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Would a short diversion from tragedy be in order? 1994 saw the release of a couple of cheesy action movies centered around skydiving, one of which was the Wesley Snipes vehicle Drop Zone. I saw this in the theatres, and was won over by a character in the film called Swoop. In the midst of a so-so film emerged an engaging, interesting character, acted better than any of the others. I remember having multiple conversations to the effect that “the movie stinks, but it is worth watching for the character of Swoop.”
I did not watch much television for most of the mid-nineties, so I did not catch onto Homicide: Life on the Street (which I now consider to be the finest television drama of the 1990s, bar none) until 1998, when I started watching from episode 1 on CourtTV. Homicide is stunningly rich in acting, screenwriting, directing, cinematography, and the bravery with which they addressed issues. One of my favorite characters was Detective Tim Bayliss, acted with enormous complexity and skill by Kyle Secor.
Today I caught the end of Drop Zone on an HBO network. I was astonished to realize that the character of Swoop, who had stood out so prominently for me, was portrayed by Kyle Secor.
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