List of Northern Exposure episodes

A list of episodes for the television series Northern Exposure.

Summary

Season		Episodes	Originally aired	Season Premiere	Season Finale	DVD release date
Discs
	1	8	1990	July 12, 1990	August 30, 1990	May 25, 2004	2
	2	7	1991	April 8, 1991	May 20, 1991	November 30, 2004	2
	3	23	1991–1992	September 23, 1991	May 18, 1992	June 14, 2005	6
	4	25	1992–1993	September 28, 1992	May 24, 1993	March 28, 2006	6
	5	24	1993–1994	September 20, 1993	May 23, 1994	November 14, 2006	5
	6	23	1994–1995	September 19, 1994	July 26, 1995	March 6, 2007	5

Season 1 (1990)

Series #	Episode #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
1	1	"Pilot"	Joshua Brand	Joshua Brand and John Falsey	July 12, 1990
Dr. Joel Fleischman arrives in Alaska and is informed that instead of working in a modern hospital in Anchorage, he will be the sole doctor in remote "village" Cicely on the "Alaskan Rivière". He is greatly displeased by this unexpected development and tries frantically to get out of it. Many of the main cast are introduced.
2	2	"Brains, Know-How and Native Intelligence"	Peter O'Fallon	Stuart Stevens	July 19, 1990
Ed gets Dr. Fleischman to talk to his medicine man uncle (Frank Salsedo). The man is seriously ill, but refuses to seek conventional medical treatment out of a fear of losing face with his patients. Maggie berates Joel for not being able to fix his toilet, calling him helpless. Joel decides to try to fix his shower when the hot water stops working. Maggie hurts her knee and visits Dr. Fleischman, but gives her a hard time for "being helpless". Chris is fired from (and beat up by Maurice at) the radio station after speaking of poet Walt Whitman's homosexuality on air. Joel makes a house call to Maggie (and makes up with her) after having a talk with Uncle Anku.
3	3	"Soapy Sanderson"	Steve Cragg	Teleplay by: Karen Hall Story by: Karen Hall and Jerry Stahl	July 26, 1990
An old hermit dies, leaving his land jointly to Maggie and Joel, who have radically different ideas about what to do with it. She wants to create a nature preserve, while he has been approached by rich natives who want to buy it to use as a tax shelter.
4	4	"Dreams, Schemes and Putting Greens"	Dan Lerner	Sean Clark	August 2, 1990
Shelly becomes pregnant and a wedding is arranged, but Holling has a deep-rooted fear - both his father and grandfather lived over a century, while their wives died young, leaving them alone and grieving for over sixty years each. Holling vowed to avoid their fate. Meanwhile, Maurice and Fleischman entertain a Japanese investor interested in building a resort (with a golf course) in Cicely.
5	5	"The Russian Flu"	David Carson	David Assael	August 9, 1990
Dr. Joel Fleischman's fiancee, Elaine (Jessica Lundy) arrives for a visit, only to have the entire town come down with the flu, ruining their time together. In their delirium, the townspeople blame the Russians and eventually the helpless doctor. Marilyn takes it upon herself to prescribe a foul-smelling native remedy that cures everyone, but won't tell Fleischman what's in it. In the second of two dream sequences, tribute is paid to Twin Peaks famous waterfall opening scene and other recurring characters and catchphrases of the series.
6	6	"Sex, Lies and Ed’s Tapes"	Sandy Smolan	Joshua Brand and John Falsey	August 16, 1990
Shelly turns out not to be pregnant; it was all in her mind. To further complicate her relationship with Holling, her twenty-year-old hockey player husband, Wayne (Brandon Douglas) shows up, looking for a divorce so he can marry her best friend. As they get reacquainted, they begin having second thoughts. Rick (Grant Goodeve) visits Dr. Fleischman for a physical, but finds a growth on Rick's chest. Mindful of the weird, untimely deaths of all Maggie's other boyfriends, he becomes worried. It turns out to be a false alarm, but Maggie resents Rick's belief in the "O'Connell Curse". Ed has trouble picking a subject for his screenplay. He imagines the other residents in scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark and Midnight Cowboy before finally taking Dr. Fleischman's advice and writing about what he knows - the inhabitants of Cicely. The episode's title is a takeoff of the Steven Soderbergh film Sex, Lies, and Videotape.
7	7	"A Kodiak Moment"	Max Tash	Steve Wasserman and Jessica Klein	August 23, 1990
Maurice receives word that his brother Malcolm has died, leaving him the last of the Minnifields. He persuades Chris to become his heir and tries to mold him in his own image. Ed informs Holling that Jesse, the bear that nearly killed him, has returned. Holling, Ed, and Shelly try to track it down, but get sidetracked. Fleischman has to teach a childbearing class in another community. He charters Maggie's plane to take him there; in the time they spend together in the air and in class, they begin to bond. The episode's title is a takeoff of the Eastman Kodak company slogan "a Kodak moment".
8	8	"Aurora Borealis: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups"	Fred Gerber	Charles Rosin	August 30, 1990
The Northern Lights and the mood induced by them cause dreaming to intensify among the residents. Dr. Fleischman hears about "Adam" (Adam Arkin), the local version of the Bigfoot monster. When his truck breaks down one night on a lonely road after a house call, he encounters the mysterious creature, who turns out to be an odd, hostile hermit living deep in the woods. However, nobody in Cicely believes him. Bernard (Richard Cummings Jr.) shows up. He sold his condo in Portland, bought a motorcycle and rode north without quite knowing why. He and Chris find themselves strangely in tune, even sharing the same dream. They finally learn that they share the same father and the same birthday. Satisfied, Bernard returns to Portland. Joel brings along Ed and Maggie into the woods to prove that Adam is real. Note: in 1997, TV Guide ranked this episode number 65 on 'its 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time' list.[1]

