I remember when the show first aired, I assumed Franz' character was a more obnoxious version of his Norman Buntz character on Hill Street Blues. Turns out I was wrong.
In the end, he was a classic tragic hero -- noble and highly competent, but with his fatal flaws. And with his flaws -- the drinking, the prejudice, et al -- he tried to move beyond them. Even as he mellowed, he could still scare the bejeezus out of anyone.
