Joel: Sex should be wild. Unfettered and free. We're animals, aren't we? And, basically, we're all wolves in sheep's fur. I always wanted more. Not frequency, I am not talking about frequency; although that would have been great, too. I wanted more intensity. I wanted to be out there, outside myself, outside my skin. I wanted sex to be like robbing life out of the jaws of death!
Maggie: Wow...
Joel: Are you okay?
Maggie: Why?
Joel: Well, it's 20 below out, and you're breaking a sweat.

When Joel receives a "Dear John" letter from Elaine, he slowly begins to fall apart. Attempting to hide his misery from the all- knowing townspeople, he looks to Chris for help in "jumping back into the pond." But after a double date with two Ivy League coeds fails, Joel commits himself to bed and wallows in his misery. A worried Ed visits Joel and listens to him reminisce about his relationship with Elaine. When Joel reveals that he can't get over his heartbreak unless he has some kind of closure, Ed vows to help, once Joel explains what closure is.

Ed convinces Holling and Maggie to help him recreate a scenario at Joel and Elaine's favorite sidewalk cafe, with Maggie acting as Elaine, to give Joel the opportunity to say all the things he wanted to say to her.

Meanwhile, Holling buys a satellite dish for Shelly who "wants to see the world" and unknowingly creates a monster. Watching every obscure channel she can find, Shelly neglects Holling, her job, and sleep while she remains hypnotized in front of the TV screen. Finally, she confesses her obsession to Chris, the closest thing Cicely has to a priest, and seeks forgiveness.

Chris living at KBHR 'til spring thaw; an old Cyprus tree at Kipnuk Lake fell on his trailer -- establishes name of the lake.

Chris and Greg "the Joy King" George (now serving 3-5 at Lompoc) stole albums from Sam Blade Records in Wheeling. [MC Note: Chris actually says serving 5 to 10 on the episode.]

Joel dropped Tory Gould in high school; she, Mindy Ginn and Audrey Gutland called Joel "the juggler".

Elaine and Joel were together twelve years and lived together. Joel was devastated when he didn't get into Harvard.

Joel in Cicely 8 months at this point.

Dr. Bloom, Joel's NYC dentist. Joel is 5'9 _" (deleted).

Shelly raised Catholic.

Maggie suffering from a bladder infection.

Cicely now has a movie theatre.

Ed had a kitty named Edgar as a child.

Chris seeing Swarthmore grad student; Alison, Joel's date, from Brown.

[Note: This list is of the music that appeared in the original airing of the episodes, and on TV syndication, but many songs were changed to something generic on the recent DVD release from Universal. * Indicates correct song on the DVD. All others are changed.]

• Stardust*
[Joel and Maggie argue as they discuss her bladder infection.]

• R.B. Blues - Ruth Brown
[Joel and Chris talk about girls.]

• Down Hearted Blues - Mildred Bailey*
[A desparate Shelly drinks coffee after after being up all night.]

• Guitars, Cadillacs - Dwight Yoakam
[Joel, Chris and Alison play pool. Shelly dresses as Vanna White.]

• One Foot Draggin' - The Coasters
[Alison leaves Joel, she's not interested.]

• It's Just a Girl Thang - Icey J*
[Shelly dances on the bar while ordering from the home shopping network.]

• Let's Dance - Benny Goodman [This kind of seems to be Joel's NY daydream theme...]
[Joel daydreams he stops Elaine from marrying Dwayne.]

• Tea With Alice*
[Joel and Ed talk about closure, Joel lays in bed.]

• "Magnum PI" Theme*
[Shelly has breakdown, recites a full lineup of TV shows.]

• Get Your Life
[Holling serves drinks to Maggie and Joel in the "closure."]

• Blue Moon - Billie Holiday
[Shelly apologizes to Holling.]

Hawaiian man and woman [The satellite dish arrives.]
crystals [ Comes down dressed as Vanna.]
Blue vinyl records [Holling confronts her about watching too much TV.]

Elaine leaves Joel for Dwight, a federal judge.
Chris is ordained by the Universal Life Church from an ad in the back of Rolling Stone.

On the Complete Season Two DVD release, the voice reading the letter at the beginning of the episode is not Jessica Lundy, who plays Elaine. There is also a scene where the music has been replaced, one song ends and there is too much space before the next one begins, as extras are still dancing and there's no music.

Movie reference: The Graduate