List of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman episodes

After the death of her father, Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn of Boston, Massachusetts watches their medical practice evaporate and decides she must go where she is needed. She answers an ad for a doctor in the Colorado territory, hoping to continue practicing medicine on her own despite her gender and mother's lack of support. When she arrives in Colorado Springs in 1867, she is met with derision and hostility by most of the townspeople except Charlotte Cooper (Diane Ladd) and “mountain man” Byron Sully (Joe Lando). Charlotte is matron of the local boarding house and struggling to support her three children, Matthew (Chad Allen), Colleen (Erika Flores), and Brian (Shawn Toovey), after her husband skipped town with their savings. Sully is a reclusive loner who befriended the neighboring Cheyenne and adopted their ways following the death of his wife and daughter during childbirth in 1865. (He is also a sensitive hunk who throws a mean tomahawk.) Charlotte helps Dr. Mike acclimatize and they bond. Sully offers Dr. Mike his abandoned homestead to live in and she accepts. Charlotte, also the town midwife, calls upon Dr. Mike to help with a difficult delivery, and she successfully performs a “radical” cesarean section. Charlotte is bitten by a rattlesnake and on her deathbed asks Dr. Mike to care for her children. Dr. Mike begins to have more success with the townspeople as a female doctor, but continues to experience hardships and has trouble winning the hearts of the Cooper children. Brian runs away and Sully helps Dr. Mike find him. She is hit especially hard after failing to get a shipment of medicine in time to treat Maude Bray, who suffers a fatal heart attack. She is hurt and upset by a discouraging letter from her mother which she shares with the Cooper children who finally realize she will be a loving mother and raise them properly. After the army carries out a vicious surprise attack on the Cheyenne, Sully brings the grievously injured Chief Black Kettle to the homestead, and Dr. Mike saves his life. When he leaves, Chief Black Kettle gives Dr. Mike her Cheyenne name, "Medicine Woman”. The town grudgingly begins to accept her as a woman doctor. A surprise visit at the homestead by Sully on Christmas Eve shows Dr. Mike that she has found her place in the new frontier and inherited a loving family.

A gunslinger named Kid Cole (Johnny Cash), who has consumption, arrives looking for a quiet town in which to retire. Starving immigrants steal food from Loren Bray's store. Matthew befriends Ingrid, one of the immigrants, and offers her brother Jon work to help feed his family. While mending fences, Jon comments on the number of cattle Miss Olive has. Later, cattle meat is found in Jon's tent. The town needs a sheriff to handle the charge of cattle rustling, and Kid Cole reluctantly accepts the job. Matthew tells Dr. Mike that stealing the cow was his idea and he helped Jon slaughter the cow. Dr. Mike offers to pay for the cow, but Olive refuses the money. Eventually, Miss Olive drops the charges and tells Matthew and Jon they are going to work off the cow. Sully reveals his first name, Byron, which he hates. Brian saves his first animal, a deer, that he names Byron to Sully’s dismay.

Ethan Cooper (Ben Murphy) arrives in Colorado Springs “a reformed man” ready to reconnect with the children he abandoned who are now in Dr. Mike’s care. Brian, Colleen, and eventually Matthew are drawn into his orbit, and Michaela feels helpless and confused. The townspeople plan a Founders Day Auction to raise money for the new school. Dr. Mike joins the ladies’ quilting circle where she clashes with Miss Olive over small pox vaccinations, Dr. Mike’s auction donation. Eventually, Ethan reveals himself to be a con man whose real intention is to steal the town's auction proceeds, a scheme foiled by a suspicious Sully. Sully and Matthew let Ethan leave town and keep the truth about him from Brian and Colleen. Sully learns to ride a horse. Matthew finally dances with Ingrid at the church social.

When Sister Ruth McKenzie, a traveling faith healer, comes to town. Horace's gout is "healed" but Dr. Mike is not impressed. Johnny Cash returns to reprise his role as Kid Cole. Robert E. fumbles through a proposal to Grace, and she joyfully accepts. When Sister Ruth enters the saloon, Hank refuses her to be there but Cole defends her and the evangelical healer is clearly sweet on him. Ingrid's asthma almost kills her thanks to the faith healer convincing the immigrants to toss out their medicine, and Dr. Mike is furious with Sister Ruth. Later, Dr. Mike suggests to Kid Cole he stay and settle down, but refuses. Grace chooses Dr. Mike as her maid of honour, while Sully is chosen to be Robert E.'s best man. Reverend Johnson argues against marrying the two in the church because he is concerned what the congregation will think. Dr. Mike and Sully challenge him as to answering to a higher power. Kid Cole's coughing from tuberculosis starts up again. (See Tuberculosis treatment in Colorado Springs). Dr. Mike tells him he has fluid which needs to be drained from his lungs. Kid Cole refuses And Dr. Mike says if you don't you will die. Kid Cole says everybody dies and Sister Ruth asks him wouldn't you rather be right with the Lord when you die. Sully is lost as to what to buy for a wedding gift, but Michaela saves him by suggesting they buy a bible together. Kid Cole's prisoner's brother arrives in town. Meanwhile, Sister Ruth offers to marry Robert E. and Grace and when she prays for Loren for his healing she blames Dr. Mike for Loren not being healed. Kid Cole is involved in a fight and helped by Sully. Punched in the chest, and needing emergency surgery to drain fluid off his lungs, Kid Cole is operated on despite him refusing treatment. Sister Ruth comes into the clinic and Dr. Mike tries to get her to leave because she wasn't welcome at her meeting. But Sister Ruth refuses to leave, praying for Dr. Mike and Kid Cole. Reverend Johnson later admits he was wrong and should have stood up to the town. Sister Ruth tries to convince the gunslinger of her feelings, admitting her love and receiving a kiss. The Prisoner's brothers try to shoot down Kid Cole, but with Sully, Matthew, Loren, Jake and Hank's help they are surprised. Kid Cole lets the prisoner go with a warning to walk the straight path and not to get mixed up with his brother. The episode ends with Grace and Robert E getting married before the parish in the church.

