Suzanne "Pepper" Anderson (Angie Dickinson) going undercover at a nursing home to investigate a murder.

Mindful of that recent controversy, NBC delayed the episode and ordered some changes, but they were not enough to allay gay and lesbian concern over network television's negative portrayal of homosexuality.

Police Sergeant "Pepper" Anderson goes undercover in the home as a nurse and discovers that the women are robbing their elderly residents and one of them murdered the woman, Kathleen O'Shaunessy.

According to executive producer David Gerber, "Flowers of Evil" was based on a real case in which three lesbians ran a nursing home and stole from their residents.

[2] Fay Spain, who played Mame, reported that producers advised her to cut her hair very short, bind her breasts, speak with a harsh, raspy voice, and change her walk and mannerisms to appear masculine.

Although the network denied that the Welby protests were a factor in its decision, NGTF spokesperson Ronald Gold said "It's our view that because we showed a little muscle with ABC, NBC took it off the air.

"[4] Series producer Douglas Benton described the editing as "mostly cosmetic cutting" which according to Gerber included removing "brief scenes of overt touching, stares, and verbal references to the relationship of the three women".

[2] NBC ordered further changes, including the removal of any mention of the word "lesbian"[7] (although a character's describing Mame as looking like "she should be driving a diesel truck" was left in[8]).

Gay and lesbian activists were slow to react to "Flowers of Evil", because unlike the Welby episode they had not read the script in advance.

Ten women entered the building in pairs at 15-minute intervals, traveling by elevator to different floors before converging on the Standards and Practices offices.