Season 2 (1991)

Series #	Episode #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
9	1	"Goodbye to All That"	Stuart Margolin	Robin Green	April 8, 1991
Joel receives a Dear John letter from his fiancee Elaine, when she married a retired Federal judge. When Holling installs a satellite dish at the bar as a gift for Shelly, she becomes addicted to watching television shows from around the world and buying offerings from home shopping networks. She finally breaks down and has a "confessional" with Chris.
10	2	"The Big Kiss"	Sandy Smolan	Henry Bromell	April 15, 1991
When Ed wants to learn more about his parents, he receives help from One-Who-Waits (Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman), a 256-year-old Indian spirit. Meanwhile, a gorgeous woman (Jessika Cardinahl) passing through town steals Chris' voice. One-Who-Waits tells Chris (via Ed), that the only way to get his voice back is to sleep with the town's most beautiful woman - and Chris (and the rest of the town) believes Maggie is the one.
11	3	"All Is Vanity"	Nick Marck	Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov	April 22, 1991
Holling turns Shelly on when he faces off against a drunken roughneck and then decides to get a circumcision after intercourse with her to be "more in style". When an unknown man dies in Dr. Fleischman's waiting room, the locals try to ascertain his identity and then become attached to him, refusing to give him up to the state coroner. Maggie is embarrassed when her dad arrives on a surprise visit and gets more than she anticipated when she begs Joel to charade as her doctor boyfriend.
12	4	"What I Did for Love"	Steve Robman	Ellen Herman	April 29, 1991
Maggie has some surreal dreams that portend Joel's death should he take the flight he's booked to New York for his vacation. His substitute arrives beforehand and is so charming, energetic, and smart that the rest of the town falls in love with him, but Joel is jealous and thinks he's too good to be true. Maggie seeks spiritual guidance from Chris, unsure as to whether or not to tell Joel about her dreams. Eventually the whole town finds out and a town meeting is held in which Joel is given an impromptu funeral before he leaves, so that he can be there for it. Joel then has his own surreal dreams foretelling of his flight's crash, dreams in which Maggie figures. Meanwhile, Maurice is visited by a married "astronaut groupie" with whom he has a yearly fling, and Chris prepares for Cicely's anniversary and reveals that the town was founded by a lesbian couple, Roslyn and Cicely, fleeing narrow-mindedness in Montana in the early 1900s.
13	5	"Spring Break"	Rob Thompson	David Assael	May 6, 1991
Spring arrives and Maggie and Joel find their dreams invaded by each other; Officer Barbara Semanski (Diane Delano) enchants Maurice; and the other citizens of Cicely have their yearly bout of spring fever, experiencing all kinds of weird feelings, stolen radios, and Holling's urge to pick fights and "do some damage". Ed becomes a "detective" to solve the case of the stolen goods.
14	6	"War and Peace"	Bill D'Elia	Robin Green and Henry Bromell	May 13, 1991
A Russian opera singer and international celebrity (Elya Baskin) makes his yearly trek to Cicely to visit and bring gifts to the townsfolk, who greet their friend with open arms. His visit reopens old wounds with Maurice, who is intent on another challenging chess game. Ed loses his virginity to Light Feather Duncan (Dana Andersen), who is only excited by his flowery letters, which Chris writes for him (in the manner of Cyrano de Bergerac). Holling is plagued by dreams that deprive him of his sleep. Maurice challenges Nikolai to a duel. The whole town steps out of the situation to reflect on war (the first Gulf War) — and moves on.
15	7	"Slow Dance"	David Carson	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	May 20, 1991
A satellite plunges out of orbit and crashes into Maggie's boyfriend Rick, killing him instantly and fusing with him. A disgruntled wife tries to persuade Maggie to date her husband so that he can suffer from the "curse". Rick's funeral is enlivened when his casket, complete with protrusions for telemetry equipment, is rolled into the church. Two men, Ron and Erick, are interested in purchasing a house from Maurice. As Maurice close the deal and invite them into his home, he finds out that they are a couple and objects to their homosexual lifestyle. However, he is torn when they misinterpret his hostility and raise their offer to match his inflated asking price.

Season 3 (1991–1992)

