MovieChat Forums > NYPD Blue (1993) Discussion > Lt. Fancy plays the race card

Lt. Fancy plays the race card


James McDaniel as Lt. Fancy is one of my favorite characters - I enjoyed him in most of the episodes with Jimmy Smits as Simone and Sipowizc , et al.

But when him and his wife played the race card,it got on my nerves ,and in another episode Fancy almost blew an investigation. - however ,it is a credit to James depicting his character so ably.

reply

The entire cast was great, especially in seasons 2-- To whenever Bobby Simone departed.

reply

Superb cast and good writing

reply

Can you be specific?

reply

"In Season 4, Fancy and his wife were stopped at a traffic light and treated in a rough and possibly racist manner by two uniform cops in Bayside, Queens (The officers held them at gunpoint over a broken taillight until Fancy pulled out his badge).

The following day, Fancy called the officers in, claiming that they had overreacted pulling them over and treating them as if they were suspects in an armed robbery. After questioning the officers, Fancy concluded that he and his wife were pulled over at gunpoint strictly on the basis of their race. The senior officer, Szymanski, vehemently denied pulling them over on the basis of their race and claimed they did that to every suspect as a precaution.

Angered, Fancy went to Captain Bass, requesting that the Chief of Patrol transfer Officer Szymanski out of the predominantly Caucasian precinct of Bayside, Queens. Fancy figured that Szymanski would be forced to both "earn his money" and learn to better interact with African Americansworking in a predominantly African American precinct. Junior Officer McCaslin had only been on the force 10 months, was seated in the passenger's seat of the squad car, and Fancy believed he was merely backing Szymanski, his superior.

Fancy recommended that Szymanski go to a precinct located either in Harlem or Brooklyn North; Szymanski was reassigned to a precinct in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesantneighborhood. He then came to Fancy, furious over having been reassigned to a "toilet", claiming that Fancy wrongfully abused his power - which Fancy frankly admitted to doing, pointing out, "When you pull someone over, no telling who you're dealing with".

Captain Bass then came to Fancy, telling him that putting Szymanski in Bedford-Stuyvesant was a bad idea — that putting a bigoted police officer in a problematic and predominantly African American precinct would only add to that community's problems and compromise the safety of innocent citizens there. Fancy realized what Bass was saying was true..

reply

and got Szymanski transferred under his command at the 15th precinct, where he was assigned a black partner."

reply

Are you suggesting that retraining the white racist was, "playing the race card." So if Fancy had reported the incident and done nothing, then a white boss made the same decision would that be okay? Or is the problem that Fancy didn't just, "yessum masser," like a good boy?

reply

Can you be specific?
Are you suggesting that retraining the white racist was, "playing the race card."


You asked for specifics, I copy and pasted the outline of the incident from Fancy's character profile. Read in to it what you will.

reply

I asked for specifics on how he and his wife played the race card, you choose this as an example without explanation. Playing the race card is a perjorative used by bigots, implying the person is unfairly blaming a white person/people for some perceived mistreatment. Fancy was actually a victim of racial profiling and acted appropriately. Is he not supposed to do anything about it?

reply

Ask the original poster.

reply

I did, you answered.

reply

My example laid out what the original poster was referencing. I didn't answer about why they felt that way so ask him.

reply

Like I said, I did, and you answered. I don't agree that your example is "playing the race card" and Fancy's wife wasn't involved in the decision so how did she play the race card?

reply

You again! Well that's the example of the incident, That's your opinion. Maybe watch the episode and see for yourself instead of being a pest. Season 4 Episode 15 ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjaYRf3O8gw&list=PLhH_X5QT-Ou6k-51ii3GtVfX-gdipKCed&index=16&t=0s

reply

I did watch it. If you can't justify your example or you don't want to talk about it then stop talking about it.

reply

You're not too bright are you. My example was of the incident that led the original poster to the race card conclusion. Not once have I said it proves the race card or that I felt that way.

reply

Ah, now with the insults. Just shut up and go pester someone else. You're not contributing to the discussion.

reply

You've got a bit of an attitude about you right from day one. Yep you do the same go break a phonebox or something. 👍

reply

Good god, yes, Fancy was such a whiner!

reply