Directly below is the relatively short treatment version of this story. For the full screen play version (a 1.5 MB file that will take several minutes to download), click here.

It is Thursday, January 29, 1998, we are viewing Maggie’s bedroom while she is sleeping.  We hear music, Nightmare, by Artie Shaw and his Orchestra.  We enter into her dream which takes place in a strange, surreal forest which is populated by very tall grandfather clocks instead of trees.  These trees have long pendulums which tick-tock loudly in rhythm with the music.  She is running through the forest in an attempt to catch a navy blue English style baby carriage.  As she is getting closer to the carriage, her clock radio alarm awakens her to Chris in the Morning.

The scene now switches to the KBHR radio station.  After disclosing the name of the song, Chris begins describing the community calendar to his listening audience.  The first announcement is regarding the baby shower to be given in honor of the Capra’s first baby which is due within the week.  Shelly, who is also pregnant, but not due for another two weeks, will be hosting the festivities to be held at the Brick at 4:00 this afternoon; tea will be served.

The other major announcement, which is the highlight of the Cicely social season, is the marriage of Maurice Minnefield to Officer Barbara Semanski on Sunday, February 1.   This event is particularly exciting to Cicelians because it has been a very long engagement, due to Barbara’s attacks of cold feet.  In anticipation of the wedding, Maurice’s son, Duk Won, and his wife, Soon Ae, are arriving from Korea today and Barbara’s sister will be here tomorrow.  To honor this wedding, Chris advises his listeners that his personal gift to Barbara and Maurice is three days of continuous show tunes from the Broadway stage to the silver screen, beginning on Friday morning and ending on Sunday evening.  Upon hearing this programming note, Maurice smiles broadly.

Chris returns to thoughts of love by speaking eloquently about marriage, quoting from his extensive literary background, and then concludes with a dedication of the song, Wedding Bell Blues to Maggie.

The next scene takes place at the Cicely airstrip.  Maggie has just flown from Anchorage with Duk Won, his wife, Soon Ae, his son, Bon Joo, and his wife and their brand new baby, whose first name is Maurice.  Barbara and Maurice greet his extended family and are thrilled and honored by this latest addition.  Maurice invites his relatives to the Capra baby shower.

At lunch time, Maggie enters the Brick for lunch and is immediately confronted by Shelly about what appeared to her to be a marriage proposal by Chris.  Maggie is surprised and very touched, but is confused.  In the meantime,  Ruth-Anne shares her latest grandchild’s baby pictures.  When Chris enters the Brick for lunch, he speaks with Maggie.  She is quite gracious to him, but reports that she has been contented with their relationship, each living in their own space and hasn’t thought about marriage.

Chris wonders if the O’Connell curse is at work and Maggie briefly recalls when Joel told her that curses do not exist and uses the exact words he said to her to Chris; besides, she cured Mike Monroe.  They continue their conversation and Maggie agrees to think about his proposal and promises an answer soon.  Chris is very understanding and doesn’t want to pressure her.

After Chris leaves, Maggie is still terribly unsure and attempts to have a conversation with Shelly regarding the proposal.  She remembers this dream she had after Rick died.  They met at the Grosse Point Country Club Golf Course which was standing in for heaven and he told her that he had met all of her previously deceased boyfriends and felt that she would be better off with someone more stable, like Joel for instance.  Even though it has been over three years since Joel left Cicely and she has been seeing Chris during that time, she still feels badly about how their very short engagement ended.  She sometimes wonders if she should have gone to New York City with Joel when he asked her.  Shelly is very preoccupied with this afternoon’s baby shower and does not listen to her.  She is also perturbed that Barbara would not allow her to host a wedding shower. (Barbara felt that it was completely unnecessary since both she and Maurice have maintained separate households for a number of years; and the idea of a personal shower to receive underwear was just plain silly.)

At the baby shower, the Capras have just begun opening gifts for their new baby.  Maggie feels overwhelmed by the number of babies in the room, which also includes Eve who is 5 months pregnant.  Every time Eve attempts to tell a story about childbirth or baby illnesses, she is interrupted by Ruth-Anne or Shelly with a dose of common sense.  The owners of the Sourdough B and B, Ron and Erick, inform the guests that they are on a waiting list for a child to adopt.  Maurice is not sure that this is a good idea.  Marilyn, who is accompanied by Mr. Bellati, informs the group that they are also expecting a baby in six months.

Maggie looks at Chris and accepts his proposal.  They agree on a short engagement and a Valentine’s Day wedding date.  Chris is delighted and Holling opens a bottle of champagne for those who are not pregnant.  When Holling offers a toast, Michelle starts gasping.

Phil moves her to the doctor’s office, assisted by Marilyn and begins an examination.  By this time, everyone is sitting in the medical office waiting room.  Phil asks Maggie if she can take them to Anchorage for further diagnostic testing.  He believes that Michelle is in false labor and that she could handle the trip.  Maggie replies that the sky is clear and no storms are expected; flying conditions should be okay.  As they are leaving the office, Shelly starts singing instead of talking.  Holling remembers that the last time Shelly was pregnant, she sang uncontrollably because she was anxious about being pregnant and fearful for her baby.

Maggie is now returning from the round trip to Anchorage and is driving her truck back to Cicely in the light of a full moon. She hears Chris on the radio making a dedication from Hayden Keyes to his girlfriend, Marsha, who will be traveling to Florida to visit her mother tomorrow.  As he begins playing the song, I’ll Be Seeing You, Chris teases Hayden by referring to this formerly latent romantic side of his character. As we hear Frank Sinatra refer to that small cafe, Maggie is suddenly flooded by a montage of memories of Joel, beginning with the first time they met:  Joel thought she was a lady of the evening and was plying her trade at the Brick; the day he dared her to punch him in the nose and she did; his marriage proposal to her; her breaking off the engagement; and ending with their farewell, when he asked her to come with him to New York City and she turned him down.  By the time Sinatra concludes the song by singing, “I’ll be looking at the moon, but I’ll be seeing you.” Maggie grabs a tissue and dabs her eyes before leaving her truck.

Back at the Brick, she informs the others of Michelle’s status:  She is basically fine, but cannot leave Anchorage; the baby is still in the breech position and unless it turns, will be delivered by C Section.  Naturally, Phil wants to remain with her in Anchorage and the doctors seem to think she will have the baby within the next few days.