Series #	Episode #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
16	1	"The Bumpy Road to Love"	Nick Marck	Martin Sage and Sybill Adelman	September 23, 1991
Adam requests a house call from Dr. Fleischman for his wife, Eve (Valerie Mahaffey), a hypochondriac with a long list of maladies. A statue of Rick is unveiled to commemorate the collision with the satellite with Maggie left to deal with some of his flaws.
17	2	"Only You"	Bill D’Elia	Ellen Herman	September 30, 1991
Chris experiences one of his episodes where all women within a wide radius are physically attracted to him (because of his pheremones), but develops a crush on the one woman (Caitlin Clarke) who isn't affected with his scent. Maurice's resentment over Shelly leaving him for Holling returns; it turns out that all three principals have completely different recollections of Shelly's first encounter with Holling as Joel hears all their versions. Maggie worries about getting old and the effect of age on her body when she sees Dr. Irere and is told that she has begun to become farsighted.
18	3	"Oy, Wilderness"	Miles Watkins	Robin Green	October 7, 1991
While returning from administering immunizations in a remote village, Joel and Maggie are stranded in the wilderness when Maggie's plane develops engine trouble. Shelly's best friend, Cindy (Christine Elise) comes to town, to tell Shelly that she'd married Wayne Jones, Shelly's husband and to ask Shelly to finalize her divorce. Joel is forced to eat seal blubber to survive, while Maggie hunts to quiet Fleischman's complaining. Joel fixes O'Connell's engine to her surprise.
19	4	"Animals R Us"	Nick Marck	Robin Green	October 14, 1991
Ed films the community of Cicely while Maggie comes to believe that a stray dog is her reincarnated boyfriend. Maurice starts an ostrich farm with Marilyn's help.
20	5	"Jules et Joel"	Jim Hayman	Stuart Stevens	October 28, 1991
Halloween is celebrated in Cicely as Fleischman's slick twin brother Jules arrives in town via taxi cab from New York. The brothers switch identities: Jules (as Joel) takes up the practice of medicine and pursues Maggie, while Joel (as Jules) gets into trouble with the law and strikes up an impromptu psychoanalysis session of his life with an old man.
21	6	"The Body in Question"	David Carson	Henry Bromell	November 4, 1991
A frozen body is found, along with a diary that claims that Napoleon came to Alaska with the deceased, rather than fighting the Battle of Waterloo. Fleischman get a visit from Elijah, as Joel's disbelief slowly becomes undermined, he begins to worry that his stay in Cicely is changing him.
22	7	"Roots"	Sandy Smolan	Dennis Koenig and Jordan Budde	November 11, 1991
Fleischman's ex-fiancée Elaine shows up after the death of her husband, releasing mixed feelings in Maggie. The arrival of Chris's brother Bernard, conjures up dreams of Africa in Chris, who declares himself to be a "person of color". Adam makes another appearance.
23	8	"A-Hunting We Will Go"	Bill D'Elia	Craig Volk	November 18, 1991
Joel is shocked when Maggie shows up with a magnificent deer she has shot. After she berates him for not knowing what he's talking about, he decides to go along on a hunting trip with Holling and Chris. Meanwhile, Ed worries about Ruth-Anne after her injury and finding out that she just turn 75, much to her annoyance. Ed throws a belayed surprise party for Ruth-Anne at The Brick with entrees from the hunting party.
24	9	"Get Real"	Michael Katleman	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	December 9, 1991
A circus troupe comes to Cicely and the silent "Flying Man" (Bill Irwin) takes a fancy to Marilyn. Shelly leaves Holling after he notes that she has "inordinately large" feet. Dr. Fleischman studies his medical books with Ed's help.
25	10	"Seoul Mates"	Jack Bender	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	December 16, 1991
The town celebrates the holidays with a Raven pageant, while Maggie dreads going home for the holidays and is relieved (and sadden) when her parents take a Caribbean vacation. Joel gets his first Christmas tree, Shelly pines for a Christmas Mass, and Maurice meets his Korean son (James Song) and his family for the first time. O'Connell helps Fleischman's Christmas celebration and Holling sets up a Mass for Shelly. The episode's title is a play on the term "soulmate".
26	11	"Dateline: Cicely"	Michael Fresco	Jeff Melvoin	January 6, 1992
Maurice goes out on a limb to boost interest in his newspaper by hiring Adam as a columnist. One of his articles claims that some trees have voices. Maggie hears them, but Joel is sceptical. To ease Holling's tax debts, Chris become a partner in The Brick, where he sets about making changes that irritate Holling.
27	12	"Our Tribe"	Lee Shallet	David Assael	January 13, 1992
Joel reluctantly undergoes a cultural conversion after receiving a goat as a gift from a grateful village elder (Rosetta Pintado) for curing her and who insists on "adopting" him into her tribe. A mysterious Holling sends Shelly back home to Saskatoon for a visit and shuts down The Brick, ostensibly to wax the floors while Maggie tries to find out his secret.
28	13	"Things Become Extinct"	Dean Parisot	Teleplay by: Robin Green Story by: Mitchell Burgess	January 20, 1992
A study in self-examination brings on a mid-life crisis for Holling (his Uncle Charlie dies), and opens up another door for Ed as he films Ira Wingfeather (Bryson G. Liberty) making duck flutes. Which leaves Joel feeling culturally isolated (he has trouble finding other Jews in Alaska). Maurice takes a road trip with Fleischman to cheer him up.