Mike is mired in a Christmas Eve career/identity crisis after a patient dies unexpectedly after having a heart attack during routine procedure. After helping a pregnant woman deliver her baby in Robert E.'s stable, She is visited by a friendly angel – the Cooper kids' deceased mom, Charlotte. Charlotte takes Dr. Mike on a trip to the past, present and future. In the past she remembers her father and a scene where she sings carols late at night with her patients during medical school. In her present, she is helping a woman deliver her baby while Mike and Sully hide the woman and her husband from their families who disapprove of their marriage. The future shows Mike with Colleen, Matthew, some grandchildren (though we don't know whose children they are), and a late-arriving Brian who is in his military uniform, having just arrived after being on a ship in the navy. A "grandpa" is in the kitchen cooking, but we never see him or find out his identity. On this journey, Mike concludes that the choices and decisions she's made for her career and life the right ones. The grandfather of the newborn child decides that he doesn't want to press charges.

Matthew, desperate to earn funds to finish his homestead, becomes a gambler when con-man Julius Hoffman rides into town for the annual poker game at Hank's saloon. He quickly spots Matthew as his victim, and sees it as an easy way to make money for the homestead. When he bring presents home for everyone, Dr. Mike is not happy with Matthew playing poker. Hoffman goes to the Reverend and offers him a bribe and then threatens to tell everyone in the congregation about his past, which he again repeats in Hank's Saloon and The Reverend loses his temper with Hoffman. Unfortunately, Matthew must learn the hard way that the easier it looks, the harder it hooks. Ingrid gives Matthew money to help him finish the homestead, but he gambles it and although he wins a lot of money, she is furious with him. Matthew is later injured and badly beaten up. When he begins missing dinners and not making good on his promises. Meanwhile, Brian finds the money to buy the Eagle off Loren who reluctantly agrees. Hank offers Loren the opportunity to double his money. Brian's Eagle refuses to leave its cage, to his disappointment. Loren, Jake, Horace, Robert E. and Grace and the other townspeople give money to Matthew to win money for them. Ingrid gives him her ring back and breaks off the engagement. We learn that the Reverend had a dark past with gambling before he came to the Lord, when he confides in Dr. Mike. In the big final game, Matthew loses everything to Julius, including Dr. Mike's ring which she gave to Matthew to give to Ingrid, who then makes off with his money. The Reverend finds courage though to stand up to Julius when he, Robert E. and Sully catch Julius and make him give Matthew's money back, along with the ring. Sully says to Matthew a man can't learn if he doesn't make mistakes. However, Matthew feels so guilty that he ends up giving the money as a donation to the church. At the end of the episode, the family takes the eagle out to Matthew's unfinished homestead and it finally leaves its cage and is free.