Shelly begins singing a song to the tune of St. Louis Blues:

Oh, no! I hate to see Doc Capra leave this town.
Oh, yes! I hate to see Doc Capra leave this town.
What happens when labor comes around?

Oh, Maurice, what is Cicely going to do?
Yes, Maurice, what is Cicely going to do?
Let's call Dr. Joel to come for a day or two.

I've got the Cicely Blues, we're doctorless again  . . .

Before she finishes the next verse, Maurice interrupts her.  He is most anxious to have his wedding go smoothly; therefore, he agrees that her suggestion is a fine idea and begins calling New York City information for his office number.

Joel and Elaine are walking down a street in New York City and he motions to the moon and mentions how he really began to appreciate the moon when he lived in Alaska.  He remembers the time he was adopted by the tribe and spent the night outside with Ed as part of the purification rite.  Elaine asks him if he misses Cicely and he reluctantly admits that sometimes he does.  Elaine abruptly changes the subject to registering at Bloomingdales for china.  Joel would like to wait until they are officially engaged in two weeks.  They are planning to go to Hawaii on a two week vacation tomorrow.  As they are walking, his beeper vibrates.  He checks the number and recognizes the Cicely area code.  They hail a cab and ride back to his apartment, so he can return the call.

Maurice is speaking to Joel and explains the situation: they need a temporary physician for about a week, probably less; Shelly is pregnant and due shortly.  She is singing and would probably feel better, if  he could come ASAP.  Joel, who was just feeling slightly nostalgic about Alaska, is overwhelmed by Maurice’s offer to pay all expenses, and NYC going rates for a physician on call.  Joel agrees to return to Cicely.  Maurice tells him that Maggie checked the airline schedule and there is a red eye out of Kennedy in two hours, eastern standard time, and she will pick him up in Anchorage in the morning.

After he hangs up, Shelly is still singing, but somewhat relieved.  Maurice is very concerned about the arrangements he has made and suggests that it might be a good idea not to mention to Joel that Maggie and Chris are engaged, recalling when Joel went off the deep end after Maggie broke off their very brief engagement.  Everyone agrees to keep the secret until Joel leaves.  Since he will be here for just a few days, they will continue to plan for a Valentine’s Day wedding.

It is now Friday, January 30, 1998. Ed awakens from his sleep and is startled by the presence of One Who Waits.  His spirit guide announces that he has found Ed's mother; she is a photographer from Sleepmute and her name is Tina Hendrix.   One Who Waits wants Ed to have this information because she will be photographing Maurice and Barbara's wedding on Sunday.  Ed replies that there must be a mistake.  He produces a letter from his father who had written to him recently disclosing his mother's name as Chris Baker; she was a student at Cantwell High School when they met.  Ed proposes to  contact Reynaldo Pinetree and see if he can resolve the confusion over the names.  As he is leaving, One Who Waits tells him that he is looking forward to the wedding and promises to meet him there.

As Maggie retrieves Joel from the Anchorage airport, they greet each other with their last names. The two of them have an extremely awkward conversation initially.  To overcome her nervousness, she becomes rather chatty and provides Joel with details of Maurice’s wedding and how Barbara postponed the wedding date three times with major attacks of cold feet.  She informs him of the pregnancy status of Michelle, Shelly, and Marilyn.  She tells him that Ed has been accepted into a Director’s Guild Apprenticeship program, but is uncertain whether to take advantage of this opportunity.  Fortunately, he has until July to decide whether to pursue this experience.  He is torn about leaving Cicely and becoming a Shaman or moving to Los Angeles to realize his dream of becoming a director.

Maggie asks Joel about his social situation and he avoids answering her directly by pointing out landmarks, recalling the time they were stranded when Maggie’s plane was damaged and they camped out; she killed a squirrel and he fixed her plane.  During the flight, Joel is a very calm passenger in spite of some turbulence which is surprising to her.

As Maggie is driving Joel to the office, we hear the song, New York, New York on the radio and Chris offers a hearty welcome back to Dr. Fleishman.  Marilyn is quietly happy to see him and the waiting room is filled with familiar faces.  She calls out number one and he is reinstalled in his examining room.

His first patient is Ruth-Anne.  Joel tells her that he has truly appreciated her commentary on National Public Radio.  She is expecting test results since she has become so tired lately.  He reviews the lab tests silently and then slowly gives her very bad news.  She has an abnormal white blood count indicating that she has a form of leukemia; he asks her if Walt should be a part of their conversation.  Joel then advises them that she should go to Anchorage immediately and have a bone marrow biopsy done to confirm this diagnosis.  Ruth-Anne disagrees with any notion of going to Anchorage for testing, preferring to stay right in Cicely.  Walt is overcome by the news and asks her to marry him as soon as they can have blood tests and a marriage license.   She is pleased by his proposal and agrees to the wedding plans.  Joel draws blood from both of them and asks Marilyn to arrange for Maggie to fly the specimens to Anchorage.

His next patient is Shelly, accompanied by Holling.  She stops singing as soon as Joel begins the examination.  Preliminary testing suggests that this baby will be a boy.  The baby is due on February 7; but he reminds her that the baby will come when it is ready, remembering that Miranda, their first child, was two weeks late.  They plan to name their son Jared.

Maggie realizes that she and Chris should have blood tests done in anticipation of their wedding, but she does not want Joel to draw their blood samples.  Marilyn tells her that the laboratory in Anchorage has a clinic and the blood can be drawn there.  After Shelly and Holling leave the office, Joel returns to the patient lobby as Maggie is leaving with the blood samples; she quickly rushes out the door.  Marilyn calls next.

When the reception area is empty, Joel asks Marilyn about Mr. Bellati and she explains that he was willing to give up his career in the circus and mime show to be with the woman he loves, almost like King Edward and Mrs. Simpson.  Joel asks about her former boyfriend, Ted.  Marilyn tells him that it was not right to marry someone just because everyone expects you to do so.

