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by Raul Burriel Published: June 22, 2005
 Two seasons earlier we met Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) a recent medical school graduate from New York City who discovered in the fine print of his scholarship that he would be required to provide medical services to the good people of Cicely, Alaska, the gem of the Alaskan Riviera. By the third season, Joel has essentially come to terms with his urban withdrawal and we've come to know the eccentric residents of Cicely pretty well. So it makes sense that season 3 would show a heavy reliance on a myriad of recurring guest stars.The season starts with a reminder that bush pilot Maggie's (Janine Turner) latest boyfriend, Rick, has died (not all that unusual... Maggie's boyfriends have a habit of dying). But Joel's New York City girlfriend, Elaine, also wrote him a "Dear Joel" letter last season. And so advances the show's "will they or won't they?" subplot. It may also be the most boring aspect of the series. "Will they or won't they" plotlines have never helped a series and have often hindered them. Case in point: Moonlighting and the X-Files. But that's just one part of the Northern Exposure story. It's not all Joel and Maggie. We've also got Maurice (Barry Corbin), the ex-NASA astronaut and local bigwig, Holling (John Cullum), the local bar owner, Ed (Darren E. Burrows), the movie buff, Ruth-Anne, the shop owner, and local DJ and hot guy Chris (John Corbett). These people and many others make up the rich tapestry of Cicely, Alaska. We live vicariously through the town's people as strangers and old friends come through town (Cicely's local mystery man, Adam, Maurice's love interest, Officer Semanski, Chris's brother, Bernard). By its third season, Northern Exposure had become a critical and ratings darling. In its third year it received a staggering 16 Emmy Award nominations and won 6, including Outstanding Drama Series. But to call Northern Exposure a drama is an over simplification. The series was as much a comedy as a drama and rarely did it ever get into the realm of melodrama. Bonus Material The collection includes trailers for DVDs of Law & Order: The Third Year, Father of the Pride - The Complete Series, and "In Good Company", deleted scenes, extended scenes, "Unexposed Footage" (which includes three blooper reels and a documentary filmed by Cicely's resident filmmaker, Ed) and "Lost Storylines" (entire deleted subplots). These bonuses are great for fans of the show. It's fresh, original material that we've never seen before. The deleted scenes aren't bad. I suspect they were only cut for time. And it's good to finally see them. What the collection doesn't have is commentary. These DVDs scream out for commentary by wunderkind series creators Joshua Brand and John Falsey. For a period in the 80s and early 90s, Brand and Falsey were the hottest thing in television, having created series like St. Elsewhere and I'll Fly Away. It would be nice to hear their thoughts on their Emmy Award winning season, as well as a nice "where are they now" (neither has done much of anything since 1992). Watching these episodes again brings back a great deal of nostalgia. We're watching the zenith of a series that burned brightly for a very short time. We became familiar with the residents of Cicely and all too soon, they would be gone. It's nice to visit them again. Contents:
Series Rating: A Bonus Material: A- |
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