In the Indian reservation, Cloud Dancing and Sully compete at throwing the tomahawks. Dr. Mike and 2 soldiers arrive with a wagon full of food rations for the Indians; however, they are a day early and Dog Soldiers are still camping out at the reservation. Upon noticing the war paint on a horse, the two soldiers are shot dead and taken away to be buried. Cloud Dancing's son (Walks on Cloud) wants to join the dog soldiers but his father does not want to allow it. Brian falls for a horse that Hank won in a poker game and tells Dr. Mike that he wants that horse for this birthday. Sully tells Dr. Mike what would have happened if she had told the truth. However, she confides in Dorothy and asks for her advice, off the record. Matthew asks Hank to sell the horse for Brian's birthday, but he refuses. After seeing smoke in the distance, and hearing gunshots, it is discovered that Indians are attacking. Meanwhile, when Hank starts whipping the horse, it escapes and runs through Grace's cafe. Matthew takes Brian to find Hank's horse, and discovers it is injured and in danger of becoming lame due to infection in its leg. Walks on Cloud says that his father is becoming old and that his father's friends (Dr Mike and Sully) are now his enemy, threatening to kill them if he sees them again. Hank comes to the homestead to find out if anyone has seen the horse but they deny it. The Reverend is attacked by dog soldiers on the stagecoach. Meanwhile Colleen convinces Brian to do what is right for the horse. The Reverend is angry with dog soldiers and "hopes they burn in hell", after Dr. Mike is choked by one of the injured dog soldiers, and Dr. Mike is surprised at this outburst. Matthew goes to Hank to get him a job to buy the horse, rather than play for it in poker, implying he might tell people he waters down his whisky. The Dog soldiers set fire to the town. Dr. Mike is kidnapped in retaliation and Sully vows to find her. In Part 2, Sully sets out to rescue Dr. Mike, who is now Sully's "heart-song". Meanwhile, Custer takes the Cheyenne prisoner, including Cloud Dancing, threatening to hang everyone unless Dr. Mike is returned. But Cloud Dancing's son demands that the Cheyenne be freed in return for Dr. Mike's release. Custer refuses and wants to hang the Cheyenne as soon as a gallows can be constructed if Dr. Mike isn't released. Walks on Cloud releases Dr. Mike and is then shot by One Eye. Dr. Mike is knocked unconscious, and recaptured. People refuse to speak to Sully when he arrives at the Cheyenne camp. Finally, one elderly woman tells him. Brian works off the cost of the horse; but Hank reneges on the deal, and has to be comforted by Robert E., inciting Loren's wrath. Hank tries to tell Loren Brian will get over it, but Loren puts the price of Whisky, Silk, and glass up, telling Hank, you'll get over it. One Eye fights Sully but it ends in his death when Sully throws him over the cliff and onto the rocks below. Dr. Mike and Sully, being trapped, have to jump off a cliff. They return to town just in time to keep the Cheyenne from getting hanged. Custer tries to go ahead with the hangings, but Sully reminds Custer that he gave his word. Hank, not anxious to pay double for all his goods at the General Store, delivers the horse to Brian on his birthday, declaring that, "Sometimes it's just good business for a man to keep his word." Brian decides to call the horse "Taffy" because she likes to eat taffy.

Dr. Mike receives a telegram from Miss Olive saying: "Down with fever. Send help." But when she, Matthew, Colleen, Brian, Sully, Loren, Robert E, and Grace arrive, Miss Olive's already died. She wrote a note leaving her belongings to her friends and family among which, 200 cattle to Matthew and a gold pocket watch to Colleen. They must get the herd back home to Colorado Springs; however Miss Olive's trusted foreman and most experienced trail man, Paco, needs to return to Mexico to take care of the ranch. Matthew hires the rest of the trail hands, promising them 2 head of steer each. Matthew becomes trail boss, but Sully questions his ways and says that Matthew will lose the cattle. Colleen develops a crush on a handsome ne'er do well cowhand named Jesse. When Colleen wants to ride with him (instead of on the wagon with Grace), Dr. Mike refuses permission. Matthew continues to ignore Sully's advice. After they come across dead bodies and Apache arrows, they come to the place Matthew thought there was water, but there is none. They are now days away from the next water point. Dr. Mike tries to tell Sully about Jesse, but he says they need him. While picking up fuel for the fire ("prairie coal", Dry animal dung fuel), Brian is stung by a scorpion. Dr. Mike tries to tell Matthew that they need to stop, but he decides they need to keep going. Loren says to Brian he loves him and regrets he didn't say it to Olive. When they finally make it to water, Matthew, exhausted from lack of sleep falls off his horse. There is a stampede and Matthew, Sully, Robert E and Jesse have to turn the herd around.

After the stampede, Matthew discovers that 20 cattle are missing along with Jesse and his friend Ned. Everyone’s money and Colleen’s gold watch are also missing. Colleen defends Jesse saying that it could not possibly have been him. Sully and Matthew get into a fight when Matthew tries to recover the missing cattle. Matthew decides to rest for a day so that the cattle can calm down. When they think Matthew is standing guard, he slips away in search for Jesse and Ned. Unbeknownst to him, Brian follows. Matthew finds and confronts them, and recovers the stolen money and pocket watch. When Matthew returns, he returns the money and watch, and Colleen is upset that Jesse lied to her. Dr. Mike helps a cow deliver her calf with the help of Brian, Sully, and Matthew. Sully and Dr. Mike share an intimate moment when he helps her wash up afterwards. Apache Indians approach and Sully says that they are not a war party and to give them some cattle because they are hungry. Dr. Mike reminds Matthew of how he took Olive's cattle when Ingrid's family were starving but Matthew refuses to give them up. Sully approaches the Indians to talk but they take some cattle by force. After Matthew and Sully disagree about the path they should take, Matthew tries to drive through a creek, Michaela is injured, nearly being trampled by the cattle when they refuse to cross the creek, causing the two to disagree on a higher level. After Matthew comes to Dr. Mike, and blames himself that everything bad happened because of him, she tries to tell Sully that Matthew could use his help, but Sully has given up on giving Matthew any more advice because he won't listen. Brian is given a role of responsibility when he rescues the calf, but once again Dr. Mike's life is put in peril as she supports Brian's calf when a prairie fire is spotted by Loren. The horses with the wagon refuse to budge, and Sully and Matthew have to ride them out of the smoke. Everyone is amazed when the cattle come into town.

