I think I should mention how I came upon this show and what I have been expecting from it - I've been a little tired lately of watching an infinite dredge of programmes that only focus on a police department or a group of witty friends; I wanted something unique, different, with a regular content that you don't see every day. I had heard a few rumours being a fan of Twin Peaks that Northern Exposure boasted some surreal features of the same quality, which enticed my interest, coupled with the fact that it fulfilled my requirement of a different environment: a New York doctor gets forced to live and work in the relative wild of Cicely, Alaska.
I have enjoyed the first season a lot so far, for the most part. The characters are certainly endearing, I appreciate that they all have different opinions and personalities, and though the 'will they, won't they' trite with Joel and Maggie is somewhat embarrassing, the dialogue is at least well written. I can't say I haven't been excited for more of the surreal elements to come into play, though, and though we've had a handful of dream sequences and poignant moments, there hasn't been anything truly... weird. Until this finale.
'Aurora Borealis' definitely works as a finale to reward the watchers and garner interest in the second season. The aforementioned surreal elements are great and fit in well with the world set up so far. I can't even choose which storyline I like more between Joel encountering a fabled were-bigfoot-hobo-veteran and being fed by him only to be ridiculed by the entire town, or Bernard arriving in a trance to Cicely and meeting, almost becoming one with, Chris through the magic of the Northern Lights. The deep, layered dialogue and message serve to elevate some of the characters beyond their already complex personas to feel altogether like real people, inhabiting a world they find mysterious and fascinating. If this kind of content continues to feature, I'm sure the ride will be all the more entertaining following these characters as they learn and develop.
And boy, is that theme tune a bop.
I have enjoyed the first season a lot so far, for the most part. The characters are certainly endearing, I appreciate that they all have different opinions and personalities, and though the 'will they, won't they' trite with Joel and Maggie is somewhat embarrassing, the dialogue is at least well written. I can't say I haven't been excited for more of the surreal elements to come into play, though, and though we've had a handful of dream sequences and poignant moments, there hasn't been anything truly... weird. Until this finale.
'Aurora Borealis' definitely works as a finale to reward the watchers and garner interest in the second season. The aforementioned surreal elements are great and fit in well with the world set up so far. I can't even choose which storyline I like more between Joel encountering a fabled were-bigfoot-hobo-veteran and being fed by him only to be ridiculed by the entire town, or Bernard arriving in a trance to Cicely and meeting, almost becoming one with, Chris through the magic of the Northern Lights. The deep, layered dialogue and message serve to elevate some of the characters beyond their already complex personas to feel altogether like real people, inhabiting a world they find mysterious and fascinating. If this kind of content continues to feature, I'm sure the ride will be all the more entertaining following these characters as they learn and develop.
And boy, is that theme tune a bop.