December 2025 marked the end of the MetroCard in New York City subways, and this definitely would've affected Spence (played by Patton Oswalt) in the iconic sitcom The King of Queens.
Of course, Spence worked in the subway as a token booth operator. That means he had to deal with the changes of tokens to MetroCards. Now, nearly two decades after The King of Queens ended, the MetroCard has been retired in favor of OMNY (One Metro New York), allowing riders to use their phones and smartwatches to pay.
Speaking to ClutchPoints about his new movie GOAT, Oswalt laughed when asked how Spence would handle the retirement of the MetroCard, though he had the perfect response.
” He would definitely rail against it. He would think that this is an era that is ending,” Oswalt explained. “But also, knowing Spence, he wouldn't do a whole lot about it. He would just kind of silently gripe, and then that'd be it.”
What was The King of Queens?
The King of Queens is an iconic sitcom that aired on CBS from Sept. 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007. CBS aired 207 episodes across nine seasons.
Kevin James and Leah Remini led the show as Doug and Carrie Heffernan, a working-class couple living in Queens, New York. Oswalt played Spence, one of Doug's best friends.
The late Jerry Stiller also starred as Carrie's father, Arthur Spooner. Victor Williams, Gary Valentine, and Nicole Sullivan also had roles in the show.
Oswalt is best known for his role in The King of Queens. However, he has been in other series like The Goldbergs, BoJack Horseman, Parks and Recreation, Community, and A.P. Bio. Oswalt made his acting debut in an episode of another legendary sitcom, Seinfeld.
Additionally, he has voiced characters in animated movies like Ratatouille and The Secret Lives of Pets 2. Oswalt has also had roles in Man on the Moon, Zoolander, Blade: Trinity, and Big Fan. His most recent project is GOAT, the Stephen Curry-produced animated movie. He voices Dennis Cooper, the head coach of the Thorns.
