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BlackberryJam

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    Northern Exposure - General Discussion

    in Northern Exposure

    55 minutes ago, possibilities said:

    I agree with all of this except that, for unknown reasons, I like Ed's jacket. Except I think it's too short and he must be cold in the winter. 

    I love Leonard.

    I love Ed's jacket too! I just think that he's got to be super cold. That jacket reminds me that he's an orphan and doesn't have someone looking out for him. But you know, cool leather jacket. 

    I love everything about Graham Greene. 

    • Like 1

    Northern Exposure - General Discussion

    in Northern Exposure

    Yeah…just because it wasn’t commonly thought of as skeevy and played for laughs in the 90s doesn’t mean that the age difference wasn’t actually skeevy. I’m not saying it’s a dealbreaker for me watching the show, but it was skeevy then; it’s skeevy now. The actors seem to be working to alleviate that. Holling is very deferential to Shelley, and he changes his posture around her, being sure to stoop and almost making sure he is never threatening or appearing to be in power over her.

    I mean, I’m certainly not thinking in any episode, “Boy I wish we had more Shelley/Holling romance!” I’m thinking, “Can’t we just have Shelley and Holling as he proprietors of The Brick and leave it at that?”

    Anyway. A MUCH more problematic bit of casting. Ed’s low self-esteem taking the form of Phil Fondacaro, a person with dwarfism, they painted green. Who thought that was a good idea? I can’t find it, but I seem to recall that Darren E. Burrows was against it. 

    In the episode where Holling and Shelley were taking a birthing class from Joel, it hit me that Morrow sounds like a doctor. It’s part of what makes him so believable as the character. 

    I’m enjoying the Ruth-Anne and Holling friendship more than I recall. Maybe I’m just older. 

    The more the show goes on, the more annoying I find Chris. There’s an episode  of Shelley’s baby shower and Chris keeps trying to bond with the women to be in touch with his “womanness.” Eve responds that he needs to go cut his salary in half and essentially kicks him out. I have never loved Eve more. 

    They have also introduced things like Marilyn, Chris and Maggie using the laundromat at the same time, which would have been nice if it hadn’t just popped up out of the blue in S5. Same thing with the poker game at Maurice’s.

    Costuming/Hair: I love Marilyn’s brightly colored shirts. They are putting Joel in more sweaters and fewer shirts and ties. It’s a good look. I wish Ed had a better coat than that leather jacket. Maggie’s hair is growing out and is very flattering. Chris’ hair/beard just look scraggly. 

     

     

    • Like 1

    Northern Exposure - General Discussion

    in Northern Exposure

    @possibilities I have noticed a lot of subtle acting from Morrow and Miles. Despite verbalizing how much he hates Alaska and wants to be back in NY, he doesn't short change his patients. He listens; he addresses concerns; he cares about making them healthy. They frequently write him out of the episodes by making him go give vaccinations in another town or something, but all that does is serve to make the character more sympathetic.

    I remember Joel as being always angry as well, and he's not. You're right. 

    I also didn't realize how, despite him thinking she's a hooker/stewardess when they meet, he's often complimentary to Maggie. In S2 or S3 I think, Maggie is concerned about her looks and Joel tells her she's beautiful and has a face that could launch ships or something, but then finishes by saying it's her personality that is the problem. That's not the only time. He often provides her reassurance about her physical attractiveness. It's only when he's trying to compliment her as in "let's go out" that he gets completely awkward. Morrow does elevate the material with his choices. 

    Janine Turner has expressive eyes, but she doesn't do as well as Morrow does with the writing. 

    Elaine Miles does great work with few words.

    S1-S3 Chris was a nice narrator of the show, pulling together the threads of the A & B (and sometimes C) stories with literature and quotes. He just never developed as a character. Even Maurice showed more character development. Barry Corbin does a great job with that character.

    Watching John Cullum as Holling, I can see how much of a stage actor he is. It's in the way he hits his marks and uses his body, if that make sense. 

    I get what you mean about the town size compared to population. I live in a town of about 10k, and while our downtown is bigger, we get the same amount of foot traffic as Cicely. 

