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fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
s who appeared in ''
Northern Exposure ''Northern Exposure'' is an American Northern comedy-drama television series about the eccentric residents of a fictional small town in Alaska that ran on CBS from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 ...
'', an American television series which originally aired on CBS from July 1990 to July 1995.


Main characters

; Joel Fleischman : Joel (
Rob Morrow Robert Alan Morrow (born September 21, 1962) is an American actor and director. He is known for his portrayal of Dr. Joel Fleischman on ''Northern Exposure'', a role that garnered him three Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations for Best Actor i ...
) is the central character at the beginning of the series, a young, somewhat uptight
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
doctor from
Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the ...
(New York City) who is contractually bound to practice in the remote Alaskan town of Cicely for four years to repay a student loan from the government. The comedy centered originally on the clash between Fleischman's petty and neurotic, almost
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
-like, urban mindset and the easy-going, community-minded people around him. The role receded somewhat in importance by season four, as behind the scenes Morrow was involved in contentious contract negotiations, and Fleischman's character was minimized or even entirely absent for some later episodes. Morrow left the series in the middle of the sixth (and final) season. ; Maurice J. Minnifield : Maurice ( Barry Corbin) is a macho, patriotic ex-
astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
and millionaire entrepreneur, owner of the local radio station KBHR and newspaper, as well as fifteen thousand acres (60 km²) of local land. Determined to make tiny Cicely the next
boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although ...
, on "the cusp of the new Alaskan Riviera," Maurice arranges to bring Dr. Fleischman to the town, which previously had no permanent physician. In season 3, Maurice is visited by a South Korean man who turns out to be his son (Yung Duk Won) that he fathered during his deployment in South Korea in the 1950s as a Marine, who in turn has his own son (Yung Bong Joo) that makes Maurice a grandfather. ; Christopher Danforth Stevens : Chris ( John Corbett) is the
disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...
at KBHR, conceptual sculptor, and an ex-convict who spent most of his prison time reading, a fact which makes him one of the most well-educated people in Cicely. He intersperses the music of his morning show with philosophical musings on the nature of life and readings from such writers as
Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among t ...
,
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
,
Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
,
Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philo ...
, and
Maurice Sendak Maurice Bernard Sendak (; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book ''Where the Wild Things Are'', first published in 1963.Turan, Kenneth (October 16, 200 ...
(''
Where the Wild Things Are ''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several tim ...
''). Chris is also Cicely's only clergyman, ordained as a minister in the Universal Life Church through an advertisement in ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' magazine. As radio host "Chris in the Morning", he serves as the ''de facto'' narrator for the show. ; Mary Margaret "Maggie" O'Connell : Maggie ( Janine Turner) is a professional
bush pilot Bush flying refers to aircraft operations carried out in the bush. Bush flying involves operations in rough terrain where there are often no prepared landing strips or runways, frequently necessitating that bush planes be equipped with abnormally ...
, property agent and Fleischman's landlord. She was a
debutante A debutante, also spelled débutante, ( ; from french: débutante , "female beginner") or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and, as a new adult, is presented to society at a formal " ...
from a wealthy
Irish American , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...
family in
Grosse Pointe, Michigan Grosse Pointe is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,421. Grosse Pointe is an eastern suburb of Metro Detroit along Lake ...
. She is wary of having relationships with men because all five of her former boyfriends died in bizarre accidents while in the prime of life. However, she falls for Mike Monroe ( Anthony Edwards), a lawyer who is hyper-allergic to many man-made substances; in a reversal of her prior track record, he recovers completely and leaves. An ardent
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
, Maggie has a strong love-hate relationship with Fleischman, including the occasional sexual episode. ; Shelly Marie Tambo Vincoeur : Shelly (
Cynthia Geary Cynthia Geary (born March 21, 1965) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Shelly Tambo on the television series ''Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995), which earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Early life Encoura ...
) is a young
beauty pageant A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...
winner, Miss
Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arct ...
, with a somewhat ' surfer dude' shallow-but-sweet personality, who comes from
Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
,
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
. She is brought to Cicely by Maurice, who had hoped to marry her. Shortly after her arrival, she met and fell in love with the much older (by 44 years) Holling Vincoeur. Shelly nearly becomes a
bigamist In cultures where monogamy is mandated, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their marital status as married persons. I ...
when she almost marries Holling before divorcing minor league hockey player Wayne Jones (
Brandon Douglas Brandon Douglas (born June 21, 1968) is an American actor. He first came to prominence in the television series ''Falcon Crest'', in which he played Ben Agretti during the 1988–1989 season. He played Wayne Jones in an episode of the TV series ...
