The BEST episodes of Spin City
Every episode of Spin City ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Spin City!
This situation comedy takes place in New York's City Hall. It centers on Mike Flaherty, the deputy mayor, who has to protect the slightly moronic mayor, Randall Winston from those who want to ruin his political career, and from himself, cause he is constantly making an ass of himself and Mike has to try and make sure that his little escapades are either not made public or have very little negative effect on the mayor. Helping Mike is Carter, probably the least quirky member of the mayor's staff and Nikki and James. Stuart and Paul are two members of the staff who cause just as much problems. Mike's secretary, who joined the show during the second season was Stacy. Mike's girlfriend during the first season was Ashley, but the character was dropped, his next girlfriend, during the following season was Laurie, and during the third season it was Nikki, and in the fourth season it was Caitlin Moore, the mayor's campaign manager. Michael J. Fox would leave the show after the fourth season. During the next season, the new deputy mayor would be Charlie Crawford.
#1 - An Affair Not to Remember
Season 6 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/9/2002
Caitlin takes a trip down memory lane and realizes that she and Charlie met years before and that he was the reason why she lost what might have been the best relationship of her life. Flashback to a preppy and conservative Caitlin and a cool, life-of-the-party Charlie at an old college bash. The flashback makes Caitlin realize that her current boyfriend, Tom, might not be right for her, and she ends up kissing Charlie! Meanwhile, the Mayor bartends at a fundraiser at which Paul is trying to pick up a woman, and the woman's friend has fallen for Carter, who is gay.
#2 - Chinatown
Season 6 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/27/2001
Charlie endangers his relationship with Jennifer when he realizes that he loves his staff more than her. The Mayor decides to propose to Claire, but she says no because he's in the public eye and must be dishonest. This causes problems, because it's Election Day, and a truth-telling campaign by the Mayor could jeopardize his re-election.
#3 - Criss Cross
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/17/1996
Michael substitutes for the Mayor on a political talk show, facing off against Ashley on a hot-button issue. Meanwhile, Paul plays City Hall Santa while battling a terrible bout of the flu that is sweeping the office. And everyone finds themselves going to Carter for romantic advice.
#4 - O Mother, Where Art Thou?
Season 6 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/8/2002
Caitlin finds love with an older man, Tom -- whose daughter, Tracy, flirts with Charlie. Meanwhile the Mayor is depressed by the anniversary of his mother's death, but Carter introduces him to a woman, Christine, who cheers him up in more ways than one. Later, though, Carter reveals that Christine is the receiver of the Mayor's mother's donor heart, potentially threatening their relationship.
#5 - The Burgers of Wrath
Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/13/2000
Mike has been in Zimbabwe for three weeks, so Paul teaches Caitlin about celibacy. Stuart convinces Angie that he's a biker guy. War on unemployment forces the mayor to work at a burger joint.
#6 - Pride and Prejudice
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/8/1996
Michael allows a TV crew into the office for a profile on himself, and one of his quotes lands him in hot water with Ashley. In the meantime, Carter goes behind Michael's back to get the Mayor to green-light a controversial project.
#7 - The Competition
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/26/1996
When the Mayor's office competes against City Council in an annual Thanksgiving contest, the stakes are high, since the losers must croon a show tune in front of the press. James has trouble breaking up with a longtime girlfriend visiting from Wisconsin.
#8 - A Shot in the Dark (2)
Season 5 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/23/2001
Charlie and Caitlin double date with Tim and Charlie's crazy ex. However, Tim dumps Caitlin, who calls Charlie to come over. They kiss; he freaks out and just wants to be friends, but reconsiders and shows up on her doorstep later. The mayor remembers why he and Chad didn't get along in the first place.
#9 - Meet Tommy Dugan
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/19/1996
An opinionated school janitor becomes "Mayor for a Day" when he wins an essay contest intended for schoolchildren. Meanwhile, the Mayor wants to change his image.
#10 - Deaf Becomes Her
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/18/1997
It's damage control time when the Mayor's inept new sign-language interpreter inadvertently offends the deaf community, and Michael rushes to appease one of its leaders, Sarah Edelman. Meantime, Paul is worried that Claudia wants to move in permanently.
#11 - Goodbye (2)
Season 4 - Episode 26 - Aired 5/24/2000
Mike and Caitlin have sex. The staff works damage control but Mike ultimately fires himself to save everybody else. The staff says their goodbyes at the bar. Caitlin promises Mike that she's not going anywhere. Mike says goodbye to the mayor and walks out of City Hall for the last time. Six weeks later, Mike turns up as an environmental lobbyist in DC.
#12 - An Affair to Remember
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/18/1997
For the Mayor's 50th birthday, Paul is determined to get his "old friend" George Stephanopoulos to attend the event; as Michael arranges for birthday wishes from David Letterman, Patrick Ewing, Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf, Frank Gifford, Rosie O'Donnell, Larry King, and the cast of Rent. But in the midst of the planning, a scandal swirls about the Mayor's presumed affair with a staffer from the Governor's office.