    Then again, if I can accept Ed's spirit guide, I can accept an unrealistic downtown.

    I am still really enjoying the show and suspect I will enjoy it more on second rewatch when I'm not in "rediscovery" mode. 

     

    • Like 2

    Northern Exposure - General Discussion

    in Northern Exposure

    Watched an episode where the high school boys asked Maggie to be Homecoming Queen. One of the boys was played by Jack Black. So there’s that. A little annoyed with the, “Maggie is over 30 and SINGLE, she must be lonely and miserable” shtick. 

    There’s a lot of unevenness in the writing. One episode Joel realizes he doesn’t need 10 Jews to say Kaddish because he has found a community in Cicely. The next he’s berating himself for losing his New York-ness. Holling and Shelley. *sigh* The writers seem to keep giving them sitcom stories. Chris’ meandering thoughts seem less a narration of the story and just filler for time. Maurice is a complete bigot, then he’s doing nice things for everyone. The episodes are driving character rather than the stories being born of the characters that were created. Ed wants a film career. Ed wants a family. Ed’s going to become a shaman. Whatever B story they need for an episode is just “hey let’s have Ed do X.”

    I will definitely have a second rewatch when I can just enjoy the show for what it is, but my nostalgia glasses were in full force. 

    I think the first three seasons are definitely better than S4 and S5 (where I am now.)

     

    Northern Exposure - General Discussion

    in Northern Exposure

     

    3 hours ago, Fosca said:

    Adam Arkin didn't die; his dad, Alan Arkin, did.

    I did a playreading with Adam Arkin way back when; he is a great guy.

    Oh THANK GOODNESS. I mean, not that it Alan died, but that it wasn't Adam because, you know, President Bartlett's therapist!

    Gossip links.

    An extra talks about her experience on reddit

    Article about Morrow leaving the show with some quotes from John Cullum and anonymous crew

    Key quote: "I think the producers would have been happy if a script had put (Fleischman and O'Connell) on a plane and had it crash and the show went on without them," said one industry representative with connections to both the cast and crew and the production company.

    Janine went full super Christian Republican and has a daughter with Jerry Jones, Jr, son of the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. She's written books and I think she had a radio show or podcast about Christian values. 

    Morrow seems to have chilled out after leaving the show. Maybe he was just young and unhappy in Seattle, where they filmed. Also, ego. 

     

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 2

    Northern Exposure - General Discussion

    in Northern Exposure

    Wow. I'd forgotten how annoying Mike was. He's just not... sympathetic. And there was zero chemistry with Janine Turner. 

    I have enjoyed Adam and Eve much more this time around. First time, I found them both super annoying. Maybe I've softened as Adam Arkin passed away this year. 

    Just reading up on the behind-the-scenes stuff, I'd forgotten how Turner and Morrow were both kind of a nightmare. 

    Episodes 3-7 of S4 seem to drop the Maggie/Joel dynamic completely, only to pick it back up later. It felt like they were seeing if the show would hold up without Maggie and Joel. Unfortunately, those weren't great episodes. One is Ruth-Ann's terrible son and another is Holling's terrible daughter. Maggie and Joel will they/won't they doesn't really kick into gear again until she takes him home for her grandmother's birthday in S4E14. Then she starts dating Mike.

    The whole season seems to have fits and starts as Morrow was attempting a contract renegotiation and the show was cutting his role. It's messy. 

     

    NFL Thread

    in Sports

    With my Steelers out, my only emotional investment in the playoffs is hoping the Texans take it to the Ravens. Not that I care about the Texans, but the Ravens are a divisional rival so fuck them.

    As far as the Chiefs go, I mean, I don't like them. But I kind of love the Taylor Swifting of the team. To be clear, I can't tell one Taylor song from another, but she is a phenomenally successful woman. I am down with the fact that she is out-earning every player on the field. Good for her. 

    Bills. I mean. Whatever. Isn't the Cigarette Smoking Man out there still ensuring they never win a Super Bowl?

    Packers. Sure. Fine. Caveat that someone needs to shove a dirty sweat sock in Aaron Rodgers gaping piehole.

    49ers. Another Sure. Fine. Whatever.

