Two key recurring guest characters debut in "Northern Exposure" via the luminous Northern Lights as "Aurora Borealis: A Fairy Tale for Big People" ends the first season of the Alaska-based comedy-drama in dazzling style. Setting, music, performances, relaxed but purposeful pacing by director Peter O'Fallon, and especially the effortless script by Charles Rosin combine seamlessly to epitomize the exciting potential this thoughtful, involving, and slyly tongue-in-cheek series could manifest. After several previous tries, "Aurora Borealis" discovers the ideal tone between playful and poignant to nurture the rich, varied cast of characters each engaged in journeys of self-discovery.
Not only is an especially bright moon disrupting sleep patterns in Cicely, but aurora borealis, the Northern Lights, are flickering in everyone's psyche as an African-American accountant-cum-biker, Bernard Stevens (Richard Cummings, Jr.), rides into town from Portland, knowing only that he needed to come north. He and Chris quickly prove to be simpatico as Bernard helps Chris complete his metal sculpture inspired by the Northern Lights, the first example of the artistic explorations Cicely's radio deejay and resident poet-philosopher would undertake throughout the series, while the uncanny synchronicity they display while playing bridge with Holling and Maggie hints at deeper connections between the two.
Meanwhile, Joel must undertake an extreme house call to Ranger Burns's (John Procaccino) lookout tower well out in the wilderness, as the ranger, so obsessed with spotting forest fires before they become conflagrations that he's developed migraines, whose surname is "Burns" furnishes an example of the series' wry humor.
Returning to Cicely in the bright moonlight, Joel's truck breaks down, leading to his encounter with the local boogeyman whom Ed told him about. Living alone in an isolated shack, Adam (Adam Arkin) turns out to be merely a hirsute, unkempt, barefoot, misanthropic pathological liar who also just happens to be a world-class chef along with other qualifications of dubious veracity.
Such are the wildly improbable elements that manage to coalesce with seemingly unerring logic in the world of "Northern Exposure," perhaps because the cast seems completely invested in them. John Corbett and Cummings exhibit pleasing camaraderie as Chris and Bernard's psychic connection, illustrated by a riotous dream sequence featuring psychologist Carl Jung (Lou Hetler), has a startling reason behind it. Arkin, glowering balefully as his Adam threatens Joel regularly, makes an auspicious entrance, his exchanges with Rob Morrow, rising to the challenge, displaying crackling chemistry sure to make their future confrontations memorable.
The final "character" that makes "Aurora Borealis" one of the greatest "Northern Exposure" episodes is the soundtrack music that, because of the running theme of an exceptionally bright moon, leans heavily on lunar references, from Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata and Louis Armstrong's rendition of "Moon River" to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" and Billie Holiday's cover of "Blue Moon," with the Coasters' "Little Egypt" and, underpinning Chris and Bernard's dream sequence, the Chordettes' "Mister Sandman" tossed in for good measure.
With an assured balance of wisdom and whimsy, affinity and antagonism, and sensibility and surrealism now tested and ready for deployment, "Northern Exposure" maps its strategy for Season Two and beyond as "Aurora Borealis" writes its brilliance across the heavens.
REVIEWER'S NOTE: What makes a review "helpful"? Every reader of course decides that for themselves. For me, a review is helpful if it explains why the reviewer liked or disliked the work or why they thought it was good or not good. Whether I agree with the reviewer's conclusion is irrelevant. "Helpful" reviews tell me how and why the reviewer came to their conclusion, not what that conclusion may be. Differences of opinion are inevitable. I don't need "confirmation bias" for my own conclusions. Do you?
Not only is an especially bright moon disrupting sleep patterns in Cicely, but aurora borealis, the Northern Lights, are flickering in everyone's psyche as an African-American accountant-cum-biker, Bernard Stevens (Richard Cummings, Jr.), rides into town from Portland, knowing only that he needed to come north. He and Chris quickly prove to be simpatico as Bernard helps Chris complete his metal sculpture inspired by the Northern Lights, the first example of the artistic explorations Cicely's radio deejay and resident poet-philosopher would undertake throughout the series, while the uncanny synchronicity they display while playing bridge with Holling and Maggie hints at deeper connections between the two.
Meanwhile, Joel must undertake an extreme house call to Ranger Burns's (John Procaccino) lookout tower well out in the wilderness, as the ranger, so obsessed with spotting forest fires before they become conflagrations that he's developed migraines, whose surname is "Burns" furnishes an example of the series' wry humor.
Returning to Cicely in the bright moonlight, Joel's truck breaks down, leading to his encounter with the local boogeyman whom Ed told him about. Living alone in an isolated shack, Adam (Adam Arkin) turns out to be merely a hirsute, unkempt, barefoot, misanthropic pathological liar who also just happens to be a world-class chef along with other qualifications of dubious veracity.
Such are the wildly improbable elements that manage to coalesce with seemingly unerring logic in the world of "Northern Exposure," perhaps because the cast seems completely invested in them. John Corbett and Cummings exhibit pleasing camaraderie as Chris and Bernard's psychic connection, illustrated by a riotous dream sequence featuring psychologist Carl Jung (Lou Hetler), has a startling reason behind it. Arkin, glowering balefully as his Adam threatens Joel regularly, makes an auspicious entrance, his exchanges with Rob Morrow, rising to the challenge, displaying crackling chemistry sure to make their future confrontations memorable.
The final "character" that makes "Aurora Borealis" one of the greatest "Northern Exposure" episodes is the soundtrack music that, because of the running theme of an exceptionally bright moon, leans heavily on lunar references, from Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata and Louis Armstrong's rendition of "Moon River" to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" and Billie Holiday's cover of "Blue Moon," with the Coasters' "Little Egypt" and, underpinning Chris and Bernard's dream sequence, the Chordettes' "Mister Sandman" tossed in for good measure.
With an assured balance of wisdom and whimsy, affinity and antagonism, and sensibility and surrealism now tested and ready for deployment, "Northern Exposure" maps its strategy for Season Two and beyond as "Aurora Borealis" writes its brilliance across the heavens.
REVIEWER'S NOTE: What makes a review "helpful"? Every reader of course decides that for themselves. For me, a review is helpful if it explains why the reviewer liked or disliked the work or why they thought it was good or not good. Whether I agree with the reviewer's conclusion is irrelevant. "Helpful" reviews tell me how and why the reviewer came to their conclusion, not what that conclusion may be. Differences of opinion are inevitable. I don't need "confirmation bias" for my own conclusions. Do you?
