Northern Exposure (1990–1995): Season 4, Episode 2 - Midnight Sun - full transcript

Who's next?
Nobody.

Nobody?

You sure?
Uh-huh.

Boy, I tell you, things are
slow. They're absolutely slow.

I mean, not that
I want people to be ill.

That would be
a flagrant violation...

of the letter and spirit
of my Hippocratic oath.

Unprofessional,
to say the least.

But it does seem strange that there
aren't any patients, doesn't it?

I mean, curiosity is
my only motivation...

for wanting to know why
there aren't any patients.



And I'd like to know why
there hasn't been any...

and this is only an estimate
in, I would say, hours.

We're not open yet.

Not open yet? How can
that be? What time is it?

It's 8:00.

In the morning?
Uh-huh.

Wait a minute.
It's tomorrow?

Uh-huh.

It's amazing.
I missed last night.

There wasn't any.

There wasn't?

It's the midnight sun.

Of course. Right.
No sunset.

Just glorious light
24 hours a day.



Marilyn, I didn't sleep
a wink, right...

yet I sailed
right through.

I have absolutely no sense
whatever of any kind of deprivation.

I am alert.
I am energized.

Tidy.
Tidy, yes.

And exceptionally-
What?

Horny.

Hey! There you are!

Hey, Ed.

Hey, guys.

Look what I found.

Oh.
Where was it?

Well, I'm not sure.

But that's the good thing
about round things.

They can always roll back
from where they've been.

Well, we got no excuse now.
We gotta play.

Why do I keep coming up
for this?

Same reason stumblebums
keep getting back in the ring.

We're obviously gluttons
for punishment.

Hey, you guys look
seriously bummed.

But don't fret.

Me and the girls
are gonna work up...

some killer cheers
to get you psyched.

Well, I'm sure that the team
appreciates your good attitude, Shelly...

but like old
Bob Dylan said...

"A hard rain's
gonna fall. "

He wouldn't have said that
if he'd seen our cheers.

Carbo-loading, gentlemen?
Excellent idea.

A good dietary regimen
guarantees a leg up...

on those sumbees
from Sleetmute.

I don't think flapjacks are
gonna do the job, Maurice.

There it is, again.

That can't-do spirit.
See, Chris?

All those downer vibes
are catching.

When I was with Wayne,
you know, in the Seals...

anyone got bummed, Wayne would
take him out behind the rink...

and tell him how lucky they were
just to be skating for the team.

I mean, come on!
Saskatoon's finest.

And if they still didn't
get with the program...

he'd whip their butt
something fierce.

Now let's see
those smiles!

Shelly, could I have
a lemonade, please?

Okay.

# You gotta shave it
and sink it #

# And score, score, score ##

Shelly?

Yeah, babe?
I, uh...

Holling, are you
zonked, or what?

Well, I guess maybe I have
been a little distracted lately.

Tell me about it.

Dave told me you locked him
in the freezer this morning.

10 minutes, tops.

You better get
your act together.

I mean, Holling,
you keep this up...

you're gonna walk
into a wall or something.

Not to mention Dave's getting real
hinky about going back for ice.

What?

Have I got mustard on me,
or something?

It's your outfit, Shelly.

Those tassels
and fringes...

and those bitsy fuzzballs at
the ends of your shoelaces...

it makes me feel awful...

I guess the only word
for it is: aroused.

That's bitching, babe.

But if my uni's got
your brain so bent...

maybe I shouldn't wear it
until I get to practice.

Oh, Shelly, honey, honest.
There is no need to change.

You sure?

100%.

Well, okay.

O'Connell, hey!
Let me help you out.

What?

I want to help you, ease
the load, share the burden.

What?

Well, it's just that
your helping me is so...

Uh-huh?

...totally unlike you. I mean,
it's completely out of character.

It just makes
me wonder-

If I have an ulterior
motive, is that it?

If there's some
craven agenda...

lurking beneath
my neighborliness? Huh?

Yes.

O'Connell, O'Connell, why
must you be so suspicious?

Why must you always search
for the asp among the lilies?

Oh, experience, conditioning,
that sort of thing.

Well, search no more,
O'Connell...

'cause what you see
is what you get.

You know, this is
extremely fortunate stuff.

Excuse me?
These letters.

Now they come from every
smog-choked, overpopulated...

neurosis-generating city
on the globe.

And now look, they
found their destination.

This clean, woodsy jewel,
this sceptered isle...

this England.

Come again?

Hey, you smell great,
you know that?

Fleischman,
what's going on?

Going on?

Yeah. I mean, it's like you had
this complete change of disposition.

It's so, uh...

Sunny?
Yeah.

I mean, what happened
to that Fleischman angst?

That scowl that's always
across your face?

Where's Dr. Dismal?

I love how open you are.

No dissimulation,
no disingenuousness.

No, really.
What are you wearing?

