6.22 Let's Dance

Chris quotes from "The Conduct of Life", Ch 5, "Behavior": Hear ye, hear he, it's cotillion time in Cicely once again. It's a time for ritual, a time for protocol, manners. I've been doing a lot of thinking about manners lately, about courtesy, the dance, the gentle behaviors lumped together that we call civility. Let me read you something. "Manners are the happy way of doing things. Each, once a stroke of genius or love, now repeated and hardened into useage. They form at last a rich varnish, with which the routine of life is washed and its details adorned. If they are superficial, so are dewdrops which give such depth to the morning meadows." Ralph Waldo Emerson. (6)

Original Air Date: July 19, 1995 [Listed as May 10, 1995 in the Production Bible.]

Production Number: 77822

Written by(2): Sam Egan

Directed by(2): Michael Vittes

Log line: As Officer Semanski and Maurice take Cal back to the hospital, Barbara starts to fall for Cal; Marilyn teaches cotillion; Phil's manners are not good so he attends

Synopsis(2): Cal is back. Again. After having undergone regular, albeit clandestine therapy with Dr. Capra, the talented Mr. Ingraham decides to turn himself in. Maurice decides to accompany Cal and the strapping Officer Semanski back to Ellisberg, hoping to rekindle a spark between himself and the lovely Barbara. Unfortunately for Maurice, it's love at first sound -- Semanski begins to fall in love with the principled musician. The party gets lost, Semanski having taken a wrong turn. Oh well, it's another day of Vivaldi. Maurice confronts the lovestruck officer and accuses her of deliberately delaying the expedition. Not to worry, Cal rebuffs Semanski's advances and they soon find themselves in Ellisberg.

After having insulted Mrs. Whirlwind, Phil, in his attempt to make ammends, only makes things worse. Marilyn suggests he take cotillion a Cicely tradition for over 70 years. Even Michelle admits that he has atrocious table manners -- it seems Phil is fond of dipping his sausage in his egg yolks (can you imagine!) and making that sucking sound while he eats... Oh stop! The horror! Phil soon finds himself sitting next to Chris at Marilyn's cotillion class. Chris, it seems, is in desperate need of dance lessons. And so, with the help of the very young and very lovely Tori Spencer, it's not long before he too is tripping the light fantastic. In the end, Chris learns how to dance and Phil learns not only how to eat, but how to appropriately apologize to Mrs. Whirlwind.

Details(2): FYI: Chris can't dance. Wait a minute. Call me crazy, but didn't Chris shake that groove thing back in "Roots"?

Cal -- short for Caldecott Evlyn, chums call him Cottie.

Hotel of choice: The Wink-and-Nod Motel at milepost 280.

Marilyn took over cotillion classes when her grandmother retired.

Skills learned at cotillion: what to do at a potlatch, how to use a marrow fork, how to dance the foxtrot.

Most Memorable Quote: "Livin' on the frontier, in this cultural mix, you don't make it a priority, etiquette goes right out the window. Next thing you know, people are cleaving each other's skulls with hatchets. If you don't believe me, just go down to Sleetmute on a Saturday night.."

Whew! Who knew?

Guest Stars: (2)
Walt - Moultrie Patten
Officer Barbara Semanski - Diane Delano
Hayden Keyes - James L. Dunn
Caldecott Ingram - Simon Templeman (Also appears in 5.13, 5.24, and 6.13)
Mrs. Whirlwind - Armenia Miles
Bert - William P. Scott
Tori Spencer - Ashleigh Aston Moore
Mrs. Spencer - Kate Brickley
Harold - Toby Lawless
Boy - Frank L. Yaska
Paula - Anne Littlesack Oneita
Dr. Graham - Tony Pasqualini
Girl - Brittany McDermott

Music: (3)
• cajun tune when Shelly and Maggie talk to Chris about his dancing.

• Alice Blue Gown

• The Four Seasons (Vivaldi)

• lots of fine waltz and other Cotillion music.

Additional Notes :
HEY! The Capras have my Mikasa "Currents" china! I got mine about a year after this went off the air. No wonder I like it.

Footnotes and additional research:
1. The Revised and Updated Northern Exposure Book, 2nd Ed. by Louis Chunovic (1995)
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.
7. MCA TV Promotional Kit dated 9/27/95
8.
The Northern Exposure Book, 1st Ed. (1993) by Louis Chunovic


Created 3/19/02

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