Spike, for all the flack he took, was a good caller. He's a really weird caller, but he's fundamentally good. He's, like, a weird judgmental dude, but he's judgmental about the weirdest things, and it's kind of funny when we learn what these things are. And some of these things are kind of plausible even. And the more we learn about this guy (don't forget--the first time we encounter him, all we know is that he's looking for somebody called "Debbie the Dominatrix") the more we become comfortable with the whole thing. His schtick becomes less a schtick and more just the way this guy is. It's Spike, the caller. This is kind of the highest aspiration of a good caller--to let your true personality (or at least a persistent personality) show through but always remember that Tom is in charge. Spike always knew that Tom was in charge, or at least he did after he started having actual conversations. The extent to which Tom choreographed all of this, over months and years, is a testament to the very greatest strengths of the Show and a reflection of general overall quality.