
In this re-run episode, Rob Morrow and Janine Turner revisit Northern Exposure Season 3, Episode 20 — “It Happened in Juneau" — with co-star Richard Cummings Jr.
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Richard Cummings
Welcome to Inside the Art House. The go to destination for cinephiles and the number one place for art house cinema and filmmaker conversations. Each week, today's most visionary filmmakers pull back the curtain on the art of cinema. Sharing how stories are made and why they matter. Hosted by Greg Laemmle of the legendary Laemmle Theaters, a family that shaped the movie business for over a century, and Raphael Sparge, actor and award winning director. Together they explore the creative process, the struggles and the triumphs behind the camera and the bold ideas shaping film today. From indie debuts, documentaries to international art house cinema, Inside the Art House dives deep into a world where passion meets craft and where the love of film lives loud. Inside the Art House conversations with today's most visionary filmmakers. Listen or watch wherever you get your podcasts. IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. I'm Bruce Martin, host of Pit Pass Indy, the IndyCar podcast, giving you an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar series. Each week I take you trackside with exclusive interviews from the biggest names in the sport, including champions like Alex Palo, Joseph Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Will Power, and other fan favorites like Potto Award, Christian Lundgaard and Kyle Kirkwood. Powered by Penske Truck Rent, Pit Pass Indy keeps you up to speed on every electrifying race. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Janine Turner
Hello listeners, it's Janine Turner. We will be back with new episodes of Northern Disclosure soon. In the meantime, we're bringing back one of our favorite episodes from the archive. Enjoy and we'll see you soon.
Rob Morrow
Hello and welcome back to Northern Disclosure. I have my, my great co host, my beautiful pal Janine Turner here looking very relaxed and and vivacious as always. It's good. I'm glad to be back with everybody. This is a really, really fun episode. It happened in Juneau. I know we're going to have a lot of, a lot of good stuff to talk about. Janine, how you doing?
Janine Turner
I'm fine, thank you. I'm fine. And this is a great episode. It's titillating.
Rob Morrow
It's titillating. You could say that. So I just want to. First before we get going, I want to plug that. I have a limited series called the Gray House which just dropped last night on Amazon prime. And it's really good and it really kind of speaks to some things going on in this world, in this country. It's a Civil War story and it's based on true events that happened that have never been Reported basically centering around this female spy ring. And it was produced by Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman and directed by the master filmmaker Roland Joffe, who made the Mission and Killing Fields. And just. I've worked with him three times now and he's by far the greatest director I've ever worked with. And he does such a great job. And the soundtrack is mind blowing. We've got a song from Bon Jovi, new song. We have a song from Diane Warren, who's nominated for an Academy, her 17th Academy Award this year. We have songs by Desmond Child. We have new song by Willie Nelson, Shania Twain, Drake Milligan. I mean, it's just an incredible soundtrack and a really cool show. So I'm just throwing that out.
Janine Turner
Yeah, congratulations, Rob. That's a great, stellar group of people.
Rob Morrow
So it's a really great cast. And the Gray House was the South's version of the White House. So this episode, I guess we'll just move into right now. It is called It Happened in Juneau. It was written by David Asal and Robert Rabinowitz, who I don't. With a story by Asal, who's We've seen before. His credit has popped up in these three seasons we've done so far. And it's a really. There's so much. It's kind of Northern Exposure, for my money, hitting on all cylinders. I mean, every aspect of it is just fun and. And there's a. A real culmination of. Of three years of stories that led to these. This episode. So it'll be fun to Discuss. It's season three, episode 20, and the synopsis is Chris experiences severe voice disorders, then gets a surprise visit from his brother Bernard, then begins dreaming about Africa again along with Bernard while Joel is away at the medical convention back in Sicily, Marilyn keeps regular office hours. Her problems at the Juno Hotel. Maggie and Joel are forced to share accommodations. Joel is determined to find a temporary girlfriend to help him spend. Spend the off time, but has no luck. Maggie has all kinds of luck, but doesn't like the men she's meeting, the men she's meeting. Then she just. Just as they decide to meet in the middle of the bed, Joel and Maggie, that is.
Janine Turner
I can't believe they gave it away.
Rob Morrow
Joel then proceeds to allow Maggie to think something did happen. But since she freaks out about anyone finding out he they agreed to forget it ever happened. Yes, I get your point, but it's not. This is a synopsis going backwards for the record. So there's also a small plot summary which doesn't give away as much, which, if we were enticing people. But we're talking about the show in retrospect now, aren't we, young Janine?
Janine Turner
Well, I guess we are. However, I. I think there could. They could have worded that in such a way that they don't give it away completely.
Rob Morrow
No, you wouldn't promote that. No.
Janine Turner
But if someone goes and looks it up and says, I'm gonna look into the show, and then they happen to read it, then they're gonna know what happens. It's like knowing that Jaws is coming to jump out of the water.
Rob Morrow
I'm gonna make sure no one does that. I will go to everyone who tries to get online and. And.
Janine Turner
No, no, no. There should. There should be a sign that says spoiler alert. Spoiler. I can say it.
Richard Cummings
Spoiler alert.
Janine Turner
But did you know my Jaws story? Have I told it before?
Rob Morrow
I don't. I don't know.
Janine Turner
Everybody went to see Jaws in the movie theater. Right. It's a huge, huge deal. And, you know, all the suspense is happening. It's like. And then all of a sudden, the man behind me leans forward and says, hang on to your seat. And he ruined the whole thing for me.
Rob Morrow
Yeah, I understand.
Janine Turner
I'll never forget that moment.
Rob Morrow
This has a spoiler warning, just so you know, so.