It's something
like vaguely citrus...

with an overlay
of attar of roses?

Attaway, young man!

Get that good, fresh air
into those pink lungs! Yeah!

Fleischman, did you get hit
in the head or something?

How could I not have seen the
exquisiteness of this place before?

Suddenly, it's like...

I'm seeing beyond the shadows,
beyond the visual spectrum.

And what do I see?
I see...

I see things
I never appreciated before.

The essences of Cicely.
Nature and balance. Truth.

I love this place!

Well, thanks a lot,
Fleischman.

It's been a very
enlightening conversation.

My pleasure. Would you
like to have sex with me?

No.

See. There it is again. That
wonderful Cicely directness.

I love it. Thank you.

Don't mention it.

Hey!
Hey, doc!

How're you doing?
Good.

What a day, huh?
Yeah.

Man, I just had the weirdest
conversation with Fleischman.

He does seem pretty
cheerful, doesn't he?

Yeah.
Oatmeal cookie?

Oh, yes.
That sounds great.

I found some wild
checkerberries and put them in.

Mmm.

You know, I'm not much on baking...

but with the days
so long...

I've got so much time
to kill after I close up.

I've even taken
to bird watching.

And last night, at 1:00 in the
morning, I saw a snow bunting.

Mmm.

Believe me,
I was thrilled.

Snow bunting?
Damn rare bird.

Gillis!

Gillis Toomey.

Speaking of rare birds.

How long has it been,
Ruth-Anne?

Oh, it's got to be
two years.

More. That mackinaw you sold me,
it's at least three years old.

Well,
it's been too long.

But time has been
gracious to you two.

You're looking well yourself,
Gillis.

Have a cookie?

Yes, don't mind if I do.

Just baked them.

Hmm.

Where's your rig?
It's out back.

I made quite a few purchases
when I was in Juneau...

and I'm full-up
with new stock.

Would you ladies
like to see?

Oh, I'd love to.

Mmm, mmm, Ruth-Anne.

The only word for this
is heavenly.

I've got to sort
all this mail, Gillis.

Would it be all right
if I came out later?

Anytime would please me.

Oh, okay.
Uh...

one more for the road?

You haven't changed a bit, have you?

If it ain't broke...

why the hell fix it?
Shall we?

Yeah.

Let's go.

It's a pleasure
to be back.

Hey! You should've
come back sooner.

You're right.
I should've.

I guess I just got stuck
in a routine down south.

You know, sell and drive.
Drive and sell.

But I felt like I was
staying too close to the barn.

And then somehow,
this year...

the extra sunlight called me
further north, and I thought...

"Wouldn't it be nice to make
the trip on up to Cicely?"

The midnight sun is
such a joy to drive in.

The odd colors
and angles to it.

My shadow chasing me
around in a circle.

Please.

Wow! Look at this.

Lots, huh?
Yeah. I'll say.

I have something
I want you to see.

Wow.

Oh.

What do you think?

It's, uh...
For you.

Well, Gillis,
it's beautiful...

but I don't know where I'd
wear something like this.

I got this
with you in mind, Maggie...

and you'd better take it because
I won't sell it to anyone else.

So what do you say? We nip
in the waist a little...

and what about
the sleeves?

Well... Up a half an inch,
same with the hem, right?

Well, I guess.
You know, I was right.

About what?

The gold in this print perfectly
matches the highlights in your hair.

Hmm.

Gillis,
you're so transparent.

But I'll take the dress.

Get the door, Marilyn,
would you?

Patient?

Oh.
Ed.

Ed? Hey,
what happened to Ed?

He says he twisted
something on the give-and-go.

Sit, sit, hop up.

It's this one. I didn't
hear anything pop...

so it's my suspicion
it's malingering.

You just yell
if anything hurts, okay?

I don't think malingering's
an injury, Maurice.

No, but it's what you do if you're
too candy-assed to take it to the hole.

Huh?
Take it to the hole, Joel.

A rite of athletic passage...

whereby the player
with the basketball...

braves his opponents'
knees, elbows...

and other
angular extremities...

in an attempt to score
for his team.

Yes, I know what taking it to the
hole is, Maurice. I'm from New York.

What's that
supposed to mean?

Well, it means that when
you grow up in Queens...

and your uncle Al Fleischman went
to junior high with Red Holzman...

that's the Red Holzman of the
hallowed New York Knickerbockers...

and you got to shake
that deity's hand...

after game five of the 1970
champion series with the Lakers...

and you thereafter memorize
every play the Knicks ever made...

and you were team manager four consecutive
summers in a row at Camp Indian Head-

Yes, yes, Maurice. You know
what taking it to the hole is.

I didn't know you Jewish
people were tall enough...

to care
about basketball.

It's a slight hyperextension,
Ed.

We'll get you a pack of ice, please...

and you'll be fine
by tomorrow.

Oh, yeah,
I care, all right.

