The BEST episodes written by Sam Peckinpah

The Boarding House
star
8.52
20 votes

#1 - The Boarding House

The Rifleman - Season 1 - Episode 22

Reformed card sharp Julia Massini now runs a respectable boarding house in North Fork, but Sid Fallon is threatening to reveal her sordid past unless she lets him turn the establishment into a saloon and gambling hall.

Watch Now:Amazon
The Marshal
star
8.29
79 votes

#2 - The Marshal

The Rifleman - Season 1 - Episode 4

Micah Torrance, a once famous lawman, is introduced as a drunken derelict, who stumbles into North Fork. Micah, nursing an arm crippled in a gunfight, is hired by Lucas to help out at the ranch. Three outlaws ride into town looking for revenge against Micah. When they kill the sheriff, it's up to Lucas and Micah to protect North Fork. Micah becomes North Fork's full-time Marshal.

Watch Now:Amazon
Home Ranch
star
8.21
98 votes

#3 - Home Ranch

The Rifleman - Season 1 - Episode 2

Two hired hands of a wealthy cattleman, who has been using the ranch for grazing his cattle, demand that Lucas move out. When Lucas refuses, he is beaten and dragged and then the ranch house is burned down. They left Lucas and Mark with the burning house and rode off with Lucas' rifle. Leaving Mark to tend to the animals, Lucas tracks them down and confronts their boss, Mr. Jackford.

Watch Now:Amazon
The Baby Sitter
star
8.00
10 votes

#4 - The Baby Sitter

The Rifleman - Season 2 - Episode 12

A dance hall singer asks Lucas to care for her daughter in an effort to hide the baby from her self-righteous, bigoted father.

Watch Now:Amazon
Blo-Dri
star
8.00
7 votes

#5 - Blo-Dri

Silk Stalkings - Season 1 - Episode 10

Chris and Rita investigate the deaths of a mob lawyer and his hairdresser, who were shot in the barber shop. While Chris thinks the main target was the mob lawyer, Rita thinks it could have been the hair stylist, so they evoke ""club rules."" Meanwhile, Rita shocks everyone at PBPD when she gets the mobster Donnie ""Dogs"" DiBelco to talk with her.

The Money Gun
star
7.94
16 votes

#6 - The Money Gun

The Rifleman - Season 1 - Episode 33

When his employer begins to suspect him of embezzlement, bookkeeper Asa Manning decides to hire a professional gunman to take care of the problem.

Watch Now:Amazon
The Sharpshooter
star
7.85
168 votes

#7 - The Sharpshooter

The Rifleman - Season 1 - Episode 1

Lucas McCain and his son Mark arrive in North Fork, New Mexico. Looking to start a new life, they come across a ranch to their liking, which is for sale. Lucas enters a Turkey Shoot in hopes of winning the down payment for the ranch. Jim Lewis, the man who runs North Fork, has bet on Vernon, a young gun he brought in, to win. When talk of Lucas' reputation back in the Nations circulates around town, Mr. Lewis gets nervous and he makes trouble for Lucas by threatening Mark's life.

Watch Now:Amazon
Powder Burn
star
7.75
4 votes

#8 - Powder Burn

Silk Stalkings - Season 1 - Episode 20

Hutch goes undercover as a Jamaican drug dealer, in order to stop a gun-runner and drug kingpin. Meanwhile, Rita tries to work out her relationship with an old flame, who wants to rekindle their old romance.

S.O.B.
star
7.70
10 votes

#9 - S.O.B.

Silk Stalkings - Season 1 - Episode 3

A man winds up dead on the beach, so Chris goes to search the deceased's office. While there, Lorenzo finds a date book with the entry ""S.O.B."" and a roll of film. Chris and Rita go to the house belonging to some people in one of the undeveloped pictures. While there, they see the dead man's watch. The two cops decide to investigate a yacht called the ""S.O.B."", where they gain more clues as to the murderer, the way he did it, and why.

The Round Up
star
7.52
77 votes

#10 - The Round Up

Gunsmoke - Season 2 - Episode 4

Matt closes up shops to a group of drunken cowboys, which causes trouble.

Lady Luck
star
7.50
4 votes

#11 - Lady Luck

Silk Stalkings - Season 1 - Episode 18

After finding a realtor's business card in a dead man's wallet, Chris and Rita confront the woman. In exchange for immunity, she helps the two detectives set up a sting operation against the owner of an illegal casino, who lets his clients build up huge debts, and then kills them because they cannot pay. Chris goes undercover as a big-spender, ready to play, while Rita plays the part of a blackjack dealer. Meanwhile, Chris and Annie try to work out their problems.

The Queue
star
7.45
95 votes

#12 - The Queue

Gunsmoke - Season 1 - Episode 10

Revenge is a definite possibility when a Dodge City newcomer is disgraced by two ruffians.

