"Sanctuary" is the second episode of season 2 of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Loren's sister-in-law and old flame, Dorothy Jennings arrives in Colorado Springs. She is injured and says she fell off a horse and is taken in by Loren. Dr. Mike examines Dorothy and suspects she was beaten by her husband. Sully confirms that this has happened before. At Maude's grave, Dorothy opens up to Dr. Mike about her abusive husband Marcus. Loren implies his marriage to Maude was superficial because he only proposed to her when Dorothy turned him down. Cloud Dancing's wife Snowbird throws his belongings out of their teepee when tradition dictates he take a widow, Grey Eyes, as his second wife. Dorothy's husband turns up at Dr. Mike's home where Loren, Dorothy, and Sully are dinner guests and convinces her to take him back. Dorothy agrees against Dr. Mike's advice. When Dorothy comes back to town, she has been beaten again by Marcus and says she is leaving him for good. Dr. Mike suggests Dorothy start a town newspaper to support herself. Soon after, Marcus also arrives in town in the back of a wagon, dead. Dorothy is arrested by a reluctant Horace, who is a deputized judge, and she stands trial for murder after admitting she hit Marcus with her skillet in self-defense. However, she insists she didn't kill him. Dr. Mike volunteers to be Dorothy's lawyer. Another Cheyenne expresses interest in marrying Grey Eyes and Cloud Dancing remains with Snowbird. The jury at Dorothy's trial finds her guilty of murder and she is sent back to jail. Dr. Mike presses Dorothy for more details on what happened the day Marcus died. She then asks Dorothy for permission to exhume her husband's body and subsequently performs an autopsy. Dr. Mike finds he died of gastritis caused by his chronic drinking not from a blow to the head. Dorothy is released from jail. Loren gives her a space to work on her newspaper in his store. The women of the town applaud Dorothy, but Hank stops the celebrations by firing off a gunshot.
This episode provides examples of:
- The Alcoholic: Marcus died of complications from his chronic drinking.
- Domestic Abuse: Dr. Mike suspects Dorothy's injuries were inflicted by her husband Marcus, and then Dorothy confirms it.
- The Coroner: Dr. Mike acts as this, performing an autopsy to discover that Marcus died of complications from his chronic drinking, not from injuries Dorothy inflicted.
- Frying Pan of Doom: Dorothy's weapon of self defense. Downplayed because we don't actually see her hit Marcus with it.
- Killing in Self-Defense: Dorothy's reason for hitting Marcus with a skillet.
- On the Rebound: Loren only proposed to Maude because Dorothy turned him down.
- One-Word Title: "Sanctuary", of course.
- Romancing the Widow: Another Cheyenne man expresses interest in marrying the widow Grey Eyes, freeing Cloud Dancing of his traditional obligation.