), whom she had married solely to get him to stop proposing. ; Holling Gustav Vincoeur : Holling (
John Cullum John Cullum (born circa 1930) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including '' Shenandoah'' (1975) and ''On the Twentieth Century'' (1978), winning the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Mus ...
) is a
sexagenarian Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...
hunter and owner of The Brick
bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...
and
restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
, where he lives upstairs with Shelly. Born in
Québec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
(or the
Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
; both are mentioned in different seasons) and later becoming a naturalized US citizen, he had been best friends with Maurice until they had a falling out over Shelly. His father and grandfather both lived to be over 100 years old, spending most of their lives as widowers despite marrying much younger women; fearing the same bitter fate, Holling had sworn off love until Shelly appeared. He claims to be a direct descendant of King
Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Versa ...
and attempts to distance himself as much as possible from his despotic ancestors, all despicable people. After 23 years as unelected
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of Cicely, he loses that post to Edna Hancock, who runs against him because of a grudge, in the town's very first election in 1992. ; : Ed (
Darren E. Burrows Darren E. Burrows (born September 12, 1966) is an American actor and director. He is best known for playing Ed Chigliak in the television series '' Northern Exposure''. He also appeared in ''Cry-Baby'', '' Amistad'', '' Sunset Strip'', '' Forty ...
) is a mild-mannered, amiably tactless half- Native Alaskan who was abandoned as a young child and raised by the local Tlingits. He works for Maurice and later part-time at Ruth-Anne's general store. A film
buff Buff or BUFF may refer to: People * Buff (surname), a list of people * Buff (nickname), a list of people * Johnny Buff, ring name of American world champion boxer John Lisky (1888–1955) * Buff Bagwell, a ring name of American professional wr ...
and would-be
director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...
, he is also a
shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
-in-training and is occasionally visited by his invisible spirit guide, One-Who-Waits, and by his personal demon, a dwarf who embodies Ed's low self-esteem. Ed writes, directs, and produces his own film about Cicely and another film about a fellow Native American's traditional handicraft. ; Ruth-Anne Miller : Ruth-Anne (
Peg Phillips Peg Phillips (born Margaret Linton, September 20, 1918 – November 7, 2002) was an American actress best known for playing storekeeper Ruth-Anne Miller on the television series ''Northern Exposure''. Early life Phillips was born Margaret L ...
) is the
septuagenarian Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...
owner of the general store who moved to Cicely thirty years earlier from
Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
. A widow, she lives alone until late in the series, when she becomes involved with Walt Kupfer (see below). Like Holling, she is one of the more rational/balanced characters and always has an open ear for her customers' personal problems. She too is a film buff and has earnest conversations with Ed on this topic. ; Marilyn Whirlwind : Marilyn (
Elaine Miles Elaine Miles (born in Pendleton, Oregon) is an American actress known for her role as Marilyn Whirlwind in the television series ''Northern Exposure''. Biography Elaine Miles was born in Pendleton, Oregon, of Cayuse/Nez Perce ancestry, and ...
) is Fleischman's Native Alaskan
receptionist A receptionist is an employee taking an office or administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business. The title ''receptionist'' is attributed to ...
. Preternaturally patient and imperturbable, Marilyn speaks sparingly, while her boss rarely stops talking. She occasionally offers up wisdom in the form of a Native American folk legend in response to another Cicelian who is troubled about some issue. ; Phil Capra : Phil (
Paul Provenza Paul Provenza (born July 31, 1957) is a television presenter, actor, radio panelist, stand-up comedian, filmmaker, and skeptic based in Los Angeles. He has appeared on several podcasts and in recent years has interviewed other stand-up comedians. ...
) is recruited as town physician after Fleischman takes to the wilderness. A refugee from
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, Capra is more gracious than Fleischman in a small town setting, but even more hapless. The character of Phil Capra was introduced in the show's final season. Provenza was originally hired to take over the role of Dr. Joel Fleischman. The difference in their appearance was to be attributed to a new haircut, with Maggie O'Connell commenting, "It suits you." This idea was rejected to avoid alienating Morrow's fans. ; Michelle Schowdowski Capra : Michelle (
Teri Polo Theresa Elizabeth Polo (born June 1, 1969) is an American actress. She starred as Pam Byrnes-Focker in the ''Meet the Parents'' trilogy and played the role of police officer Stef Adams Foster in the Freeform series '' The Fosters'' (2013–201 ...
) is Phil's wife. She is a writer for publications such as in-flight airline magazines. She gets work as a reporter for a newspaper owned by Maurice Minnifield, but when Maurice starts applying editorial pressure, she decides she prefers waitressing at the Brick. For a time, she has visions of Fleischman's rabbi, Schulman. The character of Michelle Schowdowski Capra was introduced in the show's final season.


