The BEST episodes of Gunsmoke season 5

Every episode of Gunsmoke season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Gunsmoke season 5!

Marshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in the rough and tumble Dodge City.

Last Updated: 9/21/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
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Hinka Do
star
7.81
21 votes

#1 - Hinka Do

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 1/30/1960

The new rootin tootin owner of "The Lady Gay" (Mamie) comes to Dodge and opens a saloon. When she opens the saloon, she lets the Dodge cowpokes know that she is very handy with a gun and will use that gun on any trouble makers in her saloon. At first Matt, Doc and Chester are quite amused at Mamie, but Matt begins to have some concerns about Mamie. Matt, Doc and Chester think that Mamie might be involved in some foul play concerning the previous owner of the Lady Gay Saloon (Herman Bleeker). When a Mexican man tells Matt that he saw Mamie sneaking around late the previous evening night with a lantern and a shovel, Matt, Doc and Chester investigate. They find a vest owned by the previous owner with blood stains. Matt thinks he has to arrest Mamie, but is concerned that Mamie might cause some problems;however, Matt tries to trick Mamie into an arrest. Just about the time that Matt is ready to haul Mamie to the Dodge City jail, he learns the truth about Herman Bleeker.

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Colleen So Green
star
7.80
59 votes

#2 - Colleen So Green

Season 5 - Episode 29 - Aired 4/2/1960

A southern belle charms Chester and many others in Dodge, not including Kitty.

Directors: Jean Yarbrough
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False Witness
star
7.25
60 votes

#3 - False Witness

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/12/1959

A man is convicted of murder on doubtful testimony.

Directors: Ted Post
Saludos
star
7.23
56 votes

#4 - Saludos

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/31/1959

Matt and Chester find a young Indian woman (Sochi) on the prairie suffering from a gun shot wound. Matt and Chester take the young woman to Doc Adams for medical treatment, but the overall outlook for recovery does not look promising. Once Matt hears that a white man shot the woman, Matt and Chester set after the man. While Matt and Chester are searching the prairie for the man who shot Sochi, they run into three white men. Matt and Chester plan to take the three men back to Dodge so Sochi can identify the man who shot her;however, before Matt and Chester can get them into Dodge, the truth is finally made known about who shot Sochi.

Johnny Red
star
7.21
57 votes

#5 - Johnny Red

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/3/1959

A man suddenly turns up in Dodge City claiming to be Billy Crale, the long-lost son of a well-to-do local widow. Matt knows that Billy Crale was reported dead during the Civil War and he becomes highly concerned for Mrs. Crale's safety when he confirms that the man is actually a onetime outlaw known as Johnny Red.

Directors: Buzz Kulik
Horse Deal
star
7.15
59 votes

#6 - Horse Deal

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/26/1959

Deesha is running a scam in which his partner sells an unbranded horse to an unsuspecting buyer, after which Deesha moves in to claim the horse, leaving the buyer with nothing.

Writer: John Meston
Kitty's Injury
star
7.01
122 votes

#7 - Kitty's Injury

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/19/1959

After Miss Kitty is injured from falling from a horse, Matt seeks help from some poor farmers. Matt determines early on that the Farmer (Raff Juson), his wife and son are strange people that will probably not offer any assistance in helping Miss Kitty. When the Farmer refuses to help Matt and Kitty, Matt forces Raff Judson's son (Lootie) to go into Dodge to get Doc Adams. When Lootie does not return from Dodge with Doc, Matt sends the Farmer (Raff Judsin) to search for them. Lootie eventually returns from Dodge, but returns without Doc. Insted of helping Miss KItty, Lootie has plans to run off with Miss Kitty. When Matt fails to persuade Lootie to do what is right for Miss Kitty, Matt is forced to confront a hostile Lootie Judson.

Directors: Buzz Kulik
The Boots
star
6.86
83 votes

#8 - The Boots

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/14/1959

Onetime gunman Zeno Smith faces an unenviable choice. If he does not help would-be gambler Hank Fergus rob Mr. Jonas's general store, Fergus will tell 12-year old orphan Tommy the full story of how Zeno's descent into deprivation and alcoholism dates to the day he backed down from facing Fergus in a gunfight.

Directors: Jesse Hibbs
Writer: John Meston
Box o' Rocks
star
6.84
87 votes

#9 - Box o' Rocks

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/5/1959

A man enlists the aid of a parson to fake his own death.

Directors: R.G. Springsteen
Odd Man Out
star
6.84
80 votes

#10 - Odd Man Out

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/21/1959

Matt is uncertain what to make of Cyrus Tucker's confused claim that his wife of 32 years "just ran off", especially when a homesteader claims that he saw the old man digging a large hole just behind his house.