Janine Turner
Oh, it does. Okay, good. Well, anyway, it was a fabulous episode. We have a terrific guest. We have our beloved Richard Cummings with us again today. And because you've got that storyline and, you know, I thought the show moved really co. Actually, and I think that's a sign when it really works, you just felt kind of entranced with it the whole time. And we'll talk a lot about Corbett and Cummings when Richard gets on the show, but for our stuff, I just thought it was. Didn't it seem like we were just extraordinarily comfortable at that point? It just. Like in fifth gear.
Rob Morrow
Absolutely. I mean, that's what I mean. We're going on all cylinders, everything and all the nuances. You know, I love when you play drunk. I don't know why. I know you don't drink, but, like, it's just. There's something really sweet, I think, because the. What you're. The choices you made allow us to see another side of Maggie that she keeps a mask up, you know, and it's just. You just look so adorable to me when you're. When you're.
Janine Turner
When you're drunk, it's fun to play. It's so much fun because there's a freedom there. And I remember I did a paper chase years. And, like, way before Northern Exposure, and I had to play a drunk college student and the lead actress, whose name I don't remember, but she walked up to me and she goes, now the interesting thing about when you play drunk is the drunk people always try to pretend like they're not drunk. You know what I mean? But it was fun, and there was an arc there for both of us. And I even liked seeing that Maggie was completely dolled up. And then you saw her with no makeup, with mascara coming down her face at the end. And the kind of. The vulnerability of it all, but the interplay between us and the writing, I just thought that was fun. It was fun.
Rob Morrow
It was fun.
Janine Turner
And then we had our kiss. Was that our first kiss?
Rob Morrow
I believe so.
Janine Turner
That was. That was a pretty nice kissing scene. And then the lighting was beautiful with the profiles.
Rob Morrow
And what I love is before. Before they kiss, when they're leading up to it, Joel walks into your room, and you're on all fours picking something, an earring or something, and he checks out your ass. And I just thought it was so. And he. It's the weirdest thing. Like, he's seen you now, what, three years or. I don't know. Yeah. I mean, in theory, he's there for two, three years at this point. But it's. It looked like was the first time he ever thought, oh, wow, she's got a good ass. You know?
Janine Turner
Well, and who would know in those terrible clothes I had to wear? It wasn't.
Rob Morrow
Maybe you're right. You never.
Janine Turner
Well, no, no. Not even the park and the pants. But when I got dolled up, there was such a limit of dearth of clothes. It wasn't the costume designer's fault. It was just. There was a dearth. There were really no good clothes in that era. And, I mean, then you had to make me look sort of Alaskan. So I always had these bizarre outfits on.
Rob Morrow
You look in this outfit. And I think. And I just want to say Michael Cattleman directed this, and we've had him on the show. And not only do I love him as a person, but he. He really gets nuance. I mean, that look on Joel's face that I'm talking about and many others on everyone, you know, all these little moments, he. He really captured and. And. And they're in the cut, which is. I just. Hats off to Michael.
Janine Turner
Well, that they're kept. And that's very, very true. And I guess we can get into it more depth with Richard. But I will say one thing, because I don't really want to go down the rabbit hole. I do want to talk about us more, because I think it was pretty pivotal, I. For Maggie, for o' Connell and Fleischman, so to speak.
Rob Morrow
Yeah, no, I think we should talk about it in context as we're talking through the episode. Cause I think there's a lot. There's a lot there for sure.
Janine Turner
There's just something else I want to bring up that I don't really want to discuss because I don't want to go, like, down the rabbit hole of where we were in season five. But I'll just say I always thought when Fleischman left and I was very vocal about it, don't bring in another doctor. Don't bring in. No, I'm not. You know, Maggie wouldn't have an affair with the saint. Don't do that. And so then they brought in a wife and all that. But I thought it was so wrong. I always. That Marilyn should be the doctor. You know, let Marilyn be the doctor and bring in Graham Greene. Let it go that direction for a while.
Rob Morrow
Good idea. Good idea. You're right.
Janine Turner
And in this one, Marilyn was the doctor. You know, she was doing, you know, you're gonna die and, you know, you smell like ant poison. And she kept such a straight face. I almost wondered if she was in a bad mood for that episode because she didn't have her usual sort of, you know, we all go in with we're having a bad week or a good week, or we're pissed off at somebody or something. But she didn't have that usual kind of look. Humor behind her eyes. But she was so right on and serious. But I love that aspect that. That she kept take. You know, took care of the townspeople. And I always thought when you left, that's what we should have done.
Rob Morrow
Okay, well, I just want to clarify, story wise, there's three stories in this episode. There's. There's Joel going on. On to a convention in Juneau that any. And Maggie flies him there and they get stuck together. There's Bernard coming back from Africa and. And Chris getting discombobulated, so to speak. And then there's Marilyn, who is left with my practice and decides to kind of step into the Doctor's shoes.
Janine Turner
Mm. So it was really good. Richard Cummings is so incredibly talented. We love him. He's a beloved friend of ours. He's a director and an actor. Well, actor, director, producer. And of course, as we were talking about, his acting career has been and continues to be phenomenal. From everything from Hill street blue to 30 something to northern exposure and many things after that. He's directed many episodes and movies as well. But he's also most proud, I think, as a producer of American Soul. And that was 13 episodes from 2019 to 2020. So we're real proud of him. Hollywood shuffle. He was associate producer. So talented, so diverse. And we love you. Richard Cummings. Thank you for coming back on the show.
Rob Morrow
You look great, Richard. Good to see you.
Richard Cummings
Good to see you guys. It's been a minute.
Rob Morrow
American Soul was produced by our friend Carl with you.
Richard Cummings
Yes, it was BET. And actually, one quick note, we got to do two seasons, so there was like there's 20 something episodes on American Soul. Yeah. And it's the life story. It's a fictionalized story of Don Cornelius.
