Northern Exposure - Cicely

I liked this episode, but I could have liked it a lot more. Perhaps I identified with it more it b/c Roslyn reminds me of so many of my college classmates. But probably more so b/c I like when folks learn about history. I would've liked it more if the history characters weren't played by folks in present-day town (more using character stereotype), especially b/c it reminded me of some other episode (which I can't think of at the moment). But I guess I understand why they did it that way. Rated 5+.

Northern Exposure: Our Wedding

Not really a bad episode, but getting trite in its reliance on the characters' overt character stereotypes. Also, recycling old themes too much. Rated 5-.

Northern Exposure - It Happened in Juneau

Way too much Chris quoting for me to care. And having his voice leave him has already been done. The plotline with Fleischman and Maggie was also too played-out and trite. Rated 5-.

Northern Exposure - Season 3

Always behind on time to record... several episodes here:
Democracy in America - Too much Chris, too much Fleishman in his annoying element. (Whatever happened to those dream sequences of previous seasons? *sigh*) 4
Three Amigos - Lots of episodes about dealing with death, aren't there? The flitting widow is funny, tho. 4+
Lost & Found - Complex and more subtle. 3-
My Mother, My Sister - Cute enough. 3/4
Wake Up Call - Very nice. Would have been more original if they hadn't already had Maggie's ex "reincarnated" as a dog. 2-
The Final Frontier - I had been wondering for a while what had happened to these characters, and I don't like when tv shows leave things hanging, but yet *another* coping with death theme? 3-

Northern Exposure - Season 3 (9 episodes)

Lacking much time, I have to rely on memory and summary here:
In general, the series ebbed this season but is beginning to flow again. I do, however, miss the dream sequences. And I find Chris really annoying. It makes me reflect on my college experience: I originally watched NE b/c I heard that it was created by some dude from Hampshire College. Chris is obviously *the* archetypal Hampshire student, and I probably used to like his character a lot. In theory, I still don't have all much bock with the dirty philo-hippie type, but he annoys me b/c of the way he discredits the system and eschews 'formal education'. If you went to Hampshire, you still had some formal education, dude. A pretty expensive one, at that, and you probably weren't so smart when you went in. *And* folks in a real town just don't converse anything like that. But I digress.
"The Body in Question" 5-
"Roots" 6+
"A-Hunting We Will Go" 6+
"Get Real" 3+
"Seoul Mates" (not so original a plotline anymore) 4-
"Dateline: Cicely" 5
"Our Tribe" 2-
"Things Become Exinct" 4
"Burning Down the House" 4-

Northern Exposure - Season 3 (Two Episodes)

Animals R Us -- Did Quentin Tarantino guest write this episode? He's known for writing not how people talk. I went to film school, and I, apparently, am not able to opine half as much on cinematic esoterica as the people of Cicely. And the ostrich farm line was pretty predictable. The part about the reincarnated dog was cute, though. Rated 5.

Jules & Joel -- Also a very predictable episode, but the end was pretty cute, for a holiday special episode. Rated 4/5.

Northern Exposure - Oy, Wilderness (Season 3)

Fleischman, your displaced city boy routine is getting old. You've been in Alaska for almost a year. We know that you hate it, but - since you're no longer fighting your assignment - you should be somewhat resigned to it, or at least understand a minimum about nature by now. (You took biology, right?) And importing Shelley's past seemed somewhat of a repeat, too. But even with those negatives, it still more or less worked. Excellent casting of Shelley's best friend. Rated 4.

Northern Exposure - Only You (Season 3)

I wasn't really excited by the plot thread involving O'Connell's needing glasses (made her out to be way too neurotic, and that is Fleischman territory), I enjoyed the story of Chris and his magic pheromones, in a charming tale of unrequited love. Even though you'd the love triangle line with Shelley/ Maurice/ Holling seems largely like something they got over in the first episode, the Rashomon parallel was hilarious. Rated 3.

Northern Exposure - The Bumpy Road to Love (Season 3)

Cute, but rather sitcom-ish in its highly-stereotypical presentation of male-female relationships. (And why did I want to hear "have fun storming the castle!" at Fleischman's departure from Adam & Eve?) Oddly, this appears to be the final episode ever in the bibliographies of both of its writers. Rated 4/5.

Northern Exposure - Season 2 Finale

I think I started watching "Northern Exposure" in its third season, but I knew that what happened in this episode was going to happen... just not sure how. Funny, but a bit sitcom-corny. Rated 3/4.

Northern Exposure - War & Peace (Season 2)

The Russophilia in this episode reminded me too much of James Michener's book "Poland". I could have played a drinking game reading that novel and gone through bottles of vodka with a sip for every time a character opined in the vein of how Chopin's music makes the soul fly with its grand Polish glory. I like Chopin well enough, but that made me gag. In this episode, the scenario seemed somewhat implausible, and the Russian karaoke scenes were too obviously dubbed. The storyline became so ridiculous that they had to break of the fourth wall to escape. Seemed cheap. Rated 5.

Northern Exposure - Spring Break (Season 2)

I would normally consider it a problem when a show rehashes the same theme many times, and Northern Exposure explores how each and every Alaskan climate change affects Cicely's citizens. It's a credit to the writers that this does not get old quick. In this episode, the weather in question is the annual thawing of the ice. The writers on this show must have a very active dream life. Rated 3.

Northern Exposure - Two Episodes (Season 2)

"All Is Vanity"
The circumcision storyline is hilarious. I don't understand, however, why Fleischman would be shocked at Cicely's handling of death, as there was a death in a previous episode. Nevertheless, I can' t believe I laughed so much at a TV (comedic) drama. (Rated 2)

"What I Did For Love"
O'Connell has visions of Fleischman dying in a plane crash. I enjoy the surreal dream flashbacks.
(Rated 3)

Viewing these two episodes in tandem was kind of spooky, with the former containing a sonnet read at my wedding and the latter featuring our (relatively obscure) first dance song.