The episode starts with Joel trying to play golf in what looks like a logging clearcut. Ed happens by, nearly getting whacked in the head by an errant ball. Joel whines (of course) about not having a proper place to play–your golf game being a big point of pride for doctors and all. Ed suggests laying out some Astroturf. Joel laughs.

[Cue moose strutting to funky jazz music]

We see Maurice driving with two Japanese men, one translating for the other. The dichotomy of Maurice being what it is, he simultaneously acts as both a congenial host and a massive asshole. He tells his guests to hush up so they can hear Chris’ dedication to them on the radio. As Maurice is explaining Alaska’s superiority over Hawaii, Mr. Masuto, the non-English-speaker of the two, gets carsick in Maurice’s convertible.

Shelly visits Dr. Fleischman with a handful of symptoms: nausea, upset stomach, missed periods, and a positive pregnancy test. The doctor believes she might be pregnant. Shelly’s not too upset by the news, but she’s reluctant to tell Holling. “Kids” are not an issue they’ve discussed.

Maurice shows up to the clinic with his queasy Japanese guest and his business partner/translator. Joel learns the two are potential investors in a prospective resort in the area. He gets excited when he hears about the promise of a golf course–and the prospect of being “physician in residence” at a fancy resort, rather than doctor and sometimes veterinarian and marriage counselor for a dinky village. And maybe by helping Maurice he can shave some time off his “sentence.”

Maggie urges Shelly to be direct with Holling, who, after briefly going into a catatonic state, proposes to Shelly. She replies with a chipper and nonchalant “OK.”

At Maurice’s house that night, Joel is good at schmoozing, but Maurice, down in the in the dumps over “his” Shelly, Holling, and their baby-in-the making, makes a horrible host. He goes on a racist and self-pitying rant to his confused guests and then rudely excuses himself.

Joel takes Ed’s cold open advice, having a crew unroll a stretch of Astroturf on his usual golf spot. Mr. Masuto is impressed. Ms. O’Connell less so. For the second episode in a row, the two argue the environmental ethics of development in the Alaskan wilderness. But it’s an argument Maggie doesn’t have much time for, as she’s been tasked with planning and coordinating Shelly and Holling’s shotgun wedding. Joel learns he is best man and that Chris is officiating.

We meet Shelly’s dad, who is awkwardly younger than his son-in-law-to-be. The rest of her family couldn’t make it. “That’s what happens when your little girl gets knocked up in the middle of a salmon run,” he says. And this is honestly one of the better things to come out of his mouth. We learn from him that Shelly ran away when she was 14. After just a couple minutes with the guy, I’m sure she had good reason to.

Joel and Maurice play a rugged game of golf on their lumpy little course. Joel is late to the wedding, having failed to convince Maurice to attend, but he finds that the groom is also missing. Holling has abandoned his pregnant fiancé at the altar.

Joel finds that “wheeling and dealing with the big boys” is more than he bargained for, when he has to play yet another game of frontier golf, this time in the pouring rain. Maurice: “Granted it’s a little humid out there, and you are sounding a little nasal. But, the forecast for this deal is sunny and mild.”

Holling makes his way back to The Brick the next day, giving a meek apology to an understandably icy Shelly. She chucks some glasses at him. He ends up in Dr. Fleischman’s office for stitches, where he explains his marriage trepidations to Joel: Holling comes from a long line of men who live into their hundreds, and women who die in their 40s. If the trend continues, despite their vast age difference, Holling could still end up a lonely widower for the last decades of his life.

The wedding is called back on. Joel and Maggie agree to work together to put their best foot forward for their friends. Shelly shows up at Maurice’s house–not for the reason Maurice is hoping, but to ask him to sing at their wedding. She’s not in love with him, but she cares for him. And she actually likes it when he sings showtunes.

The Japanese would-be investors, probably weirded out and put off by the whole bizarre trip, ditch Maurice. Mr. Masuto, on his way out the door, in perfect, unaccented English says “Oh come on. One song, Maurice. Give the kid a break.”

Holling shows up this time, but chickens out again. He pulls Shelly outside to tell her he promises to love her, “but don’t make me do this.” After agreeing to keep the presents, the two non-weds ride off to the applause of the people of Cicely.

As everyone celebrates at The Brick that night, Joel learns that the business deal fell through and that his makeshift golf course is beginning to mildew. He leaves his office to see a moose (presumably the moose) standing in the street.

Miscellaneous notes, quotes, and anecdotes:

• Shelly on Holling and the pregnancy test: “He saw the plastic cup this morning, but I told him Ruth-Anne was giving away free packets of Mr. Toilet.”
• Dr. Fleischman casually spills the beans to Maurice about Shelly being in the family way. I’m pretty sure doctors can’t do that.
• Joel, coming out of the kitchen with sake: “Sorry about the delay. The microwave was made in Korea.”
• A Community Maggie-Britta connection: She’s a reluctant wedding planner, but she’s really good at it (though not in as comical and over the top a way as Britta).
• 
• In real life, Rob Morrow is an outspoken liberal, and Janine Turner is an active Tea Party/MAGA type. An environmental debate between the two would likely have them taking positions opposite to the characters they play here.
• John Cullum is 94 years old, and has acting credits as recent as 2022. For what it’s worth, Cynthia Geary is still alive and well at 59 and is getting regular acting work too.
• Chris is an ordained minister, via an ad in the back of Rolling Stone.
• Biggest laugh: Joel, out of practice, misses a putt. Maurice, thinking he’s losing on purpose, gives him a smile and a thumbs up.
• Shelly: “I read magazines. I watch TV. I know how people are supposed to treat each other.”
• According to Joel, Shelly is 18 years old. Shelly indicates she and Maurice were together a year and a half ago. Yowza.
• Maurice’s singing is terrible.
• So is Chris’ officiating.
• Holling: “I’m sorry your daddy couldn’t stay.” Shelly: “We could always send him a Sureshot.” I think that’s a reference to this.

Gotta say, kind of a ho-hum episode. I’m not sure why, but it didn’t really land for me. Part of it might be that we’re seeing the worst of some characters without the good to balance it out. Maurice is extra gross and extra racist. Joel is trying to destroy the wilderness to weasel out of his contract (again). Holling leaving Shelly at the altar is a cruel cliche, as is Shelly’s violent response to it. Nobody seems to learn or develop. The show’s just spinning its wheels here, and it’s far too early for filler. I guess they can’t all be winners. For what it’s worth, I’m looking forward to next week’s episode.