Wow! Did you catch Jimmy Smits' last episode as Detective Bobby Simone on NYPD Blue? This show was widely publicized in advance but this was one of those rare occasions where even the hype failed to convey the full impact and significance of the event.

For those who didn't see it, the story was about the death of Bobby Simone. Since Smits had announced he was leaving the show, and especially after the David Caruso disaster, there was a lot of speculation about how this would be done.

What Bochco chose, to have Bobby die, not only solved his story line dilemma, but also dared to go into deeper waters, by offering us a realistic and intimate look at the actual process. This was T.V. that looked at a really difficult topic and didn't blink. Not only didn't it blink but it actually took some time to explore the details of something that is not only uncomfortable but almost forbidden in pop culture: death. The result was not only great drama but a profound spiritual lesson. It's been a long time since we have had television this good.

What made the episode so unusual was the way it looked at Bobby's illness and the question that it posed: faced with a serious medical crisis should one fight on until the end or gracefully let go of life?

Specifically, a post-operative infection had caused abscesses to form in various organs in Simone's body including his brain. This in turn resulted in a seizure and other complications which would eventually kill him unless treated. To complicate things, since he had just received a new heart, he was being treated with immuno suppressants which left him an easy target for bacteria and also rendered standard antibiotics useless.

If this weren't bad enough, the doctors couldn't agree on what should be done. Therein lay the power of this program. In what was shocking, at first, one of the doctors, the cardiologist, tells his patient that it is ok not to fight and recommends to his spouse that surgery not be done. He consoles the frantic wife, urging her to accept the inevitable, saying that there are worse things than death. In contrast, the attending physician recommends surgery to remove the abscess and fight for more time.

Which doctor would you have wanted? What would you have chosen?

At first, I was really annoyed by the cardiologist's remarks. I was angered that he was giving up and encouraging his patient to do the same. Further, I was upset that his wife refused the surgery. But, in what I believe was an example of remarkable drama, we, through the story, were compelled to look at something we don't like to look at. Indeed, something that is almost Un American: the ultimate mystery of death.

By experiencing a tale where technology could not rescue the hero, the myth of progress is exposed. We come into contact with a spiritual reality about the truly fragile nature of life. More importantly, we must acknowledge the inescapable fact that death is our universal fate.

Unlike so many T.V. shows which avoid difficult situations and opt for happy endings, NYPD Blue didn't.

It didn't spare us the pain or mystery. It simply told its story and did not flinch. By not running away, the story showed how Bobby and his loved ones were able to accept his death.

Typically, Americans need to either fix things or offer explanations which reduce the absurdity in life. That attitude is important when it comes to having the best medicine or technology. However, it also separates us from our spiritual roots and the sacred foundation of everyday life. Put another way, we are great with problems but not so good with real mysteries.

With respect to illness, sometimes it is a problem to be solved and sometimes it is an enigma to be accepted. Science is helpful for the former; drama helps us with the latter.

Rarely does television touch on problems that can't be solved. When was the last time you had to struggle with an issue presented on a T.V. show? Yet, that is exactly what I found myself doing. At first I didn't like it. Then I was troubled by it. Finally, I could see the power and profundity of its message.

This story rubs against our grain. And the problem is not simply technology or secular culture. As a pastor, I know I have also been guilty of trotting out cliches about salvation when what was needed was to be silent. Even religion can be used to shield us from the terror of death. But why must we always be shielded?

To be in touch with the reality of death is to reconnect with the holy ground of our Being. Indeed it is not easy to do this. To be able to accept death is to have a secure and profound sense of faith which does, at base, not fear death nor see it as the enemy to be conquered.

Maybe that is why great literature is so wonderful. By simply telling honest stories it has a way of helping us learn about death and thus not to not be afraid of it. Bobby Simone's death was drama at its best and an important reminder about the limits of human progress. Make sure you catch it in reruns.

Rev. Michael Heath, Fayetteville, NY 11/25/98