""Remember Me" is the eighth episode of season 5 of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
A sick and ragged prospector wanders into town after his mule gives out, and collapses in the street. Dr. Mike treats him, but the senile man wanders off into the barbershop, where Jake Slicker gives him a shave and a haircut. However, after shaving his face clean, he recognizes the man as his father, Lucius Slicker, who abandoned him and his deceased mother years before to search for gold, but Lucius does not recognize him back. Dr. Mike discovers that he is suffering from age dementia. Jake refuses to believe her diagnosis, claiming his father is faking it out of guilt. However, Dr. Mike explains that Lucius's heart has grown very weak and he doesn't have much time left, and strongly urges Jake to find closure with his father before he dies, as her own father died suddenly and she never got a chance to say some things she had kept to herself. This is where we learn a lot about Jake's past and why he closes his heart off to the idea of love. Jake hates his father for his alcoholic abuses when he was young, and for failing to get medical help for his younger siblings because he was too soused to remember they were gravely ill, causing them to die. Ironically, Lucius finally struck gold after all these years and has a large gold nugget to show for his troubles, but lost his mind in the process. At the same time, word gets around that Lucius has found gold and causes Loren, Hank, and Preston to seek out his claim, but they soon discover Lucius is unable to give them any meaningful information or confirm if there is even any gold left, and openly hostile at the thought of claim-jumpers. Lucius wanders off again and hitches up one of Robert E's mules, mistaking it for the one he forgot had died. He has another fruitless interaction with Jake, and collapses once more, now close to death. Unable to have a meaningful conversation with the senile man, Jake gives up hope on him and waits for his time to come, even when Dr. Mike warns him he probably won't survive through the night. When Brian encourages Jake to do as Dr. Mike says, Jake coldly remarks that just because a person has children doesn't mean they are a father, reminding him of Ethan. His father dies with only Brian in the room speaking to him and believing him to be a young Jake, telling him he is sorry for not being strong enough to be his father and that he turned out good, willing him his gold. Brian rushes off to Dr. Mike to let her know what has happened, and she conveys the sad news to Jake, who is unmoved. Although the town is prepared to bury him in their cemetery, Lucius remained clear-headed long enough to indicate to Brian where he truly wanted to be buried- beside his mule in the wilderness, where he is given a small funeral. This leads to a great scene later with Brian and Jake, showing a side of Jake no one has ever seen before. Brian reveals what Lucius said to him in detail, deeply surprising his son. When Jake places a tombstone to mark the grave, Brian asks him what he is going to put on it, and after telling him the heartfelt epitaph, Jake breaks down sobbing in Brian's arms. Jake forgives his father, apologizes to Brian for his earlier remark, and plans to use the gold to finance a hotel.
This episode provides examples of:
- The Alcoholic: Jake hates his father for his alcoholic abuses when he was young.
- Comfort the Dying: Brian is alone with Jake's father as he dies, and Jake's father mistakes him for a young Jake.
- Deathbed Confession: Jake's father confesses to Brian (whom he mistakes for a young Jake) that he is sorry for not being strong enough to be his father. He also says that Jake turned out good, and wills him his gold.
- Disappeared Dad: Lucius abandoned Jake and his mother out of guilt for neglecting Jake's younger brother and sister, resulting in their deaths.
- Prospector: The man who wanders into town and collapses in the street.
- Scatterbrained Senior: Jake cannot have a meaningful conversation with his senile father, who even forgets that his own mule died and hitches up one of Robert E's mules, thinking it's his own.