Janine Turner
They need to correct that on IMDb. They just have 13, but. So you did two seasons. That's amazing. Even better to get past that first season. Congratulations on that. And we can all watch it where now? Where can we watch American Soul now?
Richard Cummings
You can't now because it was on Paramount plus and on bet, but they yanked them. They're going through some kind of stuff.
Rob Morrow
You think?
Richard Cummings
Yeah, yeah, we'll leave that for another conversation. But. But yeah, it's. It's off the. It's off the streaming platforms now, so we'll see someplace. It'll pop up.
Rob Morrow
Did you get a chance to watch this episode again?
Richard Cummings
I did.
Rob Morrow
It's pretty fun, huh?
Richard Cummings
Let me jump on the bandwagon that you guys were just talking about, about being comfortable. And it was so evident, I think, in each one of the storylines, but especially you guys. It felt. And I made notes and I wrote, literally, watch it. You can't see this, but I wrote comfortable. I also wrote for Janine, adorable.
Rob Morrow
I used that as well.
Richard Cummings
You did. And I wrote it down. And it felt like, for you guys, it felt like in a classic old romance comedy, Cary Grant ish kind of environment. Because I think it was the first time you guys actually really did become that emotionally intimate.
Janine Turner
It did have a nice repartee, but it's interesting.
Rob Morrow
You know what? You know what? I found Janine, I can't quite track, first of all, the chemistry between them, the pent up desire, you know, the sensuality, the sexiness, all was really, really great. Like, it just kind of. It just seems so natural. But I can't. The thing that, that I kind of bumped up against was that they kiss, they have this moment and then they're like, okay, meet you in, like, five minutes. Like, nobody would do that. Like, you're either going or you're not. Like, you. Once you get that, once you cross that line, you're not going to fucking
Janine Turner
brush your teeth unless the woman's going to prepare to not become pregnant. There are a lot of those little moments, I think, when I guess. Hang on. I've seen that. I've seen that in movies a lot, actually.
Rob Morrow
You're right. That's a valid point. But. But it didn't seem like that because who. Who we cut to who's brushing their teeth, me or you?
Janine Turner
You know, women do take a pause to go prepare themselves, so to speak, before sex. But it also, we all know that they couldn't cons, you know, they couldn't consummate their relationship, because where did they go from there?
Rob Morrow
No, I understand why they did it as a story. I'm just saying it just seemed. I don't know. I feel like it was a little contrived because it seemed like it was so hot. And then it was like.
Richard Cummings
What?
Janine Turner
Well, what I thought was interesting was the scene when we come back and Maggie doesn't know if she had had sex or not. And then you play this game with her, making her a thing. And I don't know. I'd have to go back and look and see. But there was a great closeup of you at the end when I tell you, I don't want anybody to know. And I felt so sorry for Joel at that point. Right. But then you really should have felt sorry for Maggie, too, because what you were doing, you were really making her feel uncomfortable.
Rob Morrow
But she was making herself. She was the one was making herself uncomfortable. Cause she was the one. He was trying to tell her.
Janine Turner
No. I think the bigger point I'm trying to make, though, before we get to that. But you did play along with it. Fleischman played along with it. You didn't come out and say, hey, hey, we didn't do anything. We didn't do anything. And she was squirming, squirming, squirming, squirming. But what I'm trying to say is I don't think there was a real closeup of me there. It was like kind of cowboys and whatnot, where. Because I ended up feeling more for Fleischman at the end than I felt for o'. Connell. And I thought, well, both of the game. Both of the games that we played on each other were pretty, you know, pretty wicked in a way. What are your thoughts, Richard?
Richard Cummings
I didn't think you. I didn't feel it was contrived. I get where you're coming from, but I didn't feel like that moment was contrived.
Janine Turner
Which moment?
Richard Cummings
When you kiss and then you've got to go off and get ready, and, you know, and Joel comes out and, you know, and then you're. You're sleeping. Spoiler alert. I just. I totally love. I love that. I also love of you coming out, Joel coming out with his bathrobe on. It was that you or Cattleman that said, keep your socks on and take your socks off before you go in?
Rob Morrow
I have a feeling it was in the script, but I don't remember.
Richard Cummings
That's a great beat. That is a great action. Because first thing I notice is, like, okay, you got this great robot, and then you go down, you see he's got socks on. And by the way, every guy has done that in our lifetime at some point or another.
Rob Morrow
But what's the deal with her forgetting? Like, what is that about alcohol?
Janine Turner
She wasn't drunk. She was asleep, so.
Rob Morrow
I know, but. But she thinks that they slept together.
Janine Turner
Yeah, she thought they. Y'. All. She was asleep, but she thought. Did. She wasn't sure. Like, did I. Maybe she'd had a little alcohol, but I think mainly she was just asleep and she wasn't sure. And so she came out, and then you kind of. You were trying to tell her, but then you egged her on, and then she felt so, so uncomfortable. And, you know, I.
Rob Morrow
But you think that's possible? You think you could. You could. You could actually forget, unless you were drugged, that you had sex with her?
Janine Turner
You do think about that? You think, well, wouldn't you sort of know? But I guess. I guess there could always be a question.
Rob Morrow
But it's. I think it's more psychological, probably. Cause that's the only justification I can think of.
Janine Turner
Maybe she had a little bit to drink and she fell asleep and she just. I believed in the way I played the scene is that she genuinely just didn't know. What are your thoughts, Richard?
Richard Cummings
I think you might have had a glass of wine earlier and you came back, loosened you up a little bit, got to where it got to, and you went and got knocked out. Because, remember, you said you hadn't slept in a couple days.
Janine Turner
Yeah, that's true. They did say that. So she was really, really deep sleep.
Rob Morrow
There's something implausible about it for me based on that idea. But the fact that she hadn't slept in 36 hours definitely helps. But anyway, it Works. That's. You know, the bottom line is it works as.
