Chris, ordained thru an ad in the back of Rolling Stone, is officiating the wedding and gets the best line of the episode: “It’s ocassions like these, that my thoughts turn to marriage.”

All of this would set Episode 4 up to be fairly mediocre—but in the end we do see a glimmer of what made Northern Exposure exceptional. Holling reveals he is terrified of marriage because of the longevity in his family. He expects to live to around 100, and doesn’t want to do that without Shelley if she should pass away first (and the Vincour men have never remarried).

Of course, Shelley is 18 and Holling is 63, and therein lies the joke (or at least, one of them). The age difference between Shelley and Holling is frequent tool in Northern Exposure, but in this episode the writers go a step farther. In front of the entire town, Holling pulls Shelley away from their second attempt at a wedding. .

Shelley: “You promised! No backs-ies. You crossed your heart and you hoped to die!”

Holling: “I know I did, but if you could just see your way to letting me say what I have to say.”

Shelley: “Ok, fine. What do you have to say?”

Holling: “Well, it’s no secret that I’m not very good at expressing myself in words. But … there was a moment in there when friends were smiling at us, Maurice was warbling, you looked at me, and we became one. And I can tell you this: You are the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me. And I will love you, Shelley, and cherish you, and protect you and our little pup til death do us part. No matter who goes first. But, don’t make me do this.

Shelley: “Do we still get to keep the presents?”

End scene.