The BEST episodes of Gunsmoke season 1
Every episode of Gunsmoke season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Gunsmoke season 1!
Marshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in the rough and tumble Dodge City.
#1 - Alarm at Pleasant Valley
Season 1 - Episode 39 - Aired 8/25/1956
While on the way back to Dodge, Matt and Chester discover a homsteading family fleeing Pleasant Valley, which is besieged by Indians.
#2 - Unmarked Grave
Season 1 - Episode 38 - Aired 8/18/1956
On a stage heading for Dodge Sheriff Darcy has a heart attack while guarding a murderer, Blackie. Mrs. Randolph is looking for her son Whitey. Matt tells her he was shot by a deputy two years ago. Darcy brings the kid in to Matt. He shot the cashier in a bank robbery in Caldwell. Mrs. Randolph fawns over the kid. Tasca Sloan and his gang, who the kid rode with, ride into town. Matt takes the kid to the Dodge House. Randolph tries vainly to try to help the kid escape. In the morning Blackie breaks a window to let Tasca know where he is. Matt heads for the train with Blackie. Mrs. Randolph follows. Tasca shoots Blackie. Matt shoots Tasca. Matt's wounded. The rest of the gang bite the dust. Mrs. Randolph tells Matt she was wrong.
#3 - Matt Gets It
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/10/1955
Dan Grat, a gunman hunted by Texas authorities, seeks refuge in Dodge City. Marshal Dillon goes into action against this outlaw who shoots before he talks.
#4 - General Parsley Smith
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/10/1955
The honesty of the town's new banker is questioned - especially after he hires an ex-con to guard the money.
#5 - No Handcuffs
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/21/1956
Matt investigates a neighboring sheriff when his deputy arrives in Dodge City to make an arrest.
#6 - Tap Day for Kitty
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/24/1956
An old sodbuster comes to town and decides he wants to marry Kitty. When he won't leave her alone she declares she'll shoot him if he pesters her anymore. Out at night, he's shot in the back and Kitty is suspected, but then she is shot at too.
#7 - The Queue
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/3/1955
Revenge is a definite possibility when a Dodge City newcomer is disgraced by two ruffians.
#8 - Doc's Revenge
Season 1 - Episode 29 - Aired 6/9/1956
Clem Maddow rides into Dodge. Doc tells Chester I'm gonna kill a man. Chester gets Matt. Doc's ready to shoot Clem, he won't say why. Clem says he won't defend himself. Matt tells Doc to put his Colt 36 away. Matt tells Clem to get outta Dodge. Matt can't find Doc. Clem is shot in the back and his brother George is hit on the head. Doc heard the shot and shows up. Doc digs a .45 caliber bullet out of Clem. George shot Clem. Doc says he doesn't hate Clem anymore. Doc loved a woman, she loved Clem. He left her after a miscarriage and never returned.
#9 - Magnus
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/24/1955
Chester is far from brotherly when an uncivilized sibling shows up in town just in time for Christmas.
#10 - Reward for Matt
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/28/1956
A bounty is placed on Matt's head when he kills a rancher during an attempted arrest.
#11 - Reed Survives
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/31/1955
The young wife of an elderly farmer plots her husband's death.
#12 - Indian Scout
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/31/1956
Twenty-three soldiers died a the hands of the Comamches at Cold Creek. Will Bailey lost his brother. Will says Amos Cartwwright, the scout led them into an ambush. Matt tells Bailey let the cavalry handle it, and leave Amos alone. Amos comes into the Long Branch with a rifle to see Bailey. Matt escorts Amos out. Amos tells Bailey I'll see you later. Matt suggests Amos stay out at the fort for a couple of days. Amos says don't worry about me. Amos kills Bailey. Matt and Chester are out tracking Amos, so is an indian. Matt finds Amos. Amos married a Comanche and was respected and loved. She died in childbirth. Amos knew about the ambush and did nothing. An indian war party appears on the ridge, friends of Amos. Amos' wife's brother Buffalo Tongue rides down. Amos goes out to meet him. Buffalo Tongue kills him. The indians ride off.
#13 - Night Visitor
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/29/1955
A young boy is accused of lying when he claims to have witnessed a series of crimes.
