Spin City Episode Rating Graph

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.

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.

It's Nikki and Mike's four-month anniversary. James is still the only person who knows, but he wants to tell. Stuart takes Carter's job for a day, helping the mayor deal with various ethnic groups. James develops a rash from keeping the secret. Mike prepares for a magazine interview, but during the interview, the reporter's focus shifts to Carter. Stuart enlists Stacy's help with the ethnic groups. James spills the beans.

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.

Nikki wants to make her relationship public knowledge. The mayor prepares to appear on ""Politically Incorrect."" Carter is dating a gay boxer. Paul becomes addicted to Stacy's aunt's meatball subs. The mayor accidentally outs his relationship with Janelle while on TV. Nikki and Mike fight after he's not ready to expose their relationship yet.

The staff prepares for the Mayor's costume ball. Stuart tries to break up with Deidre. And after Mike sets Stacy up with a councilman to get his vote, she likes the set-up as the councilman plays the hero.

The staff prepares for Paul and Claudia's bachelor and bachelorette parties as the city prepares to unveil a new statue that it commissioned. The girls play ""I Never...."". Paul's party is in the office because the Mayor can't go to strip clubs. The new statue, called ""The Bird,"" is, you guessed it.... The girls think a visiting priest is a stripper because of a prank pulled by Stuart. James and Carter go to the hardware store and it is robbed with them in it. Mike is trapped in the store too, after he goes checking for James and Carter. Stacy sends the guys the male stripper Stuart canceled for the girls.

Mike and Nikki struggle with taking their relationship to the next level, i.e. sex. Stacy runs a phony psychic hotline on Paul. And the rest of the staff participates in a stakeout to demonstrate the city's new police technology.

It's Valentine's Day, and Carter's old flame Spence wants to meet with him. Meantime, Mike goes on a date from hell with a beautiful friend of Nikki's, and Paul's romantic evening with Claudia becomes unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

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.

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.

After Mike's picture with model Heidi Klum is in the tabloids, people assume he's dating her. But, he soon is after she asks him out. As a result, Nikki reveals to Carter that she has a secret crush on Mike. And The Mayor can't stop laughing at VERY inappropriate times.

The staff prepares for the mayor's bid for re-election announcement. Mike becomes a hero when he saves a runaway baby carriage, but the reality of the situation isn't what it seems. Carter adopts his family's 19-year-old dog. And, Paul teaches Stacy how to get a sick day without being sick.

Mike's political mentor is preparing to visit with the mayor preparing to appoint him head of the city's millennium project. Marie is still in town and messing around with James. The mayor and Janelle plan a get-together. Owen has changed a little over the years and believes he is the Messiah. After Carter puts Rags in Paul's care, Paul accidentally kills the ailing dog. Owen brings Rags back to life with a touch.

A major snowstorm hits Manhattan, causing a chain reaction of mishaps at City Hall. Mike desperately tries to meet his longtime crush on her last night in the city; Paul accidentally offends the Mayor on the radio; Carter and Stuart are locked in the boiler room; and a nudist is on the loose in the Mayor's office.

Carter is named Activist of the Year. Stuart has a new paperweight that looks like a breast. Mike's continued jealousy of Caitlin causes him to make remarks to a gay magazine, which is misinterpreted, outing himself and the mayor. Paul is banned from the bathroom after insulting the new attendant.

Mike's mom, Macy, is visiting for a week and she and the Mayor 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. And Stacy and Stuart scheme to get Hank, an elderly security guard, his job back after he accidentally shoots Paul.

Caitlin prepares to marry Trevor and elopes to Paris, where Mike follows and reveals that he loves her. James becomes angered with the mayor when he receives an undeserved war award. Stuart asks Nikki to pose for a ""charity"" swimsuit calendar.

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.

The men in the office find love-or rather, lust-is in the air, causing more than a few problems. And Nikki wonders whether her new heartthrob, George, is a struggling writer or an untalented mooch.

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.

Mike can't stop thinking about Nikki. Nikki is ready to take the next step with Arthur, but Mike is worried about that. Paul unwittingly has an affair because Stuart needs him to. Stacy dates a job-obsessed cabbie just because he looks good. James inadvertently causes a taxi driver strike, which interferes with Arthur getting to the airport. You see, if Arthur misses a plane, he and Nikki will have sex.

Despondent over his separation with his wife, the Mayor decides on a whim to take a road trip with Paul, leaving Mike in charge of New York City and scrambling to find out where they went.

As Mike's 30th birthday approaches, he is reminded of a promise he made to his high-school sweetheart, Renee Miller, long ago: 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. Both of them keep their promise, with surprising results. Meanwhile, the Mayor wonders if his nephew is gay.

