2.7 Slow Dance

 

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Original Air Date: May 20, 1991 Production number: 77407
Written by:
Diane Frolov and Andrew SchneiderDirected by: David Carson


Maggie: Calling you a moron is an insult to morons. Broccoli has more brain power than you. Cauliflower!
Log line (1): The curse of Maggie has struck again and poor Rick is the victim of death by falling satellite.
Synopsis (1):

While the townpeople mourn the tragic, yet strangely humorous, death of Rick (guest star Grant Goodeve), they avoid Maggie like the plague. It takes a bold, not altogether willing, move by Fleischman to dispel the fear that Maggie is a cursed woman.

Meanwhile, two men (guest stars Don McManus and Doug Ballard) looking to buy a house in Cicely discover they have a lot more in common with Maurice than he would like to admit, including a love of show tunes and gourmet cooking.

In the meantime, Shelly feels like a third wheel when Holling reminisces with an old gal from his hometown.

Background
(Production Bible):

Rick had been a pilot for eight years. Holling's glory days in Nome were 20 years ago. He was against statehood (1959). Maurice's Victorian built in 1911 (asking price $55,000) by Ivan Lubov who made a fortune in hats. Joel had to have special shoes as a kid.

** In this episode, Chris' eulogy tells us Rick's predecessor, Dave fell asleep on the glacier, Glen took a wrong turn in his Volvo, ending up on a missile test range, Bruce was the victim of a fishing accident, and Harry died from the potato salad at a picnic (obviously doesn't jive with names from "Vanity" -- either that or she's got two additional dead boyfriends).

Facts to Wax
(Production Bible):
Flight review bi-annual event.
Guest stars (9): Richard 'Rick' Pederson - Grant Goodeve
Ron - Doug Ballard
Erick - Don McManus
Valerie - Kit McDonough
Gary - Pat Millicano
Anita Bruneau - Megan Cole
Customer - J.R. Clarke

Music:
(Note music listed is from the original TV airings. The music on the DVD may differ.)

Willow Tree - Alton and Hortense Ellis
[Maggie and Rick quarrel about his pilot license.]

Sugarmoon - kd lang
[Shelly meets Holling's friend, Anita.]

Fool Paradise - Charles Brown
[Joel tells Maggie that Rick "crawled up on the roof."]

Oh! What a Beautiful Mornin' "Oklahoma" cast recording
[Maurice has dinner with Ron and Eric.]

Pathique (Beethoven)
[A neighbor brings Maggie cookies and makes a pass at her.]

Reach Out and Touch
[Maurice defends his heterosexuality.]

Is That All There Is - Peggy Lee
[Rick's funeral service.]

Juliet of the Spirits
[Pallbearers carry Rick's coffin.]

Song from Moulin Rouge - Percy Faith
[Shelly dressed in the 50s, serves dinner to a dumbfounded Holling.]

Let the Teardrops Fall - Patsy Cline (Thanks Ed!!)
[Shelly and Holling discuss their age difference.]

Mambo Baby - Ruth Brown [On More Music From Northern Exposure]
[Joel consoles Maggie while discussing her bad luck with men.]

At Last - Etta James [On Music From Northern Exposure]
[Joel and Maggie dance.]

Shelly’s Earrings:

Watermelon slices [Meets Holling's fiend, Anita.]
Fish [Checks out books on the 50s from Ruth-Anne.]
Different fish [Holling tells her that he doesn't lover her for her mind, he loves her for her body.]

Additional Notes :

A Comsat 4 satellite merged with Rick.

Rick sees an owl just before the satellite hits. From fan Kurt L: <<In many Northwest Native cultures, the owl signifies death. So the owl in this sequence is fitting. For a good read or watch on Native culture, check out the book/film "I Heard the Owl Call My Name".>> (The film version is only available in VHS).

 

Footnotes and additional research

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