Janine Turner
And you saw a real vulnerability in Maggie. You saw a real vulnerability in her.
Rob Morrow
No, it was so sweet. There were so many vulnerable moments. You know, I mean, just the way. The way she. The way she looks at Fleischman, you know, just with this. I think I wrote it down, like, there was just this moment where, how was I? She wants to know. And then Joel starts messing with her. But. But the way you said, how was I? It was like you. It was so sweet, you know, and tender, you know, innocent. Yeah. And it speaks to this deeper connection that they two have that plays out throughout the series.
Janine Turner
You know, talk about being vulnerable. Talking about. I guess that makes sense. Then when she gets out of the truck back in Sicily, why she toughened up again, because she was just so vulnerable in that scene. You know, how was I? And you never told her that it didn't happen. So she goes back thinking, oh, I don't know. And so on the flight home, she's. She just. You know, part of the reason, I guess, she doesn't want it to be spoken about is because she doesn't remember it. Right. She can't claim it. She can't own it. She can't control the narrative. Cause she doesn't. She doesn't. She thinks nothing happened. So that's probably why she turned around and said, don't say anything, you know, but. But then. But then she says, I wouldn't want anyone to know that we actually slept together. It'd be embarrassing to me. I thought, ooh, that's a little tough.
Rob Morrow
Yeah, that's the COVID That's the Maggie cover.
Janine Turner
Yeah, I know, but it was a little tough. And the look on your face, you know, so we. We both did it to each other, I guess.
Richard Cummings
You know, you know, the overarching. There were two themes, I think, in your storyline. And Chris and Bernard, which was. Chris and Bernard, for the first time, were not spiritually connected, Separate. And we had to come back together. You guys had never been together. Came together and then separated again. Complete opposite arcs, which I found very, very, very interesting.
Janine Turner
David Estelle probably really thought that through, actually. He was such a philosophical writer.
Rob Morrow
There's. There's.
Richard Cummings
There's.
Rob Morrow
There's something so fascinating about the. The dynamic between. It's such an interesting relationship between you and. And. And Chris, between Bernard and Chris and. And you and Corbett, for that matter, the way you play it. But it's some. There's something. There's something just so unusual and. And Unique and fun and charming. And in this episode, it gets, you know, I love that you went on this pilgrimage to, to Africa and you come back and you've got all this stuff that you're trying to, to, to sell to in Ruth Zan's store, you know, saying, donut, don't, don't underestimate the, the presence of the Third World in our culture now. And, but, but I, I, I just, I, I, There's a moment where it says certain cultural beliefs when you dream. Certain cultures believe that when you dream, your soul becomes a moth that travels the world. That's such a wild idea because as always, you guys share your dreams, right? You're, you often dream the same dream, but in this case it was because of John, because of Chris being slightly out of sync with the world and with you. His dream is different than yours, right?
Richard Cummings
Well, that's because I found that talisman and it was only half a moth. So I embraced that and I started on my journey, so to speak, in Africa and like you said, bringing things back and traveling all over the place and learning about stuff. So I had that half, but the other half, we have no idea where it is. And actually, that's what Ruthanne says to me when I go into the store to try to sell her some stuff, which she says, oh, that's really lovely. And I go, well, it's not for sale. She said, well, where's the other half? Have no idea. And we're still, Chris and Bernard are still at that point, still out of sync until we figure out and start talking. Well, actually, we have a dream and we see in the dream, we see like half a giraffe, separate, running, and again, still not in sync. And when we come outside, we go, whoa. And then we talk it through and we figure out, hey, wait a minute, maybe because that's where that speech is about, you know, the moth. And we talk about it and that's when we go, huh, Maybe because we don't have both halves, and I've developed, I've got this other half. Maybe that's why we're separated. That's the theory. And once we get to that point, we come back together and get in sync again.
Janine Turner
Did you get, did he put on the necklace?
Richard Cummings
For a little while, he says, he says, give it to me. And he puts it on. And then after that, we, we're back in.
Janine Turner
You're back spiritually in sync. There's so much that's spiritually and metaphysically interesting about every aspect of this storyline, because you Know, DNA that they say anxiety can carry through all the DNA all the way down, or people's trauma from three, four generations carries down and just that you. Y' all shares, you know, similar DNA and the whole nine year old, you know, the father and. And the connection that people can have and also the familial connection you have. I mean, the mother carries the exact DNA of her child in her for the rest of her. You know, just that you can't ever quite as much as we all tend to want to brush against it or do away with the connections you had, the blood connections you had with family.
Rob Morrow
You know what I love, though, again, you know, in this we. Janine's always talking about the town hall meetings we have, but there was a version of that in the brick with you showing your slideshow. It's just so sweet that the whole town comes out to look at your journey.
Richard Cummings
Yes, one big family.
Janine Turner
The key word getting out. You know, people don't get out much as much as we used to, but that's such a great thing to have a little community there.
Richard Cummings
What Michael Cattleman was also really good at, besides nuance, was that like, once Chris puts on the talisman and we come back together, the way he shows us coming back together is us back in the radio station and it starts on our feet, deep in sick.
