Seven Years After Back to the Future Ended, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd Reunited in the Best Way

Besides Back to the Future, award-winning actor Michael J. Fox held prominent starring roles in two very successful sitcoms over the years: Family Ties and Spin City. Spin City stood out as a great series for its era, where Fox portrayed Mike Flaherty, the diligent Deputy Mayor to the rather dimwitted and buffoonish New York City Mayor, Randall Winston (Barry Bostwick). The series involved Mike dealing with the general chaos and insanity that comes with managing the biggest city in the United States. During the third season, Fox shared an incredible reunion with his old Back to the Future co-star, Christopher Lloyd, who appeared in a guest-starring role in the appropriately titled episode, “Back to the Future IV: Judgment Day.” It’s time to take a look back at this amazing reunion for two iconic actors.

Christopher Lloyd Plays Michael J. Fox’s Political Mentor in ‘Spin City’

In Spin City, Lloyd portrays Owen Kingston, Mike’s political mentor. Kingston is brought into the office to help oversee New York City’s Millennium celebrations. It was 1999, after all — that magical time when everyone was worried about the new millennium and Y2K. However, there is an amusing twist to Kingston’s appearance: he now legitimately believes that he’s the messiah, which causes further problems for Mike, whose job often entails playing spin doctor for the mayor’s office. Kingston’s newfound religious beliefs cause problems, and hijinks ensue as he throws a wrench in the works for the Millennium celebration plans. It’s an absolute joy to watch Fox and Lloyd back together onscreen, and it marked the first time the pair appeared together since Back to the Future Part III in 1990.

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Lloyd and Fox Hilariously Reference Their History in the Back to the Future Franchise

Of course, Lloyd’s appearance makes multiple references to his and Fox’s history as stars of the Back to the Future franchise. Lloyd and Fox’s wonderful onscreen chemistry never missed a beat, as shown by their exceptional rapport during their scenes together. As a sitcom veteran of Taxi, Lloyd immediately takes to the traditional multi-camera sitcom fomat. Throughout the episode, Lloyd and Fox throw in some hilarious jokes that represent tongue-in-cheek nods to Back to the Future. After the two old colleagues reunite, Mike remarks, “This is like stepping back in time!” Kingston later pointedly says, “Men like us have to keep looking…to the future!” Mike hilariously replies, in confusion, “What the hell you talking about?”

Things take a turn later in the episode when it appears that Kingston’s eccentricities have gone off the deep end. This makes things awkward for Mike and Mayor Winston, who do not want Kingston to make a “religious spectacle” out of their Millennium plans. Ultimately, Kingston solves the dilemma for Mike, agreeing to withdraw from the Millennium campaign. He reveals that he only took the job because he wanted to see Mike again. Arguably, the line connotes dual context. Kingston is not simply talking to the character Mike Flaherty; Christopher Lloyd is also talking about Michael J. Fox. Kingston leaves the office with some parting wisdom: “Don’t think you know all the answers.”

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On his way out of the office, Kingston pets Rags, the dog of Carter Heywood (Michael Boatman), who was tragically and accidentally killed by Paul Lassiter (Richard Kind) earlier in the episode. As Kingston walks out, Rags miraculously comes back to life after receiving the healing touch from Kingston. Wait a minute — was Kingston telling the truth? Either way, it’s a heartwarming and wacky sendoff for Lloyd’s character as he bids his protégé and his office adieu. The seemingly supernatural plot twist suggests that Kingston might truly be the Messiah, or perhaps Rags was playing dead and had another near-death experience as a twenty-three-year-old senior dog. Rags had a habit of enjoying brushes with death and overall mischief throughout the series, so his miraculous survival does not seem too surprising.

‘Spin City’ Was Michael J. Fox’s Last Major Role Before Taking a Hiatus

What makes Spin City such a poignant watch at times is Fox’s real-life battle with Parkinson’s Disease. The actor was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991, before he even turned thirty. Fox lived with the disease for seven years before disclosing his diagnosis in 1998. He would continue working on Spin City for its third and fourth seasons, departing after the Season 4 finale for health reasons and to help raise awareness for Parkinson’s. Season 4 saw the addition of new main cast member Heather Locklear. She portrayed Caitlin Moore, Mayor Winston’s new campaign manager, who helps him run for state senator. Moore’s character served as a love interest for Mike and also helped to lessen Fox’s overall workload on the series. In Season 5, Charlie Sheen joined the cast as the new deputy mayor, Charlie Crawford, replacing Fox for the show’s final two seasons.

Sheen enjoyed a successful tenure on Spin City. The role of Charlie Crawford, at the time, salvaged the often-embattled actor’s image and also served as a precursor to his role in the later hit sitcom, Two and a Half Men. However, Spin City lost much of its luster after Fox exited the series, along with his amazing rapport with the rest of the main cast. Other main cast members, including Alexander Chaplin, Connie Britton, and Victoria Dillard, also left following Fox’s exit in Season 4, as production moved from New York City to Los Angeles. Although the series’ latter two seasons were still funny, some of the magic left the show with Fox and the other actors, who had built the sitcom into a hilarious, well-oiled machine. Nevertheless, Lloyd’s reunion with Fox on Spin City is a must-see for Back to the Future fans.

Spin City

Release Date

1996 – 2002-00-00

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  Michael Boatman

  Carter Heywood

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  Barry Bostwick

  Randall Winston