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The Best Episodes of Northern Exposure

Every episode of Northern Exposure ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Northern Exposure!

The Best Episodes of Northern Exposure

After receiving a scholarship from the state, a recent Columbia University medical school graduate is required to set up his practice in an eccentric Alaskan...

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  1. 9.0/10(530 votes)

    #1 - Cicely

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    S3:E23

    Joel meets an old man who's returned to Cicely after many years. The man tells him the story of two remarkable women, Roslyn and Cicely, whom transformed the town into ""the Paris of the North"" back in 1909.

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  2. 8.8/10(591 votes)

    #2 - Aurora Borealis: A Fairy Tale for Big People

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    S1:E8

    The approach of the Aurora Borealis and the constant light produces some strange behavior among the residents of Cicely. Chris abandons the radio station to build an unusual piece of modern sculpture and to get acquainted with a new soul mate that has come into town on some predestined mission. Joel journeys into the back woods to visit an isolated forest ranger and, when he gets stuck coming home, remembers the stories of a strange Bigfoot-like creature named Adam rumored to be roaming the area. Joel is rescued by Adam, who turns out to be real and a damn good cook, only when he returns to town no one believes him.

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    Writer:N/A
  3. 8.6/10(268 votes)

    #3 - The Big Feast

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    S4:E21

    When Maggie distributes the invitations for Maurice's 25th Anniversary Bash for Minnifield Communications an event "everyone" is attending Joel doesn't get one. Shelly accidentally breaks one of Maurice's expensive bottles of wine and tries to find a way to replace it. Adam and Eve return with the baby, Aldrich, and Adam takes over the food preparation of a special dish.

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  4. 8.5/10(384 votes)

    #4 - Seoul Mates

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    S3:E10

    The holidays in Cicely see Joel experimenting with an unfamiliar Christmas tree, a clumsy Maggie suddenly left alone, Shelly pining for the religious pageantry of her childhood, and Maurice meeting a family he never knew as everyone awaits the pageant of the raven.

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  5. 8.5/10(350 votes)

    #5 - Burning Down the House

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    S3:E14

    Maggie receives an unexpected visit and some unwanted news from her mother. Meanwhile, Chris searches everywhere for just the right cow to fling for his conceptual art piece and Joel becomes obsessed with a local chimney sweep that he believes is a former pro golfer.

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    Director:Rob Thompson
  6. 8.5/10(374 votes)

    #6 - Three Amigos

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    S3:E16

    The death of an old friend sends Maurice and Holling packing off into the snowy wilderness to bury him at No-Name Point. But the way is hard, including an unexpected run-in with the man's attractive widow.

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    Director:N/A
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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Northern Exposure

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  8. 8.5/10(315 votes)

    #7 - Northwest Passages

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    S4:E1

    Maggie must come to grips with her 30th birthday and the ghosts of her dead boyfriends by using an Indian ritual allowing her to lay the past to rest. Marilyn decides it's time to learn to drive and gets Ruth-Anne and Chris to give her lessons. Maurice drives the citizens crazy when he begins to write his memoirs.

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    Director:Dean Parisot
  9. 8.5/10(271 votes)

    #8 - Crime and Punishment

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    S4:E10

    Chris is taken into custody for an extradition trial to bring him back to West Virginia, where he currently has a parole violation. Chris knows he is guilty and really isn't interested in his defense. Mike comes up with an angle that he can prove to the judge that the Chris Stevens that skipped bail is different from the Chris Stevens standing before her.

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    Director:Rob Thompson
    Writer:N/A
  10. 8.5/10(265 votes)

    #9 - Ill Wind

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    S4:E16

    After breaking his nose, twice, Joel and Maggie have a wild fling in her barn. Chris saves Maurice's life, a debt that he is set on repaying. After witnessing that event and surrounded by psychic instability, Ed thinks about death in its many forms. A shepherd's flock wanders into town and he talk to the locals about his problems, Ruth-Anne thinks he is having a mid-career crisis.

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    Director:Rob Thompson
    Writer:N/A
  11. 8.5/10(260 votes)

    #10 - Kaddish, For Uncle Manny

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    S4:E22

    Joel seeks out other Jews to help him mourn his uncle and Maurice calls out the troops to go out and round some up. Chris gets Bernard to help settle a 150-year-old feud between the Millers and the Stevens; something Bernard has some trepidation about participating in especially since it involves fighting, something he's never done. Marilyn drafts Holling to be her partner in a Cajun dance contest.

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    Director:Michael Lange
    Writer:N/A
  12. 8.5/10(240 votes)

    #11 - First Snow

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    S5:E10

    As the town prepares for winter, a healthy elderly patient tells Joel she is dying, much to his disbelief. Maggie decides to redecorate her house before winter sets in and gets a new chair that no one seems to like. Holling must figure out how many plots to dig at the cemetery before the ground freezes. Shelly lies to Maurice about never saying she loved him and she thinks her nose has begun to grow because of it.

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    Director:N/A
  13. 8.4/10(305 votes)

    #12 - The Final Frontier

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    S3:E20

    Maurice becomes curious about the influx of Japanese tourists to the area during the Northern Lights, Holling sets out to discover if Jesse the bear is really dead, and Maggie leads the curious townspeople in trying to discover what is in a mysterious package covered with foreign stamps.