Kangaroo
star
6.84
116 votes

#11 - Kangaroo

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/10/1959

When a crazy man and his two songs whip a cowboy with a bullwhip almost killing the cowboy, Matt rescues the cowboy from the severe whipping. When Matt asks Chester to untie the cowboy, the man makes threats to punish Chester for his sinful ways. As Chester is walking home from the Long Branch, the man and his two songs kidnap Chester. They bring Chester to their camp to stand trial in a Kangaroo court. Since they think Chester interfered with the with the whipping of the cowboy, they plan to cut off Chester's hand. One of the crazy man's sons starts to feel some compassion for Chester and attempts to save Chester from this punishment. Just as the crazy man is about to hit Chester with an ax, the man is shot down. Chester is surprised when he learns who saved him.

Writer: John Meston
Big Tom
star
6.83
54 votes

#12 - Big Tom

Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/9/1960

Despite a serious heart condition, onetime prizefighter Tom Burr is determined to go through with his plans to fight vicious Hob Creel. The only way Matt can stop the mismatch and save Burr's life is to fight Creel himself.

Thick 'n' Thin
star
6.80
56 votes

#13 - Thick 'n' Thin

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 12/26/1959

A quarrel between two partners in homesteading escalates to the point of gunfire. Matt tries to make peace between them by locking them up together.

Directors: Stuart Heisler
Brother Whelp
star
6.79
86 votes

#14 - Brother Whelp

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/7/1959

A man wants to gunfight when he returns home, after years away, and finding his brother married to his girl.

Directors: R.G. Springsteen
The Ex-Urbanites
star
6.76
55 votes

#15 - The Ex-Urbanites

Season 5 - Episode 30 - Aired 4/9/1960

While Doc and Chester are traveling on the prairie, Doc is shot by some wolfers. Doc's gunshot wounds are serious enough where Chester is worried that Doc might die on the prairie. Chester not only has to remove the bullet from Doc, but he also has to fight off an attack by the wolfers.. Since Chester must also find enough food to keep Doc alive, Chester is forced to kill one of the horses so Doc can receive the proper nutrients. Chester kills one of the wolfers and takes another one into custody. Matt finally arrives on the scene and hears about Chester's heroic deeds.

Writer: John Meston
Annie Oakley
star
6.76
83 votes

#16 - Annie Oakley

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/24/1959

Is the homely, sharp-tongued, middle-aged wife of a homesteader really inspiring men to fight to the death for her affections?

Directors: Jesse Hibbs
Writer: John Meston
Tail to the Wind
star
6.75
80 votes

#17 - Tail to the Wind

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/17/1959

A father and son bully a farmer and his wife who won't sell their land, but the farmer is oddly reluctant to let Matt arrest the two, even when they resort to gunfire.

Directors: Christian Nyby
Target
star
6.75
88 votes

#18 - Target

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/5/1959

Ironic tragedy results when Danny Kader stubbornly disregards his father's predispositions (and Matt's pragmatic advice) in order to attempt an elopement with a young gypsy woman.

Miguel's Daughter
star
6.74
81 votes

#19 - Miguel's Daughter

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/28/1959

A father threatens to kill the two drifters who have been plaguing his daughter.

Speak Me Fair
star
6.73
81 votes

#20 - Speak Me Fair

Season 5 - Episode 34 - Aired 5/7/1960

There's a cattle drive near town, and the cowboys are nervous about a series of cattle rustling events that have taken place recently.

Crowbait Bob
star
6.71
56 votes

#21 - Crowbait Bob

Season 5 - Episode 28 - Aired 3/26/1960

When the greedy relatives of a dying man (Crowbait Bob)learn that he might be dying, they come to Dodge to grab anything of value they can get from the dying man. When his relatives find out that Bob has willed all of his possessions to Miss Kitty, they show their true hateful feelings about their relative, Crowbait Bob. When Miss Kitty finally opens Bob's chest box filled with Bob's possessions , Kitty and Matt find out the true value of Bob's possessions.

Groat's Grudge
star
6.71
56 votes

#22 - Groat's Grudge

Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/2/1960

An ex-Confederate waits to settle the score with the Union man whose unit cost him a loved one and property in the late war.

The Tragedian
star
6.70
53 votes

#23 - The Tragedian

Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 1/23/1960

Matt and his friends try to come to the aid of a has-been actor caught cheating at cards.

Directors: Arthur Hiller
Jailbait Janet
star
6.69
55 votes

#24 - Jailbait Janet

Season 5 - Episode 25 - Aired 2/27/1960

After a train sparks a fire that destroys a family's crops, the man, his son, and his daughter rob another train of fifty thousand dollars. A baggage clerk is killed and the crusty representative of the railroad pressures Matt to solve it.

Directors: Jesse Hibbs
Till Death Do Us
star
6.69
54 votes

#25 - Till Death Do Us

Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 1/16/1960

Someone takes a shot at a hard man who is brutal to his wife, and someone is overheard claiming he was offered money to kill the man.

Directors: Jean Yarbrough