The scene now shifts to Saturday.  Ed is working in Ruth-Anne's store.  Reynaldo Pinetree enters with some information.  He is very excited about his detective work and reveals that the birth records indicate that a Chris Baker bore a child about the time Ed was born.  Furthermore, he reviewed wedding licenses and found that a Tina Baker was married in Sleepmute fifteen years ago to a Jim Hendrix. Further investigative work in Sleepmute determined that Tina is also known as Christina.  Reynaldo is pleased with the results and Ed is thrilled that he may be closer to finding his mother.

Maggie and Chris have just returned from Anchorage with Barbara’s twin sister, Debbie, to the Brick.  The bar is filled with the members of the wedding party and guests; everyone is in a festive mood.  Maurice and Barbara appear to be relaxed and happy.
 
Although Debbie is an identical twin, she is quite different from Barbara.  Debbie works as a fashion editor for a major magazine in New York City.  She did not travel lightly and came with a number of suitcases; she brought Barbara’s wedding dress with her, as well.    Shelly is enthusiastic about meeting her and wants to hear her tell celebrity fashion stories. While responding to Shelly’s question, “What is Cindy Crawford really like?” Debbie suddenly stops in mid sentence and walks over to the table where Cal is sitting.  Spying his violin case, she concludes that he must be Cal and offers her hand to introduce herself.  Cal is similarly transfixed momentarily as we hear the song, Some Enchanted Evening playing on the radio in the Brick.  The noise level of the patrons drops considerably while they look at each other intently.  Cal awkwardly acknowledges his surprise that Barbara had a twin sister.  Debbie finds a seat across from Cal and they continue their conversation, ignoring everyone around them.

It is now Sunday morning, Chris in the Morning opens his show with I’m Getting Married in the Morning and the festivities for Maurice’s wedding begin.  As the music plays, we see a montage of activity:  Debbie zipping the back of Barbara’s wedding dress;  Ron and Erick arranging flowers in the church; Cal tuning his violin; Maurice tying his tie; Shelly brushing Miranda’s hair and Adam, assisted by Mr. Bellati and Eugene, bustling in Maurice’s kitchen.

Shelly informs Holling that she needs to change a load of washing over at the Laundromat.  As she walks into the Laundromat, she encounters a young man who is folding laundry and sorting socks.  She greets him and asks him his name since she does not recognize him.  He introduces himself as Jared; he is very excited about his trip to Florida to begin spring training with the Dodgers, after playing baseball for four years at UCLA.  Shelly informs him that she is probably going to name her new baby Jared and wants to know if it is an okay name.  He replies that it is fine; he said that he was grateful that his parents did not use his middle name for his first name, because it is Maurice.  Shelly thinks about this briefly and asks him when is his birthday.  Unfortunately, Jared has left before he hears the question, but Shelly is clearly pleased and reassured.

Ed arrives at the church and offers to assist Tina with her photographic duties by loading film in her camera. One Who Waits smiles as he sees Ed introduce himself to Tina, but is somewhat disappointed that their conversation centers around cameras.  The wedding party has begun to gather at the church with Barbara’s sister, who is maid of honor and Shelly as a bridesmaid; Miranda is the flower girl, Aldrich is the ring bearer, and Holling is best man. Cal is finishing a lovely violin solo.  Marilyn starts the Wedding March.  Miranda and Shelly walk down the aisle and then Debbie; finally Barbara begins her walk.  The guests are pleasantly surprised by her appearance which is quite lovely.  Maurice is beaming a broad smile.  Chris welcomes the guests and begins the service. Shelly suddenly gasps loudly and announces that she is in labor.

The church is quickly cleared and Marilyn is sent to find Joel’s medical supplies.  Ed rushes off to retrieve his camera to record the event. The wedding guests adjourn to the Brick where Hayden fills in for Holling behind the bar.  While remaining in the church, Holling expertly coaches Shelly through her breathing lessons under Joel's supervision..

The scene now switches to Maurice’s kitchen.  Adam is venting his feelings of frustration over being trapped in Cicely for the winter because of his wife,  Eve’s suggestion; she thought it would be good for their son, Aldrich, to experience an Alaskan winter.  Adam doesn’t share her enthusiasm over this notion; he wonders why it wouldn’t be good for Aldrich to experience a Southern France winter or one in California; the Santa Ynez Valley is very nice this time of year.  Instead of preparing haute cuisine, he is stuck in the kitchen with Harpo and Chico who wouldn’t know demi-glace from a pogo stick.

His next complaint is directed at Barbara’s choice of menu for the wedding luncheon.  As he has been ranting, he notices that Mr. Bellati is about to cut the romaine lettuce for the Caesar Salad with a knife; he points out that this isn’t slaw for the lunch crowd at the Brick.  Then he methodically explains how to wash, rinse and tear lettuce for the salad.  He digresses into an opinion on the merits of this choice of salad which can be found at any restaurant and half the fast food franchises in America.  Not only that, Barbara insisted on bottled dressing instead of fresh anchovies and egg whites. What’s a little Salmonella among friends?
 
As he begins complaining about the clam chowder, another of her mundane menu selections, why not at least Manhattan style instead of New England, the telephone rings.  Eugene answers it and hands the receiver to Mr. Bellati.  Marilyn has called to inform them that the wedding was temporarily postponed for a couple of hours because of Shelly’s delivery.  Mr. Bellati points to the clam shells to begin his effort to describe these events.  After Adam and Eugene have deciphered his pantomime, Adam becomes further exasperated by the delay, fearing that the prime rib will become beef jerky.

While waiting at the Brick, Barbara is starting to get cold feet which frightens Maurice.  He very simply reiterates his feelings toward her and then excuses himself to make a telephone call.  Ron and Erick attempt to allay Barbara’s anxious feelings by telling her how Maurice rescued their marriage, the night before their wedding.  Debbie interrupts their story by confronting her sister directly about her feelings.  Barbara agrees that her uncertainty is not about Maurice, but her own feelings of insecurity, fearing her loss of identity by marrying a celebrity who is considered an American hero.

As they are conversing, we hear Chris on the airwaves providing the listeners with an update on the progress of the delivery.  He then proceeds to give a dedication which was just called in from Maurice to Barbara.  In the dedication, Maurice admits to being somewhat clumsy with his feelings, but believes that Nat King Cole can say it better with the song, I Love You for Sentimental Reasons.  When Barbara hears the music she is touched by the dedication and seeks out Maurice who is now speaking with Lester Haines.  She asks Maurice to dance.  While dancing, Chris interrupts the song with the latest maternity bulletin:  Holling and Shelly have given birth to a healthy new son by the name of Jared.  It is anticipated that the wedding can now resume, if the bride and groom so desire.

