Episode: 6.23

Title: Tranquility Base

Written by: Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess, and Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Michael Fresco

Aired: July 26, 1995

Log line: The new lodge at Tranquility Base opens and Maurice is confronted with a decision about his new "life partner," Chris realizes how much he misses Maggie at the festivities, and Michelle decides to make up her own mind for a change. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.22

Title: Let's Dance 

Written by: Sam Egan

Directed by: Michael Vittes

Aired: July 19, 1995

Log line: Manners make the man when Phil unwittingly offends a Tlingit elder, and Chris joins Marilyn’s cotillion class in order to deal with his two left feet. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.21

Title: Ursa Minor

Written by: 

Directed by: Sam Egan

Aired: July 12, 1995

Log line: Ed adopts an orphan bear then can't get rid of him; Chris cheats on Maggie inside his lucid dreams; Michelle takes up waitressing at The Brick and Maurice seeks to increase Cicely's population.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.20

Title: Buss Stop 

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Daniel Attias 

Aired: April 24, 1995

Log line: Everyone wants to take centre stage when Michelle organizes a production of Bus Stop, but as opening night approaches, stage fright brings much of the cast to a standstill. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.19

Title: Balls 

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Scott Paulin 

Aired: June 4, 1995

Log line: A doubles bowling tournament brings out the best and worst in everyone as Phil and Michelle strike out, Chris finds Maggie the perfect partner, and Ed and Heather's future plans keep colliding. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.18

Title: Little Italy

Written by: Stephen Cragg 

Directed by: Jeff Melvoin

Aired: March 15, 1995

Log line: Everyone's behaving badly when Phil gets in the middle of an Italian family feud, Ruth-Anne looks for another "quirky" resident tale for her radio show, and Holling punches a moose head in the middle of the bar. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.17

Title: The Graduate

Written by: Sam Egan

Directed by: James Hayman

Aired: March 8, 1995

Log line: There are some important lessons to be learned when Maggie takes over ownership of the movie theatre, Chris takes his oral exams for his master's degree, and Holling comes face-to-face with the child he's supported financially for years. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.16

Title: Lucky People 

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Janet Greek 

Aired: February 15, 1995

Log line: Change takes its toll when Michelle and Phil realize they've just invested all their money in a place they hate, Maurice tries to buy his way into a family, and Maggie and Chris make an unexpected connection over a run-down Model T. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.15

Title: The Quest

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Michael Vittes

Aired: February 8, 1995

Log line: Fable and folly become one when Joel and Maggie search for the mythical Jeweled City of the North, leaving behind a resentful Chris.  

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.14

Title: The Mommy's Curse

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Michael Lange

Aired: February 1, 1995

Log line: Maggie is convinced she's inherited the dead-boyfriend curse from her mother when her mother's new beau passes away peacefully during a pool game. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.13

Title: Horns

Written by: Jeff Melvoin 

Directed by: Michael Fresco

Aired: January 18, 1995

Log line: There's something strange in the newly tapped Cicely water when the residents start taking on the traits of the opposite sex. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.12

Title: Mi Casa, Su Casa

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Daniel Attias

Aired: January 11, 1995

Log line: The residents learn that moving up in life doesn't always include moving on physically when Shelly and Holling look for a new home and Ed's housesitting assignment has him remodeling his personality.  

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

6.11

Title: The Great Mushroom 

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider 

Directed by: James Hayman

Aired: January 4, 1995

Log line: On Joel's birthday, Maggie sets off to Manonash to rescue him from an untimely death; what begins as a dinner party turns into much more for the Capras. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.10

Title: Realpolitik

Written by: Sam Egan

Directed by: Victor Lobl

Aired: December 15, 1994

Log line: There's more than one new game in town when Maggie embraces her role as mayor, and Phil and Joel play a metaphysical round of golf.  