Now, I may not be able to sink
a turnaround fall-away jumper.

I may not be able to sink two free
throws in a row, but I know roundball.

I know it inside and out.
I'm a New Yorker.

That means I can tell you a
box-and-one from a diamond-and-one.

I can tell a guard-guard,
split-off post maneuver...

from a low-post
screen maneuver.

No, I may play golf,
but I know basketball.

You seem mighty
feisty today, Joel.

I am, Maurice, I am. I mean, in
this season of extended sunshine...

this long day's journey into
night, I haven't been to bed.

I don't miss it at all.

I have a clarity of thought
and a reservoir of energy.

I mean, it won't quit.

Not to mention a libido that's been
re-ignited after a period of time...

that led to despair
for it returning altogether.

Yeah. Feisty, Maurice?

I'm a grizzly
looking for action.

I'm-I'm a ram looking
for a head to butt.

Uh-uh, Joel. No.
Do you know what you are?

What?

You are our new
basketball coach.

Hey, congratulations,
Dr. Fleischman.

Yeah.

An observation:
for the past few days...

yours truly has been draped
in uncharacteristic negativity.

But now, the curtain
has been lifted...

and the person
pulling the cords...

is none other
than Dr. Joel Fleischman.

I can assure all you Cicelians
that our man of the caduceus...

knows his way around a crossover
drive and a no-dribble fast break.

So we are twice-blessed,
ladies and gentlemen.

Joel Fleischman,
doctor and mentor.

Joel, I just want to thank
you for your enthusiasm...

and all the energy you're putting
into the Cicelian Quarks...

and an additional nod
to Gillis Toomey...

who returned to Cicely
after a much too long absence.

I love
my Geoffrey Beene, Gillis.

Bernardo, take it away.

All right. For those of you in the
market for a new fall wardrobe...

or just looking
to accessorize...

Gillis's extensive selection can be
found parked behind Ruth-Anne's store.

Now, for the gentlemen, timeless
single and double-breasted suits...

and jackets with darted
front for soft drape.

And for the ladies,
eye-catching coatdresses...

elegantly enhanced by basket weave
buttons and mock pocket flaps.

Ooh! And, Bernardo?

All machine-washable.

Browse, ladies and gentlemen,
it's good for the soul.

Here you are,
Dr. Fleischman.

Six-egg Denver,
double home fries.

What's that?
Huh?

All that squiggly stuff
you're drawing?

This is my two-three zone. See? As
the ball is passed from one to three...

X- three temporarily holds until X-one
can get there, then releases back.

X- four plays in line
with the ball and the hoop.

X
- two plays in line with the ball and midpoint of the foul line.

X
- four plays in line with the ball and the corner opposite the ball.

Is there gonna be enough
room for us to do our cheers?

Absolutely. Look, I never
underestimate the importance of morale.

Neato.

Wonderful game.

Sure is. The best.

Perfect sport for Alaska.
Indoors.

Played all year round.

Couldn't agree with you more.

You're the new doctor, eh?

Well, not new. I mean,
I guess almost new.

Nice that you're helping
with the team.

But, uh...

I'm 5,000 miles
from the place of my birth.

I am 5,000 miles...

from Nadine, Herb,
and Grandma Fleischman...

and still one measly tsk
can stop me cold.

That's odd, isn't it?

The stopping power of such
a miniscule onomatopoeia.

I've often thought there's a
phenomenon at work in the universe.

Like a kind of Jewish law of motion
and for every yippee that we utter...

there's like an equal and opposite
tsk that just cancels it out.

You are a helluva fast talker. So I am.

Is that why
you tsked me?

Well, more because
of how you look.

You seem charged up,
stuck in overdrive.

May I offer a theory?

You're the guy selling
the clothes, right? Yep.

I've been thinking about this
wool blend, double-breasted blazer.

You got anything
like that in your inventory?

You do.
Mmm-hmm.

40 regular?
Navy with center back vent.

Theorize your brains out.

You are light-loony,
sun-silly.

Come again?

All this light with no
dark's got your clock bonkers.

It happens with new folks
up this way.

Sometimes the first spring,
sometimes the second or third.

It'll hit them, and they
won't know when to quit.

Yes. Well, sir, as a doctor, I'm
certainly aware of the fact...

that prolonged exposure to light
can affect circadian rhythms...

but far from being loony, as you so
colorfully put it, I'm totally in control.

Actually, I'm harnessing
my energy in a way...

to make me an even more
productive coach.

Speaking of which,
duty does call.

Well, drop by my trailer,
and we'll suit you up.

That was 40 regular, right?

And 34 sleeve.
Got it.

Pardon me.

Express mail.

Oh, yes, Ma!
Yes! Still there!

Still in the old camp trunk.

Now we're unbeatable.

Yeah, here she is.

This is the baby that got
the Indian Head Buffaloes...

through two and one half undefeated
seasons until Camp Watonka.