Since the delivery progresses very quickly, the wedding is back on schedule.  Jared is being cared for by his parents and sister at their home.   Ed steps in as best man and the wedding between Barbara and Maurice is finally completed.

During the reception luncheon, Ed has been seated next to Lester Haines’ daughter Heather.  She is quite impressed with his Director’s Guild Apprenticeship and seems to be genuinely interested in him.  Ed spies the demon of low self-esteem tending the bar.  After a moment’s hesitation,  he forthrightly tells her of his confused feelings toward her.  Heather listens attentively and then recalls an humbling experience she recently had in graduate school with a fellow student who, as it turned out, was only interested in her for her heritage.  She apologizes to Ed for her past behavior and offers a toast to a clean slate.

 During the reception, Maggie does her best to avoid Joel.  He manages to convince her to dance, but Chris, sensing her awkwardness, cuts in while the music is playing, People Will Say We’re in Love.  Maggie reports feeling badly about lying to Joel.  Chris reminds her that she isn’t lying, she just hasn’t told him the truth.  She recalls when they went to Juneau and she thought they had sex, but actually had fallen asleep and dreamt that they had.  Joel did not dispel her belief for several days, after they had returned to Cicely. Chris ponders the moral implications of not telling the truth versus lying, while Maggie is lost in her memories of Juneau.

As the wedding reception is winding down and the guests have come to the airstrip to bid farewell to Barbara and Maurice,  One Who Waits confronts Ed about his reluctance to identify himself to Tina.  He reminds Ed that he eventually found the courage to reveal himself to his father and hopes that the same spark of curiosity will overcome his fear.  He tells him that there will be time later for Heather, but first he must talk to his mother.

Barbara and Maurice fly away; their chartered plane is decorated with a Just Married sign.  The happy couple is planning a two week honeymoon to the Swiss Alps.

Finally, as Ed is helping Tina load her camera equipment into her minivan, he asks her if she would mind answering a very personal question.  Tina, curious about his request, agrees.  Ed is having difficulty getting the words out, but the image of One Who Waits helps him to ask her what her blood type is.  She laughs and says that it is extremely rare, AB negative.  At this point, Ed simply says, " I have reason to believe you are my mother."  Tina's eyes become misty and she begins to apologize to Ed for abandoning him; she reveals that he has been in her thoughts and prayers every day since he was born.  After a brief moment, they quietly embrace.

Wednesday, February 4, 1998 finds Maggie, Marilyn, Eve, Edna Hancock, Mrs. Whirlwind, Mrs. Noanuk and Shelly with Jared in a baby carrier gathered around a large quilt frame in Ruth-Anne’s living room.  While Ruth-Anne is pouring tea, she thanks Shelly for offering to substitute today’s quilting bee for a wedding shower.  Shelly looks at the quilt and asks Ruth-Anne what the quilt pattern is called.  She replies that her mother said it was called the Bride’s Knot.  Edna remembers  receiving this pattern and it was called Monkey Wrench; Marilyn remarks that she knows the pattern as Alaskan Homestead.  Eve says that she saw it in a museum and it was called Churn Dash.  Mrs. Whirlwind reports seeing one in a magazine and it was called Hole in the Barn Door.  Mrs. Noanuk recalls the pattern by the name of Hens and Chickens.  Maggie tells the others that her grammy gave her one called Aeroplane when she was a little girl.  Shelly is confused by all of the names for the same quilt block; Ruth-Anne explains that the names arose from different regions in the country during the 19th and early 20th century.  Shelly then asks if there was a reason her mother was making her a quilt named Bride’s Knot.

Ruth-Anne then begins to relay the history of this particular quilt.  She remembered that it was just about sixty years ago to the day when her mother finished sewing the last border onto the quilt.  Ruth-Anne was engaged to Bill and was planning to be married in June.  It was in January of 1938 and they were listening to the radio broadcast of Benny Goodman’s concert at Carnegie Hall.  It was right after Blue Reverie, an Ellington tune, that her mother got up from the living room sofa and said she was tired.  She told Ruth-Anne that she feared she would not be able to have the quilt completed by the wedding and asked Ruth-Anne if she would be able to finish it on her own.  Saying she wasn’t feeling well, her mother went into her bedroom to lie down.  At this point in the story, Eve interrupts Ruth-Anne to ask her questions about her mother’s health.  Maggie urges Ruth-Anne to finish her story.  Bill and Ruth-Anne continued to listen and danced to some of the songs from the concert.  This was a special occasion for fans of swing music because it was the first time a jazz concert had been presented at Carnegie Hall.  Benny Goodman’s band was integrated which was quite unusual for those days and the concert also included members of Duke Ellington’s orchestra and Count Basie.  After the end of Sing, Sing, Sing, all twelve minutes of it, (you know it did not fit on one side of a 78),  she checked on her mother who was sleeping.  The next morning, Ruth-Anne tried to awaken her mother only to find her dead.  That afternoon, she folded the quilt top and put it in an old cotton muslin pillowcase.  The quilt top traveled to England during World War II and went across the United States and later up to Alaska, always with the intention of finishing it.  Recently, she was cleaning the basement and decided now was the time to finish it.  She hopes that they will complete it in time for the wedding to Walt on Saturday.

Maggie reports that the weather conditions for this week should keep her grounded so she expects to have plenty of time to help.  The other members of the group also offer their support for completion of the quilt.

As the women continue their stitching, Shelly comments to Maggie that Dr. Fleishman seems different.  Maggie replies that she has not spent much time with him, but noticed on the airplane ride from Anchorage that he did not even flinch when they experienced turbulence.  She said she was watching him walking down the street and instead of shying away from a dog, he actually stopped to pet it.  Marilyn informs the group that he had given up an Hawaiian vacation to return to Cicely.  Shelly indicates that she is glad he came back, just in time to deliver Jared.  Eve describes her last medical visit and noted that he did not belittle her diagnoses.  Ruth-Anne says that he is still every inch the doctor and was frustrated by restrictions placed on her activities.  She regretted not being able to go birdwatching with Holling; a little snow and cold weather wouldn’t hurt her.  Edna is convinced that his coming back as a volunteer rather than as a hostage, coerced to repay his student loan by four years of service, probably accounts for the different attitude.