Jealousy
star
7.40
62 votes

#13 - Jealousy

Gunsmoke - Season 2 - Episode 39

A card dealer, newly married, wants to kill his old friend, Marshal Dillon, when a crooked gambler starts rumors that Dillon is courting the dealer's wife.

How to Kill a Woman
star
7.39
64 votes

#14 - How to Kill a Woman

Gunsmoke - Season 3 - Episode 12

Matt investigates why a gunman is harassing station master Jesse Daggett by killing his passengers in cold blood, when things reach a climax after a female passenger is shot dead.

Legal Revenge
star
7.39
105 votes

#15 - Legal Revenge

Gunsmoke - Season 2 - Episode 8

Doc comes upon a new homesteader confined to bed with a badly infected leg and a gun under the bedclothes for protection against his wife.

Dirt
star
7.37
30 votes

#16 - Dirt

Gunsmoke - Season 3 - Episode 25

The only man who didn't treat Beulah like dirt is marrying another woman, whose brother doesn't want him in the family. When the groom is shot leaving the church, everyone suspects the new brother-in-law.

Cooter
star
7.29
69 votes

#17 - Cooter

Gunsmoke - Season 1 - Episode 27

Cooter brings Mr. Ben Sissell, a gambler, a drink. A kid accuses Ben of dealing off the bottom of the deck, and draws. The third man at the table, Pate, shoots the kid. Matt asks Ben how long Pate has been working for him. Ben and Matt go to see Pate. Matt calls Ben a coward and tells Pate to get out of Dodge. Matt tells Ben the next time you make a mistake I'll see you hang. Cooter is packing a gun. Doc says Cooter was shot in the head and shouldn't be allowed to carry a gun. Ben hired Cooter. Ben tells Matt Cooter says he's gonna kill you, because he thinks you are going to take his gun away and lock him up. Cooter enters and tells Matt he's gonna kill him. Matt outdraws him. Cooter asks Ben did I do the joke good. Matt tells Cooter the joke's on you and me. Matt throws Ben out. Cooter puts a gun in Ben's back. Ben runs, Cooter cuts him down.

The Singer
star
7.28
40 votes

#18 - The Singer

Have Gun, Will Travel - Season 1 - Episode 22

A cowboy seeks help for his former girlfriend, a dancehall singer, who he says was forced into marriage and is now being held prisoner.

How to Die for Nothing
star
7.25
68 votes

#19 - How to Die for Nothing

Gunsmoke - Season 1 - Episode 31

Zach and Bulow, up with a cattle drive, are raising a ruckus. Matt wants Zach's gun. He won't give it up. Matt hits him. Bulow draws his gun. Matt kills him. Zach tells Matt Bulow's brother Howard will shoot you in the back. Matt sees a guy hiding in the shadows. It's not Howard, but Howard comes up and introduces himself. Matt locks Howard up. Will Jacklin, the trail boss, comes for Howard. Will says he has fourteen men down the street. Reisling, the hotel owner, tells Matt you have to set him free. Matt tells Chester to go get Howard. Matt tells Jacklin, his men and Howard to get outta Dodge. Howard reaffirms he is going to kill Matt. Ben Cherry, a friend of Chester's Pa, raised Chester. Reisling says he's going to ride out to the cattle drive camp and tell the men they're welcome in Dodge. Matt and Chester go to the Dodge House to see how he did. Howard shoots at Matt from upstairs. Matt kills Howard.

Yorky
star
7.25
85 votes

#20 - Yorky

Gunsmoke - Season 1 - Episode 18

When Matt comes to the aid of an accused horse thief he becomes a target of the real perpetrators.

The Guitar
star
7.21
71 votes

#21 - The Guitar

Gunsmoke - Season 1 - Episode 35

Augie Shart and Gene Tyler a couple of drunks try to hang Weed Pindle from Texas once they find he fought for the Union. Chester stops it. Chester get Weed to play his guitar and take up a collection. Tyler and Shart paint Rainbow, Weed's burro, and smash his guitar. Matt slaps Shart and Tyler and tells them you two are through in Dodge. Weed washes Rainbow and rides out. Tyler and Shart follow. The townfolk follow. Tyler and Shart lasso Weed. We see one guy hung. As the camera pulls back there's two. Matt aks everybody where they were. They all have alibis. Doc wonders if Shart and Tyler had time to enjoy it, the hanging they wanted.

Poor Pearl
star
6.69
96 votes

#22 - Poor Pearl

Gunsmoke - Season 2 - Episode 13

A saloon gal past her youth suddenly receives two marriage proposals, one from a sweet country bumpkin, one from a menacing dandy, but it's no embarrassment of riches: each suitor threatens violence if she selects his rival.

Watch Now:Apple TV