Customer Reviews

Northern Exposure: Cicely [VHS]

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"Cicely" (Season 3-Episode 23, May 18, 1992) finds Joel encountering Ned Svenborg (Robert Blossom), a 108-year-old man who tells him the story of how the little Alaskan town of Cicely came to be back in 1909. It seems way back when the community was a cultural mecca known as "the Paris of the North," established by a free-thinker named Cicely (Yvonne Suhor) and her companion Roslyn (Jo Anderson). As Ned tells his story, Joel imagines the town's present citizens as the characters in Ned's tale: Ed becomes the young Ned, Maurice is the power hungry Mace Mobrey, Chris is his hired gun Kit, Shelly is the young harlot Sally, Holling is Abe the man who loves her, and Maggie is missionary woman Mary OKeefe. Joel, of course, is Franz Kafka, who is struggling with an idea for a story about metamorphosis. As Ned tells the tale of how Cicely was intended to be a utopian paradise and her tragic fate, Joel appears to have some appreciation for what a special little town he is stuck in by a simple twist of fate. Of all the Cicely history episodes, this one is definitely the best. The final episode of the third season, "Cicely" was written by Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, this episode was directed by Rob Thompson. Did you know?: In Italy "Northern Exposure" was known as "Un medico tra gli orsi," which translates as "A doctor between the bears."

If I hadn't been a Northern Exposure fan already, I certainly would have become one while watching this episode. I found it to be incredibly moving in so many respects. It can really stand alone as a marvelous piece of historical fiction. Put in the context of the series,however, it marks a true turning point. None of Cicely's residents will be able to look at their town in quite the same way, least of all Joel. Setting the much-awaited Cicely history lesson aside, the last scene of the epsode says it all for me. Joel can finally see past the snow, the mud and the miles between himself and New York City to see the heart and soul of a little town on the cusp of the new Alaskan Riviera.

This was the episode that made me fall in love with Northern Exposure. I found this episode to be incredibly moving, tender, and touching. Even if you've never seen the show, I still think it's worth seeing because it's so good.

"Cicely" answers many of the important questions about the town of Cicely. How it got it's name, who lived there first, etc. No one can claim to be a true NE fan and not own this episode... END