29	14	"Burning Down the House"	Rob Thompson	Robin Green	February 3, 1992
Maggie receives a double dose of disaster when her visiting mother (Bibi Besch) accidentally burns down her house after announcing she is divorcing Maggie's father. Meanwhile, Chris searches for the "right" cow for his trebuchet as part of his new piece of performance art. In the end, he flings Maggie's burnt out piano instead.[2]
30	15	"Democracy in America"	Michael Katleman	Jeff Melvoin	February 24, 1992
Mayoral incumbent Holling is stung by the news that he has a formidable opponent, old friend Edna (Rita Taggart), who's got a "bee in her bonnet" over a promise he never kept. The election also finds Shelly testing the aphrodisiac of power, Chris waxing patriotic, Ed anticipates his first time voting, and Joel and Maggie argue party politics.
31	16	"Three Amigos"	Matthew Nodella	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	March 2, 1992
The death of a rugged hunting companion sends Holling, Maurice, and the man's widow (Joanna Cassidy) into the wilderness to make good on a promise to bury him miles from civilization at a paradise called No-Name Point. Chris reads from The Call of the Wild and it reflects Holling and Maurice's adventure.
32	17	"Lost and Found"	Steve Robman	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	March 9, 1992
Joel discovers his cabin is haunted, Eve is worried that she is suffering from an exotic illness, and Maurice is disappointed when his CO and old friend (Noble Willingham) from Korea turns out to be less than perfect.
33	18	"My Mother, My Sister"	Rob Thompson	Kate Boutilier and Mitchell Burgess	March 16, 1992
Shelly's mother, Tammy (Wendy Schaal) drops in unexpectedly with her new 24-year-old US Army husband (Sean O'Bryan). A baby abandoned in Joel's waiting room is temporarily adopted by the townspeople, and Adam experiences the same pains as his pregnant wife.
34	19	"Wake Up Call"	Nick Marck	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	March 23, 1992
The coming of spring brings love to Maggie, a new skin to Shelly, and Joel is reminded of the importance of blending compassion with his scientific knowledge. Maggie meets a man (Andreas Wisniewski) who comes to her help. Dr. Fleischman agrees to be shadowed by Marilyn's cousin Leonard (Graham Greene), who comes to learn a little Western medicine practice for his growing clientele. While Holling celebrates spring with free egg dishes at The Brick.
35	20	"The Final Frontier"	Tom Moore	Jeffrey Vlaming	April 27, 1992
Much to Holling's dismay, Ed discovers that Jesse the Bear has died. Japanese tourists infiltrate Cicely to perform a ritual at the Sourdough Inn. A package that has traveled the world arrives in Cicely addressed to an unknown person. Ron and Erick (Doug Ballard and Don McManus) open their new bed and breakfast to visiting Japanese couples, with Maurice jealous of their success, until the visitors recognize Maurice as an US astronaut.
36	21	"It Happened in Juneau"	Michael Katleman	David Assael	May 4, 1992
Things heat up between Fleischman and O'Connell when they are forced to share a hotel room in Juneau. Chris and his brother Bernard, for the first time are not in perfect sync with each other. Joel attends a conference of physicians in Juneau hoping to meet "single female doctors" to have sex with. While Maggie intends on seeing a musical. Dr. Fleischman tries, unsuccessfully to hook up with a woman, until he is prey upon by a doctor (Beth Broderick) who won't take no for an answer. He hides the entire night trying to avoid her and ends up in his room. While watching television, Maggie comes into the room with a doctor with her. Later in the night she comes back without the doctor and decides to stay in with Joel, as they enjoy Champagne they decide to have sex and agree to meet back in her side of the room. When Joel finds her asleep and he goes back to his side of the room. In the morning she assumes she had slept with Joel, but they agree not to mention it ever again.
37	22	"Our Wedding"	Nick Marck	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	May 11, 1992
When Eve becomes pregnant, she and Adam decide to wed for the baby's sake. Maggie avoids Joel like the plague, when he allows her to continue believing that they slept together in Juneau (she doesn't remember that she fell asleep before anything serious happened). When Joel finally confesses the truth, he is surprised by her reaction. Officer Semanski serves Maurice with an official complaint from his neighbor (Ralph P. Martin).
38	23	"Cicely"	Rob Thompson	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	May 18, 1992
Joel hits, but does not seriously injure, a 108-year-old man named Ned Svenborg (Roberts Blossom) with his pickup truck late one night. In flashbacks, the man tells current residents the story of Cicely's founders, two lesbians, Cicely (Yvonne Suhor) and Roslyn (Jo Anderson). In 1908, these "free-thinking" women drove into the then-nameless frontier town to escape Montana's conservatism. With civility and dignity, they realize a utopian dream, transforming the town into a Parisian-style artists' colony, complete with literary salon, theater, dance, and with a famous outside visitor to "The Paris of the North". Eventually the town is named after one of the women. Members of the cast that played characters in the flashback: Rob Morrow as "Franz Kafka"; Barry Cobin as "Mace Mobrey"; Janine Turner as "Mary O'Keefe"; John Cullum as "Abe"; Darren E. Burrows as "Young Ned Svenborg"; John Corbett as "Kit"; Cynthia Geary as "Sally"; Elaine Miles as "Marilyn"; and Peg Philips as "Rhoda".