Rob Morrow
I love that moment. It's so cool. And then the way. I know you guys are so cool, the way you do it first year. Yeah, they look. They look right, like they look left. They're. He hands them the album cover. They're. They're. They're tapping their. Their feet, their hands. It's something. There's just something so cool and, and, and so Northern Exposure about that moment. The. I love the ending. You know, it's all the way. Chris Corbett always sums up these episodes. Just always hits me with the. And. And he's. And I wrote down this right. In dreams begin responsibilities. And you put your faith in that which can't easily be explained. Be open to your dreams. You know, it's such a profound thing in a. In a. In a, you know, a network television show in 1992. It's just. I just love. That was just. It's not necessarily, you know, no one. It wasn't an original idea, though. These ideas are not original, but they're culling from all the myths of all of man and injecting them into this story of these people trying to get along, trying to get together. I just want to point out before we move on Janine, that it's interesting at the end, the last beat of the show, you're walking off. After he says this monologue, after Chris has his monologue, or we're hearing it in voiceover, you're walking off and then I am driving and I'm driving toward you, right? I'm driving up that hill. You're walking up that hill. And then I pull out and I drive, but I'm heading towards you, which I think is intentional. You know, it's like, right. Because normally I'd be going the opposite way
Janine Turner
and notice. Notice the bag looked heavy. My pet peeve is when people carry bags or cups of coffee or luggage that don't have anything in it. If we notice when I was getting on the plane, that luggage looked really heavy that I was carrying. And then I'm sure those groceries were real groceries. I can't stand it when people carrying groceries and you know, there's like nothing in it. It's like air.
Rob Morrow
By the way, talk about pet peeves. You know, the sunglasses were my pet peeve in network television. You up till then you were not allowed to wear sunglasses or hats. And I was constantly fighting, which ultimately the network, because I was like, who wouldn't wear sunglasses in this situation? The sun is blaring down on them, you know, So I had to fight. And then I think Janine was like, well, if he wears sunglasses, then I'll get to wear sunglasses.
Richard Cummings
And then you show up and you're
Rob Morrow
the two of us in that opening scene. You've got the Ray Bans on and I've got my sunglasses on. But it was a real thing.
Janine Turner
Probably just sent them to us probably too, you know. Well, Maggie would wear them because pilots wear them up in the sky, of course. Kind of make more sense. Starting something new isn't just hard, it can be terrifying. When you put so much effort into something you're not entirely sure will work, it can be hard to take that leap of faith. But it's easier to make that leap of faith when you have a partner like Shopify on your side. It's easy to get started with Shopify's ready to use templates. There are hundreds of options to help you build a beautiful online store that matches your brand. Shopify is your commerce expert with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping, to processing returns and beyond. Plus, if you get stuck, Shopify is always there to share advice with their award winning 24. 7 support. So it's time to turn those what ifs into with Shopify today. Sign up for your $1 per month trial@shopify.com Northern go to shopify.com Northern and that's shopify.com Northern. But, but I just want to say back to. To the storyline and the. When a great line with Cynthia where you're doing your slideshow, Richard, and you say, you know, where humanity began.
Richard Cummings
And.
Janine Turner
And Shelley says, I thought that was, you know, in the Garden of Eden. And you said, well, who knows? In essence, who knows where that really was? And I always watch all these shows, you know, all these archaeological shows and all these, like, where the mysticism and the history and the mystery with the history and where everything is. And I love that, too. I mean, just. We all really don't know. We like where any of this is. And it was kind of fun to think about that as well. I like that line.
Rob Morrow
I love that. The mystery of the history, the show always.
Richard Cummings
The only way I describe it, and I'm appreciating it more and more every day, is that to both of your points, the show's so smart. It's smart. There were really smart people writing, really smart people directing and everyone else who worked on the show. It's. I mean, I felt like I was always punching up because I ain't that smart. But it's just to, you know, to this day, it's just really, really. You know, how do you get to this thing where you talk about a moth and it's half. And then you're disconnected and it's like, wow, wow, where'd that come from?
Rob Morrow
When you sit down at the mic with, With. With. With Chris at the beginning and you take over because he can't speak and that. I wrote this down. It was so. It's just. I can't believe how smart it is. Africa thoughts turn to homecoming. Journeys end. It's the coming back, the return, which gives meaning to the going forth. We really don't know where we've been until we come back to where we were. Only where we were may not be as it is because of who we've become.
Richard Cummings
That's brilliant.
Rob Morrow
That's brilliant.
Richard Cummings
I mean, thank you. Thank you all for the words because that's really, really smart and brilliant.
Janine Turner
Well, if I recall, David was a philosopher, wasn't he? Didn't we look him up before? And he. He was a philosopher. Everything he writes has a philosophical bent.
Rob Morrow
Oh, that's interesting.
Janine Turner
But I wanted to say something about family and being disconnected. My mother and father were divorced from each other three times, and then they married. Well, Then they married each other three times, and they back to each other.
Rob Morrow
Maybe we should just do a whole episode on that.
Janine Turner
Yeah, we could. We could do a whole, like, play on.
Richard Cummings
That.
Janine Turner
Explains a lot about Janine, I'll tell you that much. But I remember my dad was packing to. To go somewhere and he started tripping. And, you know, my parents were the way we were. You know, this kind of love that was just always there no matter what. And of course, I'm watching it all as this sort of empath, sensitive child going, this is just so sad. You. My mom and my dad. My mom and my dad. But my dad's packing a suitcase and he trips. You know, he trips over like he's falling. And he says to me, this is what happens when men go, you know, through divorces. You know what I mean? It's like you become. But I think it kind of fits into this. When you are not in sync with family members, right? For whatever the reason is, there's always a little hole in your soul. There's just a little holy something out of sync. And I've witnessed this as a child. I've witnessed this as an adult, as a, you know, mother. It's just like when. And I think that y' all were out of sync, so everything was discombobulated. And I think that's even a bigger message about life in general, because there's all this, you know, people separate. It's like if these people that never speak to their father again or never speak to their mother again, I mean, there may be reasons that are legitimate for that, but also, there still will be a hole.
Richard Cummings
You notice it. You notice it immediately.
Janine Turner
Well, that's what I'm saying. If it's in sync, your whole day is better. You know, your whole life. Your life is better. You can function better creatively. And then when that's off. So it's. It was just really fascinating to watch how that manifested with the. His disc and, you know, power to Corbett for being able to say those lines as well as he did.
