Maggie’s (Janine Turner) mother, Jane (Bibi Besch) comes to Cicely causing stress and bringing some unwanted news. She also comes with her attitude of things having to be just right.

Jane’s news is that she and Maggie’s father are getting divorced, and Maggie is less than ready for this reveal. She’s even less than ready when her mother accidentally burns Maggie’s house down.

Burning Down the House was written by Robin Green, this episode first debuted on 3 February, 1992. It got itself a nomination for Best Writing in a Dramatic Series..

Joel (Rob Morrow) is introduced to Bob (John M. Jackson), the local chimney sweep, and Joel becomes obsessed with him, absolutely convinced that he is a former golf pro. And he’s right. But Bob aka Larry Coe just wants to be seen for who he is, not the sport, and definitely not the mistake he made during the Masters.

Chris (John Corbett) is looking for the perfect cow to fling with a catapult all in the name of art, but is troubled when Ed (Darren E. Burrows) tells him that Monty Python already did it in The Holy Grail.

Consequently depression seems to settle in on a lot of the town’s residents, and Maurice (Barry Corbin) may have the answer to all of it, when he tries to cheer up the artist. And perhaps from destruction comes new creation, and the pair can find a way to realize themselves and their direction with Maggie’s parents, and Chris’ art.

A great episode!

Democracy in America also got a nomination for Best Writing in a Dramatic Series. Written by Jeff Melvoin, and it first debuted on 24 February, 1992.

It seems Edna (Rita Taggart) is going to throw her hat into the ring against the mayoral incumbent, Holling (John Cullum) for a promise he didn’t keep in regards to a stop sign.

This lets Cicely examine the election process and how citizens interact with it. Chris becomes very patriotic, despite the fact that he can’t vote (convicted felon – jumped bail in ’87). Ed worries about who to cast his first vote ever for, and Maggie and Joel are the officials.

It seems Holling has been mayor since Ed was born, and Shelley, now that there’s an election coming, finds the whole thing very arousing. And I get it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that Joel is a Republican, but very much a 90s version, not today’s.

There’s a debate, and Edna seems intent on bringing Holling down, bringing up past events, like his tax issues, and despite Edna’s grouchiness she is swaying some voters.

And thank god Chris gets a haircut by the end of the episode, because his hair is looking pretty scraggly throughout the course of this one.

So who will win? Who will be the new mayor? And how much of a difference will it make in Cicely? How much change can there be in America when everyone exercises their right?