Dr. Mike and Sully run into now-married Kid Cole and Sister Ruth in Denver while picking up medical supplies, and invite them home for Thanksgiving, but the stagecoach is hijacked with Carey McGee who is faking her pregnancy, and her partner in crime, Brandon McGee, forcing them to journey home, on foot, through Indian country. Meanwhile, the Cooper kids scramble to put Thanksgiving supper together. Matthew tries to get a turkey, but with no success. Matthew, Colleen and Brian are forced to ask around for food. Grace says she is booked out, and they can't eat at the cafe. Meanwhile, at the waystation, no one is there and they get ambushed by Indians and Kid Cole is shot and wounded. Dr. Mike Blames herself for the predicament they are in, but Sister Ruth believes the Lord meant them to be together. Matthew and Brian argue as to whose fault it was that they haven't got a turkey. Meanwhile, Kid Cole sings to Dr. Mike and Sister Ruth, "I'm thankin' the Lord He made you". Brian tries to shoot the turkey himself, but at the same time Cloud Dancing is also hunting the same turkey. They are both thankful that Brian is a bad shot, and Brian apologizes to Cloud Dancing. Kid Cole wants Sister Ruth, Dr. Mike and Sully to get going while he holds the Indians off, but Sister Ruth refuses to leave him. So Dr. Mike and Sully leave. The McGees arrive in Colorado Springs and rob Loren's store. Dr. Mike fakes an illness, and knocks out two of them. As more Indians close in on them, Jake, Loren, Horace and Matthew arrive with a posse with all guns blazing. Cloud Dancing provides the turkey and is invited to Thanksgiving with Ingrid. And the McGees are arrested for robbing.

Dr. Mike finds a kindred spirit in Samantha (“Sam”) Lindsey, a former schoolteacher who arrives in town. Sully sprains his ankle. Grace wants to adopt a baby but can't, and Horace tries to apologize to her. Encouraged by Sam, everyone goes fishing during the night. Dr. Mike tells Sully her mother wants her to come to Boston for the wedding. Sam tells Dr. Mike she wants to climb Pike's Peak. Dr. Mike tells Sully she wants to climb Pike's Peak as well. Sam takes over a history lesson when she goes to see the schoolhouse and immediately influences all the students. When Dr. Mike finds out Sam told her guide to leave, she tries to get people to help but they refuse. She decides to go after her and learns some patients are beyond help when she climbs Pike's Peak to follow a woman who's chosen to die in its rarefied air rather than continue to battle leukemia. Myra tries to talk to Grace who deals with her jealousy of Myra's pregnancy, when Myra's baby is born prematurely, and helps Colleen deliver Myra's baby ushering in a new life for the one lost in Dr. Mike's absence who is with Sam on the mountain. Sam rebukes Dr. Mike for following her, but Dr. Mike refuses to leave her. Then next morning, when Dr. Mike wakes up, Sam is gone. Finding Sam, they are nearly attacked by a mountain lion, but Dr. Mike is able to fire a gun and scare off the mountain lion. Dr. Mike advises her to get back down the mountain because she has a pulmonary edema. Then finds out about her secret-she has cancer. Dr. Mike tries to slow her heart rate but Sam refuses. Dr. Mike confesses she doesn't want to lose her but Sam tells her not to be sad. Meanwhile Colleen is considering performing a Caesarean operation on Myra. As Dr. Mike and Sam are watching the stars, they see a shooting star and it is at that moment Sam dies, and Dr. Mike mourns for her. Myra gives birth to a baby girl.

Michaela & Sully make plans to adopt the children so Sully can be their Pa, but Dr. Mike loses custody of Brian and Colleen when their father, Ethan Cooper, arrives with his new rich bride Lillian. Ethan and Lillian take Colleen and Brian out and promise to be back before dark but arrived just as Dr. Mike is going to leave to search for them. The next day, Ethan and Lillian arrive and Ethan signs Brian and Colleen over to be adopted by Dr. Mike and Sully. Lillian finds out that the reason she hasn't been able to become pregnant is that she was born without a uterus. Ethan changes his mind and says he will take them to San Francisco next Friday. Sully tells Dr. Mike Ethan needs the kids to claim her inheritance. Dr. Mike offers confronts Ethan and asks him what he wants, and says she'll sell the clinic, and wire her mother for money, but Ethan refuses, saying that it's not about money and Lillian's father owns half the territory. Dr. Mike takes Ethan to court. Ethan twists everything around, using a lot of information that he didn't otherwise know. Dr. Mike decides not to use the facts that Ethan stole church money, and that he needs to custody of the kids to claim his father in law's inheritance. Ethan and Lillian reclaim them in a messy courtroom battle. Note: “Bone of Contention” takes place before this episode as Erika Flores makes one last appearance in “Bone of Contention.” Arc: Ethan Cooper, part 3 of 5. In Part 2, Brian and Colleen reluctantly go with Ethan and Lillian and Dr. Mike says they will appeal and hire her father's lawyer. Myra and Horace are almost driven out of their minds by new baby Samantha's incessant crying. Everyone has different opinions on the baby. When she receives a telegram back from the lawyer, he says they have a weak case and isn't coming. But Dr. Mike decides to go ahead with the appeal anyway. The Judge refuses an appeal. Brian can't sleep and Ethan and Lillian won't read to him. Surprisingly and ironically, Hank's the only person in town that can quiet Samantha, Myra and Horace's eternally crying baby. Matthew wants to take Brian and Colleen away from Ethan by force, and calls Sully a coward when he won't help him. But Sully tells Matthew that it isn't being a coward when "you're not doing everything every muscle in you wants to do". Ethan and Lillian spoil Brian and Colleen's father-daughter chariot race and Brian's catapult falls apart, and everyone laughs. Brian and Colleen run away from Ethan and Lillian, and Ethan comes to the homestead accusing Dr. Mike and Sully of hiding them. Wolf finds Colleen and Brian and Colleen contracts a case of potentially lethal pneumonia, after she falls into the creek, which, upon the kids apprehension, Mike treats. Ethan immediately tries to take Colleen away and when she collapses, takes Brian away instead. Horace brings a telegram stating that the appeal has been denied and the case won't be reopened. Dr. Mike prays for God for Colleen's healing. Lillian changes her mind about taking the kids while on the way out of town. Note: “Bone of Contention” takes place before this episode as Erika Flores makes one last appearance in “Bone of Contention.”