Season 4 (1992–1993)

Series #	Episode #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
39	1	"Northwest Passages"	Dean Parisot	Robin Green	September 28, 1992
To celebrate her 30th birthday, Maggie spends the weekend camping alone, with Ed's advice, to reflect on her life and cleanse her soul. Marilyn asks Chris to help her learn how to drive, but may not like his teaching methods. Maurice rambles endlessly into a tape recorder about his past in an attempt to write his memoirs, driving the townspeople to their limits. Fleischman comes to the aid of O'Connell when she faces her dead ex-boyfriends. List of Maggie's past boyfriends: Grant Goodeve as "Rick Pederson"; Patrick Warburton as "Glenn"; Ted Henning as "David"; Will Plunkett as "Bruce"; and Garrett Bennett as "Steve Escandon".
40	2	"Midnight Sun"	Michael Katleman	Michael Katleman	October 5, 1992
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 (Jim Haynie) drops in to visit Ruth-Anne and outfits the town from his collection of fashionable ensembles. Fleischman, in the absence of sleep, comes on to O'Connell.
41	3	"Nothing's Perfect"	Nick Marck	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	October 12, 1992
Chris kills a dog with his truck and quickly falls in love with its owner, the Pi Lady (Wendel Meldrum). Maurice buys an extremely expensive Augsburg clock and with its delivery comes a highly trained specialist (Mark Pellegrino) to install it. Ed makes fast friends with Rolf Hauser. Chris keeps killing Amy's pets, so he sacrifices something he loves. Holling and Shelly are invited to a dinner at Maurice's to celebrate his new clock, but he is irate when his new timepiece keeps inaccurate time.
42	4	"Heroes"	Charles Braverman	Jeff Vlaming	October 19, 1992
Chris must decide what to do with his deceased friend Tooley (Mickey Jones) after he sends his remains to Chris.[4] Heavy-metal rock star Brad Bonner (Adam Ant) mistakenly arrives in Cicely instead of Sicily and soon Ed documents his adventures in town. Shelly can't help swooning over Brad, with Holling feeling ill at ease about it.
43	5	"Blowing Bubbles"	Rob Thompson	Mark B. Perry	November 2, 1992
Maggie's interest is aroused after the mysterious new resident, Mike Monroe (Anthony Edwards) quarantines himself in Cicely, with Joel's personal opinion of him suspicious. Ruth-Anne must also cope with a new addition to the community - her materialistic son, Matthew (Joel Polis), who gives up his career as an investment banker in Atlanta in search of a simpler life. With help from Maggie (and Maurice), Mike introduces himself to the town.
44	6	"On Your Own"	Joan Tewkesbury	Sy Rosen and Christian Williams	November 9, 1992
The Flying Man returns to Cicely (along with Mummenschanz) to woo Marilyn. Ed finds a ring that once belonged to Federico Fellini. Maurice has Mike rewrite his will to include his recently discovered Korean son, Duk Won. Maggie is not her usual self as she spends more time with Mike, while Ed feels himself changing because of the ring.
45	7	"The Bad Seed"	Randall Miller	Mitchell Burgess	November 16, 1992
Everyone is shocked when Holling's unknown illegitimate daughter (Valerie Perrine) 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. Holling doesn't like the influence Jackie is having on Shelly. Mrs. Whirlwind (Armenia Miles) puts her house up on sale since Marilyn moved out.
46	8	"Thanksgiving"	Michael Fresco	David Assael	November 23, 1992
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 and takes action against it. The town's Native Americans celebrate Thanksgiving with tomatoes. Dr. Fleischman marches in the town's Day of the Dead parade and The Brick host the Thanksgiving feast.
47	9	"Do the Right Thing"	Nick Marck	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	November 30, 1992
An ex-member of the KGB (David Hemmings) visits Cicely to sell Maurice (who is still working on his memoirs) his official Russian dossier. A young health inspector (John Hawkes) 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 were her last, by being nice. Joel, feeling alone and like an outcast, learns about an exiled jew from Viktor. Holling sets up a "date" between Shelly and Jason. Chris tell Maurice some information he doesn't like.
48	10	"Crime and Punishment"	Rob Thompson	Jeff Melvoin	December 14, 1992
Chris's past finally catches up with him as he is apprehended for breaking parole in the state of West Virginia many years earlier; the town of Cicely comes to his defense. A visiting judge (Anne Haney) preside in the hearing for Chris's extradition, and makes friends with Ruth-Anne. Chris reserves himself to the law and agrees to go back to West Virginia to face the music, much to Bernard's bewilderment. Maurice recruits Mike to defend Chris, with Maggie's assistance. Chris hears the townspeople's thoughts about him. Judge Percy makes a decision on Chris's fate.
49	11	"Survival of the Species"	Dean Parisot	Denise Dobbs	January 4, 1993
Ed becomes environmentally conscious after a nightmare. Maggie discovers ancient Indian relics in her backyard. Chris befriends a young delinquent (Edan Gross) and teaches him about life and love on the road. After Maggie brings attention to her finds, Maurice takes over her yard with Ron and Erick leading an archaeology dig. Mike helps Ed with his quest to document vegetable species for the future. Holling gives Brad a job at The Brick to pay his way, and is smitten with Shelly. Maggie reclaims her yard with other women of the community.