But it's gonna work it's magic
right here in Cicely. I'm positive.

It's like a totem.

Well, yeah, I guess so.
I guess it is.

Very good, Marilyn.
I have a totem. Thank you.

You shoot 'em! You pass 'em!
You dribble down the floor!

Quarks! Quarks!
Score! Score! Score!

Well?

Shelly, I don't think
I recall ever seeing...

anything quite
so inspiring in my life.

Too many leaps,
not enough splits?

Not at all. I'd say you've got the
ideal number of leaps and splits.

I particularly like that high
kicky thing you do at the end.

That's a Carpenter maneuver.

A what?
Alyssa Carpenter.

She was the head cannoneer for
the Calgary Cannons in 1987.

I watched her 'cause
they showed a contest...

for best squad
in Alberta on cable.

Milky skin, eensy waist...

extreme enthusiasm
without being fakey.

And she had what us girls
used to call that...

je ne sais something...

which meant the audience
couldn't take their eyes off her.

Shel, you have got
that in spades.

I know, but you still have
to shoot for perfection...

and that was
Alyssa Carpenter.

I wonder what ever
happened to her.

Sure hope she didn't turn out to be
some big, old, fat married brontosaurus.

Well, shower time.

Shel?

Yeah, babe?

You think you could do that
oopa-laka thing for me one more time?

Huh?

O'Connell?

What?

O'Connell, where are you?
O'Connell?

Fleischman,
what are you doing?

What do you think?

What are you doing?
Emergency.

I got an emergency down at
that palace you're renting me.

This isn't about sex,
is it?

No.
It better not be.

I said it was
an emergency.

What?
Termites.

Termites?
Termites.

Fleischman, there's no such
thing as a termite emergency.

Depends where
you're sitting.

If you're trying
to diagram plays...

and tiny balls
of excreted cellulose...

keep dropping down on your chalkboard,
obscuring your X's and O's...

it's an emergency.

And what am I supposed to do
about termites at 12:00 midnight?

Well, haven't you got
a spray? Bug bomb?

I mean, I'm running pick
and rolls. The guys need me.

Fleischman,
are you all right?

Yeah, great.

Well, you know, Fleischman,
I know you're compulsive...

but this is bizarre,
even for you.

What, you've been talking
to Mr. Toomey...

you think I'm succumbing
to sun sickness?

Yes. What you and that haberdasher...

fail to factor
into your diagnosis...

is the jolt of adrenaline I'm getting
from running a basketball team.

I mean, that's the real
compulsion, that's the real rush.

Hell, O'Connell,
in just four short days...

I have molded a rag-tag
group of dispirited men...

into a veritable
fighting machine.

Fleischman, when did you
sleep last?

I don't know. I got a
couple of catnaps, I think.

Did I show you my whistle?

Very nice.

O'Connell, I know
I've broached this...

and at the risk of seeming
incredibly redundant...

I'd like to reiterate that I have
been extremely sexually needful lately.

That's it.
Fleischman, you said...

you weren't gonna
bring that up. I wasn't.

Out, out! No. Until I saw
how fabulous you look...

like this incredibly voluptuous... Out!

...sweatpant-clad wood nymph.
Out!

Good night.
Get sleep.

I have a bottle of apricot brandy
- No.

Perhaps I could bring it over. No.

Okay, all right. Good night. Good night.

You dress to the right
or the left?

The right.

Break?

No. No. I've always avoided
a break in my trousers.

It looks untidy
in business wear.

It's as if a man didn't care enough
to find out how long his legs are.

Interesting.

So, Gillis...

how are you enjoying
your stay in Cicely?

Oh, very much.

Cicely's even more beautiful
than I had remembered.

Well, thank you.
Thank you.

Of course, I can't take credit
for the mountains or the lakes...

but I take
no small amount of pride...

in how my little
community's faring.

All and all,
it's a very happy place.

Well, I've always
felt welcome here.

Gillis, can I speak to you as
a businessman to businessman?

Of course. Go ahead.

Well, I've had this little
idea rattling around in my head.

I thought
I'd run it past you.

What is your assessment
of our young Dr. Fleischman?

Well, he seems
bright enough...

and there's a dam full of
energy pouring out of him.

Positive energy,
wouldn't you say?

Oh, yes. Though I'd say it
was largely due to the season.

That's exactly my point.

If you had known him when he first
came here, you'd say to yourself...

"Here is a class A, number
one certified malcontent. "

But here he is, alert,
alive, happy.

Well, good for him.

And it's all
because of this sunlight.

You're not planning on selling
sunlight, are you, Maurice?

Gillis, do you have any idea how many clinically
depressed people there are in the world?

In the United States alone...

2% of the population qualifies
as clinically depressed.

That's five million people
moping around. Five million!

Now wouldn't it
be wonderful...

if we could get some of
this northern light magic...

to some of those
benighted souls?

