Despite its idealized qualities, this scene is far from simplistic since it is tinged with the knowledge of what has been lost, in the mass destruction of a people. The message of this last idyllic scene is not that we can create a utopia but that the engine of hate and violence, which has driven so much of history, creates an imperative that we live together and live fully, and celebrate what we have.

Although this theme of loss and moral progress was at the center of Dr. Quinn, it should be noted that it was itself embedded in a still larger theme which is that, despite dark moments, the history of the West -- and America -- is a story of modernization. Thus, the achievement of social justice and tolerance are depicted as part of a larger story of progress that also includes the creation of modern institutions, such as wilderness parks, and the expansion of science and technology, as seen in railroads and the advance of medicine. In effect, what the series depicts is the founding of the modern world, which becomes a story about moral heroes and people of vision who reform society so it becomes more ethical and rational.

To some degree, all of this makes Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman an obvious form of ideology that offers characters and situations intended to convey a political message. Despite (and because of) that and despite the tendency to overdo the melodrama in an effort to evoke pathos in the audience, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman is a significant work of moral fiction. It's central message -- that the individual has an obligation to try to re-create the world in the image of his or her conscience -- needs to be heard. When compared to the cynical and vacuous programming on the rest of the dial, the series stands out as a worthy effort to re-create society -- or at least one corner of television -- in the image of our better selves.