A paleontologist, Dr. John Porter arrives in town, igniting "bone fever" among the townsfolk when he announces that dinosaur bones are worth $500 for a full skeleton that has never been found before. Jake, Hank and Loren dig up holes to try to find the skeleton. When they attempt to make a fake dinosaur, Porter discovers one of the bones is the genuine article and demands to be taken to where it was found. Despite the fact that the area is Cheyenne burial ground and is sacred, he ignores Sully's advice and the consequences. Sully goes to Cloud Dancing and tries to stop him. Cloud Dancing says he will ask the spirits for help. Meanwhile, Matthew and Colleen try to prevent Brian from discovering that the "dinosaur" bone his father gave him is a fake. When Brian loses his dinosaur bone he tries to search for it in the middle of the night. He finds it then Porter finds him "trespassing on his dig" and accuses him of stealing bones. When one of the soldiers is ordered to pull up a pole out of the ground, an unseen force forces him back down the hill. Jake, Hank and Loren see this and refuse too work for Porter any longer. Sully shows Dr. Mike the human remains Porter has dug up, and she tries again to tell him not to continue what he is doing, but he refuses to listen. Sully tells Porter he is leaving, and it is a promise. Brian is angry with Colleen and Matthew for treating him like a baby and doubting his father's word that the bone isn't real. The next day, Sully and Rev. Johnson find Loren's wife's Maude Bray's body has been exhumed (although the Indians always treated the remains with respect) and there is an Indian pole in the pile of dirt next to the headstone. Hank and everyone want to go off to kill Indians, but Loren asks Sully if there is something he can do. Matthew and Colleen make restitution with Brian. Cloud Dancing says to Loren he can't help him. But when Loren says he would be willing to do anything, Cloud Dancing says the dog soldiers may be willing to trade. Your dead for our dead. Porte is persuaded through the use of Sully and Loren to hand over the Cheyenne bones, when they threaten to blow everything up with dynamite. The box is returned to Cloud Dancing who tells Loren he is a "courageous and honorable" man. Brian also returns his dinosaur bone to Cloud Dancing, citing the reason for his actions. Note: This episode was aired out of order. Erika Flores final appearance episode takes place after the episode “Indian Agent.“

For her birthday, Dr. Mike decides to climb to the top of Pike's Peak with Dorothy, Grace and Myra. The journey leads to disagreement among the women and even takes a perilous turn. Back in town, Preston takes advantage of Michaela's absence to pass legislation allowing the construction of a hotel and casino in Colorado Springs. When a bounty hunter comes to town looking for a black fugitive, Robert E. is forced to make a startling confession to Sully. The women's journey leads to revelations that will have lasting impacts on each of their lives.

Dr. Mike and Sully team up to find Matthew after, against their wishes, he has teamed up with legendary Marshall Elias Burch (Willie Nelson) in order to nab the thieves who wounded Matthew during a bank robbery. Matthew has vowed to the town to catch the gang. His real reason is that they have told him they need a real sheriff, one that doesn't fear carrying a gun. He does so but still maintains the town's law of no weapons. Peter gets sick from worrying about his Pa Matthew, but goes to the woods anyway and saves Dr. Mike.

Kid Cole and Sister Ruth (Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash) visit Dr. Mike at a difficult time in their marriage. While it seems they both want a divorce, Kid Cole reveals he is dying. Meanwhile, Dorothy is unsure of her feelings towards Cloud Dancing, with whom she spends a lot of time doing research for her new book. Loren sees the two together and becomes jealous. He considers asking Rose, a mailorder bride, who is passing through on her way to California, to marry him.

Brian is once again feeling left out seeing Mike and Sully so happy with Katie. Brian starts spending time with Anthony, and simple mischief turns into real danger for them both and the town. Sully intervenes after Brian's irresponsible behavior endangers both his and Anthony's lives.

After being a few moments late from a day pass Cloud Dancing is badly beaten by soldiers; tired of it all realizing the only life he can live is a free one in Indian Territory. Sully is guilted into arranging an escape for Cloud Dancing, believing he is doing the right thing only to learn that the others tricked him so that they may start a war...leading him and the other Indians to become wanted men.