Light therapy?
Yeah. Yeah.

You give them a good dose,
perk 'em right up.

Well, you know, there's
a lot of sunlight in Sweden...

and those folks are shooting
themselves to beat the band.

Well, that's because they're stuck
there when the days get short.

We would take
our imported nutcases...

and ship 'em back to the
lower 48 in the wintertime...

and make us a bundle
in the process!

"Cicely, Alaska. "

"God's health spa. "

Rebound! Rebound!
Push it down court.

Let's go! Look for the
open man! Right side!

All right! Let's do
some three-man weaves!

No dribble. Let's go, guys. Come on!

I'm too tired to weave,
Dr. Fleischman.

Coach, Ed,
call me coach.

Right, coach.
Right.

I gotta go home now,
Coach Fleischman.

Why?
I have things to do.

Like what?

Sleep and eat,
and things like that.

You know,
it's 10:30, Joel.

You know, we're a little
tired. We got lives.

I guess.

Yeah. But we're looking
pretty good now, though, huh?

Well, you are
looking better.

You are definitely
looking better.

And we're almost ready for you
and Chris to try an alley-oop...

but this takes timing.

You guys think
you can handle that?

Absolutely.

Can we go now, Coach?

Well, I really wanna get in
a few more weaves.

What do you say? A few
more? Come on, guys.

I feel nauseous.

Okay, okay.
Hit the showers.

Don't forget
the playbooks I made up.

Study, gentlemen,
study!

Basketball is a game played
in the head. In the noggin.

Hey, wait up!

Marty Friedman said that,
about playing in your head.

He was assistant camp director at
Indian Head for my entire time there.

A very precocious
and subtle basketball mind.

Became an investment banker.
Two points.

Something happened to him
in the Boesky-Milken thing.

I can't remember
what it was.

Rotation.

Excuse me?
Rotation.

On your release, you want a
scoach more backspin, okay?

Try to let the ball roll almost to
your fingertips before you let it go.

All right.

Parking.

What? Parking. That's what Marty did.

He kept stock in his
account for somebody else.

Violating
the securities laws.

Hey, Joel,
you got a sec?

Hey, I've got all day.
You know how long that is.

Yeah. Well, you know...

listen, I think I speak on behalf
of all the Quarks when I say that...

you know, we really appreciate
all the time and the energy...

that you're putting
into this thing.

Hey, say no more.
I enjoy it.

Well, that's the thing,
you know.

It's the self-actualization kind
of trip you're on, you know...

and I see all the pleasure you seem
to be deriving out of this. I'm just...

What?

I'm a little concerned.

Concerned because?

Because, I've seen
this before, you know?

I hate to use this term,
but it's a syndrome...

where an individual becomes
completely enraptured...

in the ever-present
sunlight...

Hey, man, they go and go and go
until they burn out.

Yeah, like a moth to the
flame. Like a moth to the flame.

Thank you, man. They just
run and run and then zoom.

Man, they are out
for a week.

Well, I'm not some transfixed
insect, I can assure you.

And as for folding up, I'm
certain I'd be sensitive...

to preliminary symptoms of
exhaustion or hyperkinesis...

but they're just not here.

I mean, they're not there.
Absolutely not there.

And besides, I grab these
catnaps every once in a while...

and they're very,
very restful.

Look at that.

Look at this.

What?

What? Someone left their
playbook. Can you believe it?

This isn't just laziness...

this is potentially a
devastating breach of security.

Men! Men! I want to show you
how disasters get started!

Can you imagine
what would happen...

if this playbook fell
in the wrong hands?

Now don't get me wrong,
I'm not saying...

our nation is consumed by lethargy
or enamored of the status quo...

but why not ask a few hard
questions of our legislators?

For instance, why, sirs,
is it engraved in steel...

that baseball
is our national pastime?

Now I understand the need to perpetuate
exemptions from our antitrust laws.

I mean, it serves
the selfish interests...

of a few Steinbrenner-ish
elitists...

but why should hundreds
of millions of citizens...

be deprived of a new
and better candidate?

The answer my friends,
basketball!

That's the true
American sport.

Oh, and I'm not saying that baseball doesn't
have a claim on our collective psyche.

After all, it had a half-century
jump on basketball...

which was invented in 1891 by James
Naismith in Springfield, Mass...

site of the Basketball Hall of
Fame, which you should all visit...

as I did with my uncle Nat and cousin
Lennie when I was 14 and loved it.

Hey, did I mention
that baseball is sneaky?

Yeah, very sneaky. See, 'cause it
uses poetry to invade our brains...

and stick to the walls
of our unconscious.

You take Casey at the Bat.

Clever advertising campaign
disguised as harmless doggerel.

Well, how is basketball supposed
to fight such folksy appeal...

to the hearts and minds
of the American people?

Well, up till last night, it couldn't.
But now, there is a new weapon.