Rob Morrow
Always. He's always amazing.
Richard Cummings
Wow.
Rob Morrow
I want to throw out to Beth. To Beth Broderick, who played Linda Angelo, the girl that hits on me at the convention. She was really funny.
Richard Cummings
She was so good.
Rob Morrow
And also, I don't know if you caught this, but James Marster, who is. Was Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and. And their spin off, angel, was the bellhop. You know, he's a big star. You know, he's a big TV star.
Janine Turner
And I thought he looked familiar. What has he been in now?
Rob Morrow
Well, he was. He became, you know, this. This heartthrob on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and. And that was his first gig, I think.
Richard Cummings
Oh, that's great. That was very good. The three of you were really. That was funny. That was very funny. Very dry, very funny.
Rob Morrow
There's a lot of fun moments I love when, you know, they get to the hotel and the room, of course, is not available, causing them to have to share. And Joel says. He says, you know, the. The reception guy says, you know, that we're together or something. And Joel says, no, no. And Maggie says, no, we're not together. And Joel says, yeah. What she means is we're not together. Not in the together sense of being together.
Janine Turner
Yeah, but I like when I finally get. I always. I was trying to be. Maggie was trying to be really good about it all. And at the end, she's so perturbed. He's like, have a good time. She goes, don't push it. You know, and then. But then she says, come on, Dr. Schweitzer. She said, Dr. Schweitzer.
Richard Cummings
Right.
Janine Turner
And I looked that up, and I was trying to figure out. I was trying to figure out.
Rob Morrow
He was amazing. He was a Nobel Prize winning, you know, humanity in World War II.
Janine Turner
Right.
Rob Morrow
Human humanist.
Janine Turner
After World War II.
Rob Morrow
In Africa. Interesting enough. He won the Nobel Prize for. For work he'd done in Africa.
Richard Cummings
Oh, wow.
Janine Turner
Yeah, because I. I caught that, and I immediately sort of Googled it because I didn't really remember.
Rob Morrow
But you know what else, by the way, I clocked Janine, you know, when we're having breakfast the next day out in that hotel, which we shot on Puget Sound in downtown Seattle. And the exteriors were shot in Africa. In Africa. In Alaska. But there's a great opening shot where there's a tugboat, there's a fishing boat heading out for its morning to go out fishing. And then the shot lands on Maggie and Joel at the table. And, you know, that someone had to pay. Like, that wasn't an accident. And it was a big fishing boat with a lot of people, so they had to. To kind of pay off someone to wait and do it, you know, again. Or. Or maybe that's the only shot we got with that boat. I don't know. But it's such.
Richard Cummings
It.
Rob Morrow
Such. Gives it such texture. There's a great little Michael Cattleman moment.
Richard Cummings
He so many times told the story visually and didn't just completely rely on dialogue to move you along.
Rob Morrow
Absolutely.
Richard Cummings
Which is, you know, that's. That's a Real director.
Janine Turner
True. When it's not a bunch of mechanics and games with the camera and whatnot. It's just letting things play. But. But I think that might be fun for everybody to know a little bit behind the scenes. And Rob touched on it. We always filmed in Redmond, Washington, on the set or in Rosslyn, and we rarely went anywhere else. And so this was fun for us to be able to. I remember getting there. I remember going to the hotel. I remember filming that scene that morning and just how fun it was to be in a different environment. And even the hotel, you know, the hotel was. That was not a set. We were actually in a hotel. So it was kind of fun. Remember that, Rob?
Rob Morrow
I do, and I think it's a good point you're making because, you know, it's those corollaries between what the actors are going through and the characters are going through. So the characters are displaced in a different world, experience things, and the actors were in a different location. And it felt refreshing. It was almost like we were on a new show, you know, this whole new world with different characters. And to just point out that my stand in Peter. I don't remember his last name. Does anyone remember his last name?
Janine Turner
No, I remember. I remember him.
Rob Morrow
They gave him a part. He's the guy. He's the doctor who's. I'm blowing off when I'm trying to go on the hunt at the beginning.
Richard Cummings
When you're trying to get laid.
Rob Morrow
Yeah. And so I just want to throw out to Peter. I can't believe I can't remember your name, but I'm 90 years old, so. But I love you.
Richard Cummings
I was really surprised that they let you say that, actually. That I'm trying to get laid.
Rob Morrow
You're right. I'm sure. I can only imagine the conversations in the back and forth. I mean, I remember them. I remember having. They wanted me to say something, like, about sex. Like I was gonna boink her. And I was like, boink her? Come on.
Janine Turner
And I'll tell you something from a female wardrobe standpoint. After I wore that white terry cloth, very stiff robe, you know, Marilyn Monroe's robe. Robes were always really soft and used. And you could pull it. And that cinch. You could cinch in the waistline and all that was one of those. Fresh out of the starched white robes. And it was like, I'm never wearing a white robe on television again.
Rob Morrow
I think you're being hard on yourself. You look cute in it. I don't think it was bad.
Janine Turner
White and gray are not Good colors for women on screen, unless you are an absolute anorexic stick. So after that, I always had on black robes, red robes, navy blue robes. It's like, I'm not about to be. I'm like, whoop, not doing that again.
Rob Morrow
I love when you spot Fleischman in his. And you're like, Fleischman, when you're drunk, you're like.
Richard Cummings
You're.
Rob Morrow
You're a boxer man.
Richard Cummings
Right? You know, this is just me and my going off in my philosophical brain and myself, but watching the show. This episode was the first time I've seen it and I can't even tell you however long. And I just really enjoyed. Laughed out. Laughed out a bunch of stuff. But I think with the robe, I think Rob's right, you are being hard on yourself. But I also think that. And this is again, my brain, but that the white symbolizes a purity kind of thing and an innocence. And that's part of what we were talking about when you and Fleischman getting together for this kiss, this first time. It kind. It works. It totally. Visually, it works. And you are being too hard on yourself because you look great in it.