When Sgt. McKay (David Beecroft) holds Sully responsible for the Dog Soldiers' attacks, he and Cloud Dancing must attempt to escape to safer American Indian lands. Because of the latest revelations and the Dog Soldiers attacking everyone, the army has sent back the horrible and hated Sgt. O'Connor to find those responsible for the escape. He makes life terrible for everyone who knows Sully and Dr. Mike, threatening the futures of everyone in town. Sgt. O'Connor gets lucky in the search for Sully when he comes face to face with him and the two men engage in a battle to the death. Will Sully be able to return home again?

When Sgt. McKay and Dr. Mike discover the dead Sgt. O' Connor, they presume that Sully is in the same condition. Daniel Simon, lifelong friend of Sully's that had left previously after falling in love with Michaela, returns to Colorado Springs to help Dr. Mike, Matthew, and Brian search for a dying and missing Sully.

The citizens of Colorado Springs think Sully is dead, unaware that Daniel and Michaela have found him. Dr. Mike keeps him hidden for weeks while trying to nurse him back to health in order to protect him from the Army who now seek him out not only for treason but also the murder of Sgt. O' Connor, even though any one could tell it was all in self-defense. Preston makes plans to buy the Indian land for a lumber mill.

Even after holding a memorial service for Sully to convince everyone that he is indeed dead there are those that are sure it was all a ruse. Hank, believing Sully and Cloud Dancing to be the instigators of the American Indian raids, declares himself sheriff and sets off to capture them.

Dr. Mike discovers that she's pregnant, and complications involving Founders' Day plans arise among the townsfolk. When Dr. Mike experiences a miscarriage, she feels alone because Sully is still away.

The apparent mystical powers of a visiting Russian princess electrify the townsfolk and even spark curiosity in a skeptical Dr. Mike. Princess Nizamoff: Natasha Andreichenko. Eli Clay: Charles Parks. Natalia: Lorna Raver.

Dr. Mike tells Grace and Robert E that their son Anthony (Brandon Hammond) might not survive his illness, while Sully pursues peace between the American Indian warriors and the settlers and learns of Mike's miscarriage. After presenting his essay for Parent's Day at the school, Anthony dies and is buried, with Brian looking on.

Dr. Mike's sister, Marjorie, returns to Colorado Springs as a member of the Women's Temperance League to outlaw alcohol. She arrives while Jake is drowning his insecurities over Teresa Morales in alcohol and Grace over the loss of Anthony. Meanwhile, Sully and Cloud Dancing try to reason with Black Moon, a young brave experiencing "visions" of victory over the cavalry. Marjorie: Alley Mills. Black Moon: Gregory Norman Cruz.

Mike sends the children to Sully's hideout, while a deadly outbreak of diphtheria ravages Colorado Springs. However, her visiting family refuses to leave (Mom, Marjorie, Rebecca). Among the first to perish is Becky Bonner, Colleen's best friend. Meanwhile the Quinn ladies along with Dr. Cook try everything they know to save members of the community to include those that have become near and dear to Dr. Mike.

Diphtheria strikes Marjorie, and Daniel and Preston both fall seriously ill as the epidemic overshadows every activity. Meanwhile, hidden in his cave with Brian and Katie, Sully and Mrs. Quinn reach an understanding. Dr. Mike must learn to trust her judgements as a physician as after a tragedy, which Dr. Mike was responsible for, she must try a risky procedure on patients very close to her family's heart. This will cut deep in the river of blood that flows through the Quinns. Sadly, Marjorie Quinn dies with Dr. Mike and their mother by her side. Also Jake and Teresa are drawn strangely close as they use the school house as a morgue to accommodate those ravaged by the epidemic.

Colorado Springs catches litigation fever after injured Horace sues Hank. Dr. Mike is appointed people's judge by the town council and finds herself caught in the middle in various conflicts. Matthew, who has been studying law and reading court cases to find a way to clear Sully's name helps her to make the right decisions. Dr Mike oversees such cases as: negligence on Hank's part in breaking Horace's nose; a land dispute between Grace and Dorothy over who owns the land that the cafe resides on when both hold legal deeds; wrongful imprisonment of Hank; and, Loren slipping and falling at Preston's hotel.

Black Moon's men have fallen ill with consumption and Dr. Mike rides out to treat them. She discovers Black Moon himself is ill. He tells him the treatment for consumption is rest and nutrition, both of which Black Moon can not provide. He agrees to let her speak on his behalf to the army to arrange for safe passage to the Northern Cheyenne territory. When Dr. Mike tries to speak to Sgt. McKay, she learns that his superior, Major Morrison has arrived in Colorado Springs and intends to kill all the Indians. As Black Moon's condition gets worse, he decides to surrender himself in exchange for safe passage for his men. Dr. Mike sends for Welland Smith to negotiate. As a man who respects the land (he was the one to set up Yellowstone National Park) and is working for president Grant he would be respected by the Indians and the army. When he arrives, the Major agrees to Black Moon's proposal and Dr. Mike even manages to get a full pardon for Sully. Dr. Mike helps to hide Black Moon's sickness from the army and he turns himself in, telling the army where to find his warriors and Sully goes free. While Sully, together with his family, finally is on the way home, Cloud Dancing overhears the Major giving orders to ambush the Indians. When Sgt. McKay objects, he is arrested. While prisoner of the army he realizes Black Moon is sick and surprisingly helps him hide it from the soldiers. Meanwhile, Could Dancing gets Sully and together with Matthew they try to persuade the Indians to take another paths instead of staying and fighting. But Major Morrison arrives, ready to shoot all of them, including Sully and Matthew, if necessary. Luckily Welland Smith arrives just in time to intervene. Dr. Mike managed to get him just as he was leaving town. He relieves the Major of his command an he, Sully and Dr. Mike decide to accompany the Indians to ensure their safety. Daniel tells Black Moon his people are safe. Moments later Black Moon dies of consumption.