Recurring characters

; Adam : Adam ( Adam Arkin) is an abrasive, ungroomed, misanthropic, bilious, cantankerous and colorful "genius" gourmet chef who may or may not have worked for the
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
in the past, which may explain how he has so much information about everyone. He lives off the grid and in the woods, and was first introduced as a mythic legend figure, something akin to
Bigfoot Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a purported ape-like creature said to inhabit the forest of North America. Many dubious articles have been offered in attempts to prove the existence of Bigfoot, including anecdotal claims o ...
. People in Cicely spoke of him as a tall-tale figure at first. Adam usually has a chip on his shoulder and offers an offensive rebuttal to anyone who compliments him. He is married to Eve. Arkin directed one of the episodes in the fourth season. ; Dave : Dave is the cheerful Native American
cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * ...
at the Brick. In early episodes, he has few lines, but his role expands in later seasons, particularly in scenes with Holling and Shelly, but also with Joel, who often asks him to explain local Native American customs. Dave and Shelly appear to get along particularly well, likely because of their similarly friendly personalities. He was called Buffalo Child in the episode "Sex, Lies, and Ed's Tape", and then William J. White. ;Eugene : Eugene ( Earl Quewezance) replaced Dave as the cook at the Brick near the end of the fifth season. ; Earl the Barber : Earl is a frequent background extra played by Jerry Morris, the real owner of the barbershop that appears in the show. ; Eve : Eve (
Valerie Mahaffey Valerie Mahaffey (born June 16, 1953) is an American character actress and producer. She began her career starring in the NBC daytime soap opera '' The Doctors'' (1979–81), for which in 1980 she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outst ...
) is the
hypochondriacal Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. An old concept, the meaning of hypochondria has repeatedly changed. It has been claimed that this debilitating cond ...
heiress to a
tungsten Tungsten, or wolfram, is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. Tungsten is a rare metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively as compounds with other elements. It was identified as a new element in 1781 and first isolat ...
fortune; she is also Adam's wife and a Christian Scientist. First introduced in the season three episode "The Bumpy Road to Love", where a house call by Joel leads to an argument between her and Adam, her hitting Joel with a pan and reconciliation with Adam. Mahaffey won an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
in 1992 for her portrayal of Eve during that season. Eve and Adam spend part of each year as
jet-set In journalism, jet set is a term for an international social group of wealthy people who travel the world to participate in social activities unavailable to ordinary people. The term, which replaced "café society", came from the lifestyle of tra ...
ters and part as near-hermits in a cabin near Cicely. She and Adam eventually have a child together, named Aldridge. ; Lester Haines : Lester (
Apesanahkwat Apesanahkwat (born January 19, 1949) is a Native American tribal leader and a film and television actor. Apesanahkwat served as tribal chairman of the Menominee Indian Reservation eight times. He served in the United States Marine Corps and is ...
) is the fourth wealthiest man in the interior (and as a
Haida Haida may refer to: Places * Haida, an old name for Nový Bor * Haida Gwaii, meaning "Islands of the People", formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands * Haida Islands, a different archipelago near Bella Bella, British Columbia Ships * , a 1 ...
, the first native to crack the top five). He is regarded as a rival by the wealthiest, Maurice. His daughter Heather Haines is briefly Ed Chigliak's love interest. ; Erick Reese Hillman and Ron Bantz : Erick ( Don McManus) and Ron ( Doug Ballard) are a gay couple who (at the end of season two) buy a house from Maurice in order to open an upscale bed and breakfast called the Sourdough Inn. They are married by Chris late in the fifth season. ; Caldecott "Cal" E. Ingraham : Cal ( Simon Templeman) is a
violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
ist who becomes so obsessed with a valuable antique violin purchased by Maurice that he attempts to kill Maurice. He reappears in several episodes. ; Hayden Keyes : Hayden (
James L. Dunn James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...
) is Cicely's blacksmith by trade and a firewood salesman, in addition to performing other odd jobs. He is well liked, but has a shady past and is not above stealing and trying an insurance scam. ; Walter "Walt" Kupfer : Walt (
Moultrie Patten Moultrie Patten (June 10, 1919 – March 18, 2009) was an American actor and jazz musician. Patten was perhaps best known for his role as Walt the trapper on the American television series '' Northern Exposure'', which aired from 1990 until 1995 ...
) is a rugged but friendly
fur trapper Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily #Guard hair, guard hair on top and thick #Down hair, underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as ...
