Sometimes We Like to Remember the Chaos That Surrounded Lowell's Exit From 'Wings'

If there is something television shows are very good at giving us, it's a lovable idiot. Nothing brings an audience greater joy than witnessing a doofus do their thing. Whether it's regale us with tales from their hometown of St. Olaf, or teach the world that good acting is just looking like you're smelling a fart, we can't get enough of a sweet-centered dolt.

Without a doubt, one of the greatest nincompoops of all time has to be Lowell on Wings. For the uninitiated, Wings was created by the same folks who brought us Cheers and was set in a small Nantucket airport. Much like a bar, an airport is a great place for a whole cast of characters to come and go. Lowell, played by Thomas Haden Church, was the resident mechanic who was terrible at this job. Sadly he didn't finish out the series. Why did Lowell leave Wings? Maybe things went Sideways.

Before we address Thomas Haden Church's exit from the series, let's get into how Lowell was written out of the show. His exit landed in Episode 4 of Season 7 and really demonstrated the often ignored complexities of the character. Yes, Lowell was somewhat dim-witted, but he was also incredibly loyal to his friends and usually put them first. It makes sense this departure would reflect that.

In the episode titled "The Person Formerly Known as Lowell," the sweet-natured mechanic finds himself in hot water after returning to Nantucket from a vacation to Dollywood. His first task back at work is going to Boston in order to fix one of Roy's (David Schramm) planes, but he doesn't go it alone. Antonio, played by Tony Shalhoub, insists on accompanying Lowell so that he can try a chicken place he'd heard great things about.

While in Boston, Lowell witnesses a mob hit and is asked to testify about what he saw. Unfortunately that would mean going into the witness protection program and leaving Nantucket, plus his friends, forever. Because he is a good and decent guy, Lowell decides to testify and, as such, leaves the island, never to return.

It was clear that someone recognized Thomas Haden Church's star power as he left Wings to star in his own show, Ned and Stacey. "I had actually decided early last season that I was going to move on and explore what other fields there were to be hoed," Thomas told Deseret News in July 1995. He shared his desire to leave with the network and producers in October 1994, and the next thing fans knew, Lowell was witnessing a mob hit.

"I very much enjoyed playing the character of Lowell, but they never really saw the need or maybe the opportunity to expand the character beyond what he was, which was to come in, hit a big joke, and then leave," explained Thomas. "Wings was a great experience for me. Ned and Stacey, I think, is going to be a great step up."

Sadly, Ned and Stacy only ran for two seasons on Fox. After that, Thomas found more success in films and in particular a breakout role in the movie Sideways. Not only did that performance earn him an Academy Award, but it birthed an oft-repeated line screamed by Paul Giamatti: "I am NOT drinking any f---ing Merlot!"