From: kimi@newsance.att.com (Kimiye Tipton;ball of confusion)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
Subject: NX Premiere Teaser (and wild speculation)
Date: 15 Sep 92 14:30:31 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T IMS, Maitland, FL


If there be spoilers here, then I be psychic...


Okay, we've got a few seconds of promo from last night's repeat of 
"Cicely" to slaver over.  I was out of the room, but rushed back
in time to see Joel taking a thermometer out of Maggie's mouth and
saying something about her being in denial.  The rest was a blur,
except for mentioning Maggie's 30th birthday.  Anyone catch more?

I just don't know.  I was fully expecting something to be done about
Joel and Maggie turning 30, but I hope they don't go too overboard
on all the stereotypes.  Aaaa, who'm I kidding--this is Northern
Exposure, finally recognized as the best drama on TV ("Now we can
admit it--it's a comedy." --either Brand or Falsey at the Emmies).

So, turning 30 is the beginning of the end for a woman, supposedly,
and I'm guessing that will be Maggie's angst.  I didn't mind turning
30 at all, and am actually looking forward to 40 (beware anyone who
tries to call me "young lady" again!), but then I have a husband and
a child, so my biological clock isn't ticking particularly loudly.
Maggie hasn't even managed to fall in love, in spite of her boyfriend-
strewn past.  Here, however, is a chance for the plot to back off of
the sexual aspect--Maggie can just blame 30-something jitters for
her aggressive sexual behavior, and Joel can gracefully back out by
turning professional on her.  And how long do you think they can
keep this up?

On the other hand, it's been made clear that Joel is the same age
as Maggie, but I'm willing to bet that he's just a tad younger than
her.  So what is turning 30 like for a man?  Finally a man, and no
longer a boy?  Ready to be taken seriously?  Your whole career in
front of you?  But Joel's been stuck in Cicely for over two years,
with his career definitely on hold (remember the symbolic slide
show on ear infections--until he resolves the personal problems of
his life, he won't make his mark as a doctor).  Looks like angst
may be catching...

Well, here's hoping the writers give Maggie a little more dignity
and consistency than she had last year, so that I don't have to get
flamed and waste megabytes of band-width trying to explain her
actions to all the fans here on the net.  :-)

Maybe a spoiler, maybe not...a control L for drill.


If you haven't heard, Anthony Edwards (Top Gun, Revenge of the Nerds,
Miracle Mile), is coming to Alaska as a very allergic lawyer who lives
in a dome and has to wear a spacesuit to get around town.  In last
week's Entertainment Weekly, he says he believes "sparks will fly"
between him and Maggie, and compares the problems of their romance
with the threat of diseases like AIDS, where people can't even touch
anymore without fear.  Along with Adam Ant as a rock-n-roller, it
looks like Cicely is becoming positively lousy with eligible if
eccentric men.  

On one hand, I'm hoping they're not trying to phase
Fleischman out--on the other hand, it really wouldn't be fair for
Maggie not to have some kind of choice.  She needs to be able to
compare a real, live, reasonable boyfriend or two with Joel, instead
of the long string of nimnos she's been biding her time with.  I
have to wonder if they're going to give Joel the same advantage,
and not just loonies like Dr. Linda (who, by the way, was almost
unrecognizable as a table-dancing, partially stripping wild woman
on Heart's Afire's premiere Monday night.  Only her voice (what a
voice!) gave her away).

Okay, I'm rambling, and I'm outa here.  And I plan to continue posting
to rec.arts.tv, especially since we may lose our alt groups here as
well (somebody found alt.sex.bondage, and had a corporate cow).

Your turn!

Kimiye Tipton  kimi@kokomo.att.com or kimi@newsance.att.com  Maitland, FL
"I've seen it before, Joel.  You can talk the talk but you can't walk
the walk.  I know, your mother gave you baths until high school.  Or
maybe it was some traumatic experience during potty training?  Look,
baby, it's not that I don't find dysfunction a challenge--I do!  But
it's work, Joel, it's work.  I didn't come here to work."   --Dr. Linda