[1-13] Bye Bye Love
Up [1-1] Pilot [1-2] The Great Pretender [1-3] The Apartment [1-4] Pride & Prejudice [1-5] The Rivals [1-6] A Star is Born [1-7] Grand Illusions [1-8] The High and the Mighty [1-9] Meet Tommy Dugan [1-10] The Competitors [1-11] Dog Day Afternoon [1-12] Criss Cross [1-13] Bye Bye Love [1-14] Starting Over [1-15] Gabby's Song [1-16] Kiss Me, Stupid [1-17] An Affair to Remember [1-18] Snowbound [1-19] Striptease [1-20] Deaf Becomes Her [1-21] Hot in the City [1-22] Bone Free [1-23]The Mayor who came to Dinner [1-24] Mayor over Miami

Writers: Kirk J. Rudell & Bill Lawrence
Producer: Jeff Lowell
Director: Lee Shallat Chemel


Episode Length: 22:02
Guest Stars:

Ken Marino: Tim (named as Dan Fuques)
Tim Riis Farrell: UPS Guy (named as Jimmy)
Eric Kushnick: Pizza Guy (named as Clayton)
Sylvia Kaunders: Roberta

Rating:#17 18.9 million viewers 12.8 rating 19 share

Rating:  TV-PG

First Broadcast: January 7, 1997

Opening sound: Lightly falling rain

 

Storyline #1: A Floundering Flaherty
After the Christmas Break, (local politicos get Christmas Breaks?) the group starts to gossip about the breakup between Mike and Ashley. Mike seems outwardly cheerful but there are questions about what really happened and how Mike really feels. After preparing a break-up box full of Ashley's things and carrying it around the entire day, he eventually cannot break with it and refuses to send it with the UPS man. He takes a day off to wallow in his sadness and eventually walks in on Nikki's date with Dan. Then Mike, Nikki, Dan, and the rest of the staff end up eating out together where everyone compares their own break-up stories. Mike decides to leave early and is confronted by Nikki on the street where we discover that Ashley left on her terms much to the chagrin of Mike. And apparently, he is still broken up over it.

Storyline #2: Brand New Paul
Paul sets a New Year's resolution: to be less gullible. He starts off on a bad note when he disbelieves the news about Mike and Ashley and about a broken chair. Later, he continues to fall for pranks, from Mike making up numbers about NY holiday tourism to the Mayor's fake firing. He also picks up a new hobby over the break: a penchant for the Amish on the Internet.

 

Review: "Bye, Bye Love"

Overall, a twisty, turning episode. Although I only listed two official plotlines, there were some other threads that seem to be of the season-long variety. James picks up from where he left off in Episode [1-12] by continuing to show an interest in Nikki. He spends the entire episode trying to surgically remove Nikki from any type of personal life. Only time will tell where this story heads. Also, there is no offical resoloution of Mike's sadness. And after reading next week's preview from TV Guide (Mike dates Courtney-Thorne Smith from "Melrose Place"), it appears that Mike's love life will continue to be a major issue in the series.

As for the big question, it seems Ashley got a job in LA and jetted off to the opportunity. Originally, Mike said he supported the decision but eventually he confides he got on his hands and knees and begged her to stay. This was accomplished in a two minute segment filmed away from the studio audience where Michael J. Fox got to show off his dramatic chops. I was kind of indifferent to this part. While it was for the most part necessary and it gives Fox a leg up on the Best Actor competitions, it didn't tug at my heartstrings.


Rating [5 pt. scale]: 4.0

Did you notice ...

"Spin City" is rated TV-PG? (part of the new TV ratings system)
There have been 100's of rumors about how they broke up? (much like the 100's of rumors in the real world about how they would break up.)
James dated a sophmore in college for 3 years?
The Mayor might be a Democrat? (Evidence: Mike's first reaction to the Mayor having a "ass-head".)
The Amish have a website at ambabe.com? (How do they dial in if they don't have phones?)
The address on the break-up box? (I didn't)

 

 

Top 10 Lines

10. Mike: (to Nikki) "Press two if you want to hear this message in Spanish."
9. Mike: (on vacation plans) "If there's any lingering sadness in July, ..."
8. Clayton: (to Jimmy) "Get out while you can."
7. James: "I got dumped once."
    Carter: "NO!"
6. Jimmy: (avoiding Mike's invitation) "Keep your eye on that X, sir."
5. Mike: "It's impossible to catch a cab in New York while holding a box. Damn Unabomber."
4. Mike: (To Dan) I'm Mike. Nikki's 9:00 date.
3. James:  "She disappeared after 3 years."
    Carter: "James. she graduated."
2. Clayton: "I just want $9. I've been here since noon."
1. Mike: (after assaulting Stuart) "We're just playing around."
    Stuart: "I don't like that game."

 

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