As the quilters continue their gossiping about Dr. Fleishman, we hear the beginning of Blue Reverie; Maggie drifts off into her own memories of Joel; the first time she kissed him on the cheek while sharing Soapy Sanderson’s bottle of wine;  Joel nibbling on the back of her neck while she is trying to pass him off as her boyfriend to impress her father; their first kiss in the kitchen of the Brick while waiting for the ice to melt; that afternoon in the barn; and finally, the day in the field when she kissed him passionately after following her allergic reaction and subsequent obsession with the dust mites.

It is now Saturday, February 7, 1998 and Chris is playing Going to the Chapel on the radio.  He reminds the Cicelians of Ruth-Anne’s wedding this evening; he informs his listeners of the progress of the wedding quilt and asks for a few spare hands to finish it.  He then gives a progress report on Michelle, who has now had the baby by C section, but has developed an infection so Phil needs to stay longer.  Dr. Fleishman has agreed to stay a few more days.

Joel is speaking on the telephone to Elaine and is explaining to her about the delay.  She is very understanding; she appears to be having a great time enjoying the sun and surf in Hawaii.  He promises to meet her as soon as he can.  He informs her that he is feeling quite useful, having delivered another baby besides Shelly’s, and spent one day giving vaccinations in a small village a hundred miles north of Cicely. He contrasts his mixed medical practice in Alaska with his very routine days as an endocrinologist in New York City.  Elaine asks about Maggie.  Joel tells her that except for flying him from Anchorage, he has not spoken with her; she was busy providing transportation to Maurice’s wedding guests.  Even at Maurice’s wedding, she seemed to be preoccupied.  He concludes the conversation by saying that he is going ice fishing with Reynaldo Pinetree and Ed this morning.

While sitting in the ice fishing hut, Joel discusses  his frustration with Ruth-Anne’s reluctance to seek further medical help.  Ed finds it ironic that his uncle who is a shaman went to Anchorage for treatment; he then recalls when Nedra died and suggests that this may be Ruth-Anne’s time as well.

Walt and Ruth-Anne have a very simple wedding service.  Cal agreed to stay to provide the musical accompaniment.  He surprises everyone by playing a jazzy version of Our Love is Here to Stay.  It is a very touching ceremony for all observers because they understand that Ruth-Anne is quite sick.  The Cicelians adjourn to the Brick for a wedding supper.  Again Maggie tries to keep Joel at a distance.  He persuades her to dance dance to Moonglow and she accepts reluctantly.  Recognizing her discomfort,  Holling cuts in during a dance between the two of them.  She confides in Holling that she is tired of the charade and wants to tell Joel the truth, because he arrived in time to save her life when she had the appendicitis attack while camping alone on her 30th birthday.  Holling reminds her that the Capra’s have not returned, so honoring Maurice’s promise would be the civic thing to do; as Mayor, she needs to set an example.  During the reception, Walt treats the wedding guests to a song, September Song, which he dedicates to his new bride, Ruth-Anne.

It is the Monday after the wedding.  Chris welcomes his listeners to the news of clear roads, including the route to Coffee Pot Ridge, but the weather forecast is for a storm later today.  We hear the music, Snowfall; we see Cicelians engaged in various winter sports:  cross country skiing, snow shoeing, iceskating and throwing snow balls.  Holling, Walt and Ruth-Anne are walking through a snowy forest with cameras poised to shoot photographs for their bird collections.

 Later that afternoon, Joel comes bursting into Ruth-Anne's store; he immediately confronts Ed about her whereabouts.  Initially, Ed is reluctant to tell him.  Joel, recognizing that Ed is a shaman in training, appeals to their shared healing traditions.  He explains that one of her symptoms is a low grade fever which he is treating with medication.  Ed then tells him that Holling, Walt and Ruth-Anne went to Coffeepot Ridge to go birdwatching.  Ruth-Anne needs one more sighting to have 500 birds.  Joel is fearful for his patient and is frustrated by this news.  Ed tries to reassure Joel that she is in good hands with Holling and Walt and should return by dinner time.

It is now Tuesday, February 10th and Joel is consulting with Leonard and Ed about Ruth-Anne in the medical office.  Leonard attempts to counsel Joel regarding his approach to dying patients which is antithetical to Joel’s training. Leonard talks about the need to finish unfinished business and wonders what Joel would do if he had a similar diagnosis.  Ed reminds both of them when Joel had a possible malignant tumor on the back of his head which was found by the barber, Angelo.   Joel remembers the incident and how difficult it was for him while he was waiting for the confirmation of the diagnosis; he borrowed the Harley-Davidson motorcycle from Chris and drove terribly fast.  He also remembers how beautiful the sky looked one morning and how important family was.  He wished he had been married.  He thanks Ed and Leonard for their help and promises to honor the wishes of his patient.

Later, that same afternoon, Maggie enters the office to advise Joel that Phil will be returning on February 14th;  he accepts the news without enthusiasm and she teases him about his reaction.  She also advises him that she will not be flying him to Anchorage on the morning of the fourteenth because she has another engagement.  Joel teases her about black Fedoras and the game of Clue.  She laughs about the dream she once had regarding her fear that Joel would die in a commercial airplane crash, so she contrived to keep him in Alaska.  She quickly changes the subject by informing him that Col. Pickering, a retired Air Force pilot who relocated to Alaska to be near his son who is a professor at the University.  Joel connects the name with the Professor of Ornithology who came to see Joel’s woolly mammoth only to find that it was gone.  Maggie remembers the incident because Joel came to her cabin to tell her that Walt had hauled the mammoth away for butchering.  It was on that day that Joel announced to her that he had become a Cicelian.  Marilyn interrupts their conversation as Maggie was about to tell Joel about her engagement.

