page. Still good partners though. And obviously, good friends.
Actually, this stint working Homicide was not the first time Lupo had worked in the 27th. Early in his police career, he was a patrolman, which I think is like a beat cop. It was during that time that he had the misfortune of walking into a devastating brutal murder scene. He ended up having PTSD, which led to a drinking problem. In fact, he even was drinking when he testified in court. On another occasion, he fell asleep due to a hangover whilst on patrol, which led to the death of his partner, as he was not there to back him up. Yeah, don't drink, kids. But Lupo was so affected by this he stopped drinking and got himself some much needed help.
Much like with more than a few of his law enforcement brethren, Lupo sometimes thinks that it is A-okay to bend the rules a bit. Like emailing himself the contents of someone's phone without their consent. Um, yeah, no. I'm pretty sure that is not admissible in court. And there was that one time when he and Green entered a building without a warrant. Though I think that was Cutter's fault. Still, never trust a lawyer, boys. Also, his judgement wasn't always the best around. There was one time where he got involved, if you know what I mean, with a female victim who ended up being the guilty party. So, you're a detective, right? Shouldn't you just get one of those gut feelings? Who am I kidding? Guys don't always lead with their brains. As long as he learned his lesson. And since Lupo was never involved with that kind of situation again, I'd like to think he did.
One more thing about Detective Lupo is that he was taking law school night classes so he can become a lawyer. I did not even know they had night classes for that, but then I remembered, it's New York. They have everything. So, since he knows more stuff about the law than maybe your average detective, he sometimes lets that creep into his dealings with the DA's office. It is not always met well. There were a few cases of "You do your job; I'll do mine", and I suppose I can understand that. But he's just trying to help. Of course, when the last episode rolled around, he was still doing police work, but I like to think that Lupo became a very good lawyer one day. Because I have hope.
In closing, I have to say that I really enjoyed my time with Cyrus Lupo, and that was probably because I tend to enjoy Jeremy Sisto. It's kind of nice to follow someone from early on in their career right up until he gets cast on the best show ever. I'm happy to report that he fit in perfectly. He upheld the standard of great acting and gave us a memorable character.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
