Northern Exposure: Season 03  (1991)

Theatrical Release Information:
Northern Exposure: Season 03

After what amounted to a brace of "trial runs," the quirky seriocomic series Northern Exposure entered its third year on CBS with a full season's worth of episodes -- more than enough to thoroughly explore the mystical eccentricities of the citizens of Cicely, AK, and the constant bafflement of the town's premier "outsider," New York-bred doctor Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow). As season three begins, local mail pilot Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner) is struggling to overcome the demise of her boyfriend Rick Pederson, the most recent victim of "Maggie's curse," whereby all of Ms. O'Connell's beaux meet bizarre and perversely amusing deaths. Elsewhere, Joel is kidnapped by mercurial hermit Adam (Adam Arkin) and his hypochondriac live-in girlfriend, Eve (Valerie Mahaffey) -- a crime that the rest of Cicely seems willing to overlook, inasmuch as Adam is a brilliant gourmet chef (later in the season, Adam and Eve are wed, and their nonplussed former "victim" Joel is among the guests). Also, Joel's taciturn Eskimo receptionist, Marilyn (Elaine Miles), falls in love with a traveling carnival mime (Bill Erwin), in an episode built around the talents of the amazing Cirque du Soleil troupe; Joel's now-widowed former fiancée (Jessica Lundy) pays a memorable visit; Maggie's slightly addled mom (Bibi Besch) drops in on her daughter -- and promptly burns down her house; and Bernard Stevens (Richard Cummings Jr.), enigmatic "doppelganger" of local radio DJ Chris Danforth (John Corbett), unexpectedly returns. Among the season's best episodes are "Jules et Joel," with Rob Morrow in a dual role; the multiple Emmy winner "Cicely," with virtually everyone in the cast playing their 1909 counterparts (who'd a thunk that Joel Fleischman might have been Frank Kafka in a previous life?); and the unforgettable "The Body in Question," in which the town gets all worked up over the discovery of an 18th century Frenchman whose corpse has been encased in ice for two centuries (yes, this is the "Frozen Pierre" story...remember?). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide