It’s a little warmer in Cicely, Alaska this week, and there is a lot going on, and it all relates to vanity, it’s all there in the title. All Is Vanity was written by Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider and debuted on 22 April, 1991.

Holling (John Cullum) goes to see Joel (Rob Morrow) after Shelly (Cynthia Geary) makes a comment about his foreskin. When Chris (John Corbett) talks about the upcoming circumsision operation on the radio, Holling can’t really back out, especially when Shelly thinks it’s incredibly macho that he’s going to do that for her. But Joel finds a way for Holling to back out with dignity, and vanity.

Maggie (Janine Turner) gets news that her father, Frank (John McCann), is coming for a visit and petitions Joel to pose as her boyfriend. Joel agrees but Maggie wonders what his motives are, and he lays it on a little thick. That, of course, angers Maggie to no end, which causes her to reveal the truth to her father.

Chris and Ed (Darren E. Burrows) serve as a morgue guard when someone in Joel’s waiting room drops dead. He has no identification but for a note that says to pick up his shirts Monday. The entire town comes by to see if anyone recognizes him, but his identity remains a mystery.

And let’s take a moment to talk about Elain Miles, and her wonderful deadpan delivery as Marilyn. She’s not quite a scene stealer, but she definitely elevates every scene she’s in because she just plays the moment, and it’s so much fun to watch.

What I Did for Love was written by Ellen Herman and first aired on 29 April, 1991.

Joel is getting ready for a visit home to New York, but Maggie has a dream about him dying in a plane crash (and a really weird game of Clue), so all of Cicely turns out to give him fond, and final, farewells. Something Joel is less than thrilled by. His thoughts about the trip are further conflicted by the arrival of his replacement as doctor while he’s gone.

David Ginsberg (Leo Geter) is fun, enthusiastic, and seems to really click with those around him, something that puts Joel out a bit. Especially when it comes out that David is from the same neighbourhood and seems like a nicer person than Joel.

Maurice (Barry Corbin) has some problems of his own, when he gets his annual astronaut groupie visit and things don’t go as well as he hoped. His groupie, Mrs. Klochner (Elizabeth Huddle Nyberg) reveals to Joel that Maurice may have a medical condition, Joel quickly figures it out, and then realizes maybe he shouldn’t go to New York at all.

And maybe he should let Maggie into his life a little further, kind of… Especially now that they have both had dreams about one another.

Chris also revealed how Cicley was established as the town celebrates Founder’s Day, two gay women, Cicely and Roslyn came to Alaska and created the town. That’s aweome!

Damned fun, but this puts us halfway through the truncated season two.