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The Worst Episodes of Northern Exposure

Every episode of Northern Exposure ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Northern Exposure!

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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 town.

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  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Northern Exposure Season 5 Episode 22 - Grand Prix
    6.5/10(231 votes)

    #1 - Grand Prix

    S5:E22

    Ted tries to impress Marilyn with the rich client he's just landed and learns what makes them different. Maurice organizes Cicely's 1st International wheelchair race and demands too much from the contestant he is sponsoring. Ed prescribes a remedy for a racer with tennis elbow, but the little green man returns to try to undermine his confidence in his healing abilities.

    Director:Michael Lange
    Writer:Barbara Hall

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  2. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 21 - Ursa Minor
    6.5/10(200 votes)

    #2 - Ursa Minor

    S6:E21

    Ed learns the responsibilities of parenthood when he begins caring for a lost bear cub. Maurice discovers that Cicely's population is declining. Chris uses a device that allows him to manipulate his dreams and work out some issues in his relationship with Maggie. Michelle waitresses at the Brick while continuing to work out her issues with Phil.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Sam Egan

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  3. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 22 - Let's Dance
    6.5/10(203 votes)

    #3 - Let's Dance

    S6:E22

    Chris begins taking dance lessons from Marilyn but she disciplines one of her other students into giving him the lessons only she doesn't want to be seen talking to him, even though they have similar interests. Philip offends Marilyn's mother when he breaks tribal protocols for manners and Michelle confirms his deficiency. Maurice and Barbara travel on a prisoner transport with Cal the violinist to bring him back to the sanitarium. Along the way she falls under the spell of his violin playing causing her to think about violating the rules and letting him go free.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Sam Egan

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  4. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 6 - Zarya
    6.7/10(235 votes)

    #4 - Zarya

    S6:E6

    Ed films Marilyn telling the story of a Russian princess and her grandfather. It seems that Lenin and Anastasia arranged to meet in Cicely to work out an agreement that would reestablish the rule of her family in Russia. Meanwhile, an all-terrain vehicle is being prototyped for the Alaskan frontier.

    Director:Jim Charleston
    Writers:Andrew Schneider, Diane Frolov

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  5. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 18 - Little Italy
    6.7/10(218 votes)

    #5 - Little Italy

    S6:E18

    Ruth-Anne makes her debut on National Public Radio telling about little slices of life from Cicely. The Capras go to Cicely's Little Italy, where it turns out there is an exclusive restaurant in the basement of a house in a feud with the people next door and they get caught in the middle. Maggie in her role as mayor must play marriage counselor for Shelly and Holling.

    Director:Stephen Cragg
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 16 - Lucky People
    6.8/10(202 votes)

    #6 - Lucky People

    S6:E16

    The citizens get ready to celebrate founders' day; Chris and Maggie open an old garage and uncover Roslyn and Cicely's old Model T. While rebuilding the car, Chris starts to show an interest in Maggie. Maurice believes that Miranda is the reincarnation of his uncle, so he "plans to take a personal interest in her." The Capras look at their financial situation when they wish to build a house on land they've bought. Phil has a major anxiety attack, resulting from the onslaught of nature, and he tries to get Maurice to buy back the property. Michelle's wish to be different nearly gets her frostbite, when she decides to not wear the anonymous gifts she's received.

    Director:Janet Greek
    Writers:Andrew Schneider, Diane Frolov

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  7. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 20 - Buss Stop
    6.9/10(203 votes)

    #7 - Buss Stop

    S6:E20

    Michelle decides to mount a stage production of "Bus Stop" unaware of the curse that has plagued past stage productions. Ron helps guarantee that Erick gets a coveted role and Shelly is jealous when Maggie gets the female lead. Hayden designs the sets and a stage with a trap door. Holling, Erick and Chris all have issues to deal with about their parts in the play, which they discuss while drinking out at Holling's still.

    Director:Unknown
    Writers:Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess

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  8. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 10 - Realpolitik
    7.0/10(210 votes)

    #8 - Realpolitik

    S6:E10

    Maggie gets elected mayor. Joel invites Phil up river, for a game of golf and a test. Michelle covers Maggie's first city council meeting as mayor and Maggie makes her first motion for a centrally located dumpster but runs into opposition from the fiscal-restraint minded crowd. Maggie's power as mayor becomes a turn on for Chris. Marilyn invests money in a stud dog that doesn't want to mate.

