Like lots of pilots, this one suffers from some slight inconsistencies with the actual series. Darren E Burrows hasn't gone "full Ed" yet in locking down his character's wonderful idiosyncrasies. And certain characters - Chris and Shelly - don't even have speaking parts here. And for a series that could be uneven as Northern Exposure was, you wouldn't be surprised if the pilot was a little off the map. However, to the contrary, this episode serves as a great introduction to Dr Fleischman's predicament in the wilds of Alaska and the quirky town he'll be based in for the next six seasons.