Zach Nichols in Encyclopedia

Zach Nichols

Encyclopedia

Tutorials

Encyclopedia

Dictionary

Directory

Email this to a friend Zach_Nichols

Zach Nichols

Zach Nichols is a fictional character, portrayed by Jeff Goldblum, featured in the series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Nichols was introduced in the series' eighth season to replace Det. Mike Logan (Chris Noth), who departed from his duties for the Major Case Squad in the NYPD during the episode "Last Rites".

Profile

After September 11, 2001, Detective Nichols left the police force to discover the meaning of life. But according to him, a cerebral, quirky and efficient policeman does not stay away for long. Now, his Socratic approach to crime scene investigation has his new partner, Detective Megan Wheeler, and his old partner, Captain Danny Ross (Eric Bogosian), just trying to keep up.^[1] In the episode "Rock Star," Ross remarks that he served with Nichols in Anti-Crime before Nichols took a seven-year leave, and that his only clue to Nichols' whereabouts during that absence was a postcard from Cleveland.

A child of two psychiatrists, Nichols shunned their profession. Even though becoming a cop was a means of rebellion for Nichols, he has found his father useful as an expert psychiatric witness in many of the cases in which he has been involved.^[1]

Nichols can play the piano well, but considers it only a hobby. He often has a habit of finishing other people's sentences, such as those of his boss Capt. Ross and his partner Det. Wheeler ("Astoria Helen"). He also has seen the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's at least a hundred times ("The Glory That Was...").

Zach has not spoken to his father, Dr. W. P. Nichols, even though both have lived in New York City for decades; his father lives on West 64th. He rebelled against his father, a Columbia professor, by dropping out of medical school to become a detective ("In Treatment").

He is on good terms with Henry Muller, one of the most respected forensic scientists in the NYPD. However, Muller kills a young woman after allowing her to take shelter in his apartment during the Season 8 episode "Major Case." Nichols works his way through Muller's attempt to frame another man for the crime, ignoring the potential danger to his own career, and eventually arrests him. During this same episode, Ross comments that he himself risked being suspended almost every month while he and Nichols were partners due to the latter's behavior.

Nichols is seen visiting a preparatory school named "Emerson Academy", where he studied in his youth. He went there to play the piano after Wheeler assumed he was "wandering aimlessly" ("Salome in Manhattan").

Detective Eames began partnering with Zach Nichols in "Major Case" after Nichols' regular partner, Megan Wheeler, went into labor and gave birth. This coincides with Julianne Nicholson, who plays Wheeler, giving birth while CI was still in production. Eames will work with both Goren and Nichols through the remainder of the season. In the episode "Revolution", Eames mentions that Zach Nichols reminds her of her partner Det. Robert Goren after Nichols suspects a foreigner may have sent a written message to The New York Times due to the "not very good English" in which it is composed. To this, Eames responds, "You're starting to remind me of someone," and Capt. Ross responds, "This one is taller." (The Internet Movie Database lists Jeff Goldblum's height as 6 ft, 4½ in (1.94 m),^[2] while that of Vincent D'Onofrio is stated as 6 ft, 3½ in (1.92 m).^[3])