    Director:Victor Lobl
    Writer:Sam Egan

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  9. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 19 - Balls
    7.0/10(208 votes)

    #9 - Balls

    S6:E19

    Ed resents Maurice's advice about his relationship with Heather. Chris believes that Maggie needs a new bowling partner so he holds tryouts and gets the woolly mammoth professor to be her partner. Michelle's success at bowling threatens Phil; they fight about it and she moves out. Chris becomes jealous of Maggie's new partner. Lester's wants to produce Ed's script for "The Shaman" with one change that makes Ed think about what Maurice said to him. Michelle moves out of the house.

    Director:Scott Paulin
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 5 - The Robe
    7.1/10(220 votes)

    #10 - The Robe

    S6:E5

    Satan comes to Cicely as a whirlpool salesman; he offers to fulfill Shelly's fantasy of making the Brick a major casino. Ed makes a mistake and skews the results of a cold medicine test that Joel is running for John Hopkins. Chris gets a ventriloquist's dummy and adds him to his radio show, but the dummy becomes more popular, because he "shoots straight from the hip." Maurice is convinced that Joel's cold medicine contains a new appetite suppressant and he presses Joel to tell him what it is. When that doesn't work, he gets Hayden to try to steal the information. To make her fantasy come true, all Shelly must do is burn Holling's old bathrobe.

    Director:Lorraine Senna
    Writer:Sam Egan

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  11. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 14 - The Mommy's Curse
    7.1/10(195 votes)

    #11 - The Mommy's Curse

    S6:E14

    When Maggie's mother and her male friend, who dies, come to visit, she realizes that her luck with men runs in the family. Maurice becomes jealous of Holling's friendship with Phil. Ruth-Anne and Walt's relationship is put to the test when she has him help her out in the store.

    Director:Michael Lange
    Writers:Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess

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  12. Northern Exposure Season 4 Episode 11 - Survival of the Species
    7.2/10(299 votes)

    #12 - Survival of the Species

    S4:E11

    Ed becomes gloomy about the future and begins to share Mike's visions about the future. Maggie digs up some artifacts from an ancient female in her front yard and Maurice wants to turn it into a major excavation. A young boy who runs away from a survival camp gets a job at "The Brick" to cover his room and board; he also falls madly in love with Shelly. Maggie and the rest of the women band together against the men who have dominated the dig in her front yard.

    Director:Dean Parisot
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 7 - Full Upright Position
    7.2/10(218 votes)

    #13 - Full Upright Position

    S6:E7

    Maurice welcomes his young cousin Maurice to Cicely, hopefully to take over the family business. Charges of static electricity generate a new interest--and a new art project-- for Chris. Meanwhile sparks fly between Joel and Maggie on a Russian airline bound for St. Petersburg, where Joel is scheduled to speak at a medical convention.

    Director:Oz Scott
    Writers:Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess

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  14. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 9 - Sons of the Tundra
    7.2/10(211 votes)

    #14 - Sons of the Tundra

    S6:E9

    A new doctor and his wife move to Cicely to take over Joel's practice and his house. While settling in, they get to know some quirks of the people and their new environment. After eating a trout, Ed starts to see the future. Holling tries to join the "Sons of the Tundra" and Shelly dislikes the "men only" aspect. Joel stops by and trades Holling pelts for a new knife.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 23 - Tranquility Base
    7.2/10(261 votes)

    #15 - Tranquility Base

    S6:E23

    Maurice's plans to ask Barbara to marry him while spending the weekend at his new summer home are in jeopardy when her style clashes with the way he wants his guests treated. Phil and Michelle continue to try to work out their differences and Ed, in his Shaman capacity, and Joel's Rabbi offer some advice. Chris is on the loose when Maggie doesn't make the journey to Maurice's but soon realizes that he is a changed man. The Vincoeurs stay locked up in their room when Holling is in heat.

    Director:Michael Fresco
    Writers:Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess

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  16. Northern Exposure Season 4 Episode 25 - Old Tree
    7.3/10(291 votes)

    #16 - Old Tree

    S4:E25

    The town's oldest tree is dying. Shelly wakes up and finds that she can't talk, but she can sing. The town asks Joel to diagnose Old Vicki. Chris goes wireless and is freed from the confines of the broadcast booth. Shelly's singing starts to get on Holling's nerves. Maggie tries to be pleasant to Joel and the result of all this kindness is that Joel keeps getting injured. Maurice is intent on bringing the tree down. Shelly becomes worried that she may never talk again. After the felling of Old Vicki, the town has a wake. Maurice feels remorse after the felling of Old Vicki. Maggie and Joel cut a deal to try keeping Joel injury free.

