MC Notes: 5.3 Jaws of Life

5.3 Jaws of Life

Chris acting up in the Brick: You know what you are Earl? You're a little, tiny, busy ant. You too, Mike. Both you guys, with your mortgages and your term life insurance and your Weber kettles. Ant. Ant. All of you, you're all a bunch of little, busy, blind ants. All you all. Saving up for your rainy days. Scratching up your acorns for the winter. You look at me and you think, "What a piece of pathetic trash out there in that leaky trailer." No spoon, no fork, no prospects. But, you know why? Cause I'm a grasshopper. Ant. Grasshopper. Ant. Grasshopper. Ant. Grasshopper. Ant. Grasshopper. Ant! (6)

Original Air Date(1): October 4, 1993

Production Number: 77707

Written by(1): Robin Green and Mitch Burgess

Directed by(1): Jim Charleston

Log line(1): Maurice is tormented by a wax replica of himself; Chris discovers that he may live long enough to see forty; the dental mobile comes to Cicely.

Synopsis(1): Maurice is selected to be displayed in Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum as part of a new "Rugged Individualists" exhibit. Initially overjoyed by his wax replica, Maurice becomes increasingly spooked and dismayed by it. Finally, when the museum is scheduled to pick it up, he receives notice that he has been "un-chosen" from the exhibit and given the statue as a gift. Unable to live with the freaky manikin and unwilling to let someone else keep it for ridicule and party tricks, Maurice dumps his image in the trash.

Chris is equally traumatized by the realization that pills to control his high blood pressure will keep him from kicking the bucket by forty, thus following in the family tradition. Although this should be an exciting revelation, he realizes that he has been living his life in the short-term, counting on being dead before his deeds caught up with him.

The residents of Cicely are traumatized by a visit from the dental mobile and its dentist, Dr. John Summer, D.D.S. (guest star Jay O. Sanders). With the best of intentions, Dr. John sets up his Winnebago to treat the chops of Cicely's residents. However, the townspeople are not too excited to go under the drill and he is dejected.

Details(2): The Stevens men usually putter out around forty. Maurice had a hobo sign his papers so he could enlist in the Korean war. In addition to long life, the Vincouer men are graced with uncommonly strong teeth. Chris cycles with a knock-out biker chick, Carla. Chris has lived his life without thinking about tomorrow - he's being chased by parking tickets, unfiled taxes, and a scary TRW.

Trivia(2): Dr. Fleischman's in Paylo all week giving school immunizations. Coincidentally, Rob's in New York working on Redford's latest movie [Quiz Show].

Guest Stars: (5)
Arthur Prwananda - Brian George
Dr. John Summer - Jay O. Sanders
Doloras - Angela Featherstone
Earl Brunius - Jerry-Mac Johnston
Phil - Clark Sandford

Music: (3)
(None listed in my sources- need help identifying the music on the episode! Email me.)

They Can't Take That Away From Me - Gershwin
[Chris muses about his extension on life; Maurice dumps the wax replica at the dump].

Shelly's Earrings:
Gold dangles with balls on the end? [looking at Maurice's wax statue.]

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 5.3
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 1/5/02 • Updated 8/20/02

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