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.9

Title: Sons of the Tundra

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Michael Vittes

Aired: November 28, 1994

Log line: A new doctor and his wife arrive in Cicely, where life is moving along as usual: Holling yearns to join a men's club, Joel searches for a new hunting knife, and Ed sees the future after eating a magical trout. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.8

Title: Up River

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Michael Fresco

Aired: November 14, 1994

Log line: Ed sets out up the river to retrieve Joel, who has settled there in a primitive native village, while Chris wrestles with his own domestic troubles when he has his trailer remodeled. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.7

Title: Full Upright Position

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Oz Scott

Aired: November 7, 1994

Log line: As they leave together on an all-expenses paid trip to Russia, it's blue skies ahead for Joel and Maggie ... or is it? 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.6

Title: Zarya

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Jim Charleston

Aired: October 31, 1994

Log line: It's lights, camera, action as Ed films Marilyn telling the story of her grandfather, his relationship with a Russian princess and their plans to meet in Cicely. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.5

Title: The Robe

Written by: Lorraine Senna Ferrara

Directed by: Sam Egan

Aired: October 17, 1994

Log line: The stakes are high when Shelly considers making a deal with the Devil to allow gambling in Cicely. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.4

Title: The Letter

Written by: Meredith Stiehm 

Directed by: Jim Charleston

Aired: October 10, 1994

Log line: Missives abound in Cicely as Maggie reads a note she wrote to herself as a teenager and Shelly wonders about a threatening chain letter; Joel's worry that he may have cancer leads to a new lease on life. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.3

Title: Shofar, So Good

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: James Hayman

Aired: October 3, 1994

Log line: The ghost of Yom Kippur allows Joel to examine his present, past and even future behaviour - and the effects are haunting. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 6.2

Title: Eye of the Beholder

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Jim Charleston

Aired: September 26, 1994

Log line: Ed takes a part-time job as a private investigator but is troubled by his first surveillance; an auction for the expansion of the Cicely library brings unexpected consequences for both buyers and donors.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

We have finally reached the end of Season Five. In this podcast episode, we discuss themes and arcs of the season, and we reveal our favourite and least favourite moments, major and guest characters, dream sequences, etc. All will be revealed.

Episode: 5.24

Title: Lovers and Madmen

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: James Hayman

Aired: May 23,1994

Log line: Joel discovers a perfectly-preserved woolly mammoth; Maurice breaks a concert violinist out of an asylum for a private performance; Chris gets a rude awakening when his high school crush visits. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.23

Title: Blood Ties

Written by: Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green

Directed by: Thomas R. Moore

Aired: May 16,1994

Log line: Maggie's childhood male friend from Grosse Pointe arrives in Cicely; Joel loses his confidence during the annual blood drive; Ed think he's finally found his mother.  

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.22

Title: Grand Prix

Written by: Barbara Hall

Directed by: Michael Lange

Aired: May 9,1994

Log line: Maurice brings the world-renowned sport of wheelchair racing to Cicely; Ed battles External Validation to help a patient; Ted learns of the loneliness of wealth.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.21

Title: I Feel the Earth Move

Written by: Jed Seidel

Directed by: Michael Fresco

Aired: May 2, 1994

Log line: Ron and Erick tie the knot after eight years; Maggie develops a severe nausea that she thinks is caused by Joel.  

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.20

Title: A Wing and a Prayer

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Lorraine Senna Ferrara

Aired: April 11, 1994

Log line: Ed spreads gossip about Ruth-Anne's love life; Maggie builds a home-kit airplane; Holling and Shelly baptize Randi. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.18

Title: Fish Story

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Bill D'Elia

Aired: March 14, 1994

Log line: Joel has an otherworldly experience when Maggie want to prepare a Passover dinner for him; Ruth-Anne abandons the store for the open road; Holling takes up paint-by-numbers. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.17

Title: Una Volta in L'Inverno

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Michael Vittes

Aired: March 7, 1994

Log line: Joel and Maggie are forced to take refuge in an airfield shack during a snowstorm; Ruth-Anne studies Italian with Shelly as her unlikely tutor; Walt becomes addicted to a special light visor to help his depression.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.16

Title: Northern Hospitality

Written by: Barbara Hall

Directed by: Oz Scott

Aired: February 28, 1994

Log line: Maggie teaches Joel a lesson in social etiquette; Chris is shaken when a KBHR listener blames him in his suicide note; Shelly takes Randi to Canada to see her roots.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.15

Title: Hello, I Love You

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Michael Fresco

Aired: January 31, 1994

Log line: Shelly finally gives birth. Ruth-Anne and Walt are stranded overnight; Maggie and Joel become less competitive.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.14

Title: A Bolt From the Blue

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Michael Lange

Aired: January 24, 1994

Log line: Maurice and Adam clash over the hired help for a fireworks display; Joel tutors a patient on the art of conversation; Ed is struck by lightning. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.13