The Mayor's free-thinking daughter, Meg, with whom he has a somewhat strained relationship, 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--and not coincidentally, herself. Meantime, the gang tries to reunite a needy Paul with ex-girlfriend Claudia, but he's smitten with his new pen-pal.

Carter and Stuart plan to spend Christmas together. Mike must baby-sit a smart monkey that will be given to the city zoo as a gift from Ghana. The staff prepares the City Hall greeting card. Carter and Stuart meet two old men from their building who mirror themselves in 30 years.

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.

The Mayor is disturbed by a campaign commercial by his opponent, starring his ex-wife. Mike plans the City Hall Thanksgiving, scheduled to be televised live throughout New York City, with the Mayor's father scheduled to attend. At the dinner, the Mayor blows up at his father on live TV. Meanwhile, Stacy mistakes Stuart for her boyfriend in the dark and lays a big wet one on him, making her think twice about her feelings for him.

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.

The mayor prepares for a three-day trip across New York on his new campaign bus. Paul and James grow mustaches when they think that Carter's gets him the best assignments. Nikki becomes a female version of Stuart when she consults him for dating advice. After Mike discovers that Trevor has asked Caitlin to marry him again, he accidentally hits him with the bus. Mike and Caitlin kiss but their session is interrupted when Mike reveals he was deliberately aiming for Trevor.

When the mayor starts to worry about becoming the object of a violent attack, a videotape showing Mike apparently leaving him in the line of ""gunfire"" damages their relationship. Meanwhile, Nikki sees Mike in an entirely different light after her viewing of the same tape reveals he was trying to protect her. And, Arthur wants to propose to Nikki, but puts his relationship with her at risk by confiding in Stuart.

While Michael and Caitlin fly to San Francisco, Stuart joins Carter for a protest and the mayor tries to have a light bulb changed.

A champagne filled New Year's celebration at the Mayor's mansion gets out of control, resulting in more than a little embarrassment the next day, especially for Mike and Nikki. On the big night, Nikki's date, Jay, two-times her and a protective Mike not only gets even--he gets Nikki. Meanwhile, Stuart is undone over the death of his family cat and Stacy makes James question his own virility.

After the Mayor is photographed throwing a baseball ""like a girl,"" Mike tries to give him a more macho image. But when a teenage girl mugs the mayor, Mike and Paul; Mike's got more damage control than even he can handle. Meanwhile, Stuart loses his heart to Deirdre, a woman who's just as detestable as he is.

With the President coming to visit City Hall, Mike is upset when Caitlin gets to meet him instead until plans change. The rest of the staff gathers at the bar, where Caitlin joins them. Nikki and Carter bet on who can pick up more women. Stuart tries to get Caitlin drunk; he succeeds and she leaves a drunken message for Mike. Paul tries to get James to help take his picture with the President.

When Mike begins dating Lisa, a writer from the soap opera ""All My Children,"" he starts to see their dating life echoed on episodes of the popular serial: A new hunk named Mick Flannery joins ""All My Children"" and woos the resident vixen, Gillian--until she reveals their bedroom secrets to Edmund. Meanwhile, Stuart plays gay in order to get dates with beautiful women.

Paul's cheap dentist puts braces on James instead of removing his infected tooth, causing problems in James' date with the new mail girl. The city's raffle to raise money for the Big Buddy program is screwed up when Paul skimps on the raffle tickets. Stuart and Carter blackmail Caitlin to decrease their workload.

Mike and Caitlin agree to share the mayor on odd/even days. On Caitlin's day, Mike ""borrows"" the mayor to visit a kid who fell in a well. Unfortunately, they're 20 minutes late and the mayor falls in the now vacant well. Carter puts Rags in doggie day care. Paul appears on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and wins $1,000,000. Stuart negotiates with firemen.

Michael Flaherty and his team grapple with a garbage strike and a political gaffe by the Mayor who accidentally insults gays. In addition, Ashley questions Mike's commitment to their relationship when is nervous about moving in together.

The Mayor separates from his wife and moves in with Michael, much to Mike's chagrin. Meanwhile, designer Isaac Mizrahi helps the Mayor's office with a charity fashion show and gives Nikki a once-in-a-lifetime chance to strut the runway in one of his creations.

Carter, Nikki and Mike go deer hunting in a fundraising attempt. While Mike is gone, Stuart becomes Stacy's boss for the day. And, with Claudia's help, Paul campaigns for a raise.

