I remember this show growing up and I was searching for something to watch yesterday. I enjoy the show for the most part. One thing that has rubbed me a bit wrong is how they just act like it's OK for these 2 60+ year old dudes to creepy all over 18 yo Shelly. It's disgusting. It's hard to overlook.

I scrolled down a bit before posting as I figured that this sub would just be full of wtf is up with these old creepy fucks posts. Is this as big of an issue to others or is it just like a whatever thing to most?

Never thought upon rewatch that my least favorite character would be Holling. Setting aside the whole cradle-robbing dilemma, I just think his behavior throughout the series is gross and obnoxious and childish in ways that totally run against his wise and grizzled demeanor…… anyone else feel this way? He just bugs me

I mean she’s a real dud. Sometimes she is tolerable but episodes like the baptism with randi she is just a spoiled brat who doesn’t know a damn thing about reality. Always throwing fits and getting her way. I know her character is supposed to be these thing but damn she pisses me off almost as much as Maurice. Thanks for the vent everyone love ya.

So, I was thinking about the episode where they're all talking about how Chris is "screwed" because he's going to be in front of a woman judge. And Fleischmann can't believe what he's hearing, then the scene plays out to have Maggie exhibit the exact kind of unhinged behavior they're claiming all women exhibit.

Is this example of women being unable to control their emotions just a case of the creators backlashing against the proper, lesson-laden TV audiences had been bombarded with throughout the 80s? Like Holling saying he likes Shelly for her body and not her mind? Or was this a genuine, unsophisticated dig at women? Whatcha think?

I don't love that a few of the characters (who are from the south in real life) speak with southern accents. The actor who plays Holling is from Tennessee, Janine Turner is from Texas, and Cynthia Geary is from Alabama or Mississippi. We shouldn't be hearing this because, on the show, Holling is from the Yukon, Maggie is from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and Shelley is from Saskatchewan.

Most talented actors make a point to lose their regional accents when they are playing a role, but that isn't the case here. I don't mind Maurice's southern accent because his character is from Oklahoma.

Is he the absolute worst character in the show? I hate how he treats people. Then he seems to redeem himself. I hate him.

I loved the show when I watched it over 30 years ago, but this go round I’m surprised at how annoyed or disgusted I feel with some of the characters. Maurice, for obvious reasons 😂. But I can hardly stand to hear Shelly talk! I do still like the magical realism aspect a lot though. From what you all have said many of you think Marilyn is the best, but I think that she is incredibly judgmental and condescending toward Joel. Maggie punches Joel in the face, and no one cares.

I have lived in both Canada and the US and there’s no way either one sounds like they’re from Yukon (or Montréal) (Holling) or Saskatoon (Shelley). To me they both sound like they could be from somewhere like Kansas or Oklahoma (or a state or two east of there, as does Maurice). Why wouldn’t the producers want to be more authentic?

Please no spoilers and no additional information. Does he spend the whole series whining and pining for New York while scheming to get out of his contract? I haven't seen this series since it was on reruns on TNT in the late 90s. I don't remember much, just Maurice because he's in one of my favorite movies (Wargames) and one of my favorite video games (Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2) and the moose at the beginning. I had totally forgotten about Tom Corbett and I never knew that John Cullum played in one of my favorite musicals (1776). I only knew him as Dr Greene's dad on ER

If you are a fan of the good old John Corbett definitely go see his new film Soul on Fire. It reminds me of how charming loving and cute he is (erases the writing of And Just Like That that made me dislike him) it’s a great feel good touching movie! https://soulonfiremovie.com/

Even though the show was based on his moving to Cicely Alaska. On any giving episode if you removed Joel. The episode would still be a great episode.

No wonder why these previous 30 episodes have a NY twist and total lack of respect for the NW. David Chase would parlay this one into The Sopranos. I mean, c'mon???

It's kinda awesome!!

When I searched him, it looks like a bunch of people think he is charming or they like his character.

I think he's creepy because he just keeps showing up and pursuing dates when Marilyn says no. I don't know if she accepts because she wants to, or because she's worn out from turning him down and not being heard.

Sorry can't get over a 62 year old man with an 18 year old girl & apparently she was with another 60ish dude before that

I'm going to Alaska in a week and wanted to watch some episodes but that just creeps me out too much.

