"The First Circle" is the twentieth episode of season 2 of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Robert E purchases at auction a house that sits in the middle of town, which no black person has ever done before. The auctioneer, Jedediah Bancroft, tries to worm his way out of giving the house to Robert E when he learns he is black, but it is too late to legally keep it from him. Jedediah vows he'll never live in it and invites all of the men of the town to a late night meeting of a new "men's club," which turns out to be a Ku Klux Klan meeting. Loren refuses to sell Robert E nails, claiming he doesn't have any left. Matthew attends the "men's club" and when Robert E is assaulted, he and Horace bring him to the clinic, and tells Michaela and Sully, who stand in defense of Robert E, while Jake and Hank vandalize his house and humiliate Robert E, dumping paint over him. Jedediah tries to buy Robert E out of the house by talking to Dr. Mike and Robert E refuses. Jedediah threatens extortion to Dr. Mike. Dorothy writes an article about Robert E shooting Loren and not having his house. Dr. Mike offers the clinic back to Jedediah in response to his extortion threats. The KKK cut Grace's hair off while Robert E is cutting wood. Dr. Mike reveals to Robert E and Grace her father was an abolitionist. The KKK later turn up at Sully's property, threatening everyone, and Jedediah catches fire. Brian is told about slavery by Robert E. Later, after ignoring Dr. Mike's advice about his arm, and refusing treatment or amputation, Jedediah threatens Brian, Colleen and Matthew and Sully says that if he touches any of them he will kill him. Brian, Colleen and Matthew agree with Sully and Dr. Mike that it has become their fight. When they kidnap Robert E in the middle of the night, Grace runs to Michaela and Sully, and Matthew takes them to the KKK's meeting place where Robert E is about to be lynched. A moving speech by Michaela shames the townspeople and drives Jedediah away. Sully nearly kills Jedediah. Loren ends up helping Robert E and Grace move into their new home.
This episode provides examples of:
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: The scene where the Klan cuts off Grace's hair is very reminiscent of a rape, especially when you remember that black women frequently suffered this ordeal at the hands of white men during this period in time—and the way it's filmed and the way she acts afterwards raises the possibility that this did happen.
- The Klan: The KKK terrorizes Robert E and Grace and later burn a cross in front of Michaela's home.
- Man on Fire: Jedediah catches fire during the cross-burning at Sully's property.
- Must Make Amends: Loren helps Robert E and Grace move into their new home.
- Papa Wolf: Sully demonstrates this when Jedediah threatens Brian, Colleen, and Matthew.
- Revealing Injury: Jedediah staunchly denies having anything to do with the cross burning at Michaela's home, but Sully yanks up his sleeves and reveals the burn he got.
- Shaming the Mob: Michaela wins over the townspeople in the end.
- Traumatic Haircut: Members of the Klan surround Grace and hold her down while they cut her hair as she sobs hysterically. The scene is very reminiscent of a rape.
- White Man's Burden: Michaela and Sully (and the kids, by extension) are the only whites in town to support Grace and Robert E., to the point of taking them in when they're terrorized out of their home, and it's their intervention that saves him from being lynched.