Charlie tries out for a minor league baseball team, trying to relive his high school glory days. Caitlin encourages the pitcher to go easy on him. The mayor receives a death threat so he gets a bodyguard. After discovering that his job requires him to come into contact with the mayor so often, Paul receives a bodyguard also. Rags spends a day at the office.

Carter discovers an old love letter written by Stuart. He decides to set Stuart up with the addressee of the letter, a woman who turns out to be Stuart's ex-wife. The woman quickly manages to set a whipped Stuart into his old rut. Meanwhile, Caitlin hires an image consultant when the mayor's approval ratings go down. The consultant discovers that the mayor has a problem with women, causing Charlie to make himself over. And also, Paul worries that he's unrecognizable.

Charlie and Caitlin struggle to find security in their new relationship. To spite Charlie for downplaying an encounter with an ex, Caitlin accompanies one of New York's ten sexiest men on a business date to make Charlie jealous. Meanwhile, the Mayor plots a way to one-up his rival, the Mayor of Los Angeles.

The office rallies to lift Mike's spirits after his break-up with Ashley, but he resists their best efforts. That is, until he decides he needs a friend and reaches out to Nikki in the middle of her date with the perfect man. And Paul sets a New Year's resolution to be less gullible.

In an attempt to get over Claudia, Paul decides to move into a college dorm. Caitlin tries dating, after ending her relationship with Mike--but doesn't have much luck. The Mayor builds an access ramp after he gets caught parking in a handicapped parking space.

To quell a protest by senior citizens, Mike plans to get the city's first woman voter to vote for the mayor. When Mike finds out that Trevor isn't really British, he must decide whether to tell Caitlin or not. Carter protests anti-gay discrimination in an apartment building. James and Paul fight over a ""hey guy.""

The mayor hires a political strategist to act as his campaign consultant. The consultant, Robin, is a bit of a psychic, predicting that a date of Charlie's will result in disaster, so Caitlin rushes to save him. As Stuart becomes more involved with Michelle, she tries to determine whether she is pregnant with Carter's artificially inseminated child yet. Stuart realizes that he may be the father after revealing that he forgot protection one night. However, Michelle discovers that she's not pregnant.

Caitlin sets the mayor up with her neighbor, Judith, who becomes way too much of an influence on the mayor. Carter helps Stuart prepare for a million dollar shot at a Rangers' game. Paul thinks he's Canadian.

When a supermodel sues the mayor, Charlie hires his old college friend to defend him. Charlie finds himself torn between two friends after Scott hits on Caitlin. Meanwhile, Paul and Stuart compete for the same woman.

Charlie and Caitlin fight as she plans to go to the Caribbean for a week with Tim on the night of a police ride-along. On the ride-along, Charlie is shot...by Paul. Charlie fakes the severity of his injury to get Caitlin's attention. Charlie and Caitlin almost kiss, but Tim interrupts. Meanwhile, Carter and Stuart worry that they bicker like an old married couple and the Mayor hires an old prep school buddy who is now a bum.

Paul convinces his mother that he is dating Caitlin, so she won't be upset that Claudia left him. Charlie tries to prove to Caitlin that his girlfriend isn't dumb. A quickly made balloon for the Thanksgiving parade goes awry in New York.

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.

Carter's friend Michelle visits and begins dating Stuart. However, Carter has just asked her to be his child's surrogate mother. Meanwhile, Charlie and Caitlin struggle over what to do with incriminating photos of the mayor's opponent.

Caitlin causes a misunderstanding when she believes that Charlie is taking a Spanish class to improve relations with the Latin American community. Paul and the mayor struggle to create office water-cooler talk. Stuart becomes jealous of the time Carter has been spending with Caitlin.

When Carter is unexpectedly called to a late-night meeting, Charlie's left in charge of entertaining Spencer, a 16-year-old boy whom Carter sponsors through the ""Big Brother"" program. Having already had a date planned, Charlie has no choice but to bring Spencer along for the ride. Meanwhile, the Mayor is racked with guilt which is causing him insomnia.

Caitlin falls hard for a rich, young, sexy philanthropist. The Mayor is threatened when Charlie temporarily takes over as acting Mayor, and Paul becomes addicted to Carter's nicotine gum.

Paul, Stuart and Carter rope reformed gambler Charlie into their poker night, and are responsible for his subsequent gambling bender. Caitlin tries to teach the mayor to be more self-sufficient.

Charlie discovers that Jennifer's ex is a woman. He becomes jealous when watching her be affectionate with Caitlin, something Caitlin dismisses until Jennifer kisses her on the lips. Claudia and Paul's divorce settlement may be affected by the mayor's bickering with Judge Claire.