    Bucs. Well, I could invest in Baker Mayfield giving the middle finger to the Browns for signing Watson. 

    Lions. They've been so pathetic for so long, even with some great players like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson. I wouldn't mind seeing them take it all.

    It's the time of year when I can enjoy football for football while enjoying the misery of Bengals and Cowboys fans while sipping a nice glass of wine. 

    • Like 4

    NFL Thread

    in Sports

    I'm not going to be able to pay attention to the game until probably 530 or so. Annoying.

    The snow looks fun. My Steelers know how to play in bad weather. I mean, they are still terrible. Snow doesn't change that. 

     

    • LOL 1

    NFL Thread

    in Sports

    · Edited by BlackberryJam

    Why am I not getting shots of the Dallas owner’s box? I have needs!!

    Eta, and just as I hit post…I’m gonna rewatch those few seconds.

    • LOL 9

    NFL Thread

    in Sports

    I want to bathe in the tears of Jerry Jones. 

    (Also, my Northern Exposure rewatch has led me to the fact that Janine Turner has a daughter with Jerry Jones, Jr.)

    • Like 2
    • LOL 1

    NFL Thread

    in Sports

    Can’t wait to see some shirtless drunk dudes getting frostbite on their greasepainted nipples!

    • Like 1
    • LOL 4

    NFL Thread

    in Sports

    I don’t actually listen or watch any of the sports “talk” shows. I’m kind of a bitch about it, but when I go to a sports bar and they only have talk shows on, I ask them to switch to actual sports. I don’t care if it’s cricket or cornhole or timber sports (which are FUN) or anything. Just not a bunch of assholes talking about sports.

    Most of my lunch haunts have found that people enjoy watching sports rather than the talk shows and have switched things up. 

    All of that to say, who the fuck is McAfee? I mean, there is a HVAC guy in my state by that name who got nailed for racist tweeting by that name, so I have an immediate negative reaction. Is there something I am unknowingly purchasing that is supporting this dude?

    I am eternally frustrated by airtime given to idiots. 

     

    • Like 4

    Northern Exposure - General Discussion

    in Northern Exposure

    I’m enjoying Joel more and Maggie less so far.

    Joel, for all of his Fish Out of Water complaining, goes to the events, does the naked man run. Sometimes it’s complaining just to hear himself talk. 

    Maggie, on the other hand, is a harder sell. She’s seeing Rick but willing to sleep with Chris, kissing Joel and flies off the handle a lot.

    Shelley’s TV addiction so reminded me of COVID lockdown, people sitting like zombies in front of their TVs watching absolutely anything, unshowered…just ..bad.

    I still adore Marilyn. 

    I see Ed as a much more tragic figure than I had before. 

    • Like 2
    • Useful 1

    NFL Thread

    in Sports

    6 hours ago, roamyn said:

    Hottest as in sexiest?  Because while Demeco is an attractive man, Kevin's gray beard does it for me.  Of course I'm older and hubby has one of those.

    Why not a COY year sandwich? I’m down. 

    • LOL 5

    Northern Exposure - General Discussion

    in Northern Exposure

    The Holling/Shelley relationship is interesting, looking at it with a modern perspective. Shelley is 18. Holling is, I think, 63. I’m still in S1, but it’s portrayed very much with Shelley as the one pursuing and pushing the relationship. She is not framed as the “innocent young girl” pursued by the older, skeevy Holling. 

    Instead, Shelley has prior relationships and sexual experience. It is Maurice who brought Shelley to Cicely. It’s the Maurice/Shelley relationship with the skeevy power dynamic. Shelley is given the agency to leave Maurice and approach Holling. I’m not going to say she pursued Holling though. She apparently went to him and said, “if you want me, I’m yours.” Holling said yes. They are a monogamous couple from then on.

    Even though Shelley is presented as somewhat child-like, she has the power in the relationship. Holling doesn’t parent her. 

    I wonder if I will continue to be comfortable with the relationship, but right now, it’ s not giving me the ick. Well, I mean, imagining Holling as a sex machine gives me the ick, but that’s just me ;)

    • Like 2
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