Zach Nichols
Encyclopedia
Det. Zachary "Zack" Nichols is a fictional character
, portrayed by Jeff Goldblum
, featured in the NBC
-USA Network
series Law & Order: Criminal Intent
.
Nichols is a police detective with the NYPD Major Case Squad. He was introduced in the series' eighth season to replace Det. Mike Logan
(Chris Noth
). During that season he and his partner Megan Wheeler
(Julianne Nicholson
) were featured in half the episodes shown, alternating with Robert Goren
and Alexandara Eames; the next year, during the show's ninth season, he and his new partner Serena Stevens (Saffron Burrows
) were the only detectives featured. Neither Nichols nor Stevens returned for the tenth and final season of Criminal Intent, however, their characters were not specifically written out or addressed in any way during that season.
. Little is explained as to how and why Nichols returned to the NYPD.
Detective Eames began partnering with Zack Nichols after Nichols' regular partner, Megan Wheeler, went into labor and gave birth. Together they investigate Henry Muller, a forensics
scientist with the NYPD, and Nichols' suspicions of the man cause conflict between him and Ross, who comments that he himself risked being suspended almost every month while he and Nichols were partners due to the latter's behavior.
Nichols became full-time partners with Detective Serena Stevens (played by Saffron Burrows
), who was introduced in the second part of the two-part Season 9 premiere episode "Loyalty". Both detectives worked under the command of Captain Zoe Callas during this season, after Danny Ross was killed while taking part in an FBI sting operation
.
s, but shunned their profession; becoming a cop was something of a rebellion for him. Nichols has not spoken to his father, Dr. Theodore Nichols (F. Murray Abraham
), in years even though both live in New York City. However, in Goldblum's final episode, "Three in One," he asks his father for assistance with the case and they reconcile at the end of the episode. Nichols also has an older brother.
Nichols is seen visiting a preparatory school
named "Emerson Academy", where he studied in his youth.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, portrayed by Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and he has appeared in major box-office successes including The Fly, Jurassic Park and its sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Independence Day...
, featured in the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
-USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
series Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
.
Nichols is a police detective with the NYPD Major Case Squad. He was introduced in the series' eighth season to replace Det. Mike Logan
Mike Logan (Law & Order)
Michael "Mike" Logan is a fictional character in the police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order franchise, played by Chris Noth.-History in the franchise:...
(Chris Noth
Chris Noth
Christopher David "Chris" Noth is an American actor. He is known for long-running television roles as Det. Mike Logan on the police procedural and legal drama television series, Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and as Big on Sex and the City. For the latter role, he has been...
). During that season he and his partner Megan Wheeler
Megan Wheeler
Det. Megan Ann Wheeler is a fictional character portrayed by Julianne Nicholson on the NBC-USA Network series Law & Order: Criminal Intent...
(Julianne Nicholson
Julianne Nicholson
Julianne Nicholson is an American actress. She is known for having played Det. Megan Wheeler on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Early life:...
) were featured in half the episodes shown, alternating with Robert Goren
Robert Goren
Det. Robert "Bobby" Goren is a fictional character featured in the NBC-USA Network police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent, portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio....
and Alexandara Eames; the next year, during the show's ninth season, he and his new partner Serena Stevens (Saffron Burrows
Saffron Burrows
Saffron Dominique Burrows is an English actress and former fashion model, who starred as Det. Serena Stevens on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Lorraine Weller on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
) were the only detectives featured. Neither Nichols nor Stevens returned for the tenth and final season of Criminal Intent, however, their characters were not specifically written out or addressed in any way during that season.
Career
Detective Nichols was once partnered with Captain Danny Ross in Anti-Crime. However, after September 11, 2001, Nichols left the police force for seven years. Ross remarked that during this period, his only clue to Nichols' whereabouts was a postcard from ClevelandCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. Little is explained as to how and why Nichols returned to the NYPD.
Detective Eames began partnering with Zack Nichols after Nichols' regular partner, Megan Wheeler, went into labor and gave birth. Together they investigate Henry Muller, a forensics
Forensics
Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action...
scientist with the NYPD, and Nichols' suspicions of the man cause conflict between him and Ross, who comments that he himself risked being suspended almost every month while he and Nichols were partners due to the latter's behavior.
Nichols became full-time partners with Detective Serena Stevens (played by Saffron Burrows
Saffron Burrows
Saffron Dominique Burrows is an English actress and former fashion model, who starred as Det. Serena Stevens on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Lorraine Weller on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
), who was introduced in the second part of the two-part Season 9 premiere episode "Loyalty". Both detectives worked under the command of Captain Zoe Callas during this season, after Danny Ross was killed while taking part in an FBI sting operation
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
.
Personal and family life
Nichols is the child of two psychiatristPsychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
s, but shunned their profession; becoming a cop was something of a rebellion for him. Nichols has not spoken to his father, Dr. Theodore Nichols (F. Murray Abraham
F. Murray Abraham
Fahrid Murray Abraham is an American actor. He became known during the 1980s after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He has appeared in many roles, both leading and supporting, in films such as All the President's Men and Scarface...
), in years even though both live in New York City. However, in Goldblum's final episode, "Three in One," he asks his father for assistance with the case and they reconcile at the end of the episode. Nichols also has an older brother.
Nichols is seen visiting a preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
named "Emerson Academy", where he studied in his youth.