50	12	"Revelations"	Daniel Attias	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	January 11, 1993
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. Chris is greeted by Brother Timothy (Stephen Root) at the monastery, as Chris describes his unorthodox religious style. Maurice insists on gaining back the upper hand over Ruth-Anne. Bernard fills in for Chris at KBRH during his rejuvenation. Chris has erotic dreams about Brother Simon (Elizabeth Juviler) not knowing "his" real secret. Dr. Fleischman accosts Bernard for a medical exam.
51	13	"Duets"	Win Phelps	Geoffrey Neigher	January 18, 1993
Ed's spiritual guide, One-Who-Waits, leads him to his natural father (Gordon Tootoosis). Maggie and Mike share their first kiss. A blind traveling piano tuner (Kevin Conway) visits The Brick to adjust its ancient upright. One-Who-Waits informs Ed that he has found Ed's father and his name is Pete, and joins Pete's construction crew to tell this fact. Arlen Briscoe has Holling running around getting him supplies to fix the bar's piano. Ed continues to delay confronting Pete about his parentage, while getting to know him. Marilyn tests Arlen's fixed piano, but finds one flaw. During the last day on the job, Ed finally come out with the truth, with Pete in shock and admitting that he is Ed's father.
52	14	"Grosse Pointe, 48230"	Michael Katleman	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	February 1, 1993
Maggie bribes Joel into accompanying her to her grandmother's (Barbara Townsend) birthday party in Grosse Pointe, Michigan and he discovers something new about her life. Fleischman is asked by O'Connell to attend her Grammy's 80th birthday party, and dangles Detroit Pistons courtside seats to go with her. Joel bring up that Mike is her boyfriend and he should go her, she notes that the toxic air of Detroit would kill Mike. They arrive in Grosse Pointe, and Joel points out that "these people are really comfortable being in the upper part of the population". They are greeted by Maggie's mother Jane, and Fleischman quickly meets Maggie's brother Jeffy (Dylan Baker). Joel also meets Jeffy's long suffering wife Stephie (Lisa Waltz). Joel slowly meets the other guests, and later comments to Maggie that "these people probably have never met a Jew before". Grammy has locked herself in the upstairs bathroom, much to Jane's dismay. Maggie's mother gets her to try to get Grammy out. Fleischman also meets Maggie's ex-boyfriend Jed (D. David Morin). They later play one on one basketball in the backyard of the house and Jed suffers a heart attack. Stephie confines to Joel about leaving Jeffy. Grammy finally comes out of the bathroom after having deep conversations with Maggie. As O'Connell and Fleischman leave for the game at Auburn Hills he comments that Maggie must be one strong person, for coming from a family like that.
53	15	"Learning Curve"	Michael Vittes	Jeff Vlaming	February 8, 1993
Much to Joel's distress, Marilyn goes on vacation by herself in Seattle; Holling attempts to earn his high school diploma; the regional teacher (Jo Anderson), who was in the US Air Force, spends two weeks in Cicely and almost becomes a role model for Maggie.
54	16	"Ill Wind"	Rob Thompson	Jeff Melvoin	February 15, 1993
Drastic tension between Maggie and Joel boils over until they finally have sex; Maurice is unhappy when Chris saves his life; Ed is intrigued by death.
55	17	"Love's Labour Mislaid"	Joe Napolitano	Jeff Melvoin	February 22, 1993
Maggie forgets having sex with Joel; Ed faces an arranged marriage; a rare bird (a Siberian Tit) is seen which prompts Holling and Ruth-Anne in search the birds and photograph of it.
56	18	"Northern Lights"	Bill D'Elia	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	March 1, 1993
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.
57	19	"Family Feud"	Adam Arkin	David Assael	March 8, 1993
When Leonard is asked to carved a totem pole for the Whirlwind family, a family feud originating from an incident in 1934 is resurrected, dividing the Tlingit clans in Cicely.
58	20	"Homesick"	Nick Marck	Jeff Vlaming	March 15, 1993
When Mike gets test results showing he is completely healthy, he feels obligated to leave Cicely and Maggie behind to continue his environmental crusade. With the town supporting him and Maggie feeling betrayed.
59	21	"The Big Feast"	Rob Thompson	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	March 22, 1993
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Minnifield Communications, Maurice plans an extremely elaborate party; Adam and Eve return to Cicely with their new baby; and Shelly tries to hides the destruction of one of Maurice's precious wines.
60	22	"Kaddish for Uncle Manny"	Michael Lange	Jeff Melvoin	May 3, 1993
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.
61	23	"Mud and Blood"	Jim Charleston	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	May 10, 1993
At the coming of spring, Maggie and Holling find affirmation of life in Shelly's pregnancy. Maurice purchases a truffle pig with Chris taking a personal liking to him.
62	24	"Sleeping with the Enemy"	Frank Prinzi	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	May 17, 1993
Duk Won seeks approval of his betrothed; Ed dubs a movie in Tlingit; Holling wants more sex.
63	25	"Old Tree"	Michael Fresco	Diane Frolov and Robin Green	May 24, 1993
When an old tree considered to be a Cicely historical landmark appears to be dying, Joel is drafted to don a tree doctor's hat and gives his prognosis; Joel hurts himself every time Maggie is nice to him; Shelly starts singing instead of talking.

