Back in the summer of 1996 -- shortly before the premiere of "Spin City" -- Michael J. Fox almost eerily predicted the fate of his character, New York deputy mayor Mike Flaherty. And he did it while speculating on the fate of Alex P. Keaton, the character he played for seven seasons on "Family Ties."
When last we had seen Alex some seven years earlier, he had been headed for Wall Street. And Fox said he figured Alex would be eligible for parole by 1996."I always figured that Alex was heading for a fall. . . . I think that he probably went to work for some (Charles) Keating-type character and was made a patsy. And had to take the fall," Fox said.
That's not exactly what happens to Mike Flaherty in Wednesday's one-hour season finale -- Fox's last episode as the star of the show. Mike is nobody's patsy. But he does end up taking the fall to save the mayor and the rest of the staff when they're inadvertently tied to a mobster.
All of which is almost immaterial to both Fox and fans of the show. What matters is that Fox is leaving -- and why.
Always a popular TV figure, the actor stunned the world when he revealed he's suffering from Parkinson's disease. It's not just the fact that he has it that was such a shock, it's the fact that Fox has always projected an image of boyish charm and enthusiasm.
As a matter of fact, just weeks before he went public with his struggle, Fox appeared with his castmates before a group of television critics. What I took for boyish energy -- he was in near constant motion, swiveling his chair, kicking his legs and waving his arms -- was undoubtedly his effort to hide the effects of Parkinson's.
In the public's minds, at least, Fox has become one with the characters he has played. His 11 seasons of TV spread over 18 years has been almost one continuous play in a way. Even Fox himself acknowledged that, in many ways, Mike was a grown-up version of Alex.
Wednesday's finale even ties "Family Ties" back into "Spin City." Michael Gross, who played Fox's father on the earlier show, guest stars as his therapist. And there's a joke that's only funny if you've seen "Ties."
(As always, however, "Spin City" is not exactly the family show that "Family Ties" was. There are a number of jokes that are far too "adult" for children.)
Whether it's Alex or Mike or Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" movie trilogy, Fox has been like the kid brother we all loved.
Which makes it that much harder to accept that a young, vibrant guy is leaving his hit show to devote his time to his family and to fighting Parkinson's disease.
Wednesday's hour manages to avoid becoming maudlin, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of tears shed. At times it's hard to tell whether the actors are in character or whether it's really Heather Locklear, Barry Bostwick, Connie Britton, Alan Ruck, Richard Kind, Michael Boatman, Alexander Chaplin and Victoria Dillard reacting to Fox's departure.
(Actually, he isn't the only one leaving. When the show returns in the fall after moving production from New York to Los Angeles and adding Charlie Sheen to the cast, Britton won't be there. And Chaplin reportedly is considering leaving the cast as well.)
And, as with the finale of "Family Ties" more than a decade ago, the cast does step out of character in the final moments for a curtain call in front of the studio audience -- and the home viewers. It's Michael J. Fox himself bidding his castmates and the audience goodbye.
In this case, real life truly is more compelling than TV.