Thursday, August 18, 2011

MooseCast, Episode 3 "Soapy Sanderson"



Josh and Grady attempt to keep Rosie calm and there's some focus on odd music decisions.

Audio isn't too great on here, and I apologize, but it was late and the one chance we had to get it recorded.


Sunday, August 7, 2011

MooseCast, Episode 2 "Brains, Know-How and Native Intelligence"



Josh, Grady and Rosie tackle the spirited second episode, wonder how much more Clem there might be to look out for and talk about wolfcannons.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

MooseCast, Episode 1 "Pilot"



Welcome to the very first episode of MooseCast, the Northern Exposure podcast!
Josh, Ian, Rosie and Grady attempt to find their place and settle into the feeling of doing a podcast and try to figure out whether anyone owns that truck or is it the Cicily community truck.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Northern Exposure S1 E8 - The Aurora Borealis


Summary (from Wikipedia): The Northern Lights and the moon induced by them cause dreaming to intensify among the residents.

Dr. Fleischman hears about "Adam", the local version of the Bigfoot monster. When his truck breaks down one night on a lonely road, he encounters the mysterious creature, who turns out to be an odd, hostile hermit living deep in the woods. However, nobody in Cicely believes him.

Bernard shows up. He sold his condo in Portland, Oregon, bought a motorcycle and rode north without quite knowing why. He and Chris find themselves strangely in tune, even sharing the same dream. They finally learn that they share the same father and the same birthday. Satisfied, Bernard returns to Portland.

This is one of my favorite episodes so far of NoEx. It's so well written and just makes me feel so good by the end. Perfect way to end the first season.

What's that song on the radio in the morning? It sounds like an awesome rendition of Moonlight Sonata. I friggin' want it.

Bernard is a character I'd like to see much more of. Perhaps he IS used more in the show, I don't know, however I know he shows up at least one more time in Season 3 I believe.

"So... you're black." "Yyyyeah..."

This is just such a funny (Joel with Adam) and beautiful (Chris and Bernard) episode. It clicks so well. While this is one of the best and one of my favorites, there's not much I have to say about it; it's just great. Definitely a pick-me-up from the previous episode. No tears here; just smiles. Watch it if you can.

And bring your garlic press :P

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Northern Exposure S1 E7 - A Kodiak Moment


Summary (from Wikipedia): Maurice receives word that his brother Malcolm has died, leaving him the last of the Minnifields. He persuades Chris to become his heir and tries to mold him in his own image.

Ed informs Holling that Jessie, the bear that nearly killed him, has returned. Holling, Ed and Shelly try to track it down, but get sidetracked.


Fleischman has to teach a childbearing class in another community. He charters Maggie's plane to take him there; in the time they spend together in the air and in class, they begin to bond.

LOL at Chris's traffic report.

I wish I could get a whole box of whatever items I want from some distant place.

There's that "We only have one line!" joke again. lol.

I really really feel for Maurice here. I'm not even getting into loss of a loved one, so that's all I'm saying about that.

Joel certainly turns into a more cheerful person once bagels are introduced to his Alaskan equation.

Man, I really don't remember much about this episode either. These past two episodes I don't know what I was doing. Watching Maurice mourn his brother really gets to me, I guess. I'm very sympathetic that way.

Hmm... that "I WANT MY EPIDURAL" line/joke is familiar. Is it from sorta semi watching this episode before? Or is it from something? Hmmm.....

Oh, wait, this is the episode where Maurice tries to make Chris his heir, that's right. That I remember.

Lol, why is the sudden cut to Maurice showing Chris his "empire" with the overused hawk sound so funny?

Boy, nothing to say about this episode except little one-off sentences.

Holling's dream about all the animals he'd killed pointing guns at him? I wonder why they didn't try portraying that dream in this show of frequent dream sequences... Maybe because it would have been WAY too awesome to film such a thing :P

Wow, such a long period without whatever Joel and Maggie are doing. Guess there's not much to thinking you're doing a class on hygiene, but doing a birthing class instead. I wonder what connection there is between air pilot and birthing coach, but Maggie seems to know what she's doing.

"IT'S TIME!" "No, it's Newsweek." I laughed out loud at that.

Awesome silent scene between Ed and Jesse.

Bonding moment between Joel and Maggie. Cute.

This may be the first episode to honestly make me tear-up. I know this sounds a little odd, but I almost want to hug Maurice.

Yay, snow.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Northern Exposure S1 E6 - Sex, Lies and Ed’s Tapes


Summary (from Wikipedia): Shelly turns out not to be pregnant; it was all in her mind. To further complicate her relationship with Holling, her twenty-year-old hockey player husband, Wayne, shows up, looking for a divorce so he can marry her best friend. As they get reacquainted, they begin having second thoughts.

