Season 2

Premiere	Finale
Paul Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest	The Paul-Bearer

Network

ABC

Starring

Michael J. Fox
Barry Bostwick
Richard Kind
Alan Ruck
Michael Boatman
Connie Britton
Alexander Chaplin
Victoria Dillard
Jennifer Esposito

Aired

24 September 1997 — 20 May 1998

Episodes

24

Showrunner(s)

Gary David Goldberg & Bill Lawrence

Seasons

Season 2 of American comedy series Spin City aired on ABC television network.

Synopsis[]

As the right-hand man to Mayor Randall Winston (Barry Bostwick), Michael presides over a staff that seems more like a dysfunctional family than a group of co-workers. Mayor Winston, prone to the occasional gaffe, is going through an ugly divorce and grappling with his newly-single status. Paul (Richard Kind), the neurotic press secretary who’s perennially out of the loop, experiences ups and downs with his girlfriend, Claudia (Faith Prince). Michael’s intrepid secretary, Janelle (Victoria Dillard), is promoted to the Mayor’s assistant, forcing Mike to hire a new staffer, street-smart secretary Stacey Paterno (Jennifer Esposito). Rounding out the group are Stuart (Alan Ruck), the chief of staff, who’s convinced he should have Michael’s job; James (Alexander Chaplin), the idealistic young speechwriter from the Midwest; Nikki (Connie Britton), the efficient accountant with a star-crossed personal life; and Carter (Michael Boatman), a gay activist who joined the administration last year as special assistant for minority affairs.

Starring[]

Michael J. Fox as Mike Flaherty

Richard Kind as Paul Lassiter

Alan Ruck as Stuart Bondek

Michael Boatman as Carter Heywood

Connie Britton as Nikki Faber

Alexander Chaplin as James Hobert

Victoria Dillard as Janelle Cooper

Jennifer Esposito as Stacey Paterno^[1] (20 episodes)

and Barry Bostwick as Randall Winston

Special Guest Stars: Paula Marshall as Laurie Parres (6 episodes); Raquel Welch as Abby Lassiter (2 episodes); Meredith Baxter as Macy Flaherty (2 episodes); Mark Linn-Baker as Dr. Benjamin ("Paul Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"); Marla Maples as Jennifer ("The Goodbye Girl"); Tracy Pollan as Renee Miller ("The Thirty Year Itch"); Alyssa Milano as Meg Winston ("They Shoot Horses, Don't They?")

SPECIAL APPEARANCES BY

Regis Philbin as Regis Philbin ("Radio Daze")

Kathie Lee Gifford as Kathie Lee Gifford ("Radio Daze")

Former Mayor Ed Koch ("Family Affair: Part 2")

Alan Dershowitz ("Family Affair: Part 2")

Donald Trump ("The Paul Lassiter Story")

Recurring cast: Faith Prince as Claudia Sacks (9 episodes)

Guest starring: Linda Stephens as Carol Parres ("Wonder Woman"); Zandy Hartig as Katie ("In The Heat Of The Day"); Manuel E. Santiago as Councilman Rodriguez ("In The Heat Of The Day"); Gerry Red Wilson as Andrew "Drew" West ("Radio Daze"); Bradley White as Stephen ("The Thirty Year Itch"); John Callahan as Edmund ("My Life Is A Soap Opera"); Esta Terblanche as Gillian ("My Life Is A Soap Opera"); Susan Floyd as Lisa ("My Life Is A Soap Opera"); Kim Raver as Jeannie ("My Life Is A Soap Opera"); Mitch Rouse as Steve And Mr. Bungle ("Family Affair: Part 1"); Charlie White as Hank ("Family Affair: Part 1"); David Aaron Baker as Jason ("Family Affair: Part 2"); Charlie White as Hank ("Family Affair: Part 2"); Scott Terra as Justin ("Miracle Near 34th Street"); Scott Bryce as Jay ("Same Time Next Year"); Sam Lloyd as Walter ("The Paul Lassiter Story"); Mos' Def as Monty ("Gentleman's Agreement"); Richard Portnow as Mr. Paterno ("Deaf Man Walking"); Maria Tucci as Mrs. Paterno ("Deaf Man Walking"); Ned Romero as Chief ("A River Runs Through Me"); Joseph Urla as Daniel ("The Pope Of Gracie Mansion"); Clayton Hamilton as Wayne ("The Pope Of Gracie Mansion"); Tom McCarthy as Priest ("Bye, Bye, Birdie"); Anthony Mangano as Robber ("Bye, Bye, Birdie"); Noelle Beck as Kaari ("The Lady Or The Tiger"); Jonathan Walker as Neil Cash ("Single White Male"); Mike Royce as Christopher ("Single White Male"); Milo O'Shea as Father Larry ("The Paul-Bearer")