After Maggie leaves, we hear Chris on the radio inviting his listeners to sample a new version of an old standard.  As we hear the opening bars of the song, I Can’t Get Started,  Joel looks at Marilyn and tells her that the melody is familiar, but he can’t remember the name of the song.  Marilyn quickly gives him the answer.  Joel laughs and says, how appropriate.  He confides to Marilyn that since his return to Cicely, he can’t seem to have a conversation with Maggie that isn’t interrupted.  It doesn’t seem to matter where they meet: at Ruth-Anne’s store, or the Brick, or the past two wedding receptions, and now even in his own office.  While he is pondering this thought, the music fades out.

Joel calls Elaine and realizes that he has missed most of his Hawaiian vacation and must make reservations to return to New York City for their engagement party on Valentine’s Day.  He explains that Ruth-Anne is very sick and he does not want to leave until he knows that Dr.Capra will be returning.

It is now Friday, February 13th,  Chris is hosting a Valentine’s Eve romantic music special.  He invites callers with dedications and requests.  He explains that he has another engagement tomorrow evening and will be unavailable for this annual event on KBHR.  Chris advises his listeners that he is in an Ellington mood tonight; he begins by playing Cleo Laine singing Creole Love Call.

While we hear the music, Bernard, with his girlfriend Ann, surprise Chris at the radio station. He informs Chris that his ministerial certificate, obtained from the back of a Rolling Stone magazine, has arrived just in time for him to perform the ceremony tomorrow.  Chris is pleased to see Bernard and Ann, but looks a little nervous at the mention of tomorrow’s wedding.  Bernard is excited about the opportunity to fill in for Chris for the next two weeks while Chris and Maggie are on their honeymoon to New Orleans to attend a Jazz festival and see Mardi Gras.

Joel is eating his farewell dinner at the Brick when Ed comes rushing over to his table with a fax from Elaine.  Ed, of course, has read the fax and offers an apology; he asks if Joel will be needing Maggie for closure.

Joel reads the fax and hears Elaine’s voice.  As he is reading the fax, he is transformed into a World War II paratrooper who is waiting to jump out of a plane.  She tells him that she knows that this is a lousy way to communicate, but she couldn’t bear to call him to end their not yet official engagement for the second time.  She has fallen in love with Hawaii and met someone she must get to know better.  She is uncertain whether she wants to continue to practice law.  She is planning to stay in Hawaii, to pursue a degree in horticulture at the University and will not be returning to New York City.  She apologizes for breaking off the relationship for a second time.  She tells him that her mother will call his mother and the engagement party will be canceled.  She wishes him well.  Joel is seated next to Rabbi Schulman and their commanding officer is Maurice who reminds him of his duty and pushes him out of the plane.

Joel is unable to finish his dinner and leaves the Brick quickly, bumping into Maggie as he rushes out the door.

The next scene takes place in Joel’s room at the B and B.  He is channel surfing with the remote control.  He suddenly stops when he recognizes his rabbi on the television screen.  Rabbi Schulman is speaking directly to Joel.  Offering his condolences on the end of his relationship with Elaine, he reminds Joel that insanity is doing the same behavior twice and expecting different results.  He observes that both Joel and Elaine wanted to be married, however she recognized that their relationship wasn’t completely satisfying  to either one of them  and it was necessary to end it.  He is worried about Joel and hopes that he will be able to find true happiness and the love of a good woman.  Joel asks the rabbi about Maggie.  What if he asked her to marry him, after all she rejected him, would that not be insane, too?  The rabbi then tries to explain that the situations were different.  Elaine left Joel for another man, twice.  Maggie was uncertain if she could live with his intense personality.  After he went up river, which was an important growth experience, they never had another chance to work out their relationship because Joel was released from his Alaskan commitment; Maggie did not want to move to New York City and he was not willing to stay in Cicely.  Joel turns the TV set off and finds the radio.

Chris is playing Solitude by Duke Ellington, when Joel hears a knock at the door.  Maggie tells him that Ed thought he might need to talk to her, something about closure, like the last time Elaine broke off their engagement. Wishing to be sensitive to his predicament, Maggie calls him Joel and he reciprocates by using Maggie, instead of O’Connell.  She immediately launches into an impassioned plea for him to go to Hawaii instead of New York and fight for Elaine and their relationship.  Also, she is surprised that Joel did not tell her of his impending engagement.

After she finishes, Joel tells her he is relieved.  He had delayed getting officially engaged several times to Elaine.  He noticed that so many of his friends were getting married and having children that it seemed the right thing to do after he returned from Alaska to New York; but as he had mentioned the first time he needed closure, there wasn’t enough passion in the relationship.  He recalled a dream he had where everyone thought Elaine was his sister.  He repeats what the rabbi said about insanity as doing the same behavior twice and expecting different results.  He believes that Elaine must have known his ambivalent feelings.

At this time, we hear the song, This Time the Dream is on Me.  He explains to Maggie that he did not tell her because when he first saw her at the airport, he felt terribly confused and uncertain about his own desires.  He also tells her that it seemed to her that she has been avoiding him while he has been in Cicely, but he can imagine that the circumstances of their relationship ending probably left her feeling awkward.

Maggie does indeed feel awkward and uncomfortable.  She looks nervously around his room and notices a bottle of Cicely water and questions Joel about it.  He reports that it was a gift for Elaine; he was planning to surprise her with it during their trip to Hawaii.

Still feeling anxious, she spies the engagement ring box on the table and asks to see it.  She opens the box and compliments him on how lovely the ring is.  She asks to try it on and he helps her by placing in on her left ring finger; the ring fits perfectly.

The music on the radio has changed to At Last which is sung by Etta James.  Joel reminds Maggie that they danced to this song once before.  She remembers that it was after Rick died and people were ignoring her because of the curse and Joel was not afraid to dance with her.  She also remembers that he dances very well.  They look at each other and begin dancing.

As Joel is holding her, he asks her to spend the night.  This immediately plunges Maggie into a conflict.  The angel on one shoulder tells her she must go at once since she is marrying Chris tomorrow and this is not proper conduct for the night before her wedding.  The devil on the other shoulder acknowledges her attraction to Joel and how she has wanted to be with him since he returned.  She tells him that this was such a surprise that she needs to think about his offer.  He replies that he would like to convince her to stay, reminding her that at Adam and Eve's wedding, she told him he was a good kisser; he then begins to kiss her passionately.  The two sides of Maggie's nature continue bickering.