#13 - A Star is Born
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/22/1996
When Mayor Winston's nominee for the Public Schools Chancellor proves an embarrassment to the administration, James urges Mike to stick with the controversial candidate. In the meantime, Ashley considers a career in television on a roundtable show.
#14 - Sex, Lies and Video Date
Season 6 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/12/2002
The Mayor's niece, Stephanie, pays a visit to City Hall and flirts with Charlie, who reciprocates - until he finds out who she is. Somewhat later he and Caitlin are caught in a compromising position in the Mayor's bedroom, trying to cover up for Stephanie's wild ways. Meanwhile, Mayor Winston and Carter get trapped in a car for hours, leading Carter to vow to give up his materialistic ways if they are saved, and Paul becomes a contestant on the popular dating show, "Blind Date."
#15 - Grand Illusion
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/29/1996
Carter and Nikki plan a fake wedding to make a point about the mayor's stance on same-sex marriages. Meanwhile, Paul is a transformed man when the eye patch he wears after a minor injury gives him unprecedented self-confidence and sex appeal. And an unsatisfied Ashley considers leaving her new TV show for the newspaper again.
#16 - The High and the Mighty
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/12/1996
Michael needs a favor from famed real estate developer Dan Donaldson, but the price Mike has to pay may not be worth it. In the meantime, Paul finds it hard to crow about the city's lowered crime rate, since he's just become a victim of a robbery-again. And Mike and Ashley can't agree on what show to watch when they're in bed.
#17 - Starting Over
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/14/1997
Michael is uncomfortable with his newly single status when he realizes he's actually on a date with new assistant district attorney Danielle Brinkman. Meantime, Paul meets the president of his fan club, Claudia Sacks, who has arranged the group's first meeting. And Carter and Stuart have a little too much to drink and end up in an awkward situation.
#18 - An Office and a Gentleman
Season 6 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/11/2001
Caitlin makes plans with the City Hall Santa without knowing what he looks like. Stuart wrestles with his feelings when he realizes that he's in love with Michelle. And Charlie must decide which staff member is most deserving of a nice new office.
#19 - Let's Give Them Something to Talk About
Season 6 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/16/2002
Caitlin is confused by the kiss she and Charlie shared and seeks the advice of a therapist. Meanwhile, the Mayor buys the staff palm phones which enable Charlie to accidentally eavesdrop on Caitlin's session. He decides to try to fulfill Caitlin's fantasies, which in turn prompts her to decide between Charlie and her current boyfriend, Tom. Paul appears on a controversial radio talk show with Carter feeding him answers.
#20 - Wife with Mikey
Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/2/2001
Mike calls off his engagement with Allison and increases his presence in the office, making Charlie feel threatened. However, Charlie talks him into staying with Allison and marrying her--in City Hall. Meanwhile, Caitlin helps the mayor dress like a woman for a charity event.
#21 - Dog Day Afternoon
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/10/1996
Mike tries to appease the disgruntled Police Commissioner by honoring a beloved police dog who has recently died. But things go awry on the way to the funeral when Paul and Carter lose the canine's body. And Mike buys an air hockey table for the staff proving Stuart a very big talker.
#22 - Age Against the Machine
Season 6 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/26/2002
Charlie has a hard time keeping up with Tracy, his new 23-year-old girlfriend who likes to party every night. Caitlin and Paul join them at a club one night and they are all arrested after one of Tracy's friends is caught with marijuana. Meanwhile, the Mayor is invited to a fund-raising gala by a very prominent member of the gay community, Martin, whom Carter has a crush on. Both Carter and Stuart also attend, and Martin hits on Stuart who is clueless to his advances, though they feed Carter's jealousy.
#23 - The Apartment
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/9/2001
The mayor's approval ratings are going down, thanks to his relationship with the not-yet-divorced Judge Simmons. Charlie convinces the mayor to seek quiet time with Claire at a friend's house--only he didn't anticipate the mayor showing up at his. Paul hires a publicist to improve his image. After going to a friend's baby shower, Caitlin becomes obsessed with having a baby. Carter lets her watch Rags for a day, but he swallows Charlie's pager. Caitlin decides not to have a child, but apparently, Carter does.
#24 - Sleeping with the Enemy
Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/6/2001
The mayor prepares to debate his opponent, while Charlie and Jennifer, his opponent's campaign manager have been dating for 3 weeks. The mayor wants Charlie to dump her, but he doesn't. When the mayor visits Charlie in the middle of the night to share something that may be damaging to his campaign, Jennifer may have overheard it. Meanwhile, Paul and Robin become involved; Paul thinks it's a relationship, while Robin thinks it's a fling.
#25 - Brotherly Love
Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/16/2001
Charlie attempts to interfere with Caitlin and Tim's burgeoning relationship. Meanwhile, Carter hires his sister to work at City Hall and will go to any length to avoid people discovering their connection.