Why did they ruin Mike's exit?
As much as I love this show, I gotta say Mike's final curtain episode has got to be the weakest of the first four brilliant seasons. What could have been a touching, bittersweet, yet uplifting ending was unjustly turned into a downright tragedy, an overly sentimental melodrama and that was completely out of style of "Spin City".
They simply did not need to elaborate so much on Mike's leaving, to "explain" his exit. It needed no explanation, everybody knew the real reason behind it. The reason that was tragic enough in itself. So why make it even more depressing than it already was? Why let Mike the character loose and not win at the end? Why not come up with something more ingenious and dramatically solid than letting an innocent guy take the blame, loose the job he loved more than anything, his team that was like a family to him? Did the writers loose their creativity all of a sudden? They should have Mike go in style. Finishing up with his final letter from Washington saying "oh, turns out I love being an environmental lobbist" is not a stylish dramatic ending in my book.
Remember the episode in season 4 (not far from the ending) where Mike teaches the mayor to ride a bike? Well, that's where they should have ended it. In Central Park, when the mayor rides off with a six year old boy. Remember the boy's father comes up to Mike and asks "How old is yours?" And Mike answers, smiling and watching the mayor's ackward ride "Fifty two. But, but he will be fifty three in the fall". What a breathtaking moment! A perfect ending for a movie. Symbolic, profound and touching. Watching the final episode, I was embarrassed for the mayor crying and repeating "You are like a son to me, Mike", "I love you like a father", "I don't want you to go, son" etc... Jesus Christ, what happened to those writers?
Watching Michael J. Fox saying good buy to his co-workers was embarrassing also (particularly the scene at the bar with everybody crying). It was not a film any longer, but a borderline reality show. I understand that he probably felt very emotional and vulnarable at that moment that marked the end of his acting career, and that's exactly the reason why I felt uncomfortable watching it. It seemed more like him having private conversations with his friends than a public performance.
The very last scene is very good though, when Michael takes the final bow in front of the studio audience. But everything that comes before... Did they have to write it in a hurry?