Season 5 (1993–1994)

Series #	Episode #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
64	1	"Three Doctors"	Daniel Attias	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	September 20, 1993
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.
65	2	"The Mystery of the Old Curio Shop"	Michael Fresco	Rogers Turrentine	September 27, 1993
When the world reminds Maurice of his age, he frets himself into having a heart attack; Maggie relives childhood fantasies of being Nancy Drew, detective extraordinaire; Joel is thrilled to find traces of Yiddish in Cicely's language and history.
66	3	"Jaws of Life"	Jim Charleston	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	October 4, 1993
Maurice is tormented by a wax replica of himself; Chris discovers that he may live long enough for youthful indiscretions to catch up to him; the dentalmobile comes to Cicely. (Joel is out of town and does not appear in this episode.)
67	4	"Altered Egos"	John David Coles	Jeff Melvoin	October 11, 1993
Chris is disturbed that Bernard's girlfriend, who is also Chris' ex-lover, cannot tell them apart in bed; Joel is obsessed that he is losing his New York edge; Marilyn snoops through Dr. Fleischman's medical files to pick a healthy man.
68	5	"A River Doesn't Run Through It"	Nick Marck	Jeff Melvoin	October 25, 1993
Maggie is Homecoming Queen at the request of Cicely school senior Kevin Wilkins (Jack Black); Maurice reluctantly admits a business defeat; Ruth-Anne is audited.
69	6	"Birds of a Feather"	Mark Horowitz	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	November 1, 1993
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.
70	7	"Rosebud"	Michael Fresco	Barbara Hall	November 8, 1993
Maurice enlists Ed's expertise to organize a film festival in Cicely; Joel is pressured to join Cicely's volunteer fire department.
71	8	"Heal Thyself"	Michael Katleman	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	November 15, 1993
Ed is taunted by the Green Man; Holling shocks Shelly when he is disruptive during childbirth class; Maggie misses the weekly laundromat gossip-fest when she buys her own washer and dryer.
72	9	"A Cup of Joe"	Michael Lange	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	November 22, 1993
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.
73	10	"First Snow"	Daniel Attias	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	December 13, 1993
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.
74	11	"Baby Blues"	Jim Charleston	Barbara Hall	January 3, 1994
Shelly is nervous about childbirth; Ed discovers cutthroat showbiz; Maggie and Joel dislike kids.
75	12	"Mr. Sandman"	Michael Fresco	David Chase and Diane Frolov	January 10, 1994
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.
76	13	"Mite Makes Right"	Michael Vittes	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	January 17, 1994
Maggie becomes obsessed with dust mites; Maurice gets more than he bargained for when he invests in a rare Stradivarius violin; Chris reaches an artistic impasse on a sculpture.
77	14	"A Bolt from the Blue"	Michael Lange	Jeff Melvoin	January 24, 1994
Maurice and Adam (guest star Adam Arkin) clash over the hired help for a fireworks display; Joel tutors a patient on the art of conversation; Ed is struck by lightning.
78	15	"Hello, I Love You"	Michael Fresco	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	January 31, 1994
Shelly finally gives birth after encountering a familiar young girl (guest star Kaley Cuoco) at the laundromat; Ruth-Anne and Walt (guest star Moultrie Patten) are stranded overnight; Maggie and Joel become less competitive.
79	16	"Northern Hospitality"	Oz Scott	Barbara Hall	February 28, 1994
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.
80	17	"Una Volta in L'Inverno"	Michael Vittes	Jeff Melvoin	March 7, 1994
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 (guest star Moultrie Patten) becomes addicted to a special light visor to help his depression caused by the short days in northern areas.
81	18	"Fish Story"	Bill D'Elia	Jeff Melvoin	March 14, 1994
Joel has an otherworldly experience when Maggie wants to prepare a Passover dinner for him; Ruth-Anne abandons the store for the open road; Holling takes up paint-by-numbers.
82	19	"The Gift of the Maggie"	Patrick McKee	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	March 28, 1994
Maurice learns about the give-and-take of friendship; Joel is depressed when he has no one to "talk shop" with; Chris learns a life lesson from a benevolent deer.
83	20	"A Wing and a Prayer"	Lorraine Senna	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	April 11, 1994
Ed spreads gossip about Ruth-Anne's love life; Maggie builds a home-kit airplane; Holling and Shelly baptize Randi.
84	21	"I Feel the Earth Move"	Michael Fresco	Jed Seidel	May 2, 1994
Ron and Erick (guest stars Doug Ballard and Don R. McManus) tie the knot after eight years; Maggie develops a severe nausea that she thinks is caused by Joel.
85	22	"Gran Prix"	Michael Lange	Barbara Hall	May 9, 1994
Maurice brings the world-renowned sport of wheelchair racing to Cicely; Ed battles External Validation (guest star Ben Reed) to help a patient; Ted (guest star Tim Sampson) learns of the loneliness of wealth.
86	23	"Blood Ties"	Tom Moore	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	May 16, 1994
Maggie's childhood male friend from Grosse Pointe arrives in Cicely; Joel loses his confidence during the annual blood drive; Ed thinks he's finally found his mother.
87	24	"Lovers and Madmen"	James Hayman	Jeff Melvoin	May 23, 1994
Joel discovers a perfectly preserved woolly mammoth; Maurice breaks a concert violinist, Cal Ingraham (played by Simon Templeman), out of an insane asylum for a private performance for Barbara Semanski (Diane Delano); Chris gets a rude awakening when his high-school crush visits.

Season 6 (1994–1995)