    Director:Michael Fresco
    Writers:Robin Green, Diane Frolov

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  17. Northern Exposure Season 5 Episode 5 - A River Doesn't Run Through It
    7.3/10(238 votes)

    #17 - A River Doesn't Run Through It

    S5:E5

    Maggie is asked by the three guys in Cicely's high school senior class to be their homecoming queen and she accepts. Ruth-Anne faces an IRS auditor who besides trying to figure out her practice of accepting goods and services for payment is undergoing stress from her own marital problems. Maurice tries to outsmart a wealthy American Indian in a land deal. Joel is stuck out in the wilderness without his tape recorder.

    Director:Nick Marck
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 2 - Eye of the Beholder
    7.3/10(205 votes)

    #18 - Eye of the Beholder

    S6:E2

    With Renaldo, Ed participates in an investigation of possible insurance fraud being perpetrated by Hayden Keyes. Maggie & Maurice both regret their donations to the library fund-raising auction. A dollhouse from the auction, Miranda's 1st birthday, and her growth begin to depress Shelly.

    Director:Jim Charleston
    Writers:Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess

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  19. Northern Exposure Season 6 Episode 17 - The Graduate
    7.3/10(207 votes)

    #19 - The Graduate

    S6:E17

    Maggie outbids Maurice for the ownership of the town's rundown theater which she begins to run with help of Ed and Heather. When two professors come to Cicely for the oral examination for Chris' master's degree, they clash over Chris' dissertation. A young Canadian Air Force lieutenant claims that Holling is his father, something proven because Holling sent his mother money every month for 25 years. However, that's just covering up a secret from his past. The theatre business causes stress for Maggie.

    Director:James Hayman
    Writer:Sam Egan

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  20. Northern Exposure Season 1 Episode 4 - Dreams, Schemes and Putting Greens
    7.4/10(512 votes)

    #20 - Dreams, Schemes and Putting Greens

    S1:E4

    Joel's mind is on helping Maurice sell Alaska as the "new Riviera" to two Japanese businessmen in hopes of becoming the "attending physician"--and playing golf--at their proposed resort. Meanwhile, Holling has proposed to Shelly when he learns that she is carrying his child, when the wedding day arrives, he is somewhat reluctant to go through with ceremony.

    Director:Dan Lerner
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Northern Exposure Season 3 Episode 18 - My Mother, My Sister
    7.4/10(308 votes)

    #21 - My Mother, My Sister

    S3:E18

    An abandoned baby gets attention from the whole town and helps awaken Adam's paternal instincts while Shelly's life is unsettled by a visit from her youthful, giddy mother and her new boy friend.

    Director:Rob Thompson
    Writer:Mitchell Burgess

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  22. Northern Exposure Season 4 Episode 4 - Heroes
    7.4/10(312 votes)

    #22 - Heroes

    S4:E4

    A heavy metal rock star comes to Cicely and gets Ed to make a documentary on a rock festival he is holding with local Indian drummers. Shelly is star struck by the arrival of this star. Meanwhile Chris' mentor, Tooley, comes to Cicely in a crate and Chris ponders how to eulogize, bury and send him to the great beyond.

    Director:Charles Braverman
    Writer:Jeff Vlaming

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  23. Northern Exposure Season 5 Episode 4 - Altered Egos
    7.4/10(222 votes)

    #23 - Altered Egos

    S5:E4

    Bernard is surprised when he discovers his new love once lived with Chris for 6 months. Joel starts to fear that he is losing his New York edge. Marilyn screens her potential dates via their medical records.

    Director:John David Coles
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Northern Exposure Season 5 Episode 11 - Baby Blues
    7.4/10(241 votes)

    #24 - Baby Blues

    S5:E11

    An agent stops by to see Ed about his idea for "The Shaman" but he wants a few "little" changes made to better sell the script. Chris seeks to discover his feminine side. Joel and Maggie "discuss" motherhood. Shelly flees her baby shower as all the pressures of motherhood begin to show themselves to her, when Eve and others tell their child birthing experiences.

    Director:Jim Charleston
    Writer:Barbara Hall

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  25. Northern Exposure Season 1 Episode 6 - Sex, Lies and Ed's Tapes
    7.5/10(483 votes)

    #25 - Sex, Lies and Ed's Tapes

    S1:E6

    A young man from Saskatchewan further rocks the already delicate relationship between Shelly and Holling. Ed suffers from writer's block and a lack of focus as he tries to begin work on his blockbuster movie. Maggie and Rick tiptoe around ""Maggie's curse"" when he shows symptoms of a serious medical problem.

    Director:Sandy Smolan
    Writers:Joshua Brand, John Falsey

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Grand Prix" is the worst rated episode of "Northern Exposure". It scored 6.5/10 based on 231 votes. Directed by Michael Lange and written by Barbara Hall, it aired on 5/9/1994. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Ursa Minor".