Trivia[]

Victoria Dillard is added to the main cast.
Jennifer Esposito is a recurring guest star until episode 8 where she is added to the main cast^[2]
After this season, co-creator Gary David Goldberg leaves the series, but remains a consultant^[3]

Episodes[]

#	EPISODE	AIRDATE	WRITTEN BY
1	Paul Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest	24 SEPTEMBER 1997	Bill Lawrence
The Mayor asks Mike to act as his divorce lawyer. However, Mike finds himself attracted to his opponent, Laurie Parres. Also, the press thinks Paul has suffered a nervous breakdown, so Michael enlists a psychiatrist to pronounce Paul sane. But his plans go awry when the doctor unexpectedly commits Paul.
2	Porn In The U.S.A.	1 OCTOBER 1997	Jeff Lowell
When Mike's new girlfriend, Laurie, bonds with Nikki, Mike must compete with his own staffer for Laurie's attention and free time. Meanwhile, Paul's bombshell mom (Raquel Welch) dazzles his co-workers when she visits the office, and the Mayor is in a mess over an X-rated video.
3	Wonder Woman	8 OCTOBER 1997	Jay Scherick & David Ronn
Mike finds out that his new girlfriend, Laurie, isn't looking for commitment, which he thinks is great -- at first. Meanwhile, James has a mysterious new hobby, which Stuart and Carter are determined to uncover; and Janelle asks for a raise, with surprising results.
4	The Goodbye Girl	15 OCTOBER 1997	Gayle Abrams
Michael tries to dissuade the Mayor from a relationship with Jennifer, a much younger woman. However, as Mike deals with his own relationship troubles, Jennifer makes a pass at him. Meanwhile, Paul is acting as Mike's assistant, and enjoying it so much that he can't bring himself to hire the best candidate for the job, Stacey Paterno.
5	In The Heat Of The Day	22 OCTOBER 1997	Stephen Godchaux
While jogging in the park to support the Mayor's fitness initiative, Carter is apprehended by the police, who mistake him for a mugger. To Carter's chagrin, Michael wants to downplay the incident, while Carter wants to publicize his own outrage. Meanwhile, Paul becomes paranoid that he himself is a racist; and James struggles to pull off a successful date.
6	Radio Daze	29 OCTOBER 1997	Kirk J. Rudell
While promoting his autobiography, the Mayor realizes that he isn't as popular as a competing author, a well-known shock jock-type deejay. To Mike's dismay, the Mayor agrees to a mock election with the deejay, to win the hearts and minds of New Yorkers. Meanwhile, the women in the office vie to win the heart of the hunky water delivery man, Brent.
7	The Thirty Year Itch	5 NOVEMBER 1997	Michelle Nader & Amy Cohen
As Michael's 30th birthday approaches, he remembers a promise he made to his high-school sweetheart: If they were both still single by the time Mike turned 30, they'd reunite at the top of the Empire State Building on his birthday. They keep their promise, with surprising results. Meanwhile, the Mayor wonders whether his nephew is gay.
8	My Life Is A Soap Opera	12 NOVEMBER 1997	Tom Hertz
When Mike begins dating Lisa, a writer for a soap opera, he starts to see their dating life echoed on episodes of the popular serial. Meanwhile, Stuart is mistakenly "outed" and finds that his dating life improves when women think he's gay.
9	Family Affair: Part 1	19 NOVEMBER 1997	Brian Buckner & Sebastian Jones
Mike's mom, Macy (Meredith Baxter), is visiting for a week and she and the Mayor have hit it off better than Mike ever imagined, or feared. Meanwhile, Nikki dates Steve, a ventriloquist whose dummy, Mr. Bungle, is more romantic (and talkative) than Steve.
10	Family Affair: Part 2	26 NOVEMBER 1997	Jeff Lowell & Tom Hertz
Mike must choose between protecting his mom, Macy (Meredith Baxter) and protecting the Mayor when he tries to spin the Mayor out of a new scandal - Hizzoner's alibi would reveal that he spent the night with Macy. Meanwhile, when Paul is sued, he goes to The People's Court to let former Mayor Edward I. Koch decide his fate.
11	They Shoot Horses, Don't They?	10 DECEMBER 1997	Laurie Parres
The Mayor's free-thinking daughter Meg puts the "bare" in bareback when she disrupts a rally with hansom-carriage drivers in Central Park to draw attention to her animal rights stance. Meanwhile, the gang tries to reunite a needy Paul with his ex-girlfriend, Claudia, but he's smitten with his new pen-pal, "Anonymous."