Before Maggie can speak, Ed bursts through the door without knocking.  He tells Joel that Ruth-Anne has chest pains.  Walt has brought Ruth-Anne over to the medical office and would like Joel to examine her.  He grabs his medical bag and the three depart.

Ruth-Anne and Walt are in the examining room, while Joel is reading the EKG strip.  He tells her that she has an irregular
heart beat and wants to give her a shot and a sedative.  He also tries to convince both of them that she should go to Anchorage to be hospitalized.  Ruth-Anne persuades Joel to hold off on medication and asks him to leave the examining room.  Although frustrated by his patient's attitude, Joel remembers Leonard's admonitions and returns to the waiting room where Ed and Maggie are sitting.

Ruth-Anne tells Walt how happy she has been this past week and he agrees that the time they have had together has been special.  He tells her that any woman who knows that Billy Strayhorn wrote Take the A Train and not Duke Ellington is truly his soul mate.  He remembers that he had asked Chris to play a special request on the radio at 9:30 as part of this Valentine's Eve romantic music special.  He leaves the examining room in search of a radio and finds one in the reception area where Joel and the others have been waiting somewhat nervously.  He turns on the radio and Chris is beginning his dedication of Chelsea Bridge, another Billy Strayhorn tune, performed by Duke Ellington's orchestra.

Walt and Ruth-Anne talk briefly about the song.  She says she is feeling better and would like to dance.  Walt is not so sure that this is a good idea, but Ruth-Anne is adamant.  They dance a slow dance to this music, reminiscing about where they were when the song was recorded in 1941.  After a few words from Walt, Ruth-Anne says she would prefer to reminisce about the time they spent the night together having been stranded while picking up display cases from Cantwell.  They both remember that occasion and smile.  They continue to dance.  Walt becomes alarmed when Ruth-Anne slumps over; he calls for Joel who quickly returns to the examining room.  He wants to attempt CPR, but Walt asks him to stop.  Ruth-Anne did not want heroics.  Let her rest in peace.

Ed leaves to inform Chris of the news of Ruth-Anne's death.  Maggie departs for the Brick.

Maurice and Barbara have returned to the Brick to a wake for Ruth-Anne instead of a bachelor party for Chris.  They are accompanied by Debbie.  They are surprised to see Joel and not Dr. Capra, who informs them that Ruth-Anne died.

Ed is quite upset and requires some consolation.  Walt informs him that in her will, Ruth-Anne is leaving him the store.  For a brief moment, Ed does not feel worthy and spies the green demon of low self-esteem tending the bar.  Ed gradually realizes that if Ruth-Anne trusted him with the store, than he is most certainly worthy of the gift.  When the spring thaws the ground, they plan to bury her ashes on the gravesite Ed gave her on her 75th birthday.  He remembers the time they danced on her grave.  Others begin to recall special moments with Ruth-Anne.

Chris is now playing music that he feels suits the memory of Ruth-Anne.  He informs the listeners that Ed told him that her favorite movie was Casablanca; therefore, he plays As Time Goes By.  While the music is playing, Joel finds Maggie and asks her if she has been able to consider his invitation.  He was upset by Ruth-Anne's death and does not want to be alone.  Initially, she declines by saying that her mother is visiting her and she needs to make sure that the house doesn't burn down.  He continues to plead with her, promising no strings attached and reminding her that this is the "wanting" part.  As she is leaving, feeling flustered and confused, we hear the two inner voices continue their bickering.

It is now Valentine's Day morning and Chris is on the air waves reminding Cicelians that Ruth-Anne's body will be leaving for the cremation in Anchorage and Joel will be going as well in anticipation of the return of the Capras.  He remembers the time that Ruth-Anne took off on his Harley for a brief adventure.  He plays the song, Goodbye, by Benny Goodman's Orchestra.

We continue to hear the song, while the Cicelians gather at the airstrip to say good bye to Joel and Ruth-Anne.  Maggie remembers the ring and wants to give it back, but he tells her to keep it.  He never gave her a ring when they were previously engaged.  Ruth-Anne’s body is loaded onto the plane.  As the plane leaves, we see Maggie with tears running down her cheek.  By this time, Chris has arrived and tries to console her about the loss of Ruth-Anne.  She wonders if it is in bad taste for them to have a wedding today.  Walt informs both of them that it would be Ruth-Anne’s wish for them to celebrate their wedding on Valentine’s Day, so they should go ahead.

Maggie has returned home and is having trouble getting ready for the wedding.  She attempts to talk to her mother about her confusion.  She tells her of the palmist’s reading of her hand: that she would marry a tall man and have three children and be unhappy.

Her mother compliments her on the lovely engagement ring and Maggie is somewhat embarrassed to report that it was a gift from Joel and not from Chris.  They both agree that Maggie needs to remove it before the wedding.  Her mother is understandably confused, but reminds her that Chris has a great imagination and surely would not be a dull husband.  She offers evidence of the time that Chris flung her piano and how he created various innovative sculptures reflecting life in Cicely.  Part of Maggie’s dilemma is that she has observed in Joel that he has changed to be more of the person she wanted him to be when he originally proposed marriage to her.  She also recognizes that he is probably happier in New York City and would be miserable in Cicely.

Meanwhile, back at his trailer, Chris is talking to Bernard and Ann about his anxious feelings since it has taken him a half hour to button his shirt and he forgot how to form a tie.  He compares this moment to how he felt when he was attempting the written part of the pilot’s license examination and he came down with a bad case of test anxiety.  Bernard and Ann attempt to calm him down, but Chris is not sure he is a holy wedlock kind of guy.  He wonders if he just got swept up in the excitement of Maurice’s wedding and thought he should be married as well.  Describing his quandary over the paradigm shift this situation has created, he recalls that when Joel used to live in Cicely, he always thought someday he would preside over a wedding between Joel and Maggie; somehow it all seems so strange that Bernard will be doing the honors and he will be the groom. He feels guilty having these thoughts because he truly cares for Maggie and remembers how helpful she was when he needed to get his voice back.  He does not want to disappoint her.  He concludes his commentary by saying that if he were at KBHR right now, he probably would be playing Sondheim’s  I’m Not Getting Married Today.