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    Director:Tom Moore
  14. 8.4/10(293 votes)

    #13 - Midnight Sun

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    S4:E2

    Joel is charged with energy as the sun hasn't set and he uses his pent up energy to try to coach Cicely's basketball team to victory. Holling is distracted by Shelly's cheerleading outfit. The traveling salesman/tailor comes back to Cicely to sell his wares and he romances Ruth-Anne.

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  15. 8.4/10(266 votes)

    #14 - Northern Lights

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    S4:E18

    Joel goes on strike when the state of Alaska will not allow him time off for a Caribbean vacation he was planning. Chris has trouble seeking inspiration for his new sculpture. A vagrant's presence on Main St. outrages Maurice, when he learns the man is an ex-marine he tries to become his benefactor. Maggie debates about having sex with Mike. Holling spends his time in hibernation. The town of Cicely strikes back against Joel.

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  16. 8.4/10(234 votes)

    #15 - Mr. Sandman

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    S5:E12

    The aurora borealis causes the residents of Cicely to swap their dreams, exposing secrets. Maggie has Holling's dream about being a cab driver in Quebec, driving his overbearing father around. Ron has Maurice's dream about blue pumps. Joel sleepwalks in search of candy, having a child's dream. Holling has Dave's dream about kayaking with a spatula. Walt has someone's dream (Joel's?) about climbing a never ending tower.

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  17. 8.3/10(329 votes)

    #16 - A-Hunting We Will Go

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    S3:E8

    Joel decides to explore the fascination of hunting by accompanying Chris and Holling on their annual pilgrimage. Ed becomes worried and over solicitous when he learns that Ruth-Anne is seventy-five years old.

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    Director:Bill D'Elia
    Writer:N/A
  18. 8.3/10(317 votes)

    #17 - Things Become Extinct

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    S3:E13

    The death of his uncle sends Holling out to his still and into an orgy of self-doubt, Joel feels isolated as he searches for proof of other Jews in Alaska, and Ed widens his own horizons when he films Ira Wingfeather producing his unique wooden flutes.

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    Director:Dean Parisot
  19. 8.3/10(282 votes)

    #18 - Our Wedding

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    S3:E22

    As their wedding approaches, Adam debates with Joel about women and Eve lets a gung-ho Shelly take over the wedding plans as she worries about more important matters. Maggie and Joel try in their own ways to come to grips with their experience in Juneau.

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  20. 8.3/10(248 votes)

    #19 - Duets

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    S4:E13

    One-Who-Waits returns and has positive information on the location of Ed's father and takes Ed to the construction site where he works. Ed gets a job and tries to come up with a way to tell the foreman that he is his father. Mike asks Maggie to fly to a mountain range where he thinks he will be able to identify the chemicals that were part of a container spill. A blind man comes into "The Brick" and offers to tune and rebuild the piano but begins to get on Holling's nerves. Maggie tries to hold off Mike's advances by telling him about her "curse."

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  21. 8.3/10(259 votes)

    #20 - Learning Curve

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    S4:E15

    Holling decides to go back to school to get his high school equivalency certificate. Marilyn goes on an adventure in Seattle and Joel is worried for her safety so he tries to over plan her trip for her, plans she just ignores. A worried Joel, ventures down to Seattle to locate her. Maggie is at odds with the teacher over her philosophy about female combat pilots and sisterhood.

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    Director:N/A
  22. 8.2/10(376 votes)

    #21 - The Bumpy Road to Love

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    S3:E1

    Maggie is devastated when the unveiling of a statue in Rick's memory uncovers his life and loves away from Cicely. Maurice stumbles in his pursuit of Officer Semanski when she learns he favors tax loopholes. Joel is kidnapped and held prisoner by the reclusive Adam and his hypochondriacal mate Eve.

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  23. 8.2/10(322 votes)

    #22 - Roots

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    S3:E7

    Joel's former fiancé Elaine, now a widow, comes to visit. Chris' half-brother Bernard returns just as Chris is having dreams of Africa. The reclusive Adam takes a job with Holling to pay his insurance premiums.

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    Director:Sandy Smolan
    Writer:N/A
  24. 8.2/10(299 votes)

    #23 - Lost and Found

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    S3:E17

    The hypochondriac, Eve comes to town to ask about her latest symptoms, but Joel is preoccupied with the ghost of a lonely old soul haunting his cabin. Maurice receives a visit from his old Army commander, who needs to borrow money.

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  25. 8.2/10(240 votes)

    #24 - Hello, I Love You

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    S5:E15

    Ruth-Anne and Walt take the long way back home when they pick up a couple of oak display cases; however they run into vehicle trouble. Before giving birth, Shelly goes on a spiritual journey at the Laundromat and meets up with "The Pooper" at different stages of her life. Joel and Maggie get frustrated as they try too hard at making a go of their relationship.

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  26. 8.1/10(355 votes)

    #25 - Only You

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    S3:E2

    Maurice sulks over what he believes is an unflattering photo taken by Holling, Maggie worries about needing glasses and getting old, and Joel tries to explain Chris' uncanny appeal to women, who is busy chasing the one woman immune to his charm.

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    Director:Bill D'Elia

Best Episodes Summary

"Cicely" is the best rated episode of "Northern Exposure". It scored 9/10 based on 530 votes. Directed by Rob Thompson and written by Andrew Schneider, Diane Frolov, it aired on 5/18/1992. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Aurora Borealis: A Fairy Tale for Big People".