If I may, I would like
to recite a few words...

written at midnight
last night.

Herewith, a sample
of an epic to come.

"And so the rubber spheroid arced
beneath the brilliant lights...

"headed for
a hoop of dreams...

"he'd dreamt of
all those nights.

"The crowd gasped
as the ball descended.

"Would it grant
their fondest wish?

"There was no doubt
in Casey's mind.

"He knew it was a swish!"

I just got out
of the ladies, Holling.

We're looking at a TP
emergency in a few more flushes.

Shelly?

Yeah, babe?

Oh, I've been feeling...

well, a bit edgy.

You aren't sick,
are you?

No. No. Not at all.

I was just thinking
it might be nice...

you know, since I'm feeling
the way I do and all...

Yeah?

...that we might
just take a little break.

Break?

The joint's jumping, Holling.
I got six orders up right now.

Dave can serve them.

And we'll just sneak away
for a few minutes.

You can put on your little
pompom outfit, give a cheer...

and then we'll just
let nature take its course.

One of my cheers?

Yes, ma'am.

Is that what you think
cheering is all about, Holling?

Nookie? Huh? Do you?

Well... You think I'm doing
this just for a turn on?

That I'm some
buffed-out chick...

who just happens to like dressing
up in an awesome outfit...

and shaking her heinie?

Huh? Well?

Shelly, honey.

Here's a flash, okay?

I'm doing something
important, okay?

When those dorks from
Sleetmute come into that gym...

they're gonna see a team
with fire in their eyes...

and "winner" written
all over them.

And you know why?

'Cause me and my girls are
gonna stoke up the Quarks...

till they can spit
through walls.

My uniform stands
for something, okay?

It stands
for P-R-I-D-E. Pride.

I'm thinking
about Cicely, mister...

and all you can think
about is swapping skin.

You're awfully quiet,
Gillis.

Was I?
Uh-huh.

Well, yes,
I suppose I was.

Sorry.

Oh, don't be. It's pleasant
to just sit and contemplate.

Believe me,
the older you get...

the more there is
to contemplate.

What were you
thinking about?

This. What we're doing
right now.

Taking the time to settle
back and watch the birds.

I haven't done much of that.
Seems I'm always on the go.

Been selling
since I was 15, you know?

But it's been a great life.

I have seen some things,
Ruth-Anne.

Craters filled
with steam at Katmai.

McKinley poking
through the clouds.

I remember one time I was up at
Cape Lisburne this time of year.

Took a walk at midnight
and saw a rainbow.

A rainbow with the richest,
deepest colors I have ever seen.

As if I could
put my hand into it...

my fingers would come out
wet with paint.

Oh, my!

You know,
I envy you, Gillis.

Maybe I just came up
late in life...

or maybe I was just lazy...

but I've never
ventured out really.

I just pretty much stayed
in Cicely after I got here.

Well, that's the thing!
We're both lucky.

I've been out there and seen
what's there and compared.

You landed in the perfect
spot right out of the box.

Now don't get me wrong.

It was worth seeing
what I've seen.

Mmm-hmm.

But there were times when I
wish I had someone to talk to...

someone to share it
all with.

Sure.
But I never met her.

It's the life, I guess.

You load up,
you sell, move on.

Never any time to settle in.

It's the home cooking
you miss.

Or maybe it's the home.

Oh, you see that?

Not yet.

Over there.

Top of that squat spruce
with the snapped branch.

Oh, yes.
A hoary redpoll.

She's a mama. See the nest. Uh-huh.

What a lovely song.

Ah, yes.

Ruth-Anne.
Yes?

Have you decided
on a dress yet?

I'm partial to the pink
shirtwaist. Perfect.

Sets off the sparkle
in your eyes.

It's true.
I swear it's true.

Into the middle.
Into the middle!

To the old man.
Yes! Yes! good.

All right.
Yeah. Oh!

Ed, kill the film, please.

Thank you.

Chris,
what was the error?

Didn't box out. Didn't get in
the ready rebound position, sir!

Yes! Next time you're in that
situation, you power up...

grab the ball and let go with
your outlet pass to Ed or Dave.

Who are?
Already headed up court.

Yes! Ed,
I love these game films.

Yeah. You know, I was only
a towel guy last year...

so I thought
I'd shoot them.

I never dreamed they'd
become our tool to victory.

Hey, it's fate. When your
time comes to conquer...

everything comes
your way!

Yes!

Gentlemen, gentlemen,
you ready for tomorrow night?

It's a lock-out, Maurice. With
Joel's coaching and our attitude...

they're gonna have to hose Sleetmute's
blood off the gym walls. Right, fellas?

Yeah!

That's the old
Cicely attitude.

Joel, could I speak to you
for a few minutes?

Yeah. Guys, why don't you
head over to the gym.

Chris, you lead
some three-man weaves.

And Bernie, you work on those
dribbles. All right! Come on, team.