Title: Mite Makes Right

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Michael Vittes

Aired: January 17, 1994

Log line: Maggie becomes obsessed with dust mites; Maurice gets more than he bargained for when he invests in a rare violin; Chris reaches an artistic impasse on a sculpture. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.12

Title: Mr. Sandman

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Michael Fresco

Aired: January 10, 1994

Log line: When the Aurora Borealis goes haywire, everyone in Cicely is swapping dreams; Holling develops a severe psychosomatic aversion to food; Maurice deals with his fetish for women's footwear.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.11

Title: Baby Blues

Written by: Barbara Hall

Directed by: Jim Charleston

Aired: January 3, 1994

Log line: Shelly is nervous about childbirth; Ed discovers cutthroat showbiz; Maggie and Joel dislike kids. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.10

Title: First Snow

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Daniel Attias

Aired: December 13, 1993

Log line: Joel is traumatized by the natural death of an older patient and friend; Maurice is devastated when Shelly lies about ever loving him; Maggie has a nagging sense that something is missing when she spruces up her house for winter hibernation.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.9

Title: A Cup of Joe

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Michael Lange

Aired: November 22, 1993

Log line: Holling and Ruth-Anne discover that their grandfathers knew each other - and one ate the other; Chris attempts to become a licensed pilot; Joel discovers that Marilyn is a supersleuth. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.8

Title: Heal Thyself

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Michael Katleman

Aired: November 15, 1993

Log line: Ed is taunted by the Green Man; Holling shocks Shelly when he is disruptive during birth class; Maggie misses the weekly laundromat gossip-fest when she buys her own washer and dryer. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.7

Title: Rosebud

Written by: Barbara Hall

Directed by: Michael Fresco

Aired: November 8, 1993

Log line: Maurice enlists Ed's expertise to organize a film festival in Cicely; Joel is pressured to join Cicely's volunteer fire department. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.6

Title: Birds of a Feather

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Mark Horowitz

Aired: November 1, 1993

Log line: When Joel's parents trek to Cicely, it ends up being a soul-searching time for all three; Holling shocks everyone when he reveals that he is bored by sports.  

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.5

Title: A River Doesn't Run Through It

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Nick Marck

Aired: October 25, 1993

Log line: Maggie is Homecoming Queen; Maurice reluctantly admits a business defeat; Ruth-Anne is audited. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.4

Title: Altered Egos

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: John Coles

Aired: October 11, 1993

Log line: Chris is disturbed that Bernard's girlfriend, who is also Chris' ex-lover, cannot tell them apart in bed; Joel is obssessed that he is losing his New York edge; Marilyn snoops through Dr. Fleischman's medical files to pick a healthy man.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.3

Title: Jaws of Life

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Jim Charleston

Aired: October 4, 1993

Log line: Maurice is tormented by a wax replica of himself; Chris discovers that he may live long enough to see forty; the dental mobile comes to Cicely. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 5.1

Title: Three Doctors

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider 

Directed by: Dan Attias

Aired: September 20, 1993

Log line: The whole town pitches in when Joel is stricken by "Glacier Dropsy"; Ed is confused when he is called to be a shaman; much to her disappointment, Shelly finally stops singing.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

We have finally reached the end of Season Four. In this podcast episode, we discuss themes and arcs of the season, and we reveal our favourite and least favourite moments, major and guest characters, dream sequences, etc. All will be revealed.

Episode: 4.25

Title: Old Tree

Written by: Diane Frolov and Robin Green 

Directed by: Michael Fresco

Aired: May 24, 1993

Log line: When an old tree considered to be a Cicely historical landmark appears to be dying, Joel dons a tree doctor's hat and gives his prognosis.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.24

Title: Sleeping with the Enemy

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Frank Prinzi

Aired: May 17, 1993

Log line: Duk Won seeks approval of his bethrothed; Ed makes a movie; Holling wants more sex.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.23

Title: Mud and Blood

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Jim Charleston

Aired: May 11, 1993

Log line: At the coming of spring, Maggie and Holling find affirmation of life in Shelly's pregnancy.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.22

Title: Kaddish for Uncle Manny

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Michael Lange

Aired: May 3, 1993

Log line: When Joel's uncle dies, he discovers that the important bonds in times of trouble are not necessarily from a common religion, but rather a sense of community.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.21

Title: The Big Feast

Written by: Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green

Directed by: Rob Thompson

Aired: March 22, 1993

Log line: To celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Minnifield Communications, Maurice plans an extremely elaborate party; Adam and Eve return to Cicely with their new baby. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.20

