Gunsmoke

10 Best Episodes of Gunsmoke - Season 4

Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television.

Written by Sophie and last updated on jan 10, 2023.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

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Gunsmoke - S4E33

#15 - Buffalo Hunter (Season 4 - Episode 33)

When a Buffalo hunter dies from injuries from burning led, Matt and Doc think that their boss (Jim Gatluf) might have had something to do with the man's dying. After Matt speaks with one of Gatluf's employees about the killing of the Buffalo skinner, Matt is convinced that Gatluff murdered the man. Soon after, Chester informs Matt that another Buffalo skinner had been murdered. Since Matt is now convinced without any doubt that Guttliff committed these murders, Matt and Chester set off to bring Gattluff in for murder. While Matt and Chester are searching for Gatluff out on the prairie, they run into a buying agent who tells Matt that he had recently done business with Gatluff. The agent also informs Matt where Gatluff's is. When Matt and Chester ride into Gutluff's camp, they discover another one of Gutluff's men who has been attacked by Guttluf with a knife. Matt and Chester finally find Guttluff's camp, but soon discover some more troubling information about this case.

The episode was rated 7.48 from 21 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E21

#14 - Jayhawkers (Season 4 - Episode 21)

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Trail boss Dolph Quince sends for his friend Matt to help escort his cattle herd into Dodge because he is having trouble with Jayhawkers (Kansas renegades), and he hopes to ease the animosity his men have towards all Kansans.

The episode was rated 7.48 from 23 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E37

#13 - The Constable (Season 4 - Episode 37)

Dodge City's businessmen learn a hard lesson when they reject Matt's advice and hire a meek constable to handle a gang of rowdy but free-spending trail cowboys.

The episode was rated 7.50 from 18 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E16

#12 - Gypsum Hills Feud (Season 4 - Episode 16)

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Matt's attempt to find a man who shot at him from ambush leads him and Chester into the middle of a murderous feud between two bitter and isolated mountain families.

The episode was rated 7.50 from 18 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E10

#11 - Lynching Man (Season 4 - Episode 10)

After mild-mannered Hank Blenis is "lynched" by the two men who stole his horse, self-righteous Charlie Drain decides to take the law into his own hands and is led tragically astray by the culprits.

The episode was rated 7.52 from 23 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E6

#10 - Thoroughbreds (Season 4 - Episode 6)

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Matt and Chester, out of water while riding back to Dodge, come upon a man with two fine horses who is not very trusting. When they meet him later in Dodge, he is much different: friendly and spending money freely.

The episode was rated 7.57 from 23 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E9

#9 - Land Deal (Season 4 - Episode 9)

When a stranger leading some immigrants planning on settling outside of Dodge wants Matt to give him a badge to avert trouble, he gets suspicious and rides out to their camp to see what is really up.

The episode was rated 7.57 from 28 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E7

#8 - Stage Hold-Up (Season 4 - Episode 7)

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A stagecoach on which Matt and Chester are riding is robbed and another passenger is murdered. Matt utilizes a ruse to incriminate the thieves when a "cowboy" appears and offers to show him where one of the thieves may be buried.

The episode was rated 7.61 from 23 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E22

#7 - Kitty's Rebellion (Season 4 - Episode 22)

An old friend of the family comes to Dodge looking for Kitty, but when he finds out she's a saloon owner, he's dismayed. Intent on defending her honor wherever she is insulted, he nearly gets himself killed. Kitty finally tells him that she has no honor, and he keeps making a fool out of himself thinking otherwise. It sends him away and saves his life at the same time.

The episode was rated 7.63 from 19 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E20

#6 - Love of a Good Woman (Season 4 - Episode 20)

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An old friend of Doc's, a nurse, is visiting and he hopes she will stay around Dodge. In the meantime Matt is worried that an ex-con is gunning for him even though he thought he was innocent five years ago.

The episode was rated 7.68 from 22 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E8

#5 - Lost Rifle (Season 4 - Episode 8)

Matt refuses to arrest his friend Ben Tiple without more evidence, when the man he has been feuding with is found shot in the back.

The episode was rated 7.72 from 25 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E4

#4 - Monopoly (Season 4 - Episode 4)

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Two murders result when an unscrupulous Eastern businessman named Ivy hires a psychotic killer to help him establish undisputed control of Dodge City's freight shipment business.

The episode was rated 7.74 from 27 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E19

#3 - Passive Resistance (Season 4 - Episode 19)

A man's house is burned and his livestock killed, but he refuses to identify the perpetrators to the marshal.

The episode was rated 7.75 from 20 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E18

#2 - Marshal Proudfoot (Season 4 - Episode 18)

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Matt goes along with a hoax when Chester's aging Uncle Wesley arrives for a visit. Wesley thinks Chester is the marshal and Dillion is his assistant.

The episode was rated 7.75 from 28 votes.

Gunsmoke - S4E5

#1 - Letter of the Law (Season 4 - Episode 5)

When Matt is forced to serve an eviction notice on farmer Brandon Teek, Matt tries every way he can to help the farmer. Matt tries to speak with Judge Rambeau in the hope the Judge will stop the eviction process in the proper legal manner. When the Judge refuses to stop the court order eviction of Brandon Teek, Matt refuses to serve the eviction. The Judge hires another man to evict Teek, but the man finds the job of evicting Brandon Teek harder than he ever thought it would be. The man hired to evict Brandon Teek meets resistance from Brandon Teek and a scuffle ensues. Brandon's pregnant wife, Sarah Teek, is injured in the scuffle and loses her child because of the injuries suffered.

The episode was rated 8.11 from 27 votes.

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