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!
A young man is very unwelcoming to the young Indian bride his father brings home.
The episode was rated 7.63 from 24 votes.
Harvey Easter tries to reform Dodge. He convinces two saddle tramps, Kelly and Bunch to take up farming, Mary to quit working at the Long Branch to be independent and take in wash, gets Charlie Fess to quit riding shotgun on the stage and guts the oasis bar with fire by throwing a lamp after unsuccessfully trying to get Harry Obie and two cowpokes to reform. Kelly and Bunch are tired of farming and decide to rob a stage, it doesn't work out. The townspeople decide to teach Harvey a lesson. They put him in a canvas bag and dunk him in the water tower. The pole breaks and Harvey drowns before they can get him out.
The episode was rated 7.63 from 19 votes.
Chester is leaving to visit his cousin Thurlow. In Kalvesta, Simeon brings a Cheyene indian tied up into Adam's general store. Later it is heard the Indian escaped. Callie goes to get water. The Indian appears and asks for help. Callie tells him to hide till morning. Adam and his son Frank go to town. Callie gahers some things and goes looking for the Indian. Chester stops by for water and grain. He shoots the Indian who was trying to steal a horse and escape. Callie tells Chester he has to help him. He digs the bullet out. Callie finds them. She tells Chester we can't let him die. They see Pa coming, Callie and the Indian hide. She sends Chester to town for medical supplies. Chester takes the Indian to a nearby shack. Callie syas she wants to stay with the Indian always. The Indian pulls a rifle on them and takes Chester's horse. Callie pleads to go with him. He rides off. Chester goes to catch a stage.
The episode was rated 7.65 from 17 votes.
The official summary is Matt persuades Dodge City to ignore a criminal. He never actually talks to the town about ignoring the criminal, they just all do it.
The episode was rated 7.65 from 17 votes.
The plain but nubile daughter of a hopeless drunkard decides to marry herself off so that she and her little brother might avoid starvation.
The episode was rated 7.67 from 21 votes.
A man has been hired to kill Matt, but when he meets and quickly falls in love with a decent girl, he has a change of heart--or does he?
The episode was rated 7.69 from 16 votes.
A band of outlaws offer to pay Matt to make himself scarce while they rob the bank. If he refuses, they promise to kill one man per day until he agrees.
The episode was rated 7.73 from 22 votes.
Sam Dukes arrives on the stage with Mr. Koger. Sam takes a fancy to Cody Durham's fiancee, Rose, who works at the Long Branch. Sam gets drunk and tries to force Rose to drink. Brack is ready to slap leather with, but Matt stops it and takes Sam's gun. Dukes in a dark alley tells Brack to draw, he shoots him not knowing he doesn't have a gun. Brack is wounded as the town looks for him. Brack goes to Cody's house. Cody digs the bullet out, and hides him. Rose comes to Cody's house and tells Brack she loves him. Thay plan to leave on the 6:00 train. Cody finds them at the station and kills Brack.
The episode was rated 7.79 from 19 votes.
Ex-con Perce McCall helps to save Matt's life in a shootout, and then falls for a beautiful, but greedy saloon girl who puts him under great pressure to start stealing again.
The episode was rated 7.79 from 38 votes.
A group of women are going by wagon train to Colorado, lured by the promise of marrying rich miners, but Matt learns that the leader's actual plan for the women is quite different.
The episode was rated 7.81 from 16 votes.
A hard man has given his two sons a hard raising, sure that they inherited their mother's bad blood from their murderous ancestor. The old man may be right: one of his sons may be a murderer. Or is it the other son?
The episode was rated 7.82 from 28 votes.
Matt escorts a captain and his troops to an Indian village, to make an exchange for a white woman captured over a year ago.
The episode was rated 7.84 from 19 votes.
Nina Sharkey has been miserable everyday she's been married to Lee, who only married her to get her father's money. They have received none of it. Lee says he is leaving for two weeks and has hired Jim Garza to look after the place. Lee has paid him $250, so when Lee gets back, Jim will say he and Nina have been fooling around. Then Lee will go to Nina's father and demand money to prevent a scandal. However, Jim falls in love with Nina and they want to marry, once she is divorced. Lee hires Harry Blucher to kill Jim. He does. Matt kills Harry. Nina kills Lee. Matt tells Nina she needs to come into Dodge with him. She says she can't, she has too many things to pack before Jim comes to pick her up.
The episode was rated 7.89 from 18 votes.
Chester becomes engaged more or less accidentally, but he takes to heart his obligation to his betrothed, leaving his job with Mr. Dillon to devote himself to homesteading a barren quarter section.
The episode was rated 8.00 from 21 votes.
Matt becomes suspicious when drifter Frank Cassidy publicly announces his engagement to spinsterish Beulah Parker immediately after the seemingly unrelated murders of an old prospector and her abusive brother Leroy.
The episode was rated 8.03 from 31 votes.