12	Miracle Near 34th Street	17 DECEMBER 1997	Stephen Godchaux & Gayle Abrams
The Mayor inadvertently tells the children of New York there is no Santa Claus, and it becomes Mike's mission to make them believe again, through the eyes of one little boy.
13	Same Time Next Year	7 JANUARY 1998	Jay Scherick & David Ronn
A champagne-fuelled New Year's celebration at the Mayor's mansion gets out of control when Nikki's date two times her, and a protective Mike not only gets even, he gets Nikki and an erotic food fight. Meantime, the usually cynical Stuart is undone over the death of Piglet, his family cat; and Stacy makes James question his own virility.
14	The Paul Lassiter Story	21 JANUARY 1998	Bill Lawrence
The usually indomitable Mike can't cope at the office because of upsetting news -- his doctor suspects Mike has prostate cancer. The timing couldn't be worse, as the Mayor needs Mike to help write his newest book, so Mike brings in Donald Trump to advise Hizzoner on writing. Also, the staffers are being terrorized by a chair-snatching bureaucrat.
15	Gentleman's Agreement	28 JANUARY 1998	Tim Hobert
Mike tries to talk the Mayor out of joining a private club that prohibits women members -- until Mike gets a taste of the high life at the club. Meanwhile, Stuart joins an all-women reading group and impresses the members with his feigned sensitivity; and Paul sets out to help James win at three-card monte.
16	Deaf Man Walking	25 FEBRUARY 1998	Jeff Lowell
Stacey's grandmother puts a curse on Mike, whom she blames for Stacey's desire to move away from home. Though Mike doesn't believe in curses, he can't deny that he's experiencing a string of ill fortune which is also affecting his beloved New York Rangers. Meantime, the Mayor doesn't want to admit he is losing his sense of hearing.
17	The Marrying Men	4 MARCH 1998	Michelle Nader & Amy Cohen
Mike is delighted when his old flame Laurie steps back into his life, and Paul makes plans to propose to Claudia. But when Laurie finds the engagement ring, she thinks Mike is popping the question to her -- and the answer is yes.
18	One Wedding And A Funeral	11 MARCH 1998	Tom Hertz
While Mike and Laurie accelerate their wedding plans, some of the staffers fantasize, in comic dream sequences, about what their own lives would be like if they married Mike. Meanwhile, Paul is losing his nerve about proposing to Claudia.
19	A River Runs Through Me	18 MARCH 1998	Laurie Parres
To show support for the Mayor's anti-drug campaign, Mike proposes that the staff undergo drug testing - but Mike's sample could be tainted when he drinks from a bowl laced with peyote. Meantime, Paul is chagrined to discover his mom (Raquel Welch) feels that now that he's getting married, she is finally free to date again.
20	The Pope Of Gracie Mansion	1 APRIL 1998	Stephen Godchaux
After the Pope visits City Hall, the Mayor longs to have a similar inspiring effect on his own constituency. Meanwhile, Mike is having a religious experience of his own; and Carter sets up Nikki with his best friend, who is just like Carter -- but straight.
21	Bye, Bye, Birdie	29 APRIL 1998	Brian Buckner & Sebastian Jones
Mike and the staff throw separate bachelor and bachelorette parties for Paul and Claudia. However, the festivities run into some "fowl play" when Mike discovers that a new sculpture commissioned by the city, entitled "The Bird," is not the kind of bird Mike anticipated.
22	The Lady Or The Tiger	6 MAY 1998	Gayle Abrams & Kirk J. Rudell
Mike finds it impossible to break off with his new magician girlfriend, since she's developed a near-fatal attraction to him. Meanwhile, Carter and Stuart invest in a nightclub.
23	Single White Male	6 MAY 1998	Michael Lisbe & Nathan Reger
Carter needs to find a roommate, and Stuart lobbies to be considered, since he's just been evicted. Meanwhile, a rat is on the loose in City Hall and Mike is determined to eliminate him.
24	The Paul-Bearer	20 MAY 1998	Tim Hobert
Mike promises to coordinate Paul and Claudia's entire wedding, but on the big day, Mike discovers that the church is simultaneously booked for a funeral. Meanwhile, the Mayor cannot speak without stuttering.