All right. Let's go!
Come on! Come on!

Let's go!

So how you feeling,
my friend?

Superb.
Tremendously energized.

I mean, a slight buzz from lack
of sustained sleep, but confident.

Hey, do you remember the Saint
Crispin's day speech from Henry V?

"And gentlemen in England
now abed...

"shall think themselves
accursed they were not here. "

"And hold their manhoods cheap whiles
any speaks that fought with us...

"upon Saint Crispin's day. "

Gets the blood flowing,
doesn't it?

Without a doubt.

Well, I thought, since I haven't
finished Casey at the Hoop...

that I might read the speech
to the men for inspiration.

Oh,
that's a hell of an idea.

Joel.
Yeah?

As a native New Yorker...

what's your estimate of the
number of the depressives...

in your hometown?

Pretty much everyone. Except maybe
Howard Stern, but he's probably faking it.

So...
Then you'd...

You'd estimate a sizeable
contingent, right?

Absolutely.
What's this about, Maurice?

I see Cicely as a Mecca
for those troubled souls.

I think our sunlight can do for
those gloomy-Gus New Yorkers...

exactly what it did for you.

If you could see your way
clear to use your contacts...

to talk up Cicely
in your hometown...

I think our wallets might be able
to scratch each other a little bit.

You know what I think? I
think that's an excellent idea.

Extremely entrepreneurial, with
just a touch of crass opportunism.

I like it.

And with your
newfound energy...

you'd make
an excellent spokesman.

Yeah, well, I mean.
I'm no Pat Riley...

but I do seem to have a flair
for motivating people.

Actually, why am I being
so self-deprecating?

Could Pat Riley have pulled
off this transformation?

I mean, could he? Could Pat Riley
have turned athletic dross...

into slam-dunking gold?

You know what I think?
No way.

Attaboy, Fleischman. Hey, what do
you think about this for a slogan?

"Let Cicely
light up your life. "

Good, huh?

Absolutely,
positively brilliant.

Oh, yeah.

"Let Cicely
light up your life. "

Hi, Shelly.

Gillis,
I need a dress.

Oh?

Any particular style?

I don't know.

You got a muumuu? Or one
of those tent dresses?

Something loose-fitting,
about a size 6?

Mmm-hmm.

You know, I think I do
have something in the truck.

I'll be right back.

You, a muumuu?

Anything without a shape!
The longer the better!

Coming right up.

What do you think?

Boss.

That's all Holling
wants anymore.

What?

A cheerleader.

The little, short skirt,
tight sweater, ankle socks.

Maybe the hem should
come up just a little.

What, Holling gets a charge
off seeing you in your uniform?

It's like waving a red flag
in front of a bull.

Men.
Yeah.

It's all unfocused,
non-personal lust.

Maybe a hat?

Only one thing
on their one-track mind.

Yep. The big bamboo.

You betcha.

You know, with a little
sleep deprivation...

men'll go to bed
with just about anybody.

Even women they're indifferent
to, if not even hostile.

It's objectification.

Right!

What?

He's objectifying you. You know,
it's all the same thing, really.

24 hours of sunlight,
a clothes fetish.

A what?

A fetish. I mean, your
outfit turns Holling on.

Some men are into that, you know,
waitresses, nurses, forest rangers.

Huh.

It's always surface,
never substance.

You know, and you have to ask yourself,
Shelly, what is wrong with men?

I mean, what is at the
core of their deficiency?

Why can't they be attracted to women who
are intelligent and focused and competent?

Maybe gloves.

Maurice!

What's the matter
with you?

It's Dr. Fleischman.
What about him?

He hit the wall.

Okay. Come on.
Get out of the way, come on.

Joel? Joel?

Ain't gonna happen, Maurice.
We've tried everything.

Stood him up, walked him around,
yelled at him. Everything.

Yeah. I put an ice cube in
his ear. He didn't even flinch.

Hey!

See.

This man's comatose.

The big sleep.

Yeah. He might not
come out of it for days.

24 hours
till game time.

Looks bad. Well, this is just great.

I had big plans
for this man.

He was a walking testimony to
the benefits of Cicely's light.

Now look at him, pathetic.

So much for curing depression.

I'm depressed.

I hope I'm not boring the
skin off you with my stories.

They've just come
flowing out of me lately.

Certainly not.

There are times
when you're talking...

about places you've been
or people you've met...

I swear,
I'm right there with you.

What a pleasant thought.

My! You take
my breath away.

It's the dress.

No. The dress
just sets the stage.

You mind if I suggest
something to go along with this?

Of course.

Gillis.

Well, I hope you're not
too surprised, Ruth-Anne.

I've been wanting to kiss you
for a long time...

and now it just seemed to be,
well, the perfect occasion.

Gillis, I am surprised
and confused.

This dress, your kiss.

I feel that I've been
invited to a dance...

and I don't know where it
is, or even what it's for.

