MC Notes: 5.20 A Wing and a Prayer

5.20 A Wing and a Prayer

Shelly: Do I get a real priest? No. I get this dud, some smoke-ring blowing, arm-wrestler with a rip in his pants. (6)

Original Air Date(1): March 28, 1994

Production Number (7): 77720

Written by(1): Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by(1): Lorraine Ferrara

Log line(1): Ed spreads gossip about Ruth-Anne's love life; Maggie builds a home-kit airplane; Holling and Shelly baptize Randi.

Synopsis(1):Ed is flabbergasted when he catches a glimpse through the window of Walt eating breakfast at Ruth-Anne's in his longjohns. Ruth-Anne later tells Ed as her closest friend of this blossoming romance and asks him to keep it quiet to avoid being the subject of town gossip. At a stuffy dinner party at Maurice's, Ed has nothing to contribute to the conversation so, using the power of information to become the star of the get-together, he reveals the scoop on Ruth-Anne and Walt. Later, feeling sick and guilty about what he's done, he tries to quit his job at the store and confesses to Ruth-Anne. While initially annoyed at his lack of sensitivity, she clearly forgives Ed and rehires him.

Maggie's new home-kit airplane arrives in a million pieces and she is bursting to start the assembly with the aid of Maurice. Unfortunately, Maurice takes control of the project and is overly meticulous checking Maggie's work, ruffling her feathers. Fed up, she tells him she is sorry she ever asked him to help and he quits. Intimidated by the enormous undertaking, she begs him to come back, but he insists that she must have faith in herself. After working herself into a bit of frenzy, Maggie finishes that plane, gets a seal of approval from the FAA inspector and takes her baby out for a test flight.

Shelly is all atwitter for the arrival of Father McKerry (guest star Tom Mason) from Fairbanks to baptize Randi, but she is concerned that Holling, an unofficial agnostic, will do something embarrassing. Luckily, "Father Kevin" and Holling get on famously and end up drinking, arm wrestling, and playing cribbage, while always in an intellectual religious debate. Shelly, unfortunately, can't handle seeing a priest in such an everyday light and blames Holling. In confession, she shares her concerns and the priest explains that he was chosen by God as an imperfect human, but she will feel His presence at the baptism, where everything goes smoothly.

Details (2): Chris is awed by the ceremony of the Catholic church, works the baptism with the good Father.

Lester has a pretty daughter, Heather, 21.

Trivia (2): Cicely's Black Hole: Doesn't anyone wonder what happened to Dave the Cook?

Ed's movie references: "The Godfather," a "Death Wish" marathon.

Wines of the week: Chateau Petrus '45, Pouilly Fuisse

Guest Stars(7):
Walt - Moultrie Patten
Eugene - Earl Quewezance
Father Kevin McKerry - Tom Mason
Lester Haines - Apesanahkwat
Myra Haines - Marianne Jones
Heather - Chenoa Egawa
Donnie Spelling - Daniel Collins
Kid - Ryan O'Neill
Truck Driver - Gary Taylor (Also appeared in 1.2, 2.5, 3.5, 3.17, 4.3, 6.11)
Plane Inspector - Robert Wright

Music: (3)
• Hot House - Dizzy Gillespie

• Hip Hug Her - Booker T and the MGs
[Joel visits Maggie while she is building the plane.]

• Sarabande (Bach)

• Emotions - Brenda Lee

• Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day - Bing Crosby

• Coolin Medley - The Chieftans
[Randi's baptism and Maggie's fly-by.]

Shelly's Earrings:
Moose and Bears [Greets Father Kevin at the Brick.]

Additional Notes:
Hallmark cuts the whole scene of Maggie getting her plane inspected.

Randi's godparents are Maurice and Ruth-Anne.

The cliff is the same where Chris' Harley bit the dust, Joel sits with and orange at sunset and "Suicide Point" where Chris contemplates throwing his high blood pressure pills.

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 5.
7. MCA TV Promotional Kit dated 9/27/95
8. The Northern Exposure Book, 1st Ed. (1993) by Louis Chunovic

Created 2/12/02 • Updated 6/2/02

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