The Army leaves Colorado Springs while the town is busy with Christmas preparations. Meanwhile Sully and Dr. Mike have to say goodbye to Cloud Dancing and Welland Smith as they turn around to finally return home. Sully again receives a job offer from Welland Smith to guide politicians through the wilderness so they can vote to preserve it. He promises to think about it. On their way home they run into a young couple who are lost in the woods and offer their help, as they clearly need it. When they make camp for the night they see a cougar and although Sully tells them he is not looking for trouble, Chester, the young man, fires off a shot, scaring their mule with all their belongings (including their food, map and compass) and money, into running away. So Mike and Sully offer to take them to the settlement they're trying to reach, even though it is only 3 days til Christmas and they want to be home by then. They find the Settlement abandoned but even though it is the night before Christmas they help the young couple to find their family. After seeing how he taught the couple survive in the wilderness without destroying it, Mike urges Sully to take the job offered by Smith, because he could teach others. Cloud Dancing comes back to meet Dorothy and tells her he came, because Christmas is the time to be with the ones you love.

Back in town, Daniel receives a job offer to run gold mine. Matthew tells him the town and the family don't want him to go. Hank, who is clearly unhappy with Daniel being Sheriff, sends over one of his girl to harm Daniel's reputation as an upstanding citizen. She locks them in a cell together and as they talk, she tells him, he has a home in Colorado Springs. The next morning, when Hank wants to show the town the two of them together in the cell, the girl quits and says Daniel is a kind man, much to Hank's disappointment. Hank gets angry and tries to start a fight. Daniel receives a Sheriff-Sign as a Christmas present from the town, convincing him to stay. After everyone has given up, Mike and Sully come home on Christmas Eve and celebrate together with the Children, Daniel, Cloud Dancing and Dorothy.

Sully and Brian take a senator and his young son Oliver to see the land. They split up, when unsure which path is clear to take. When Oliver sees a deer, he chases after it without thinking. When Brian finally finds him with a dislocated shoulder it is already getting late. They build a signal fire so a worried senator and Sully can find them. When they do, the Senator wants to go back to town, but Oliver convinces him to keep going.

When Dr. Mike learns, that Loren – still grieving Marjorie's death – is selling the store and leaving, she writes an anonymous letter to the editor for Dorothy (who recognizes the handwriting) to print. The letter talks about telling the people what they mean to you, before it is too late. She also suggests to Brian to ask Loren to go fishing. Loren is furious when he realizes, Dr. Mike is trying to convince him to stay. When Sully points out to her, she is only talking about what Loren means to the town and Brian but has never told him what he means to her, she does so. The Reverend thanks Loren for his help to cope with his blindness. At the sweetheart's dance Loren tells Dr. Mike, he is not going to sell the store and will come back from San Francisco. Inspired by Mike's letter, Andrew visits Colleen, who can not come home for the sweetheart's dance.

Jake offers to give Teresa Morales money to pay off her loan, with which she has trouble. When she says it would be improper for her to accept since she is an unmarried woman, he proposes to her, but she declines, because she will not marry Jake to settle a loan. Later, Jake proposes again, this time telling her about his feelings and at the sweetheart's dance, she accepts.

Grace's drinking is getting worse and threatens her health. Robert E tries to talk to her, but she brushes him off. Sully tells Robert E to make her talk, and when he does, she tells him, she can not go on living like this. Every time she looks at Robert E she thinks of the life they had with Anthony. She tells him, she is going to move out.

A group of Chinese immigrants comes to Colorado Springs looking for work. A young man (Yumi Iwama) comes by the clinic asking for help for his grandfather's patients who do not respond well to the traditional Eastern treatments. But the grandfather arrives and intervenes. So Dr. Mike goes to their camp to see the patients. The Chinese doctor is surprised by her open mind. At night, Hank tries to torch the Chinese camp, but Daniel stops him.

The next morning the Chinese doctor comes to the clinic with his grandson, who has caught the fever. When Dr. Mike examines him, she discovers that he is in fact a woman. Dr. Mike diagnoses malaria and gives her medicine to the Chinese doctor who has nothing to treat it. He tells her that his granddaughter must disguise herself as a man to practice medicine. Without informing Dr. Mike, the town council has a meeting and votes to quarantine the Chinese. Dr. Mike walks her patient over to the Chinese camp where they intervene when a couple tries to bind their young daughter's feet.