, and love interest of Ruth-Anne Miller in later seasons. He was addicted to his work as a
stockbroker A stockbroker is a regulated broker, broker-dealer, or registered investment adviser (in the United States) who may provide financial advisory and investment management services and execute transactions such as the purchase or sale of stocks an ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and retired to Cicely on the advice of his doctor "more than 30 years" ago. ; Mike Monroe : Mike ( Anthony Edwards) is a hyper-
allergic Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derma ...
lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
turned climate activist. He is initially nicknamed "The Bubble Man" by the citizens of Cicely. Mike comes to Alaska to escape the pollution that gave him
multiple chemical sensitivity Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), also known as idiopathic environmental intolerances (IEI), is an unrecognized and controversial diagnosis characterized by chronic symptoms attributed to exposure to low levels of commonly used chemicals. Symp ...
. Maggie O'Connell, attracted by Mike's show of courage in battling his illness, encourages him to come out of his airtight house more often, and they briefly become a couple. In an apparent inversion of "Maggie's Curse," Mike's symptoms suddenly vanish, whereupon he leaves town to join a
Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...
ship at
Murmansk Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') i ...
, much to Maggie's disappointment. ; One-Who-Waits : One-Who-Waits (
Floyd Westerman Floyd Westerman, also known as ''Kanghi Duta'' ("Red Crow" in Dakota) (August 17, 1936 – December 13, 2007), was a Dakota Sioux musician, political activist, and actor. After establishing a career as a country music singer, later in his life h ...
) is Ed Chigliak's spirit guide, the ghost of a long-dead chief from Ed's Native American Bear clan. ; Richard "Rick" Pederson : Rick (
Grant Goodeve Grant Goodeve (born July 6, 1952) is an American actor and television host. He is best known for his role as David Bradford, the eldest son on ABC television's ''Eight Is Enough'' from 1977 to 1981; he sang the theme song for the show, as well. M ...
) is Maggie O'Connell's first-season boyfriend. He dies at the end of the second season when an errant
satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...
falls on him during a camping trip. After his death, it is revealed that he was a compulsive sex addict who cheated on Maggie with hundreds of other women. In one episode after Rick's death, Maggie encounters one of them face-to-face where they discuss Rick's relational complexities. ; Leonard Quinhagak : Leonard (
Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...
) is a native medicine man, Marilyn's cousin and Ed's mentor. He is also the local totem pole carver, which is featured in an episode where he creates a totem for the Whirlwind family, which rekindles a long-running
feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
between the Raven and Bear
clans A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...
. ; Elaine Schulman : Elaine (
Jessica Lundy Jessica R. Lundy (born March 20, 1966) is an American actress best known for her television roles, especially as Joel Fleishman's fiancée/ex-fiancée Elaine Shulman on the series '' Northern Exposure''. Early life and education Lundy was born in ...
) is Joel Fleishman's fiancée/ex-fiancée. She is first heard in an outgoing message on an answering machine, and first appears in the season 1 episode "Russian Flu", when she visits Joel in Cicely. After breaking up with Joel by letter in order to marry a retired judge, she visits Joel again after the death of her husband in the season 2 episode "Roots". ; Rabbi Schulman : Schulman ( Jerry Adler) is Joel's
rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
from New York City. He inexplicably appears to Joel in "
visions Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...
"—and also once to Michelle Capra. ; Sergeant Barbara Semanski : Barbara ( Diane Delano) is a rugged Alaska
state trooper State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction ...
and gun enthusiast, and the on-again/off-again love interest of Maurice Minnifield. She is a no-nonsense law enforcement officer who is very particular about enforcing each and every law. When she learns that Maurice cheats on his income tax return, she leaves him. She does the same when she finds he is harboring a fugitive; and even arrests Maurice for a minor offense. ; Bernard Stevens : Bernard ( Richard Cummings Jr.) is Chris's " half-brother and spiritual
doppelgänger A doppelgänger (), a compound noun formed by combining the two nouns (double) and (walker or goer) (), doppelgaenger or doppelganger is a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person. In fiction and mythology, a doppelg ...
." Their father was a bigamist "travelling man" (a reference to the Ricky Nelson song "
Travelin' Man "Travelin' Man" is an American popular song, best known as a 1961 hit single sung by Ricky Nelson. Singer-songwriter Jerry Fuller wrote it with Sam Cooke in mind, but Cooke's manager was unimpressed and did not keep the demo, which eventually wou ...
") whose double life was exposed only after his death. Their relationship extends beyond being merely half-brothers, as they also share dreams, emotions, and thoughts. They have the same birthday and birth year, making them "twins," despite having different mothers, one white and the other
black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
.


Notes


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Northern Exposure Lists of American comedy-drama television series characters