Series #	Episode #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
88	1	"Dinner at Seven-Thirty"	Michael Fresco	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	September 19, 1994
Joel experiences an alternate reality in Manhattan after accidentally drinking one of Ed's healing creations. After seeing what life would be like as a doctor married to a more successful lawyer (played by Cynthia Geary/Shelly Tambo), Joel comes to the conclusion that life in Cicely is not all that bad.
89	2	"Eye of the Beholder"	Jim Charleston	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	September 26, 1994
Ed exposes an insurance scam involving Hayden Keyes, while Maggie has second thoughts after donating a family heirloom for a charity auction.
90	3	"Shofar, So Good"	James Hayman	Jeff Melvoin	October 3, 1994
On Yom Kippur, Joel gets the Christmas Carol treatment and comes away the better for it; Ed helps Holling forgive himself for not being there for his first daughter; Maurice holds the annual fox hunt, hoping to impress an attractive English aristocrat guest, but the fox gets away beforehand.
91	4	"The Letter"	Jim Charleston	Meredith Stiehm	October 10, 1994
Maggie does some soul-searching after she reads an old letter written by her 15-year-old self to her as an adult; Joel starts to smell life's flowers when he has a cancer scare; Shelly learns that her destiny is not shaped by a chain letter; Cicely gets a new barber, who is hostile to Chris.
92	5	"The Robe"	Lorraine Senna	Sam Egan	October 17, 1994
Joel relishes the opportunity to conduct a medical study in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (still stung that it turned him down for admission years ago), but Ed ruins it; Shelly is tempted by the offer by the Devil (in the guise of a spa salesman) to fulfill her wildest dream; Chris uses a ventriloquist dummy to offer straightforward opinions, in contrast to his more nuanced responses, and becomes irked when people prefer the dummy to him.
93	6	"Zarya"	Jim Charleston	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	October 31, 1994
Ed employs storytelling techniques of an old tale about secret negotiations between Princess Anastasia (Tushka Bergen) and Vladimir Lenin (Christopher Neame) in Cicely to cure Marilyn's pain in her leg.
94	7	"Full Upright Position"	Oz Scott	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	November 7, 1994
Joel and Maggie are off to Russia for a week of adventure, or not; Joel proposes to Maggie; Maurice tries to mold his young cousin into an heir apparent; Chris tries to get inside electricity.
95	8	"Up River"	Michael Fresco	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	November 14, 1994
Joel settles at a native village after paddling up the river for a house call; Chris gets a life lesson when he remodels his trailer; Ruth-Anne struggles with her realization that she is madly in love with Walt.
96	9	"Sons of the Tundra"	Michael Vittes	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	November 28, 1994
Cicely welcomes a new doctor and his wife, Phil and Michelle Capra, to their quirky way of life; Holling wants desperately to join the prestigious Sons of the Tundra men's club; Ed sees the future after eating a magical trout; and Joel makes a brief appearance in search of a new hunting knife.
97	10	"Realpolitik"	Victor Lobl	Sam Egan	December 19, 1994
Maggie is elected mayor of Cicely, and Chris has an unexpected reaction to her new circumstances; Phil plays a metaphysical round of golf with Joel; Marilyn's attempt at dog breeding is a flop.
98	11	"The Great Mushroom"	James Hayman	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	January 4, 1995
Maggie treks into the Manonash village to visit Joel, who she fears is in imminent danger. (The village name, "Manonash", means annhiliation of [the] mind and is from the Indian spiritual teacher Meher Baba's New Life teachings.)
99	12	"Mi Casa, Su Casa"	Daniel Attias	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	January 11, 1995
Marilyn travels to Manonash for a potlatch and questions Joel's conception of himself; Maurice leaves Ed to housesit while he goes off on a hunting trip; Shelly and Holling shop for their first home.
100	13	"Horns"	Michael Fresco	Jeff Melvoin	January 18, 1995
Maurice's newest venture, bottled Cicely Water, causes some unusual gender role reversal effects; Joel learns that he is free of his contract and can leave Alaska; mental hospital escapee and violinist Cal Ingraham is depressed without an audience.
101	14	"The Mommy's Curse"	Michael Lange	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	February 1, 1995
Walt tries working for Ruth-Anne and ends up moving in with her; when her mother's boyfriend dies, Maggie is convinced there's a family curse; Holling's new friendship with Phil has Maurice seething with jealousy.
102	15	"The Quest"	Michael Vittes	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	February 8, 1995
Joel and Maggie embark on a search for the mythical Jeweled City of the North; Chris sues Dr. Capra for medical malpractice; and Michelle is assigned to write a food review of the Brick.
103	16	"Lucky People"	Janet Greek	Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider	February 15, 1995
Phil and Michelle have the horrible realization that they are stuck in a place they hate; Maggie and Chris restore Roslyn and Cicely's Ford Model T for the Founders' Day parade; Maurice goes on a buying spree for Holling and Shelly's baby daughter Miranda.
104	17	"The Graduate"	James Hayman	Sam Egan	March 8, 1995
Maggie learns the harsh realities of running a business; Chris gets his master's degree in Comparative Literature; Holling's dark secret is revealed (he's been sending money for 25 years to help support Patrick Dulac and his mother).
105	18	"Little Italy"	Stephen Cragg	Jeff Melvoin	March 15, 1995
Phil discovers Cicely has an Italian neighborhood and gets caught in a vendetta between two families; Maggie plays marriage counselor for Holling and Shelly; Ruth-Anne is interviewed on the National Public Radio show All Things Considered.
106	19	"Balls"	Scott Paulin	Jeff Melvoin	June 4, 1995
Phil and Michelle have marriage problems; Cicely has a bowling league team; Lester Haines offers to finance Ed's film, if Ed no longer sees Heather.
107	20	"Buss Stop"	Daniel Attias	Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green	June 24, 1995
Michelle directs the townsfolk in Bus Stop and almost has a nervous breakdown.
108	21	"Ursa Minor"	Patrick McKee	Sam Egan	July 12, 1995
Ed becomes a surrogate parent to a bear cub; Chris uses lucid dreaming to explore his growing love for Maggie; Maurice is concerned the population is dwindling.
109	22	"Let's Dance"	Michael Vittes	Sam Egan	July 19, 1995
As Officer Semanski and Maurice take Cal back to the hospital, Barbara starts to fall for Cal; Marilyn teaches cotillion; Phil's manners are not good so he attends cotillion.
110	23	"Tranquility Base (Our Town)"	Michael Fresco	Mitchell Burgess, Robin Green and Jeff Melvoin	July 26, 1995
Cicely's couples converge on Maurice's summer lodge, "Tranquility Base".

Notes and references

1. TV Guide Book of Lists. Running Press. 2007. p. 186. ISBN 0-7624-3007-9.
2. Built by John Wayne Cyra, the trebuchet ("The Flinger Thinger")^[3] was also used to fling a coffin in "Heroes" and a log in another episode. Quote: "It's not the thing you fling; it's the fling itself." -Chris
3. Richard E. Meyer, How Far Can a Piano Fly?, June 9, 1996, The Los Angeles Times.
4. Chris ends up using the trebuchet to fling Tooley inside his coffin into the lake.^[5]
5. alt.tv.northern-exp FAQ, faqs.org.