#14 - Chester's Mail Order Bride
Season 1 - Episode 34 - Aired 7/14/1956
Chester's drinking a lot at the Long Branch. A buffalo hunter, Nate takes his picture of a girl. Chester hits the hunter. Nate decks Chester. Chester has been sending the girl in the picture letters and she is coming to marry him. Chester sent her Matt's picture. Matt meets Ann Smithwright. She doesn't look like the picture Chester has. Matt takes Ann to Kitty. Chester comes in all duded up. Chester tells Ann she's too young and doesn't know what she's doing. Chester's going to take up farming. A Pinkerton agent, Brady, tells Matt Ann comes from one of the best families in Philadelphia. Her father is a judge. Matt tells Chester marrying Ann wouldn't be the right thing. Anne goes back to Philadelphia. Nate wants to take Brady out on the prairie and lose him, for breaking up Chester's engagement. Chester says he never should have learned to write.
#15 - Home Surgery
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/8/1955
Matt is forced to perform an emergency amputation on an old man who is desperately ill with gangrene.
#16 - 20-20
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/25/1956
Troy Carver, an aging ex-lawman gets off the stage. Matt calls to him. Troy turns and almost shoots Matt. Matt tells Troy if someone is after you I'll help. Troy says mind your own business. Moss tells Matt Lee Polen has been hanging for several days. Lee says he's gonna kill Troy for killing his brother. Lee asks Matt to tell Troy he is in town and clear Front Street at 10:00 AM. Polen knows Troy is losing his sight. Matt sends Doc to find out just how bad his eyesight is. Doc says the only thing he can focus on quickly is a match. Matt tells Lee he's told Troy to leave. Doc tells Lee Troy's eyesight is fine. Lee goes looking for Troy. Troy goes out the back of the stable and faces off with Lee. Troy shoots the gun out of Lee's hand. Troy's wounded. Troy shot at the only thing he could see, the flash of Lee's gun.
#17 - Reunion '78
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/3/1956
Belle Archer recognizes Jerry Shand and hides her face. Jerry has a grudge against Andy Cully, a paunchy hardware drummer. At the Long Branch Jerry is beating Andy up. Matt's ready to lock Jerry up. Andy bails him out. On the street Andy apologizes and offers Jerry $600. Jerry knows Andy is a murderer. Andy pulls a gun. Jerry shoots him. Belle sees it all from her window. Andy was really Bloody Bille Ashley one of Quantrill's raiders. He killed Jerry's father and carried his Ma from Lawrence, Kansas. Matt looks for Andy's gun. Matt tells Kitty they need a witness. They see Belle in her room. Belle says she didn't see anything. Belle watches from her window as they prepare for a hanging. Jerry says Quantrill took his girl Ellie and I haven't seen her since. Just then Matt brings in Belle (Ellie). She says Andy drew first. As Jerry rides past her window, he calls to Ellie. Belle says Ellie's gone, goodbye.
#18 - Hack Prine
Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired 5/12/1956
Hack Prine, a friend of Matt's rides into Dodge. However he is there as a gunman, for Matt Dillon.
#19 - Hot Spell
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/17/1955
Matt is caught in an awkward position when he defends an unsavory ex-con against the decent residents of Dodge City.
#20 - Cara
Season 1 - Episode 36 - Aired 7/28/1956
An old flame of Matt's comes to town, but her presence in Dodge may be motivated by more than sentiment.
#21 - Robin Hood
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/4/1956
Matt turns the tables against a criminal who repeatedly bribes witnesses to escape justice.
#22 - Professor Lute Bone
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/7/1956
Doc takes the law into his own hands when he discovers that a medicine man's "cure-all" tonic could be deadly.
#23 - The Preacher
Season 1 - Episode 30 - Aired 6/16/1956
Seth, a newcomer to Dodge is bullied by Keeler, a boxer.
#24 - Big Broad
Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 4/28/1956
A large woman and her small companion bring trouble to Kitty's saloon, as the woman has a way of causing guns to be drawn.
#25 - The Pest Hole
Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 4/14/1956
Doc is using the jail to quarantine people as they fall ill. The common thread between them seems to be that they all had a dinner meeting together, about the upcoming German festival, at Bendino's restaurant. Doc, at first, suspects some type of food poisoning as the culprit, but then discovers it's really Typhus. Leading citizen Mr. Matthews takes a few of his men over to Bendino's and beat him to death. Matt arrests Matthews and throws him in jail, much to Matthew's disdain with all the patients. When Mrs. Saur, a German resident living outside of Dodge, comes down with the disease Doc has to look elsewhere for the cause. He sets up an experiment that could cause him to come down with the disease himself, and possibly die!