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.

Stuart is hired to write a porno movie. Charlie and Caitlin compete for a donation from a wealthy male chauvinist. After Paul poses as the Mayor's son for a golf tournament, he becomes confused when the Mayor actually begins paying attention to him.

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.

Mike tries to convince Nikki that nothing is going on between himself and Heidi Klum. The mayor doesn't understand that Janelle wants to break up with him. Janelle gets Mike to do it for her, but Nikki overhears Mike talking to Carter about it and thinks that Mike is going to break up with her. After Rags poops in his shoe, Stuart gives him to Heidi. Nikki breaks up with Mike. The next day, there is tension in the office. Carter tells Nikki the truth. She goes to Mike's apartment where Mike is hung over. As he goes back into his room to put on his pants, Heidi sits up in his bed...

Caitlin ends her relationship with Tom and tells Charlie she's interested in dating him. When they go out on their first date, things are awkward... until they end up in bed together, that is. But are they ready for a real relationship? Meanwhile, the Mayor hires a temp, Pete, to fill in for Stuart while he's out, but Paul and Carter see him as a threat.

While a reporter visits City Hall to do a story on Paul, the mayor thinks she's really there for him. Mike thinks Carter's boyfriend is hitting on him. The staff looks for good samaritans for a dinner. Stuart tries to convince James that he's getting fat.

An overworked Charlie causes problems after beating the mayor at racquetball. Paul's annual request for a raise is approved by the mayor after his loss of self esteem. Stuart hires an actor to go out with Carter.

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.

Mike shows up at Caitlin's to announce that he's met someone. Meanwhile, the mayor is dating a judge who's not yet divorced. Charlie suggests that the mayor break it off, but after getting some advice from Mike, he decides to let the mayor do what makes him happy. Charlie impresses Caitlin but Mike interrupts again to announce his engagement.

Mike helps the mayor deal with his feelings when his father unexpectedly dies. James thinks Caitlin has a crush on him. Paul's magic eight ball proves helpful to the staff.

Faced with the prospect of spending Valentine's Day alone for the first time in eighteen years, Mike is thrilled when old flame Laurie steps back into his life. But he doesn't know what to do when she discovers a ring Mike was holding for Paul, and assumes it's for her. Meanwhile, Paul plans to propose to Claudia.

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.

Caitlin implants secret background checks on all City Hall employees. Mike, Stuart and Carter break into her office to see the files. Caitlin goes to Nikki and Janelle's girls' night out. The mayor is offered a part in a movie filming in New York.

Mike invites Caitlin to his Christmas party as his only guest but his plans at romance are spoiled when she arrives with a date. Paul finds John McEnroe's headband in the City Hall clothing drive box. James finds a second job as a suicide hotline operator. Stuart installs a chin-up bar in the mayor's office, which the mayor promptly injures himself on.

Caitlin goes out of her way to prove that she's fun after a blind man won't date her because she's not. Charlie accidentally talks Claudia into becoming a nun; she leaves Paul. The mayor researches religion.

Paul struggles to find the best joke for the mayor's Christmas card. Carter convinces Caitlin to volunteer with him at a retirement community. The mayor's attempt to be more involved in the office process goes awry.

The mayor considers quitting the senatorial race, teaming Mike and Caitlin to stop him. Carter becomes a kept man, and Paul and James scheme to play a good practical joke on Stuart.

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.""

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.

Mike butts heads with a hard-nosed new chief of staff appointee, Gabby Sanchez, who is unmoved by his best efforts to win her over. Meanwhile, Paul ponders taking his relationship with Claudia to the next level.

The mayor has a tree cut down to impress his new girlfriend. Unfortunately, it was a tree planted by George Washington in 1796. Meanwhile, Charlie has a one-night stand, who turns out to be a rival mayoral candidate's campaign manager. Mike helps out with crisis control. Charlie and Caitlin decide to be friends for the time being, while Mike announces his return to City Hall.

Paul has invested in a politically themed restaurant. Mike struggles to run the city while the mayor is out of town. Deidre is stalking Caitlin a la ""Single White Female.""

Paul has moved to Harlem and is annoying Carter and Janelle because he thinks that he's black. The Mayor is preparing to run the Olympic torch around City Hall, but can't because the Nigerian speed walker supposed to deliver the torch to him has disappeared, lost in the city. Mike struggles with the fact that he can't live without his job, while trying to take a vacation. Nikki finds a ringer to pose as her boyfriend, for them to have dinner with Mike. Stacy spills the beans to Mike about Nikki's feelings for him.