Rob Morrow
By the way, the way you asked Fleischman to dinner, it's so. It's so sweet. You're just kind of like. It's the contradictions in her, in both of them, but in that moment in her are so clear, you know that she's got this soft, gentle, sweet side. And then it's this cover of this hard, tough, you know, self sufficient, pioneer chick, like. And they're so different. And when it's revealed, it's so sweet. I mean, just. Just. There's something about the way you ask him to dinner that I just thought, oh, that's so. It's so revealing.
Richard Cummings
And Fleischmann saying to her, well, you're kind of taken aback and you go, you want to have dinner or something, right? Or something.
Janine Turner
That's like an Elf. One of my all time favorite movies. Would you like to go get some food? Mood?
Rob Morrow
Elf is a great movie. We watch that.
Janine Turner
I love Elf. I can quote every line from Elf. Everything reminds me of it. Oh, the children love the books. Would somebody like a hug? I could go on. You have to stop me because I'll. I'll keep going.
Richard Cummings
You know, there's one thing. There's a. When you mentioned behind the scenes. There's one thing too, and I think I had mentioned it last on. I was here with you guys and thank you again for having me. That was the first time Bernard was ever on the radio.
Rob Morrow
Oh, is it really? Oh, interesting. Oh, I didn't know that.
Richard Cummings
And because of that, because of you and MasterCard, John Corby got snatched up. You got snatched up. All to do voiceovers. And because of that, and I got a chance to go on the radio, I got snatched up by Hyundai and a couple of other folks.
Janine Turner
Celebrity voiceovers. Yep.
Rob Morrow
I love doing voiceovers. Voiceovers are so. To me, you know, they're so much fun because you're not being seen. I'm willing to do anything. Like, if I'm in a scene and a director says to me, would you screech your voice on that line? I'd be like, what? But if I'm doing a voiceover and they say, screech, screech your voice at the end of the line, I'd be like, okay, sure. I don't know what it is. You just don't. You don't feel as, you know, vulnerable, I guess, because it's just your voice.
Janine Turner
It's a different genre.
Richard Cummings
Just going back to something again that you said earlier about being comfortable. This episode, to me, really demonstrated, and I guess we talked about this a little bit earlier. All the characters being comfortable, Marilyn's comfortable being a doctor, you guys finding your comfort level with each other. And it's like, that's where the vulnerability comes in. Bernard and Chris figuring out their stuff once again and going back. And it reverts almost back to, like, when we were playing cards and we were in sync. It's like, oh, we get back to that. Oh, okay, we're comfortable. But also, too, as actors, if everyone wasn't comfortable with each other because we'd all gotten to know each other by then, it wouldn't have worked.
Rob Morrow
Yeah, I agree. It's the gift of doing a TV series. If you, as everyone, you know, if you continue to work, I mean, to put in the time to continue to deepen and mine more aspects of your characters, it all gets to play out, because if everyone's doing that, it's just that much richer. This seemed like a very rich episode in terms of what you're saying. Like, it just. It's ineffable. It's not like I can point my finger necessarily to one thing, but there was just this gravity, like, in a good way, you know, that comes from now. What is. How many episodes is this, Janine? This is 35. 30.
Janine Turner
We had done 16. So it's our 46th episode, 46 episodes.
Rob Morrow
So we're almost halfway through the whole series and really hitting on all cylinders.
Janine Turner
But I think that the script allowed that too, because it allowed such vulnerability. I think that's what everybody's feeling. You know, it's high energy. You know, it's a nervous, high anxiety energy where you're always being defensive, but when you let things down, it is a little bit more relaxed. And I think that that's what everybody was feeling is the facades could come down a little bit. And so it's a more of a. Until, you know, the vulnerability gets uncomfortable. But we were able to see kind of behind the curtain and I remembered what I was gonna say about the white robe, which is interesting. You know, as an actress in Hollywood, I was in New York City at 15, Molly and Hollywood at 17. They had me in these sexy, you know, nightgowns, silk nightgowns, as a 17 year old. And everything was always sex, you know, sex, sex, sex and sexy this and sexy that. So it's kind of. I mean, I just thought I looked a little heavy in it, that's all. But the greatest thing about Maggie o' Connell is that it was one of the first characters where you were able to see that even with a parka, even with a vest, even in sorrel boots, even in a starched white robe and little. Even dresses and outfits that look like pantaloons from the, the 1800s. You know what I mean? That you could still feel the sensuality without it being sold in such a. In such a objectifying way. And I, I think that's, that's refreshing.
Rob Morrow
To your point, Janine, the writers, too, are comfortable at this point. They know. So they're writing for us and they kind of know our rhythms, which I think is there.
Richard Cummings
It's not easy being vulnerable on screen. It's not easy being vulnerable in life.
Rob Morrow
Right.
Richard Cummings
And it came through especially, like I said, I think that's, to me, like the first time it really, really got there between Joel and Maggie where some methods, some. Some masks came down.
Rob Morrow
Let's talk a little bit about you working with Corbett. Like, with, you know, what, what, what was that like? I mean, what. You know, the deny. The dynamic of how you guys came up with your bits.
Richard Cummings
And, you know, it's. It's interesting. And I, I keep using that word, comfortable from the moment. And Corbett's this kind of person. You know, Corbett is like, you know, he's kind of open and curious and, and present.
Rob Morrow
Present. He's so present. That's the perfect word for him.
