Directed by Stephen Cragg
Written by Karen Hall & Jerry Stahl
Joel tells a self-sustaining hermit named Soapy Sanderson (John McLiam) that his way of life can't continue, and he shocks both Joel and his old friend Maggie by committing suicide. He and Maggie are named joint executors of his 140-acre forest estate, and while Maggie wants to turn it into a nature preserve, Joel wants to give it back to the Indians, or rather, sell it to a group of rich Natives looking for a tax shelter and use the money to hire lawyers who can get him out of the contract keeping him in Cicely. While sharing a bottle of wine that Soapy also left them, Maggie thinks Joel is more sensitive than he is and almost falls for him. Meanwhile, two students from the institution Soapy taught at before moving to Alaska (one of whom is played by a young Christa Miller) interview the townsfolk about their lives and relationships with Soapy.
Tropes for the episode:
- Alliterative Name: Soapy Sanderson.
- Character Title: Soapy Sanderson
