"For Better or Worse: Part 1" is the twenty-eighth episode of season 3 of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Dr. Mike is disappointed when her mother and sisters can't make it to her wedding. Michaela wants to exchange rings with Sully; he doesn't want to wear a ring, but listens to Dr. Mike's thoughts about it. Dr. Mike asks Colleen to be her bridesmaid, and speaks to Sully about Matthew and Ingrid's house. Mike is upset that Sully didn't tell her he offered the old homestead to Matthew. Custer demands that Horace put up a reward of $500 for Cloud Dancing. Dr. Mike asks Dorothy for advice. When the train arrives, John is the driver, to Brian's delight. And to Dr. Mike's surprise, the first passenger is her mother, Elizabeth, and her sisters Marjorie and Rebecca. Because of a breakup, Marjorie has been bad-tempered towards everyone and Elizabeth asks Mike if she has anything to cure a betrayal. Custer wants to learn Cloud Dancing's whereabouts, but Sully refuses to answer him. Dr. Mike's mother and sisters disapprove of Sully and Mike's new house. Sully wants to know when Dr. Mike is going to see things through his and her eyes, not those of her family, and is upset that first he wasn't good enough, and now it's the house. Sully then leaves to do something he said he should have done a long time ago. Mike's mother begins to commandeer the wedding, starting with the menu, then with a wedding dress she brought. She also replaces Dorothy as matron of honor. Sully decides on a best man in Cloud Dancing, who accepts but tells Sully of the bounty on his head. Sully tries to deter him. Custer arrests Sully but later sets him free, threatening him. While waiting for Sully, Dr. Mike says she wouldn't blame him if he didn't turn up. Elizabeth tells Dr. Mike that Sully stood her up and is not suitable for her. Marjorie and Dr. Mike argue and Marjorie slaps Dr. Mike. Afterwards, the sisters make up and hug, after Marjorie says she hopes Sully does come back. Feelings become tense between Michaela and her groom-to-be. Dr. Mike eases relations with Marjorie, who has been hateful since her arrival, which was testing her loyalty and faith in Sully.
This episode provides examples of:
- The Disease That Shall Not Be Named: Hank tells Mike that Majorie is ill, citing her frequent fevers and headaches—"I've seen it in my girls plenty of times. That husband of hers left her with more than anyone suspects." Later, Mike quietly offers to give Majorie an injection of silver nitrate. All of which indicates that Marjorie's husband gave her an STD, likely gonorrhea, given the treatment mentioned.
- Historical Domain Character: General Custer, of course.
- Multi-Part Episode: "For Better or Worse: Part 1" is followed by "For Better or Worse: Part 2".
- My Beloved Smother: Mike's mother arrives and immediately takes over the wedding plans, bringing a dress, menu for the reception, declaring that Mike's sister Rebecca will be her matron of honor, all over what Mike had originally planned.
- The Talk: With her wedding night looming, Michaela needs one herself from the more experienced Dorothy.
