Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Season Six

The 6th and final season of "Dr Quinn - Medicine Woman" opens as a continuation of Season 5.The renegade Indians continue their raids,and Sully and Cloud Dancing are still on the run from the Army. Sully hides out, but still manages to get to the Homestead when needed. The first several episodes continue on this story line, and is finally resolved. I love this series, but I kind of thought they milked that storyline till it was dry.

The rest of the season, have some pretty good storylines. Touching, and heartwarming, mixed with historical events. We lose some very likeable characters due to illnesses in a few different episodes and that was a little tough to take. Although the season had it's moments, some that made me smile, some that made me laugh, and others that brought a lump to my throat, I just did not feel that this season was up to par with the first five, and I think the choice to end it here was a good one. Some of the stories seemed like they were plucked right out from the Little House series.

Some of the highlights and touching moments include, Dr. Mike's very emotional miscarriage, and Anthony's illness wins out and Grace takes it very hard. In a wonderful 2 parter "A Time To Heal" a horrible epidemic sweeps through Colorado Springs and we lose some familiar characters. Dr Mike gets shot, and Hank is actually the one who saves her(this was the only time Hank actually did something good this season), Colleen is stalked by a man she met at school in "Seeds of Doubt", Jake and Teresa fall in love, and Willie Nelson returns as the legendary Marshal, in pursuit of a bad guy.Dr Mike is injured once again, and Sully tries to keep her from slipping into a coma as they remember special moments through the series. The series culminates in a beautiful and very moving episode as Colleen and Andrew tie the knot.

Some of the characters have gone through many changes. Jake as mentioned becomes a really good guy and sheds his prejudices. Matthew takes up the law, and looks like he will become a great lawyer. Dorothy, taunted by the town, falls in love with Cloud Dancing, and Colleen finishes up college. Loren mourns the loss of a loved one, but seems to have aquirred the wisdom to help others. But the one to watch is Brian.He provides us with some of the more moving moments, his character grows, not just physically as he becomes a young man, but he seems to possess some wonderful qualities that leave us knowing he will grow into a warm, compassionate person.

The DVDs are very nice as usual. There are 6 volumes in this series. There are still no subtitles,so that all may enjoy this wonderful program, and I would Have thought there would have been a little more in the way of features. There is some commentary on the episode "Point Blank"(where Dr. Mike is shot), with Jane Seymour and James Keach(who directed the episode). There are the usual notes on bios and scene selection.

I would say, if the other season were 5 stars as far as the stories go, then this one is 4, and as usual I will take another off for no subtitles for hearing impaired viewers from A&E. So 3 stars for the pacakge, but a must have for fans to have a conclusion tothis wonderful series and say goodbye to the town and townsfolk we have grown so fond of.

Goodbye Colorado Springs....Laurie

P.S. I did see some VHS of some follow up stories(Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman: Revolutions The Movie 1999), but the prices asked by the sellers were unreasonably high.

And if you are just looking for a special episode you may like:
Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman Collector's Edition (For Better or Worse)

I have been a huge fan of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman since I was a child. When the DVD's first came out, I was thrilled to finally be able to rewatch all of them. I have been waiting to get the final season on DVD, and the extra commentary with Jane and her husband on the award winning episode, "Point Blank" makes this a great final box set.

PROS: Season six is the final season of this wonderful show that is filled with family values. Seeing all the characters older; Colleen in college, Brian becomming a young man, and little Katie growing up makes the viewer feel like part of the family. By this point in the show, the lighting and scenery is gorgeous, and everyone looks perfect 100% of the time. (Not so historically accurate, but still enjoyable to watch) The town of Colorado Springs has grown from a small western town, and sets like the Sully homestead and Chateau Springs Hotel are really gorgeous.

CONS: Season six is really a let down after so many years of the show being fabulous. Don't get me wrong, not all of it is bad, but I felt that the scriptwriters lost steam. Too many characters die, Sully/Joe Lando is not in many of the episodes, and even Dr. Mike seems not so headstrong. Many of the episodes are about depressing topics, such as alcoholism, epidemics and death. I also hated seeing how things deteriorated with the indians, and knowing this was all based on historical fact makes this season particularly more depressing than some of the other seasons.

So, even though I would watch Dr. Quinn no matter how terrible it was and still love every minute, I decided that this season was only worth 4 stars. If your a new Dr. Quinn fan, I would reccomend some of the other seasons before purchasing this one, as it is more for devoted fans who are familiar with the storyline and plots of the show. I would have loved to see more of this show, or even perhaps see the two Dr. Quinn movies, "Revolutions" and "The Heart Within" end up on DVD along with outtakes, bloopers and interviews from the cast members. Maybe AE will take the hint...

I am so pleased to own all six seasons of Dr. Quinn. It is truly a phenomenal show that my children and I have enjoyed all summer! And not to mention, very educational. I appreciate it even more now than when it was on TV. There should have been a season seven! There was so much more storyline potential! However, I did wonder about the episode "A Time to Heal". There seems to be some content missing. On the description, it states that Hank blames squatters for causing the epidemic and sets fire to their settlement, but that is totally left out in the two part episode. I thought these were uncut episodes but maybe not! Anyways, I don't regret paying the money, which was alot, for this very well done program!

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