6.7 Full Upright Position

Chris: Ladies and gentlemen, today we're here to honor electricity, the charge that charges everything from those electrons snapping in our brain to our father the sun. What's the sun? It's kind of like a brain. Electromagnetic field, solar flares sparking back and forth from those nerve cells. We're all one, folks, giant blobs of electricity, all of us. Positive & negative, electromagnetic fields just circling each other. Positive, negative, north, south, male and female. Looking for that electric moment. Magnet to magnet, opposites attract. (6)

Original Air Date(2): November 1, 1994

Production Number: 77806

Written by(1): Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by(1): Oz Scott

Log line(1): Joel and Maggie are off to Russia for a week of adventure, or not; Maurice tries to mold his young cousin into an heir apparent; Chris tries to get inside electricity.

Synopsis(1): Joel is offered an all-expense-paid speaking engagement in Russia and invites Maggie to come along as his significant other. Wanting to go native, he arranged to fly a Russian carrier and they ultimately fly on a plane with not so friendly people, are delayed a considerable amount of time making Joel increasingly restless as Maggie and the other passengers sleep. Losing all patience, he maneuvers Maggie into a fight which eventually leads to apologies and an uneasy proposal of marriage. After hours of waiting, just as the flight is about to take off, they make a break for the exit and go home where they decide after all these years they will live together before actually getting married.

Meanwhile, Maurice needs an heir to Minnifield, Inc. and offers his young cousin, Maurice Dutton, the opportunity to learn the business. Although young Maurice is awkward, Maurice discovers a ray of hope in his affinity for numbers. As young Maurice is thrown into the business, he becomes flustered and, the next day, expensive mistakes are found. Infuriated by what he thinks are the uncaring actions of a Dutton, Maurice scolds young Maurice in front of everyone and later, verbally belittles him for choosing a career as a gas station attendant. After Eugene has a talk with Maurice that his vision of success leaves no room for family, Maurice warms up toward young Maurice and invites him over for Sunday dinner.

With a new-found fascination for electricity, Chris thinks over the possibility of becoming one with it through art while trying not to get killed. After several discouraging attempts, Ed parallels Chris' endeavor with Kevin Costner's baseball field in "Field of Dreams." Consequently, Chris creates an electromobile, a bathtub with a steel roof riding forward toward a homemade magnet, and presents his art to the town who line the street to see the spectacle. While his presentation of poetry and the electromobile baffle some of the people, others are touched by his words leaving a big satisfying grin on Chris' face.

Details(2): Maurice's net worth -- upwards of 17 million.

Maurice's nephew is Young Maurice Dutton -- sixth generation gas jockey.

Highest grade timber - peeling grade.

Joel and Maggie's airline of choice: Priyatnoflot (Flight 689)

Joel scheduled to speak at the Smolny Academy of Internal Medicine. Sadovaya Prospekt.

Joel's grandmother escaped Russia with three wicker baskets and a handful of kopeks.

Vasili Kuznetsov -- Seatmate and Chief Floridation Engineer, Kuybyshev water works.

Purchase Order from Minnifield Lumber.

Guest Stars: (1)
Maurice Dutton - Trevor Bullock
Eugene - Earl Quewezance
Vasili Kuznetsov - Slav Tryan
Walt - Moultrie Patten
Russian Stewardess - Yelena Danova
Passanger - Hirsh Diamant
Pilot - Igor Paramonov
Stunts - A. Michael Learner

Music: [Help! Email me if you know these missing tunes.]
• electrical music? Philip Glass? when Chris talks about electricity

• Joey - Concrete Blonde
[Maurice flies into the Brick yelling at young Maurice.]

• instrumental when Ruth-Anne reams Maurice for his treatment of young Maurice.

• rock instrumental when Maurice and young Maurice talk at the gas station.

• Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group
[Chris gets inside of electricity.]

Shelly's Earrings:
Forks [Waits for bus with Maurice and crowd.]
Red airplanes [Talks to Young Maurice in the Brick when big Maurice bursts in.]

Additional Notes :
Young Maurice gets a job at Kelly's Skelly

Chris plays with a Tesla coil, and Jacob's Ladder.

Business card from the Russian man Maggie talks with on the plane.

Footnotes and additional research:
1. MCA TV Promotional Kit dated 9/27/95
2. Revised NE Bible: New and Improved fro 94-95 season! Memo from: Ursula Wendel and Cynthia Cohen- Gugisch
3. Print-out of Jude Shabry's music list from the Moose's Guide to Northern Exposure.
4. Intertain 2000 collection of NX music online
5. Geoff's Miscellany
6. Kevin Wright's Culture NX Quotes for Season 6.

Created 2/21/01 • Updated 4/11/02

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