Title: Homesick

Written by: Jeffrey Vlaming

Directed by: Nick Marck

Aired: March 15, 1993

Log line: When Mike gets test results showing he is completely healthy, he feels obligated to leave Cicely and Maggie behind to continue his environmental crusade. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.19

Title: Family Feud

Written by: David Assael

Directed by: Adam Arkin

Aired: March 8, 1993

Log line: When a totem pole is carved for the Whirlwind family, a family feud originating from an incident in 1934 is resurrected, dividing the Native Americans in Cicely. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.18

Title: Northern Lights

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Bill D'Elia

Aired: March 1, 1993

Log line: Maurice befriends Cicely's first homeless man; Joel goes on strike when his vacation is denied; Ruth-Anne, Chris, and Holling perform their various winter rituals. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.17

Title: Love's Labour Mislaid

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Joe Napolitano

Aired: February 22, 1993

Log line: Maggie forgets having sex with Joel; Ed faces an arranged marriage; a rare bird is seen.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.16

Title: Ill Wind

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Rob Thompson

Aired: February 15, 1993

Log line: Drastic tension between Maggie and Joel; Maurice is unhappy when Chris saves his life; Ed is intrigued by death. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.15

Title: Learning Curve

Written by: Jeff Vlaming

Directed by: Michael Vittes

Aired: February 8, 1993

Log line: Much to Joel's distress, Marilyn goes on vacation by herself; Holling attempts to earn his high school diploma; the regional teacher spends two weeks in Cicely and almost becomes a role model for Maggie. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.14

Title: Grosse Pointe, 48230

Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Michael Katleman

Aired: February 1, 1993

Log line: Maggie bribes Joel into accompanying her to her grandmother's birthday party in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.13

Title: Duets

Written by: Geoffrey Neigher

Directed by: Win Phelps

Aired: January 18, 1993

Log line: Ed's spiritual guide leads him to his natural father; Maggie and Mike share their first kiss; a traveling piano tuner visits the Brick to adjust its ancient upright.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.12

Title: Revelations

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Daniel Attias

Aired: January 11, 1993

Log line: Chris takes his vacation at a monastery; Ruth-Anne pays Maurice the remaining amount owed on her store; Joel becomes incredibly antsy when he has no patients.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.11

Title: Survival of the Species

Written by: Denise Dobbs

Directed by: Dean Parisot

Aired: January 4, 1993

Log line: It's human nature versus Mother Nature when Ed's terrifying apocalyptic dream scares him into making a plan to save the world. But Maggie is more concerned with the environment in her front yard when she discovers artifacts from an ancient female. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.10

Title: Crime and Punishment

Written by: Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Rob Thompson

Aired: December 14, 1992

Log line: Chris' past finally catches up with him and he is apprehended and tried for breaking parole in the state of West Virginia many years earlier.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.9

Title: Do the Right Thing

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Nick Marck

Aired: November 30, 1992

Log line: An ex-member of the KGB visits Cicely to sell Maurice his official Russian dossier; a health inspector surveys The Brick for the first time in more than thirty years; Maggie makes a vow to herself to live each day as if it was her last.  

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.8

Title: Thanksgiving

Written by: David Assael

Directed by: Michael Fresco

Aired: November 23, 1992

Log line: Cicely readies itself for the annual Day of the Dead parade and Thanksgiving Day feast; Joel discovers he owes the state of Alaska a fifth year of service.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.7

Title: The Bad Seed

Written by: Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Randall Miller

Aired: November 16, 1992

Log line: Everyone is shocked when Holling's unknown illegitimate daughter arrives in town - especially Holling who believed he was sterile. Maggie assists Marilyn in her search for her dream house. Ed is excited about his annual visit from Princess, a crane he took under his wing when she was abandoned as a baby.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.5

Title: Blowing Bubbles

Written by: Mark Perry

Directed by: Rob Thompson

Aired: November 2, 1992

Log line: A mysterious new resident quarantines himself in Cicely, arousing Maggie's interest and Joel's disbelief. Ruth-Anne must also cope with a new addition to the community - her materialistic son, Matthew, who gives up his career as an investment banker in Atlanta in search of a simpler life.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.3

Title: Nothing's Perfect

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Nick Marck

Aired: October 12, 1992

Log line: Chris kills a dog with his truck and quickly falls in love with its owner. Maurice buys an extremely expensive Augsburg clock and with its delivery comes a highly trained specialist to install it.  

