Michael Lichtenstein Movies
- 1998
The most recent victims of an apparent serial killer are a woman who worked with underprivileged children and a sportscaster. Upon investigating the background of one of the victims, it is discovered that a fondness for kinky sex may have been the motivation for the murder. The captured killer tries to get off on the "Kojak" defense, claiming that his mind was "twisted" by watching too much television. The strategy used by McCoy (Sam Waterston) to attack this argument could well have been Law & Order producer Dick Wolf's own personal response to those who think that purging TV of violence is the solution to violence in real life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
A gay councilman is murdered, leading detectives Logan (Chris Noth) and Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) to question such "probables" as the dead man's roommate, Joe Gibb (Michael Lichtenstein), and a married man (Robert Joy) with whom the decedent might have had a brief affair. When the investigation narrows down to Councilman Kevin Crossley (Daniel Hugh Kelly) who, despite his outspoken homophobia, insists that he was a good friend of the victim, an outraged Logan completely loses his cool. Suffice to say that this final fifth-season Law & Order episode also represented the last regular appearance of co-star Chris Noth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