Well...

I was hoping
it was for our wedding.

Oh.

You see, when I came back
to Cicely this time...

I thought I was drawn by the beauty
of the drive or maybe by the light.

But when I saw you, I knew
what the real reason was.

I came back to be part
of your life...

and to have you
be part of mine.

I know there's
a difference in our ages...

but if that's not a problem,
I hope you'll have me.

Gillis, you're a romantic.

Well, yes, I guess I am.

It would never work.

Why?

Because you are a romantic.
You'd be disappointed.

Romantics are always
disappointed by marriage.

That would never happen
to me if I were with you.

Exactly what a romantic
would say.

It would happen to you,
Gillis, especially to you.

Traveling is what you do.
It's who you are.

In six months, or a year, Cicely
would start to seem very tired.

And you'd be looking
to set out again.

Ruth-Anne...
Besides...

I'm 75...

and I've been alone
for quite some time.

I like it.

Well, I've been in business
long enough to recognize...

sales resistance
when I see it.

This would've made
a lovely wedding dress.

We'll think
of an occasion.

When you add it all up, it
comes down to Shelly Tambo...

doesn't wanna be
just some halter top.

I wanna be appreciated for
all the other things that I am.

Now maybe putting
my foot down...

and saying no to the cheerleading
thing wasn't too smart...

I mean, if you listen to the
sex expert dudes and whoever.

But I just figured it was time
to get back to being me again.

I hope you're not
too ticked off, Holling?

I hope doing it without the
pompoms wasn't such a bummer...

you never wanna
do it again.

Was it?

Was it so terrible?

Huh?

Marilyn?

Marilyn!

I must have dozed off. Sorry.

That's okay.

Good, good, good. I still
have time to get to the game.

I've had my Z's,
ready to go.

It's too late.

Too late?

The game's over.

Over?

Uh-huh.

What do you mean?
It's 11:00.

It's Tuesday.

Tuesday?

You've been asleep
for three days.

Is that right?
Mmm-hmm.

Hey, Coach Fleischman!

Guys.
Joel.

I feel terrible.
I am so sorry.

Just tell me how I can make it
up to you?

Make what up?

All that hard work,
all those hopes.

Your hour of need,
where am I? I let you down.

Forget it.

Forget it?

Mmm-hmm. Yeah. It ain't no problem.

How can I forget it?
You must be in shock.

I mean, denial mixed with
depression, that sort of thing.

No way.
We scored 24 points.

They scored 89.

That sounds
like a problem to me.

Well, it's all
how you look at it.

We scored twice as many
points as last year, buddy.

Twice?
Uh-huh.

We're on a roll.

So we did good?

Yes!

Thanks to you.

How was your nap?

Long.
Good.

Well, all right. Great.
Here's to next season.

Next season,
we beat them.

Who would've thought
such a slight tilt...

in our earthly axis...

could make such a big
difference in our lives.

But the big wheel keeps on turning
and here we are again...

looking in the sweet face
of darkness.

"Now the day is over,
night is drawing nigh.

"Shadows of the evening
steal across the sky. "

A KBHR caution
to all our loyal listeners.

You know, tonight marks the end of
our collective midsummer night's dream.

So get those pupils
ready to dilate...

'cause for the first time
in a long time...

our constant companion, old Sol, is
about to go on a quickie vacation.

A short dip
beneath the horizon...

a junket to whichever Club Med
accommodates medium-size stars.

So while he's gone, I want
you to be alert, be careful...

and please, please, please, three
times please, use those headlights.

Hey, babe.
Fun party, huh?

Yeah.

Hey, Fleischman.

Hey. How are you?
You look festive.

Thanks. What's going on?

Um, Ruth-Anne's throwing a party
for Gillis. He's leaving tomorrow.

How do I look?

What do you mean? I mean,
you look like you always look.

That's it?

Well, the dress is nice,
if that's what you mean.

Fleischman, three days ago you were
saying how magnificent I looked.

At least, I think
that's what you were saying...

because you were panting
and drooling at the time.

Panting and drooling, huh?

I have witnesses.

Look, O'Connell, let me explain something
to you about sleep deprivation, okay.

They use it to brainwash
people. It makes them crazy.

Malleable, willing to do
things they would never do...

in a more rested
frame of mind.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, I'll
show you the literature.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Beer, please.

Hello, Dr. Fleischman.
Glad you could make it.

Well, frankly, Ed, I checked my
copy of Things to do in Cicely...

and guess what?

Placido Domingo
and the company of Turandot...

have decided to skip
our fair metropolis...

so here I am.

Well, good.

This is a fine affair,
Ruth-Anne.

Thank you again.

I hope you come back
sooner next time.

I surely will.

Look at all these
wonderful customers.

And who knows?

Maybe next time I'll catch you
when your resistance is low.

Would you care to dance?
I'd love to.