Marilyn Whirlwind

Marilyn Whirlwind was a fictional character in the television show Northern Exposure, played by Elaine Miles. A heavyset Tlingit, Marilyn works as a receptionist for Joel Fleischman. She is noted for her taciturn, enigmatic manner, cynical wisdom, and utter unflappability. In the episode "The Bumpy Road to Love," Fleischman, having spent most of the episode held captive by the misanthropic Adam, returns after days of absence, utterly disheveled, still wearing the chains with which Adam had bound him, but his condition elicited no reaction from Marilyn whatsoever. When Fleischman expressed incredulity at this, Marilyn simply responded, "Your sterile sponges arrived." Marilyn was briefly involved with a "Flying Man" who worked with a circus, and their relationship was revisited and further developed in the fourth season. Towards the end of the run she developed a more permanent relationship with a local Alaska Native. For a time Marilyn raised African blueneck ostriches. However, Maurice Minnifield's attempts to market the ostriches' extremely large eggs eventually led to a decrease in egg supply, because, as Marilyn put it, "You make them nervous." Marilyn also has a skill for detective work, but avoids using it because she "doesn't want to judge people." In the fourth season Marilyn was revealed to be an accomplished piano player.