Lemuel Idzik

Lemuel Idzik is a character, played by Joel Grey, on the American television show "Oz".

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In his first appearance, he is disguised as a reporter who is in Oz to do a story on Kareem Said's efforts to self publish Augustus Hill's memoirs. When Said walks up to shake his hand, Idzik pulls out a revolver, shooting Said twice in the torso before a guard disarms him. Said dies shortly afterwards, and Idzik is convicted of second degree murder, sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Understandably, Idzik already has enemies in Oz - notably the Muslims and Omar White. (Schillinger and other members of the Brotherhood attempt to befriend Idzik for murdering Said. Idzik quickly reveals his Jewish origin, and they leave as upset and confused as the rest of Oz.) Tim McManus talks to both parties and convinces the former to give Idzik a wide berth. White, however, is not entirely compliant, and leaves McManus' office with uncertain intentions. When Idzik is made White's new cell mate, White becomes very agitated and conflicted, but eventually decides not to harm Idzik, much to Idzik's dismay. When repeatedly asked why he murdered Said, Idzik finally tells White that he asked to come to Em City so someone would kill him, because the cosmos is coming to an end. When, after a day of research, White refutes Idzik's prophecy and thus his desire to die, Idzik murders White in his sleep by slitting his throat.

For his second murder, Idzik is placed on death row, but his conviction is overturned, again to his dismay. Finally, Sister Pete Reimondo coaxes out an explanation for his death wish. He tells her of how, long ago, he met Kareem Said in Istanbul, before Said's conversion to Islam. Said spoke passionately and convincingly of how the universe was ultimately doomed, and those words stuck to Idzik, changing him forever, sapping from him all purpose in life. He killed Said out of revenge and White in hopes that he would, in turn, be executed.

He is last seen on one of the evacuation buses in the closing scenes of the series.