MC Notes: 4.3 Nothing's Perfect

4.3 Nothing's Perfect

Amy to Chris: I just have this feeling if I take pi, well past all this static, take pi to 10 million, 20 million digits, that I'll find something really incredible. Not just a pattern, not just an order, but a sign. A mathematical sign. (6)

(Picture from Agent Pat's John Corbett site)

Original Air Date(1): October 12, 1992

Written by(1): Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by(1): Nick Marck

Log line(1): Chris kills a dog with his truck and quickly falls in love with its owner. Maurice buys an extremely expensive Augsburg clock and with its delivery comes a highly trained specialist to install it.

Synopsis(1): Chris hits and kills a dog when it runs in front of his truck. He visits the address on the collar to apologize to its owners. When Amy Lochner (guest star Wendel Meldrum), a beautiful, intelligent woman, comes to the door, Chris is immediately intrigued and, after a few moments of conversation regarding her study of Pi and fondness for her many pets, they fall in love. When Chris accidentally kills a second pet, one of her parakeets, they decide that in order for their relationship to work it must be equal, thus he too must lose something he loves. Although painful for Chris, together they create the balance necessary.

Maurice's newly acquired ancient Augsburg clock is delivered to Cicely with a highly trained specialist, Rolf Hauser (guest star Mark Pellegrino), to install it. Although the clock is stunning, Maurice is disappointed it does not keep perfect time and demands a refund. Holling and Rolf help Maurice weigh the value of time versus the magnificence of this ancient relic.

Details(2): Chris is allergic to cats. Ed owns a Bolex 16mm camera.

Guest Stars: (5)
Rolf Hauser - Mark Pellegrino
Amy Lochner - Wendel Meldrum
Red Murphy - John J. Aylward
Lenny - Gary Taylor (Also appeared in 1.2, 2.5, 3.5, 3.17, 5.20, 6.11)
Lucky - Kelly Connell

Music: (3)
• I Heard a Juke Box Playing - Kitty Wells
[Chris runs over a dog.](8)

• Wie Stark Ist Nicht from "The Magic Flute" (Mozart)
[Ed helps Maurice move furniture.](8)

• My Next Broken Heart - Brooks and Dunn
[Joel talks Chris at the bar.](8)

• If the Walls Could Talk - Skew Siskin
[Rolf dances at the Brick.](8)

• Mean Greens - The Rock Box

• Darn That Dream
[Amy has dinner in Chris' trailer.](8)

• Sonata in C minor (Scarlatti)
[Chris tells Ruth-Anne he killed Amy's bird.](8)

• You Go to My Head - Chet Baker
[Chris tells Amy that Pete is dead.](8)

• Sonata in A Major (Mozart)
[Rolf packs up the clock.](8)

• Inchworm - Danny Kaye
[Amy calculates Pi on her computer; Ed edits his film.](8)

Shelly's Earrings:
Blue dangles? [Shelly serves Rolf and Maurice in the Brick.]
Blue globes [Looks at Maurice's clock.]

Additional Notes:
The clock is in the Roslyn Museum and is fun to see - it's like a kindergardener's project - plates and straws etc and a lot of gold paint!

Some fun links on Pi:
The Joy of Pi
The Ridiculously Enhanced Pi Page

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- episode guide for 4.3
6. Kevin Wright's Culture NX Quotes for Season 4.
7. MCA TV Promotional Kit dated 9/27/95
8. The Northern Exposure Book, 1st Ed. (1993) by Louis Chunovic
9. Agent Pat's John Corbett Page - for Episode 4.3

Created 1/5/02 • updated 6/2/02

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