The season of 91-92 marked the rise of “Northern Exposure”, this is the same time when the show began to acquire awards during the course of its season, alongside that it became the first show to have a complete package for budget due to which most of its episodes began approaching an algorithmic cinematic appeal, this turnaround for the show was needed because it was clear how these types of television were paving the way for the abundant prestige television. The turn around for this show was a much needed approach as it was one of the many experimental television shows that US produced back in the 1990s.
Rob Morrow certainly played a phenomenal role, however a smart move by the writers was to take the main storyline focus off Joel and make it more of an ensemble piece. Many episodes would certainly not want to hear what Joel has to offer in the conversations, due to which the writers were in a pinch, luckily, during this time the show was allowed to cover Cicely, Alaska in several episodes. The plan worked out as expected and it comes off as a great experience where Joel is left out in many of the episodes and only lightly appears in the narrative.
In this way, we get a broader view on the side characters, such as Marilyn and Ruth-Anne.
A lengthy season has its disadvantages, Examples include bringing out some of the more looser aspects of the show; Northern Exposure for example is an hour long program which blurs the lines between a drama and comedy, but still manages to be an excellent sitcom. How often does an episode focusing on the confused relationship between Holling and Shelly even deserve to be aired? At some point in time, say the wedding chapel or the breakup booth. The same applies to Joel & Maggie, but this time, I feel we have made a significant step in that direction right until the end of the season. However, such an overlap is the exception rather than the rule, and I am quite amazed with how successfully this dense season was created.
I would like to highlight these episodes which are extremely entertaining in my opinion:
Seoul Mates (Episode 10)
In this episode Joel & the audience are invited to the Raven celebration which is an indigenous people’s celebration that takes place during the winter solstice, and this festival has been incorporated into their festive calendar. Consequently, the Blakley men take part in a stunning pageant that recreates the Japanese myth that explains how the Raven stole the sun for the people. The prime arc is on Maurice (Barry Corbin) who realizes he has a son and a grandson, as a result of his involvement in the Korean War. Maurice is the show’s conservative sense but not one that this show ever shows speaking without being depicted with prejudice. The idea that he has a son from Korea appears to be an issue for Maurice and Chris (John Corbett) sets the man right saying that this is nonsense.
Burning Down the House (Episode 14)
During Season 3, there was a lot of In and out of visitors. Chris’s brother was a guest along with Adam & Eve who were Joel’s pain in the neck. In this episode, Maggie’s (Janine Turner) mother is introduced and her major role is to inform her that her parents are getting a divorce. That was not the only eye opener; the next was when her mother accidentally sets Maggie’s house on fire. The B-plot follows Chris as he has hit upon the crazy idea of launching a live cow into the sky with a trebuchet. The plots involving Chris and Maggie interweave nicely and she undergoes quite a character arc.
The Three Amigos (Episode 16)
This marks the first of several episodes that are explored in a more cinematic manner and it revolves Maurice and Holling (John Cullum) This time they get a call that an old friend has passed away and so they go on a journey to find his body and fulfill his last request of being buried at a much secluded spot There is a hiccup when they get to his widow (Joanna Cassidy) only to realize that they have lost touch with this friend and had no engagement with him. An interesting premise and engaging storyline made our actors journey through a wild terrain and gave some captivating angles and visual frames.
The Final Frontier (Episode 20)
Holling comes across the news that the one grizzly bear he has spentmany years tracking down, Jesse, is dead. Because of that he is havingand itchy existential crisis along the lines of, what is the purpose of a man’s life. And we also have the return of Ron and Erick, the gay couple that owns the Sourdough Inn; it had been sold to them by Maurice last season and as soon as he got to know that they were a gay couple, he tried to back off from the agreement. Once more, we get to see how these two men know how to push Maurice’s buttons when a group of Japanese tourists arrive in Cicely. Then there is a package that has originated in a Sourdough aroma and then traveled all over the world until reaching Cicely. It interests Maggie who wants to open it, while Joel is shouting that it is illegal to do that.
Cicely (Episode 23)
The last episode brought everything in the series full circle, as it captured the “history” of how the “Cicely” name came about. One dark night, Joel accidentally knocks elderly Ned (Roberts Blossom) off his bicycle. He takes the man back to his cabin and finds out that Ned used to be a resident of the place back in the 1900s. This was also when Roslyn and her wife Cicely moved to the unincorporated city with the goal of creating a utopia for the artists. Even the writer Franz Kafka (Rob Morrow) is brought in. However, Mace Mobrey (Barry Corbin) who is at the head of one of the gangster groups that controlled the people does put an opposition on it. This is the kind of series that is single handedly responsible for the devoted television audience to build within its sub culture. The kind of storytelling that occurred in this series was rare on the channels in 1992 to begin with.
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