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.2

Title: Midnight Sun

Written by: Geoffrey Neigher

Directed by: Michael Katleman

Aired: October 5, 1992

Log line: Joel is "light loony" and, with his enormous amount of excess energy, coaches the Cicely Quarks in their annual basketball game against Sleetmute. An old friend drops in to visit Ruth-Anne and outfits the town from his collection of fashionable ensembles.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 4.1

Title: Northwest Passages

Written by: Robin Green

Directed by: Dean Parisot

Aired: September 28, 1992

Log line: To celebrate her thirtieth birthday, Maggie spends the weekend camping alone to reflect on her life an cleanse her soul. Marilyn asks Chris to help her learn how to drive. Maurice rambles endlessly into a recorder about his past in an attempt to write his memoirs.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

We have finally reached the end of Season Three. In this podcast episode, we discuss themes and arcs of the season, and we reveal our favourite and least favourite moments, characters...all will be revealed.

Episode: 3.23

Title: Cicely 

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider 

Directed by: Rob Thompson

Aired: May 18, 1992

Log line: Joel stumbles upon an elderly sage who tells him the story of Cicely's creation. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.22

Title: Our Wedding

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider 

Directed by: Nick Marck

Aired: May 11, 1992

Log line: Adam and Eve decide to wed for the baby's sake; Maggie avoids Joel like the plague, still believing that they slept together in Juneau; Officer Semanski serves Maurice with an official complaint. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.21

Title: It Happened in Juneau

Written by: David Assael

Directed by: Michael Katleman

Aired: May 4, 1992

Log line: Things heat up between Joel and Maggie when they are forced to share a hotel room; Chris and his brother Bernard for the first time are not in perfect synch with each other. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.20

Title: The Final Frontier

Written by: Jeffrey Vlaming

Directed by: Tom Moore

Aired: April 27, 1992

Log line: Much to Holling's dismay Ed discovers that Jesse the bear has died; Japanese tourists infiltrate Cicely; a package that has traveled the world arrives in Cicely addressed to an unknown person.  

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.19

Title: Wake Up Call

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider 

Directed by: Nick Marck

Aired: March 23, 1992

Log line: The coming of spring brings love to Maggie, a new skin to Shelly and a reminder to Joel of the importance of blending compassion with his scientific knowledge.  

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.18

Title: My Mother, My Sister

Written by: Kate Boutilier and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Rob Thompson

Aired: March 16, 1992

Log line: Shelly's mother drops in unexpectedly with her new twenty-four-year-old husband, a baby abandoned in Joel's waiting room is temporarily adopted by the townspeople, and Adam undergoes the same changes as his pregnant wife.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.17

Title: Lost and Found

Written by: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Steve Robman 

Aired: March 9, 1992

Log line: Joel discovers his cabin is haunted, Eve is worried that she is suffering from an exotic illness, and Maurice is disappointed when his old friend from Korea turns out to be less than perfect.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.16

Title: The Three Amigos

Written by:  Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess

Directed by: Matthew Nodella

Aired:  March 2, 1992

Log Line: The death of a rugged hunting companion sends Holling and Maurice into the wilderness to make good on a promise to bury him miles from civilization at a paradise called No-Name Point.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.15

Title: Democracy in America 

Written by:  Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Michael Katleman

Aired:  February 24, 1992

Log Line: Mayoral incumbent Holling is stung by the news that he has a formidable opponent, old friend Edna Hancock, who's got a bee in her bonnet over a promise he never kept. The election also finds Shelly testing the aphrodisiac of power, Ed anticipating his first time voting, and Joel and Maggie arguing party politics.  

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.14

Title: Burning Down the House

Written by:  Robin Green 

Directed by: Rob Thompson

Aired:  February 3, 1992

Log Line: Maggie receives a double dose of disaster when her mother accidentally burns down her house after announcing she is divorcing Maggie's father. Meanwhile, Chris searches for the "right" cow as part of his new piece of performance art.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.12

Title: Our Tribe

Written by:  David Assael

Directed by: Lee Shallat

Aired:  January 13, 1992

Log Line: Joel reluctantly undergoes a cultural conversion after receiving a goat as a gift from a grateful village elder, who insists on "adopting" him into her tribe, and a mysterious Holling shuts down the Brick, ostensibly to wax the floors. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

The Alaskan Riviera is interviewing Northern Exposure fans, and people who have been inspired to work on a project related to the show. This week, we talk to Chris Valley and Stephanie White, who happen to run three (!) Northern Exposure Facebook Pages:

Northern Exposure Philosophy

Ed Chigliak

KBHR's Chris and Bernard

Check out Chris and Stephanie's answers to our Northern Exposure questionnaire on our blog.