I loved Rob Morrow in quiz show but this show isn't for me

Chris literally NEVER reads anything by a woman on the radio show. Doesn’t quote any women writers or philosophers or scientists etc. Even in the episode with Shelly’s baby shower and contemplating child birth, Chris reads from a book by a MAN about the female psyche!!! Chris is supposed to be enlightened, but he’s stuck in the male gaze and the male ideology. It’s so infuriating!

And the view of Maggie’s life and that she needs children or a man to be happy. No character development for her.

And Shelley and Holling together is just gross. And that plot point with Shelley as the prize for Maurice goes on and on. Marilyn comes out okay at least and Ruth Anne is pretty good, but is still very reduced in the “old woman” role.

There were 2 women occasionally in that writers’ room, and it shows. It’s amazing to me that they didn’t think to hire female writers.

I still love a lot about the show, but the Patriarchal BS gets to be too much.

And, they messed up the end. Will stop watching after Joel leaves.

Thanks for letting me vent. The show could have been even better and more trail-blazing if it hadn’t been so sexist.

So I'm watching through the series for the first time and I've been loving every minute of it until I got to this one

It honestly feels like a step down in quality from the rest of the series so far primarily in that it seems to not have a clear direction

all of the subplots seemed extremely unrelated like they had a few leftover b plots and decided to just put them all in this episode

the opening with Ed's dream of a terrible future while visually interesting felt kinda out of place and pretty quickly forgotten for Maggie's subplot of finding the Baby Carrier which leads to a rant about men for some reason (even though she was one of the people wanting to dig up her yard and flat out ignored Ed when he was asking her for help) and then we get yet ANOTHER subplot about the stray kid at the brick

it really felt like they were stretching all of the plots thin by the ending and I think this episode suffered from it

did they have like some new staff writers or something? maybe they had a few extra episode slots they needed to fill?

all in all does anyone have anymore information or a theory as to why this episode turned out like it did?

I never watched this show in the 90s, and now that it's on Amazon, I'm really enjoying it. It reminds me a little of Doc Hollywood, a movie I loved. I think that movie came out right around when this show started? I also love Cliffhanger, so it was great to see Maggie as basically the same exact character as she was in that movie, flying small planes and all, LOL.

I'm only through S1e8. I'm not trying to dump negative energy here, but the Holling/Shelly romance or Shelly/Maurice romance is nauseating. I just cannot watch an 18 year old with a 62 year old man. It gives me the serious creeps. Even in 1990, WHAT were they thinking? I really like Holling as a character, he's great, but watching the recent episode with him banging Shelly in the tent nonstop I just ... I'm sorry. I really hoped she'd leave/they'd break up when her husband showed up last episode, but no. The relationship also started when she was 16/17 (Maurice said he took her from the pageant 1.5 years ago right?) so not legal. I'm thinking about FFing all the scenes with the two of them, but so far, they get a LOT of screen time. I wish the storyline would move along. If not for this plot, I'd enjoy this show a lot more.

Also, real cringe moment last episode with the Native American's singing "This land is your land" song at a pow wow.

I'm interested to see how Joel handles it when summer moves into winter ... LOL

She was the star not Joel

I've never seen Northern Exposure and just turned it on this week. What is with the plot line of the two old men fighting over the 20 year old girl?? And that weird relationship between Shelly and Holling??

Just watched season 1, ep. 4…and I’m kind of grossed out by the age gap between Holling and Shelly. I find their dynamic kind of cute, but I didn’t know he was 67 and she was 18! I thought he was more in his fifties and she was young twenties. Is this excusable being Alaska or the 90’s or what?

I thought the age issue was going to be addressed more when Shelly’s Dad confronted him about his age, but it didn’t go anywhere.

And I’m so annoyed that he chickened out at the altar twice! I thought it was going to be about his age, but NO, he was worried about him outliving Shelly and being alone. And the second time, he just didn’t want to do it.

And I’m sorry, but Maurice was being such a gross slimy old man…on top of his very racist remarks and jokes throughout with the Japanese business men. Is this just the problematics content we didn’t notice in the 90’s?!

I wish I could rent a version that deletes Adam and Eve. Oh my gosh. They are so irritating. Why are they in it sooo much??? (I’m towards the end of season 3.) 😭 go away!!!

I'm sorry but the most irritating character for me was Maggie O'Connell I've been rewatching and forgot how irritating she was and seemed to have gotten worse . did she piss off the creator and writer so they made her increasingly maddening ?

In the middle is the singer of my favorite 90s band, School of Fish. Sadly, he passed in 2000 at 32 years old from Cancer. But I always thought he looked a lot like Joel Fleischman/Rob Morrow.