Fleischman finds a growth on Rick's chest. Mindful of the weird, untimely deaths of all Maggie's other boyfriends, he becomes worried. It turns out to be a false alarm, but Maggie resents Rick's belief in the "O'Connell Curse".


Ed has trouble picking a subject for his screenplay. He imagines the other residents in scenes from
Raiders of the Lost Ark and Midnight Cowboy before finally taking Dr. Fleischman's advice and writing about what he knows - the inhabitants of Cicely.

This episode I must not have been paying too much attention the first time I watched it because a lot of it I don't remember, but I DO remember watching it.

The Indiana Jones scene was very well done. Squint and it looks like that scene in Raiders :P

Maurice has a Macintosh. Noted. Also, a sandwich named after Ed? I wonder if it would be a PASTRAMI ON RYE FROM THE STA- sorry. I really want one.

So, Mike from Twin Peaks shows up claiming to still be married to Shelly? No, I know it's not Mike. Well, it's Mike's clone at least; squint and it looks like Mike :P

Are the various Holling/Shelly/insert_name triangles something the writers love? There's H/S/Maurice, H/S/Wayne, isn't there another one in Season 2 or 3? Not that it's boring; guess Holling will have to buy Shelly something expensive and addictive to keep her past from catching up with her... oh, wait... Also: ohhhh boy... more crap between Holling and Shelly :\

Man, the Midnight Cowboy scene... This cast is full of good actors that can act way out of their NoEx characters for these dream sequences/visions/etc.

"Forgive yourself, Wayne." Hehe.

Y'know, seriously, this Wayne guy is so Mike (from TP), although they are both just average high school guys. "Oh, I'm not your friend."

You won't live with a married woman who doesn't like her husband, but you're fine living with a woman not your wife? Holling, what about that made you think the sensitive timebomb Shelly would just get over? Tsk tsk tsk... I have to admit; I am glad to see an older character who isn't a stubborn a-hole.

So, since I didn't really watch this episode before, like I said, I hadn't realized that this is when Ed's movie is first mentioned, as he's writing the screenplay. The continuity in this show is fun.

Marilyn's awesome. Also, wow, who's the Native American MC? Squint and he looks not so awkward.

Oh, and about last night's episode: The Twin Peaks moment wasn't as much an homage as it was a jab back at critics at the time who compared Northern Exposure to Twin Peaks, yet someone who truly watches both shows can see they aren't the same at all. They each have their own charm.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Northern Exposure S1 E5 - Russian Flu


Summary (from Wikipedia): Fleischman's fiancee Elaine arrives for a visit, only to have the entire town come down with the flu, ruining their time together. In their delirium, the townspeople blame the helpless doctor. Marilyn takes it upon herself to prescribe a foul-smelling native remedy that cures everyone, but won't tell Fleischman what's in it.

Ahh, now we get to this episode, which, after watching clips on YouTube, I was awaiting, but I'll get to that later.

I believe Joel meant to say that he and his fiancee, Elaine, HAVEN'T been together for two months. He's probably saying that, but doesn't sound like it.

I can't wait to find the opportunity to call someone a "vindictive piece of shrapnel."

Good lord, I want a huge pastrami on rye from the Stage Deli :O

Ed's constant appearances at Joel's house reminds me of what he said at the beginning about everyone having the same key.

The dialog at the town meeting is aggrivating until Joel mentions the flu names and the townspeople attach to the option of it being Russian, then it just gets hilarious. The post-Cold War talk and accusing Joel of being communist is pretty funny. Crazy-haired Maurice.

I think I, too, would be desperate enough to heal my love by smearing possibly moose feces onto her body, but, oh boy...

I think this is the first strange vision/dream sequence in the series, which eventually becomes commonplace.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand there it is. Twin Peaks homage. Friggin' sweet. It comes out of nowhere, too, but it's all good. The mock theme, the jazzy Angelo Badalamenti imitations. Mentioning cherry pie, coffee and donuts, the Log Lady, the snappy beat, a great, sweeping downward shot of Snoqualmie Falls. I love it.

I imagine it wouldn't have been hard to actually film at the falls. The fictitious town of Cicily was actually Roselyn, WA, just down the highway from Snoqualmie and North Bend, WA, where Twin Peaks (the pilot at least) was filmed and Twin Peaks was at it's peak at this time, so it just had to be done. I just wish the favor had been returned and Twin Peaks made a Northern Exposure reference in there somewhere, but NE wasn't nearly as popular at the time, so Twin Peaks probably didn't even notice its existence. Shame.

Feeling the pacific northwest flu? Try some Hi-oh-Hi-oh-ipsinio.