Premiere/Pilot
Dr. Michaela Quinn, a Bostonian doctor, comes out to Colorado Springs, when her father, who had been her medical partner, dies. She decides to set up a medical practice and answers to an advertisement in the Colorado Territory. To begin with the residents of Colorado Springs are reticent, after they were expecting a Dr. Michael A. Quinn instead of a lady doctor. At first only two people accepted her; Charlotte Cooper, the owner of a boarding house, and a local mountain man, Sully. Sully offers her the use of his homestead for a monthly sum of $1. When Charlotte unexpectedly dies of a rattlesnake bite, she leaves her three children, Matthew, Colleen and Brian in Michaela’s care. Dr. Quinn is finally accepted as the town doctor.
Epidemic
Michaela has to work hard to fight against an influenza epidemic that isolates the town and causes panic among the townspeople. Charlotte's former boarding house is used as a clinic. When Michaela contracts the disease, Sully enlists the aid of the Cheyenne to save her life.
The Visitor
After receiving a letter from Matthew saying how ill Michaela had been during the influenza epidemic, Elizabeth, Michaela’s mother decides to pay her daughter a visit. She and Michaela fight constantly. When Robert E., the local blacksmith, is injured in a fire, Dr. Mike is forced to treat him at the homestead, with the aid of her mother and Grace, after the bank threatens to foreclose on the clinic.
Law of the Land
Kid Cole, a retired gunslinger is made Sheriff of Colorado Springs. After Jon, the Swedish brother of Matthew’s girlfriend, is caught stealing a cow he must stop the townspeople from lynching him. When Dr. Mike learns of Matthew’s involvement in the cattle rustling, Michaela has to decide what to do.
The Healing
Loren, still bitter over his daughter’s death through childbirth, decides to cause Sully, his daughter’s husband, some pain by seeking to take the homestead which Sully had been renting to Dr. Mike. But when Loren, suffering from a hernia, needs a blood transfusion after the operation, Sully volunteers to be the donor. This act results in the burying of the hatchet between Sully and Loren.
Father's Day
The father of Michaela’s ‘adopted’ children, Ethan Cooper, returns, and threatens to take the children back to San Francisco with him when he leaves. Sully, who has been afraid of horses for many years, learns to ride, while Dr. Mike tries to persuade the townsfolk that smallpox vaccinations are necessary.
Bad Water
When Dr. Mike believes the town’s water supply is being poisoned by a mining baron’s camp, she and Sully set out to get a water sample.
Great American Medicine Show
An exploitative medicine show man comes to town which starts to interfere with Michaela’s doctoring, especially when Myra is involved with a medical crisis.
The Cowboy's Lullaby
A cowboy leaves his ailing infant son in Michaela’s care after he reaches breaking point.
Running Ghost
Sully is paralysed in a confrontation with bison hunters and a businessman tries to get the townsfolk to sell their property to make way for the railroad.
The Prisoner
Sully and Michaela must hide Cloud Dancing from General Custer who intends to kill him.
Happy Birthday
As Michaela approaches her 35th birthday her loneliness starts to surface. As a result the children set out to find her a husband. When Brian suggests that Sully should be their new pa, he doesn’t know how to react. When a barbershop customer dies as a result of Jake’s negligence he goes on a drinking binge.
Rite of Passage
When Matthew announces his plans to marry Ingrid, Michaela forbids it. Matthew decides to complete a Cheyenne Quest show prove his adulthood.
Heroes
After Sully saves Colleen’s life from a runaway wagon, she develops a crush on him, but when she plans to have him rescue her again, she puts herself in real danger which results in the danger of her loosing her hands to frostbite.
The Operation
Michaela must perform brain surgery on Brian after a fall while in Sully’s care. The townsfolk join together to build the new schoolhouse.
The Secret
After Dr. Mike finds a young boy in house of a deceased patient, she sets out to find the truth about him. Brian is able to get the young boy to exhibit his artistic abilities.
Portraits
A former Civil War photographer comes to town, but Michaela discovers he is losing his sight due to a severe case of diabetes. When he decides to take a town photo it causes friction within the town.
