A game of checkers turns deadly serious for Nathan and Slocum; Lilly helps Francie, who's afraid she'll lay an egg singing in the church benefit.

Forrest ponders an offer for a challenging job; Lilly tries to make peace between her father and Clarence, who asks her to make a life-changing decision; Nathan sees something he shouldn't; and Slocum saves his mother's birthday party.

On his first day at work as a U.S. attorney Forrest must break some bad news to his children about Gwen; the two suspects accused of killing Col. Landers are released—to no one's surprise; Slocum finds out that Parkie might be pregnant.

Joe faces some tough decisions when he thinks about becoming a teacher for the community's new school. Meanwhile, Nathan reluctantly goes to a college interview that Forrest arranged with the dean of admissions.

PBS prefaces its rebroadcast of all 39 series episodes (originally aired on NBC) with this new episode in which a 60-year-old Lilly recalls to her 13-year-old grandson a horrifying incident that happened during her final days as the Bedfords' housekeeper. In 1962, a young African-American boy from Detroit who comes to stay with Lilly is kidnapped-then murdered—after speaking rudely to a white woman in public. The only witness to his abduction is Lilly's father, Lewis, who wants to see justice served—but must also consider his family's safety. In an epilogue, Lilly returns to Bryland to discover the fate of her friends and employers. (2 hours)