Northern Disclosure S2E6: “War & Peace” with Mitch Burgess and Robin Green

Podcast: Northern Disclosure (Evergreen Podcasts)
Episode Airdate: August 19, 2025
Guests: Robin Green (co-writer/producer), Mitch Burgess (writer/producer), with hosts Rob Morrow and Janine Turner

Episode Overview

This week, Rob Morrow and Janine Turner take a deep dive into “War & Peace,” Season 2, Episode 6 of Northern Exposure, joined by two key creative forces behind the episode: Robin Green and Mitch Burgess. The conversation blends nostalgia, behind-the-scenes stories, and literary analysis, focusing on the episode’s multi-layered narrative, the creative process in the writer’s room, and the signature quirky tone that defined the series.

Highlights & Key Discussion Points

1. Revisiting “War & Peace”

[01:27–04:31]

• Episode Summary: Rob reads the synopsis, spotlighting intertwining storylines: Holling’s troubles with dreams and Valium, the Russian festival visit by Nikolai Apalanoff, Maurice’s patriotism and chess rivalry, Chris’s annual War and Peace reading, and Ed’s romantic misadventures with Lightfeather.
• Guest Stars: Mention of guest star Ilia Baskin (Nikolai Apalanoff) and Dana Anderson as Lightfeather (“She was a perfect foil for Ed… She was really good.” – Janine, 02:37)

2. Themes of Duality & Literary Allusions

[04:31–08:55]

• Janine highlights the depth and “parallel universes” woven through the script—duality echoed in the duels of the show and Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

  “Chris has this great line: ‘In this parallel universe we call reality, we've scripted in our own duel.’”
  — Janine Turner, [04:58]

• Rob and Janine discuss how literature, especially Russian novels, is layered into the dialogue and storylines.

  “The whole reference with John Corbett and Ed about ‘eroticizing the landscape’… He talks about Henry Miller and Baudelaire had a really great thing with the white cat fur.”
  — Janine Turner, [06:45]

3. Meet the Writers: Robin Green and Mitch Burgess

[08:57–14:43]

• Robin talks about her background, from Rolling Stone magazine (“The Only Girl”) to Marvel Comics, and how she found her way into TV writing.
• Mitch and Robin share their path to Northern Exposure and name-dropping the Iowa Writers' Workshop as a key connection point for the creative team.

  “He was my professor… I met him at Iowa the year that I met John.”
  — Robin Green, [11:44]

• Mitch became involved in the third season; Robin started just after the pilot episodes.

4. The Collaborative Writing Process

[14:43–18:17]

• Robin discusses collaboration in the writers' room, sometimes revising or “polishing” each other’s scripts.
• The episode’s roots are traced back to Henry Brummell as a key architect of its literary flavor.

  “My name is second in the credits. So it's possible that Henry wrote it and then I polished it or something. I don't know.”
  — Robin Green, [17:06]

5. International Reach & Fan Reception

[16:11–16:54]

• Robin recounts a book tour in Spain where she was surprised by the show’s lasting popularity—there titled “Dr. in Alaska”.

6. Literary References, Google, and Pre-Internet Era

[18:20–19:32]; [22:35–23:19]

• Janine and Robin reminisce on how, before easy Internet access, literary references were woven through scripts through diligent research, not Google.
• They marvel at the blend of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Henry Miller, Baudelaire, and more.

7. Breaking the Fourth Wall

[20:09–25:55]

• The episode features an unusual device: the cast breaks the fourth wall during the duel, discussing the plot as both themselves and their characters—without actually reverting to their real names.

  “We broke the fourth wall as actors, but we didn’t refer to each other with our own names. We still referred to each other in our character names.”
  — Janine Turner, [21:04]

• Robin admits the device “shouldn’t have worked, but it really works. I bought it… it seemed organic.” [23:49]
• Rob and Janine recall their confusion on set about how to play the scene, and how the technique avoided jarring the audience out of the story too much.

8. Duality & Subconscious Themes

[25:55–29:54]

• Janine continues to tease out “duality” in the script, but Robin and Mitch clarify that it wasn’t an intentional theme in the writers’ room.

  “That’s very common in scripts… People take different things from it, but I don’t think anybody was thinking that.”
  — Mitch Burgess, [27:19]

• They note that much of the literary texture comes from Henry Brummell’s influence.

9. Community & Nostalgia

[30:51–34:56]

• The cast and writers praise the show’s sense of community—“everybody’s there together”—and how that remains emotionally resonant.

  “That's another thing that I simply love… why people love Northern Exposure so much, is just the community.”
  — Janine Turner, [30:51]

• Shoutouts to supporting cast (especially Peg Phillips as Ruth-Anne) and excellent direction by Bill D'Elia.

