Season 1 Episode 16 “Doctor’s Lady”- Little House on the Prairie

A stage coach comes into town carrying a young woman. As she is trying to get out of the coach, she slips and falls. Charles and Mr. Oleson help her get up and then carry her to the doctor’s office to have her foot and hand looked at. She has a dislocated thumb and a twisted ankle. She introduces herself to Doctor Baker as Kate Thornwall, Mrs. Oleson’s niece. Both the Doctor and Kate seem smitten with one another, even though Doctor Baker is quite a bit older than Ms. Thornwall.

Ms. Thornwall goes out for a horse ride the next day and sees the Ingalls’ home where Doctor Baker is in the yard helping Laura’s dog. Mrs. Ingalls invites the doctor for supper. Ms. Thornwall sees all this and sends her horse away, then comes to the Ingalls’ home pretending that her horse had thrown her. They invite her in and she eats dinner with everyone. Later that night Mary remarks to Laura that she thinks the doctor is in love with Ms. Thornwall.

Dr. Baker takes Ms. Thornwall back home in his carriage. Ms. Thornwall confronts the doctor on some of his actions toward her and realizes that he is very interested in her. She asks him to invite her on a picnic the next day. He agrees and they both seem very pleased.

The next day, Dr. Baker and Kate go on their picnic. They both tell each other that they like one another. When Kate returns to the Oleson’s, Mrs. Oleson asks if Dr. Baker is in love with Kate. She tells her aunt that she hopes that he is in love with her! Mrs. Oleson thinks that Dr. Baker is not good enough for her and is much too old for her. Kate brushes off her aunt’s comments and makes sure she will invite Dr. Baker to their family party.

Mr. Hansen is becoming a bit jealous about the time Dr. Baker is spending with Ms. Thornwall and his distracted nature when they are together. Mr. Hansen tells Dr. Baker that he is too old to be involved with a girl Kate’s age. Dr. Baker says that he knows he is, but he feels so happy and alive with her that he doesn’t care.

Kate goes on Dr. Baker’s rounds with him. He stops at the Ingalls to give the kids some gumdrops. As he is leaving, Laura asks him when he is going to marry Ms. Thornwall. On the ride home, Kate tells Dr. Baker that she wants him to propose to her. They tell each other that they are in love with one another and Dr. Baker asks Kate to marry him on there way to help another patient.

Dr. Baker goes to the Oleson’s store to look at engagement rings. Charles sees him looking at the jewelry case and starts teasing him about how the rings in the case would make a fine engagement ring. Dr. Baker pretends to be buying cuff links instead when Mr. Oleson comes over to help him.
That evening at the Oleson’ party, Dr. Baker gives Kate a gold chain ring made from one of his father’s watch chains. She loves it and asks him to announce their engagement at the party. The whole town seems very pleased with the news except Mrs. Oleson.

Dr. Baker and Kate begin making plans to build a home and ask Charles Ingalls to help. Charles and Dr. Baker go fishing and begin talking about the up coming wedding. Dr. Baker is still worried about the age difference between he and Kate. They are watching Kate play with the Ingalls girls and Charles makes the comment that Kate looks like one of the girls. This gets Dr. Baker thinking even more about their age difference.

Dr. Baker is feeling more and more that he is just too old for Kate. She comes to his office with lunch and they start talking about the age difference again. Charles comes in and tells Dr. Baker that he needs to help with at birth. Kate goes along to help. Everything goes well with the birth and the mother and baby are fine. The mother remarks that Dr. Baker was also the one that delivered her when she was born. Kate starts to realize that Dr. Baker really is an old man.

On the ride home, both Dr. Baker and Kate decide that their age difference really is too much of an issue and that they shouldn’t get married. They both are heart broken and really wish it could work out. Kate goes home on the stage coach and Dr. Baker watches her leave. He can hardly bear the sight. Dr. Baker doesn’t visit the Ingalls for about a month, but soon after he is back doing his usual rounds and caring for the people of Walnut Grove.