Gunsmoke

The Best Episodes of Gunsmoke Season 20

Genres:WesternAction & AdventureDrama
Network:CBS

Every episode of Gunsmoke Season 20 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Gunsmoke Season 20!

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...
Episodes
24
Avg. Rating
7.8
S1
S2
S3
S4
E1
E2
E3

Filter By Season20

  1. 8.8/10(208 votes)

    #1 - Island in the Desert (1)

    Loading...
    S20:E11

    Festus, in the desert hunting escaped killer Gard Dixon is wounded by the outlaw. He is found by Ben Snow, a half-crazy hermit who has been living in the desert with his gold for many years.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  2. 8.8/10(194 votes)

    #2 - Island in the Desert (2)

    Loading...
    S20:E12

    While Matt and Newly hunt for Festus, Ben Snow and Festus attempt to haul his gold out of the desert.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  3. 8.6/10(203 votes)

    #3 - The Fourth Victim

    Loading...
    S20:E8

    A series of seemingly random killings have the citizens of Dodge City in near panic, but Dillon believes they are part of a pattern in which Doc is slated to be the next target.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Writer:N/A
  4. 8.6/10(173 votes)

    #4 - In Performance of Duty

    Loading...
    S20:E10

    Matt is frustrated by Judge Kendall's insistence that the letter of the law be maintained, which could result in Emmett Kaysinger and his boys, all known outlaws, be set free unless there is solid evidence to hold them for a double murder and robbery they committed.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  5. 8.5/10(205 votes)

    #5 - The Busters

    Loading...
    S20:E22

    Two bronco busters try to raise money for a ranch in Montana, only to have the dream ruined when one of them gets a death threatening head injury when thrown off by a wild stallion.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Writer:N/A
  6. 8.4/10(203 votes)

    #6 - The Tarnished Badge

    Loading...
    S20:E9

    Matt's friend, Sheriff Harker runs his town ruthlessly, punishing anyone disobeying him.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Writer:N/A
  7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Gunsmoke

    READ
  8. 8.4/10(205 votes)

    #7 - The Squaw

    Loading...
    S20:E14

    Fleeing from both Matt Dillon and his double-crossed partners, outlaw Gristy Calhoun discovers that his survival in the badlands depends on an Indian woman.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  9. 8.3/10(189 votes)

    #8 - Thirty a Month and Found

    Loading...
    S20:E5

    Matt houses a drunk Will & Friends in the jail they go looking for $300 that they think Bill took. Matt thinks it was a misunderstanding. Will doesn't want to tell Matt that they shot Curly Wills (They buried him before going to Dodge. Doak stops to see his girlfriend and says marriage will need to wait, as Will & Quincy leaves without Doak Quincy and the storekeepers are shot.

    0 Comments
    View all
  10. 8.2/10(205 votes)

    #9 - Matt Dillon Must Die

    Loading...
    S20:E1

    A mountain family in an attempt to avenge the death of one of their own capture Matt.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Victor French
  11. 8.2/10(169 votes)

    #10 - The Angry Land

    Loading...
    S20:E18

    Matt takes a young orphan Bessie Sutherland after her parents were killed on the prairie, to live with her Aunt Rachel. Rachel tells Matt that because of the devastating experiences that she has had, does not want to take in her niece, besides she wants to sell her land.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Writer:N/A
  12. 8.2/10(186 votes)

    #11 - I Have Promises to Keep

    Loading...
    S20:E21

    Festus is caught in the middle when an Eastern preacher (David Wayne) wants to build a church for the Indians and the townspeople to share, but by all of whom that are filled with prejudice.

    0 Comments
    View all
  13. 8.1/10(191 votes)

    #12 - The Fires of Ignorance

    Loading...
    S20:E17

    Henry Decory is a schoolteacher who makes a strong statement for compulsory education for frontier children as a stubborn father feels that books and education are a waste of time and tries to keep his son Tommy out of school.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Victor French
    Writer:N/A
  14. 8.0/10(172 votes)

    #13 - The Colonel

    Loading...
    S20:E13

    Lee J. Cobb and his daughter Julie Cobb appear together for the first time when Cobb guest-stars as a once-proud military officer who is suddenly faced with a painful and unplanned reunion with his daughter.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Writer:N/A
  15. 7.9/10(159 votes)

    #14 - The Guns of Cibola Blanca (2)

    Loading...
    S20:E4

    Matt, Festus and Newly attempt to rescue Doc and Lyla from Shindrow's camp.

    0 Comments
    View all
  16. 7.9/10(172 votes)

    #15 - The Iron Men

    Loading...
    S20:E7

    Matt and former lawman now turned alcoholic, Chauncey Demon go up against land baron Carl Ryker.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:N/A
  17. 7.9/10(181 votes)

    #16 - Larkin

    Loading...
    S20:E16

    Newly finds himself in a strange alliance with a professional killer as he tries to return to Dodge City with his prisoner (Jaeckel) before they are both killed by a trio of bounty hunters.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  18. 7.7/10(145 votes)

    #17 - The Hiders

    Loading...
    S20:E15

    A farmer comes by and asks Sharp where is cow is, Matt tells the milk cow owner that he has no proof to arrest ""the hiders."" The farmer wants to go after them himself. Matt tells the men that will leave Dodge if anyone else complains. Dink escapes from Carp after being hurt, Festus finds Dink and treats his wounds. Dink tells Festus he likes waking up in the morning, Martha warns Dink to watch for Carp. Carp asks Dink to help kill Festus.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Victor French
  19. 7.6/10(164 votes)

    #18 - The Guns of Cibola Blanca (1)

    Loading...
    S20:E3

    Doc and fellow stage passenger, Lyla are captured by renegade comancheros.

    0 Comments
    View all
  20. 7.6/10(168 votes)

    #19 - Hard Labor

    Loading...
    S20:E20

    Matt Dillon is sentenced to life imprisonment of hard labor for shooting a fugitive in the town of Bedrock.

    0 Comments
    View all
  21. 7.4/10(151 votes)

    #20 - Town in Chains

    Loading...
    S20:E2

    A group of bandits attempt to rob a town while masquerading as soldiers.

    0 Comments
    View all
  22. 7.0/10(199 votes)

    #21 - The Sharecroppers

    Loading...
    S20:E24

    A comedy of errors puts Festus behind a plow, farming for a family of shiftless sharecroppers.

    0 Comments
    View all
  23. 6.6/10(214 votes)

    #22 - The Wiving

    Loading...
    S20:E6

    Jed Hockett(Harry Morgan), a farmer, orders his three boys to go to town and return with prospective brides.

    0 Comments
    View all
  24. 5.9/10(173 votes)

    #23 - Manolo

    Loading...
    S20:E23

    Manolo (Robert Urich)is a Basque youth who is not recognized as a man in the eyes of his people because he refuses to fight his father Alejo (Nehemiah Persoff), a traditional Basque custom to prove one's manhood.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:N/A
  25. 5.4/10(191 votes)

    #24 - Brides and Grooms

    Loading...
    S20:E19

    Farmer Jed Hackett (Harry Morgan) decides it's time for his three sons marry the women they brought back from Dodge City.

    0 Comments
    View all

Season 20 Ratings Summary

"Island in the Desert (1)" is the best rated episode of "Gunsmoke" season 20. It scored 8.8/10 based on 208 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 12/2/1974. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Island in the Desert (2)".