Slow Dance closes out the truncated second season of Northern Exposure, and also clears the path for Joel (Rob Morrow) to possibly pursue Maggie (Janine Turner) – but what about her reputation as a black widow? All of her boyfriends have died – and Rick (Grant Goodeve) is no exception… he’s killed by a falling satellite.

Before Rick buys it, he gets killed in another way, Maggie reports that he’s colour-blind, which causes him to lose his pilot’s licence.

The season finale was written by Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider and was first broadcast on 20 May, 1991.

Maurice (Barry Corbin) meets up with some prospective clients, Ron (Doug Ballard) and Erick (Don McManus), they may want to invest in the town, and build a hotel. He has a lot in common with them, including their love of show tunes and love to cook, but is feeling less than enthusiastic about the purchase when he learns more about them. It seems they’re gay, and he has to deal with his own fears on the subject.

To call it politely, he’s a homophobe.

And Holling (John Cullum) meets up with an old female friend, Anita (Megan Cole) from Nome, and Shelley (Cynthia Geary) is less than happy about how well they are getting along. So she tries to adapt and be what she thinks he wants, a woman from the 50s and 60s.

Through it all Chris (John Corbett) waxes poetic from the radio mic, and he may be able to help Maurice deal with his issues. And a number of the townspeople hit on Maggie, or ask her to sleep with their less-than-loved partners so that her curse also strikes them.

And where does the episode get its title? Everyone has a slow dance at the end of the episode, including Joel and Maggie which sets up possibilities for the next season.

The Bumpy Road to Love opened season three and picks up shortly after Rick’s death. Written by Martin Sage and Sybil Adelman, the third season got underway on 23 September, 1991.

As the town comes together to celebrate Rick’s life with a stature overseen by Maggie. She is shocked to discover that he was also seeing another woman, Joanne (Cathryn de Prume). The two talk together, and find out more about themselves along the way.

Maurice, meanwhile, is delighted Officer Semanski (Diane Delano) is back in town, and the pair are getting along like a romantic house on fire. Everything is fune until she learns that Maurice likes a good tax loophole, whereas she’s strictly by the book. Will it cost him their relationship?

And Adam (Adam Arkin) makes a return appearance when he comes to Joel to ask him to make a housecall for his wife, Eve (Valerie Mahaffey), who is a little bit of a hypochondriac. Things go sideways when she brains Joel with a frying pan and chains him up to keep him close by and diagnose all of her ills.

He has to play as counsellor for both of them as the couple argues fiercely all the time over his cooking, and her belief that she’s constantly sick. When they finally agree to let him go, no one believes him that it happened in the first place as Adam is still a myth for everyone else in Cicely.

But he does seem to make a bit of headway with Maggie, as the pair agree to go out on a dinner date.

And Chris delivers a number of insightful comments and quotes, and remains my favourite character, as he waxes poetic, plays the tunes, and looks at life in a wonderful way, and enjoys archery!