Sylvia Costas-Sipowicz is a fictional character from the American television drama ''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble c ...

'', in which the character was married to Detective

Andy Sipowicz Andrew Sipowicz Sr. is a fictional character on the popular ABC television series '' NYPD Blue''. Andy began as the secondary focus of a more ensemble-like show, but by the middle of Season 6 he is the clear protagonist of the show and receive ...

, played by

Dennis Franz Dennis Franz Schlachta (; born October 28, 1944), known professionally as Dennis Franz, is an American retired actor best known for his role as NYPD Detective Andy Sipowicz in the ABC television series ''NYPD Blue'' (1993–2005), a role that ea ...

. She was played by

Sharon Lawrence Sharon Elizabeth Lawrence (born June 29, 1961) is an American actress who played Sylvia Costas Sipowicz in the ABC drama series ''NYPD Blue''. The role garnered her three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a ...

.Vincent Terrace, ''Encyclopedia of Television Subjects, Themes and Settings'' (McFarland & Co., 2007)
88

Storylines

The character of Sylvia Costas is an

Assistant District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...

. She begins a relationship with the older and tough Detective

, played by

; Costas sees the decent, caring human being underneath Sipowicz's gruff exterior and falls in love with him. She is very supportive of his attempts to stay sober, a determination likely related to the fact that many of her known family members appear to be alcoholics. Meeting Sylvia's

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

family causes Sipowicz to fall off the wagon, sparking a period of strain in their relationship. Sylvia is confident on the job, and is known to wield an acid tongue when cops' procedural errors blow her cases. The character was raped while in

law school A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

. When she is mugged, after she and Andy start dating, it brings back the emotions she didn't deal with when raped. After sensing that something more than the mugging is upsetting her, Andy makes her tell him what's wrong. This makes both Sylvia and Andy especially sensitive about rape cases. After they become engaged, Andy expresses a desire to get married quickly in a

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

civil service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

, while Sylvia wants a traditional

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...

wedding. Giving in to Sylvia's wishes, the two are married at the Saint Sophia

Cathedral. They have a son, Theo, but shortly after Theo's birth, Andy's first son from a previous marriage, Andy Jr., is killed, causing Andy to begin drinking again. Despite her sympathy for his loss, Sylvia puts her foot down, ordering Andy out of their home until he can acknowledge his problem. Their devotion to each other is tested again in a storyline when Andy undergoes surgery for prostate cancer. She threatens to throw him out if he doesn't take the test for cancer, reasoning that "knowing isn't the worst thing." Andy confesses that his greatest fear is not to be with her and baby Theo, to which she quietly replies, "Then be with us," finally convincing him to take the test. The character has a dramatic exit from the show. The character returns to her job after time off to raise her on-screen son, but she is killed by James Mayo in a courthouse shooting incident. Her final words to her on-screen husband Andy are "Take care of the baby."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Costas, Sylvia NYPD Blue characters Fictional American lawyers Television characters introduced in 1993