Later, when the Chinese camp burns, Matthew suspects Hank, but Hank claims to have been at the saloon. Daniel talks to a friend, who has struck a gold vein, and secures work for the Chinese men. Before the Chinese leave town, the young girl, whose feet were to be bound, gets malaria. When her parents refuse to let Dr. Quinn treat her, because she is a woman, the Chinese doctor's grandson reveals that she is a woman. As a result, she and her grandfather become outcasts. Her grandfather tells her her real name is Li Ying. As the Chinese leave, Dr. Mike invites Li Ying and her grandfather to stay. Colleen tells her how no one wanted to be treated by Dr. Mike when she first arrived in town and how she refused to leave, but they came to accept her. Li Ying and her grandfather choose to leave with her people.

The engagement ring that Jake ordered arrives and he gives it to Teresa and tells the town about the engagement at a town picnic. While everyone is congratulating the happy couple, Hank arrives with a captured Cloud Dancing and points out, he is only a free man in the Indian territory and demands he is thrown in jail. He wires the army and Robert E, Dorothy, Daniel, Matthew, Dr. Mike and Sully only have 2 days before they arrive. Dorothy offers to break Cloud Dancing out of prison and go with him to live in the Indian territory, but he doesn't want her to give up her friends and her life as a writer. Dr. Mike and Sully want to get Cloud Dancing protected status so he could live as a free man in Colorado Springs, but when Teresa changes Jake's mind, the town council votes against Cloud Dancing staying and he is taken away by the army.

Dr. Mike grapples with her fear for Brian's safety when he befriends a seemingly harmless but eccentric fellow (guest star Nick Tate) who thinks he's a bird. Note: This episode was aired out of order. Chronologically this episode takes place after the episode "Civil Wars" but before the episode "Safe Passage." There are background extras dressed as Army Soldiers wearing lite blue winter coats patrolling the town. Also in one scene, the Army encampment is seen in the background next to the walking bridge. The episode "The Homecoming" saw the Army encampment being torn down. While there are other episodes that show the Army wearing the lite blue winter coat, this is the only one that shows Army Soldiers on patrol wearing the coat as seen in the episode "Safe Passage."

U.S. Marshall Elias Burch (guest star Willie Nelson) asks Matthew, still a student of law, to defend him when he's accused of murder. Matthew needs help from members of his family if he is to succeed in court and relieve his friend in need.

Robert E releases anger over his separation from Grace through his furious fists in the boxing ring, where he takes on an ailing champ (Richard Roundtree) who's on tour.

Colleen has just graduated from college and is at Grace's cafe celebrating with her friends and family. She opens a letter from the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania at the cafe and finds that she has been accepted and needs to be there in 3 weeks to start matriculation. Meanwhile, Jake wants to sell his half of the Golden Nugget to help pay off Theresa's mortgage, and after getting a low offer from Hank, takes the best offer from Preston. Andrew proposes to Colleen and she accepts. Andrew plans on quitting the practice at the hotel and moving to Pennsylvania to open his own practice while Colleen is in school. Preston gets a letter and begins behaving strangely – closes the bank during business hours, and not reacting to Andrew's quitting the practice at the hotel. When he sells Hank the share of the saloon he just bought from Jake and calls in Dorothy's loan for the Gazette, we learn that he is trying to liquidate his assets. Michaela asks Colleen if she will wear her wedding dress and Colleen asks Michaela to be her Matron of Honor as well as Sully to walk her down the aisle (instead of her biological father). Andrew asks Matthew to be his best man. Horace receives the Denver paper which reports the stock market crash. Hordes of townsfolk gather outside the bank demanding their money while Preston is cooped up inside. It turns out that Preston has invested the money in the bank in stocks and therefore does not have the money to give to return to the bank clientele.

Michaela is becoming finicky about the wedding details and Colleen asks her if she disapproves of the marriage much like her own mother disapproved of her marriage to Sully. Michaela reveals that she's worried that Colleen isn't marrying Andrew out of fear of being alone in Pennsylvania and also that she might not finish medical school. When Colleen talks with Andrew, he says that he understands what Dr. Mike is saying and that if they wait, he knows that he will still love her when she finishes school in 2 years.

Preston puts his health spa and hotel up for sale. Due to the financial crisis, Dorothy asks Loren to return printing supplies she just ordered, and Brian also asks him to return a silver picture frame he ordered for Colleen's wedding.

Dr. Mike has been thinking a lot about what can happen in 2 years' time and talks with Colleen saying that she was wrong to put her own happiness before Colleen's and they decide that Colleen should get married immediately.

Sully brings word to Preston that a Senator Dinston, who has been looking to build a health spa, is interested in buying the hotel. Preston accepts the offer.

Colleen and Andrew get married. At the party, everyone is dancing. Loren gives Brian the picture frame to give to Colleen. Jake shows Theresa the drawing of the house he wants to build them. Grace reveals to Robert E. that she is pregnant. Loren offers Dorothy a business proposition – using his store as collateral, he took out a loan from a bank in Denver to buy the gazette. Loren tells Dorothy that she should be dancing and leads her to Cloud Dancing and tells her that it's OK.