Episode: 3.11

Title: Dateline Cicely

Written by:  Jeff Melvoin

Directed by: Michael Fresco

Aired:  January 6, 1992

Log Line: Maurice goes out on a limb to spice up his newspaper’s coverage by hiring an unnamed reporter given to clandestine meetings. Maggie talks to trees, but Joel won’t listen, and to ease Holling’s tax debts, Chris becomes a partner at the Brick, where he sets about sprucing up the place.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.10

Title: Seoul Mates

Written by:  Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Jack Bender

Aired:  December 16, 1991

Log Line: Maurice, dreading being alone for the holidays, gets a big surprise when his gift is an instant family of his own. Meanwhile Maggie, dreading being with her family, gets a big surprise when her parents opt for a Caribbean Christmas without her.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.9

Title: Get Real

Written by:  Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

Directed by: Michael Katleman 

Aired:  December 9, 1991

Log Line: Magic is in the air when the circus comes to Cicely. Marilyn becomes romantically involved with The Flying Man, while Holling fears his passion for Shelly may be waning when he realizes her feet are big. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.8

Title: A-Hunting We Will Go

Written by:  Craig Volk

Directed by: Bill D'Elia

Aired:  November 18, 1991

Log Line: After grousing about the hunting frenzy sweeping Cicely, Joel sees firsthand what it's all about by outfitting himself to join Chris and Holling for the primal ritual in the wilds. Holling, however, prefers the home fires to the campfire, while, back in town, Ed fears that Ruth-Anne is being stalked by the Grim Reaper. 

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

Episode: 3.7

Title: Roots

Written by:  Dennis Koening

Directed by: Sandy Smolan 

Aired:  November 11, 1991

Log Line: Joel grapples with the possibility of a new start with his old love when his ex-fiancee Elaine visits Cicely; Bernard brings Chris is inheritance from their father, giving Chris the opportunity to go to Africa, as his dreams have told him to; and Adam becomes the chef at Holling’s Bar.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

The Alaskan Riviera is branching out into interviewing Northern Exposure fans, and people who have been inspired to work on a project related to the show. We’re delighted that our first interview is with Mirpy Daniels, a transplanted New Yorker who is developing a Northern Exposure musical. You can find out more about the musical and her other projects at mirpydaniels.com.

You can also see her answers to our first Northern Exposure questionnaire on our blog.

Episode: 3.5

Title: Jules et Joel

Written by:  Stuart Stevens

Directed by: Jim Hayman

Aired:  October 28, 1991

Log Line: Joel’s twin brother Jules, a charming but conniving rogue, creates a stir when he arrives in quiet Cicely to visit his sibling.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.

We discussed 3.4 "Animals R Us" in a previous podcast episode, which you can find here.  And we wrote a blog post comparing the shooting script and the final episode, which you can find here. 

This podcast episode is an audio commentary for "Animals R Us" that is meant to be played while you watch the episode. We will give you a countdown so you will begin the episode at the same moment as us. That way, we will all be in sync. As we watch the events of 3.4 unfold together, we will comment on what we are seeing; we tried to make these comments significantly different from what we discussed in our earlier podcast episode and blog post, though that was challenging. This is an experiment that was fun for us to do -- and really made sense for an episode that is so focused on cinema and even features Ed and Grandma Woody commenting on a film they are watching (Dryer's Ordet). 

Sit back and re-watch this episode with us. It's not quite as much fun as if we were Ed and Grandma Woody, but it was an entertaining experience. Maybe we'll try it again some time. 

Episode: 3.3

Title: Oy, Wilderness

Written by:  Robin Green

Directed by: Miles Watkins

Aired:  October 7, 1991

Log Line: Joel is a reluctant survival student when he and Maggie become stranded in the wilderness. Shelly’s best friend Cyndy comes to Cicely asking Shelly to divorce Wayne, because Cyndy has been married to him for six months.

For more about the episode, visit our blog.