"Spin City" is a sitcom you've certainly never had to kick yourself for missing. But tonight's episode is different since, as approximately 5,000 ABC promos have made clear, Michael J. Fox is making his final appearance on the series. Thus a bit of TV history unfolds.
Fox revealed last year that he has Parkinson's disease; its symptoms have made it impossible for him to continue in the role of Mike Flaherty, top aide to the mayor of New York. When the show returns for a fifth season, Charlie Sheen will play the part. Herewith a prediction: The show's fifth season will be a brief one. And its last.
As is painfully evident in tonight's hourlong season finale, at 9 on Channel 7, "Spin City" is a weak and negligible comedy and Fox had to work very hard to put it over. Oh, much too hard. Without him to carry it, the fragile wisp seems very likely to implode, its own farewell much less noticed whenever it occurs than Fox's will be tonight.
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The writers did him no favors even for his final episode. It opens with a little in-joke: Mike talking to a psychiatrist who happens to be played by Michael Gross, formerly Fox's father on his old NBC hit, "Family Ties." There's even a reference to "Mallory," the name of Fox's sister on that show, though she isn't seen.
Mike spends most of the first half-hour trying to get co-worker Caitlin, played by that sunny little sexpot Heather Locklear, into bed with him, so there are lots of sex jokes and an attempt to see how many times the word "penis" can be used in one program. "Saturday Night Live" already covered that territory in a satirical sketch years ago.
Locklear strips to a black lacy bra in the first 15 minutes or so, a bit of insurance, perhaps, to keep people from channel-surfing. The producers hedge their bets and then hedge their hedges.
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Anyway, the reason that Mike leaves City Hall, as concocted by the writers, is that the doofus mayor (boring Barry Bostwick) gets innocently involved with mobsters and faces ruin. Out of loyalty and, it would seem, a trace of stupidity, Mike falls on his sword and tells the press that he, not the mayor, is "totally responsible" for the mess.
Share this articleShareThe comedy stops and the hugging, weeping and farewelling begin. Mike hugs everybody at least once, and each cast member gets a scene in which to tell him how wonderful he is and so on. If we look upon this as cast members saying goodbye to Fox, it does become touching, if lazily written. Certain lines of dialogue seem to have been designed with a double meaning, as when Fox says he will "bounce back from this" and Locklear tells him, "It's a long way from over."
One four-minute scene was not completed in time to be included on the preview tape sent to critics by ABC. The tape did include Fox stepping out of character for a few final bows to the studio audience and more hugging of cast members. One can wish only the best for this accomplished, likable, durable young performer.
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The sourest notes have been sounded in those nagging, nudging promos. ABC seemed to be shamelessly exploiting Fox's illness with lachrymose and syrupy spots. Seduced viewers who tune in expecting one of the all-time-great farewell shows (like the last "Mary Tyler Moore Show," the last "M*A*S*H," even the last "Larry Sanders Show") will be disappointed, but their hearts will go out to Fox.
So far this season, even with Michael J. Fox, "Spin City" has earned only so-so ratings, losing to its NBC competition, "The West Wing," and sometimes losing to the CBS Wednesday night movie. It's not in the Top 10 or Top 20, but it did just make the Top 40. ABC is pretending it's a hit.
More likely, Fox is the hit, and without him, the show will don its little jammies and tippy-toe into the night.
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