Richard Cummings
And deceptively so also, too, because you Think sometimes he's not paying attention and he's completely paying attention to this little sly fox. It's like you think he's off somewhere thinking about something else. He's like, no, he's examining this whole thing. So, you know, getting together when we first did, it's like. Cause I'm open like that as a person person. I'm, you know, hey, let's go, whatever. So we, we connected in that, that way right from the beginning. But I think we also liked each other. I go back to that point about liking. If actors don't like each other, it's very difficult to do things. And we like each other. We would hang out, you know, we all hung out. Offset. So. So when it came time to do something, like trying to figure out why we're not in sync, it's kind of like Corbett and Cummings talking a little bit. Not crazy rehearsals to try to figure out what the beats are, what this means or how come. But it's like we kind of like talked. It's like, are you feeling this? No, I'm not feeling that. Yeah, no, that's pretty crazy. I don't understand. Maybe it's this. Maybe it is. Those are the kinds of rhythms we'd get into. And it was kind of easy.
Rob Morrow
Yeah, it was perfect. You're such good casting. Your casting was. Is against him is perfect. You got any good behind the scenes party stories with old jc?
Richard Cummings
Not any that I could tell anybody.
Rob Morrow
Come on, give us one. The audience wants. They wanted John Corbett and you and Richard Cummings. Party, party, party. Anecdote.
Richard Cummings
Oh, here's one for you. This one's kind of clean. We were out one night, met some flight attendants.
Rob Morrow
Of course she did. Flight attendants, Janine. Flight attendants.
Richard Cummings
Flight attendants go back to their hotel. Nothing really, really happened. Fast forward to the next morning because we've got to be back to set and work and we get on the elevator and we're both like doing the walk of shame on the elevator because by then we're on tv, people know who you are and we're in Seattle, so people are going to especially know who you are. So we're on the elevator like this, going down and walking out of the elevator the whole time. And luckily nobody said anything, but they knew who we were.
Janine Turner
No, no anonymity. That's the price of fame. And I remember everyone. And I remember that the, the height of the show, I would go into a restaurant and try to have a meal with family and everybody would just come sit down. Strangers, men. It's like before, you know, everybody was sitting down. Even if I was trying to have a date, which they hated, of course, you know, everybody just starts sitting down next to us, so we lose our anonymity. And we. There used to be a great conversation about that, if you recall, Rob, as we shuffle back and forth to sit set. And I just remember saying, because I had $8 left before Northern Exposure, I just remember saying, remember this, Rob? It's better than being broke and unemployed. I. Do you remember that? I used to say that all the time.
Rob Morrow
I'm sure it's still. I, I. It is. You're right. I think this is a good place to. To wind it up. Richard, this was you. You're just so much fun, and. And any chance I get to see your face and. And hang with you, I'm always happy.
Richard Cummings
Lovely to see you guys.
Janine Turner
A good soul. A good soul. Talented soul. Really wonderful seeing you.
Rob Morrow
A good, talented soul. And we will no doubt ask you to come back again. Hopefully we'll find another episode and. I don't know. I think that's about it for me. Janine, how about you?
Janine Turner
All right, well, thanks for watching today. It was really a titillating episode. I love that one.
Rob Morrow
We began with titillating, and we'll end with titillating.
Janine Turner
I have a. I have a song, a lyric in my musical that I've written that it's escalating now. We actually have a performance coming up in October, but. Titillates with treason. That's one of my lines. Titillates with treason on my mind Titillates with treason. Cause we were rehearsing it the other day. Anyhoo, thank you, Richard. Thank you, Rob. Thank you all for watching. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button. It really is cool. I've hit a few subscribe buttons in my day, and you just get an alert. It's kind of fun in case you're like, oh, right. And thanks, all of you, for sharing and sharing and doing all those things you do on social media.
Rob Morrow
We love your comments. So more comments, please. Thank you.
Janine Turner
Yes. And we still want to work on doing a live show at some point. A few live shows, I think, and y' all could come on and talk to us. I. I think that'd be a lot of fun. So until next time, we're signing off with o' Connell and Fleischman.
Rob Morrow
Actually, I think it's better if it were Fleischman.
Janine Turner
O'. Connell. In your dreams, Fleischmann. Northern Disclosure is a production with Evergreen Podcasts. And executive produced by Paul Anderson and
Richard Cummings
Scott McCarthy for Workhouse Media.
Northern Disclosure — RERUN - S3E20: "It Happened in Juneau" with Richard Cummings Jr.
Evergreen Podcasts | Original Air Date: May 13, 2026
This episode of Northern Disclosure is a nostalgic and revealing rewatch of the classic Northern Exposure Season 3, Episode 20, "It Happened in Juneau." Hosts Rob Morrow (Joel Fleischman) and Janine Turner (Maggie O’Connell) reunite with guest star Richard Cummings Jr. (Bernard Stevens) to parse the episode’s blend of sensuality, character culmination, and metaphysical subtext. The trio delivers lively, candid behind-the-scenes commentary, explores the deeper themes of connection and vulnerability running through both the main and secondary storylines, and reflects on why this episode marked a peak in the show's chemistry and emotional maturity.
"Journeys end. It’s the coming back, the return, which gives meaning to the going forth. We really don’t know where we’ve been until we come back to where we were…because of who we’ve become." [31:04, Rob quoting the monologue]
Spoilers and TV Guides
On Vulnerability and Comfort
On Writing and Mythology
The hosts and guest agreed that “It Happened in Juneau” is a standout episode thanks to its blend of vulnerability, humor, and mythic resonance—showcasing Northern Exposure's unique blend of quirky romance, existential depth, and small-town charm. As Janine remarks, “It was really a titillating episode. I love that one.” [50:35]
Northern Disclosure continues to find new magic in a beloved classic, offering listeners old and new a chance to revisit Sicely, Alaska’s most memorable moments with those who made them.