The replacement pilot, Col. Pickering takes Joel to Anchorage.  At the airport, they meet Dr. Capra who informs Joel that he is not returning to Cicely.  Michelle wants to leave Alaska and live within 5 minutes of a hospital.  He has a few more weeks left on his contract and will gladly forfeit the money in order to keep his wife and their new baby happy.  While handing Col. Pickering a wrapped wedding gift, Dr. Capra apologizes to the pilot and says that he is sorry they will be missing Chris and Maggie’s wedding. Joel becomes agitated at this news and asks the pilot to fly him back to Cicely, now.  Col. Pickering advises him that a storm front is moving through Alaska and there will be a delay.  While they are waiting, Joel sounds like Professor Henry Higgins when he learned of Eliza’s engagement to Freddie---imagining the worst for Maggie especially when Chris has a pheromone attack.  We hear the music, I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face in the background while Joel goes into his tirade.

Meanwhile, the town is now gathering for this week's wedding at the church.  Although Shelly has recently given birth, she is the matron of honor, carrying the newborn in a snugly type carrier.  Ed is best man.  Both Maggie's parents and stepmother are in the church as well as her brother.

As the wedding march begins, Maggie walks down the aisle with her father, wearing a simple, but elegant wedding dress and hat.  She takes her place next to Chris.  Bernard offers a few opening remarks, followed by Cal's third wedding solo, A Lark Ascending.  During his piece, the church's doors fly open and a mysterious woman screams, "Chris, you cannot marry her!"  Chris recognizes this woman as Brother Simon from his visit to the monastery.  He excuses himself, leaving Maggie at the altar .  Instead of being hurt or angry, Maggie has a slightly bemused expression on her face.  Bernard explains to the assembled group who Brother Simon is .  Maurice grumbles about how difficult it is for a wedding to take place in Cicely without some kind of interruption.  Ed reminds members of the wedding that this is similar, but not the same as the situation in The Graduate when Dustin Hoffman carries Katharine Ross away from her wedding.

After a few minutes of stunned silence, the wedding guests gradually leave the church and some head for the Brick.  Maggie's parents try to console her.  Her mother wonders if it is a variation on the O'Connell curse; instead of dying, the men are leaving her:  Mike Monroe went to work for GreenPeace; Joel moved back to New York City; and now Chris has left her at the altar.  Maggie suggests that her family go to the Brick and leave her alone for a while at her cabin.

As she approaches her cabin, she sees Esau, the ventriloquist's dummy belonging to Chris, sitting by the front door.  He tells her that Chris has written her a letter.  She thanks him for it and they both go inside.

As Maggie reads the note, we hear Chris speaking.  He apologizes for leaving her at the church and explains that he was completely surprised when Chris, Brother Simon, arrived.  He saw this as some kind of cosmic omen, like something out of an ancient Greek drama when the deus ex machina came to resolve the conflict in the story.  Since Chris interrupted the wedding, maybe he should take some time to get to know her better.  He hopes that in time Maggie can forgive him for disappointing her and hopes she understands that it was his anxiety that caused him to leave.  He is uncertain when he will return to Cicely.  After Maggie finishes the letter, she confides in Esau that she too was anxious about going through with the wedding and afraid to say anything because she did not want to disappoint Chris who had been so kind to her after Joel left.

Joel has now returned to Cicely and is surprised to find the church empty.  Fearing that he was too late, he walks over to the Brick where he encounters Maggie's father.  Mr. O'Connell tells him that a mysterious woman came to the wedding and Chris left with her, leaving Maggie at the altar.  He believes that Maggie is at her cabin.  As Joel is about to leave, Maurice asks him if he would be interested in staying a little longer in Cicely.   With a note of irony, Joel agrees to his offer.  Maurice promises a generous contract, with plenty of vacation time; he will rough out the details for the contract tomorrow.

Joel knocks on Maggie's door.  She is still wearing her wedding dress.  He asks her how she feels and she reports okay; maybe even a little relieved.  She understands exactly how Joel felt yesterday.  This wasn't right.  She wants to know what brought him back to Cicely.  He answers that she did.  He tells her that in spite of returning to New York City, he had become a Cicelian and now he wants to come home.  He asks her if he can stay.

The final scene takes place late in the evening in the KBHR studio.  Bernard is sitting at the microphone addressing the listeners.  He reminds the Cicelians that it has been an historic Valentine's Day in their town, beginning with saying goodbye to Ruth-Anne and Joel this morning.  then the wedding between Chris and Maggie which ended prematurely with Chris leaving with the mysterious woman.  Bernard advises the listeners that Chris and Brother Simon were last seen heading south.  He explains that Brother Simon is actually a woman named Chris whom his brother encountered at the monastery while on his spiritual journey.  After their meeting, she was rather unnerved by the incident and realized that she could no longer conceal her feminine identity.  Chris left the monastery and found employment as a philosophy instructor in Washington state.  They have maintained a regular correspondence since their meeting and, of course, he invited her to the wedding.

The unexpected return of Dr. Fleischman, who will be the town doctor for the foreseeable future, then provided the impetus for the impromptu wedding later this evening between Maggie and Joel.  Bernard's sources tell him that an official, legal wedding will take place later in May in New York City with an official honeymoon in Paris.  Bernard reminds his listeners that he will be filling in for the next two weeks and is now signing off with one of his favorites and hopes that it is one of yours.  Good night Cicely.

We then hear the song, I'm Just a Lucky So and So as sung by Louis Armstrong.  As the song plays, Bernard and his girlfriend, Ann, hold hands.  We then see Holling and Shelly putting their children to bed.  Marilyn and Mr. Bellati are washing and drying dishes at home.  Maurice and Barbara are staring intently at each other while playing chess.  Ed and Heather are watching a video, The Philadelphia Story, and sharing popcorn.  Walt is sitting on Ruth-Anne’s couch wrapped in the wedding quilt, eating butter brickle ice cream.  Adam is giving Eve a taste of a soup he is preparing while Aldrich is waiting his turn for a sip. Cal is playing a song for Debbie on the violin.  Maggie and Joel are walking down Main Street toward her cabin.

Member of the Northern Exposure Web Ring
Last Site	Random Site	Next Site
This site is maintained by
Join the NX Web Ring | NX Ring Home Page