10. The Writers’ Room: Competition & Literary Drive

[41:17–41:42]; [40:04–40:16]

• Mitch and Robin share about the culture of “good-natured competition” among the show’s writers, spurring them to new creative heights.

  “…we tried to outdo ourselves, like me and Robin, we tried to outdo Andy and Diane and Melvoin. It was really, we were really firing up by… the third year.”
  — Mitch Burgess, [41:17]

11. Literary Background vs. TV Tropes

[40:16–41:17]

• Robin and Mitch were “literary writers” (not just TV “technicians”), which infused the scripts and dialogue with depth and originality.

  “There was nothing ever until the end… ordinary about the scripts. The scripts were always profound. The dialogue was rich.”
  — Janine Turner, [40:22]

12. Post-Production & Editing

[41:42–42:13]; [43:01–43:33]

• Unlike today’s TV landscape, writers had less control over the final edit: “Josh and John did that stuff… we weren't there up in Seattle nearly enough.”
• They discuss the technical challenge of assembling dream sequences from film libraries (pre-Internet).

13. Non-Judgmental Universe

[43:39–44:28]

• Rob and Janine reflect on Josh Brand’s view of Cicely as a “non-judgmental universe” rather than “benevolent”—a contrast with David Chase’s later work (The Sopranos).

  “Josh told us that he didn’t think of it as a benevolent universe. He thought of it as… non-judgmental.”
  — Rob Morrow, [44:19]

14. Showrunner Transitions & Changes in Tone

[44:41–47:52]

• Robin and Mitch discuss what changed after David Chase (of The Sopranos) joined the show. The tone and visual aesthetic shifted, with later seasons becoming “darker” both thematically and visually.
• Mitch: “He did change the tone of Exposure.” [46:39]

15. Favorite Episodes & Behind-the-Scenes Insights

[47:52–50:39]

• Mitch and Robin recount memories of favorite scripts and challenging episodes—like “It’s not what you fling, it’s the fling itself,” and the production headaches (ADR, recuts) of other episodes.

16. Lasting Impact and Literary Life

[52:02–52:34]

• The group agrees that Northern Exposure “holds up” both in aesthetics and themes, and its “common themes” are even more desired today.

  “It did. It holds up… The show, really, it holds.”
  — Janine Turner, [52:05]

17. Robin Green’s Memoir & Ongoing Creativity

[52:24–52:47]

• Rob plugs Robin’s memoir: The Only Girl: My Life and Times on the Masthead of Rolling Stone.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Chris has this great line: ‘In this parallel universe we call reality, we've scripted in our own duel.’”
— Janine Turner, [04:58]

“We broke the fourth wall as actors, but we didn’t refer to each other with our own names. We still referred to each other in our character names.”
— Janine Turner, [21:04]

“I will say about the duel and breaking the fourth wall, it shouldn’t have worked, but it really works.”
— Robin Green, [23:49]

“That’s very common in scripts… People take different things from it. You know… I don't think anybody was thinking that [duality].”
— Mitch Burgess, [27:19]

“That's another thing that I simply love… why people love Northern Exposure so much, is just the community…”
— Janine Turner, [30:51]

“There was nothing ever, until the end, ordinary about the scripts. The scripts were always profound. The dialogue was rich… It was literary.”
— Janine Turner, [40:22]

“Josh told us that he didn’t think of it as a benevolent universe. He thought of it as… non-judgmental.”
— Rob Morrow, [44:19]

“We delighted in the writing of it and we delighted in the show. It was really fun. Really fun to write.”
— Robin Green, [41:35]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:27 – Episode summary and introduction to the themes
• 04:31 – Literary layers and dualities
• 08:57 – Robin and Mitch’s backgrounds
• 14:43 – The collaborative writing process
• 20:09 – Breaking the fourth wall scene and device
• 25:55 – Deeper analysis of duality (intended or not)
• 30:51 – Community and ensemble moments
• 40:16 – Literary writing vs. TV-writing conventions
• 43:39 – The show as a “non-judgmental universe”
• 44:41 – David Chase’s influence and later seasons
• 47:52 – Favorite episodes, memorable production challenges
• 52:02 – Lasting legacy and “common themes” today

Closing Thoughts

The episode is a warm, richly nostalgic, and deeply insightful reflection on what made Northern Exposure unique: its literary resonance, communal spirit, and willingness to play with narrative conventions. The unique chemistry between the cast and writers, revealed in anecdotes and playful banter, underscores why the series continues to resonate with fans decades later.

For more on Robin Green’s adventures, check out her memoir The Only Girl: My Life and Times on the Masthead of Rolling Stone.