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The Best Episodes of Gunsmoke Season 20

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

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...
  1. Background image for Matt Dillon Must Die
    8.2/10(208 votes)

    #1 - Matt Dillon Must Die

    S20:E1

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

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    Director:Victor French
  2. Background image for Town in Chains
    7.5/10(154 votes)

    #2 - Town in Chains

    S20:E2

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

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  3. Background image for The Guns of Cibola Blanca (1)
    7.6/10(166 votes)

    #3 - The Guns of Cibola Blanca (1)

    S20:E3

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

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  4. Background image for The Guns of Cibola Blanca (2)
    7.9/10(160 votes)

    #4 - The Guns of Cibola Blanca (2)

    S20:E4

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

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  5. Background image for Thirty a Month and Found
    8.3/10(192 votes)

    #5 - Thirty a Month and Found

    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.

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  6. Background image for The Wiving
    6.6/10(217 votes)

    #6 - The Wiving

    S20:E6

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

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  8. Background image for The Iron Men
    7.9/10(175 votes)

    #7 - The Iron Men

    S20:E7

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

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    Director:Unknown
  9. Background image for The Fourth Victim
    8.6/10(206 votes)

    #8 - The Fourth Victim

    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.

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    Writer:Unknown
  10. Background image for The Tarnished Badge
    8.4/10(208 votes)

    #9 - The Tarnished Badge

    S20:E9

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

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    Writer:Unknown
  11. Background image for In Performance of Duty
    8.6/10(175 votes)

    #10 - In Performance of Duty

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  12. Background image for Island in the Desert (1)
    8.8/10(210 votes)

    #11 - Island in the Desert (1)

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  13. Background image for Island in the Desert (2)
    8.8/10(196 votes)

    #12 - Island in the Desert (2)

    S20:E12

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

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  14. Background image for The Colonel
    8.0/10(175 votes)

    #13 - The Colonel

    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.

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    Writer:Unknown
  15. Background image for The Squaw
    8.4/10(208 votes)

    #14 - The Squaw

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  16. Background image for The Hiders
    7.8/10(147 votes)

    #15 - The Hiders

    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.

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    Director:Victor French
  17. Background image for Larkin
    7.9/10(182 votes)

    #16 - Larkin

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  18. Background image for The Fires of Ignorance
    8.1/10(192 votes)

    #17 - The Fires of Ignorance

    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.

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    Director:Victor French
    Writer:Unknown
  19. Background image for The Angry Land
    8.2/10(170 votes)

    #18 - The Angry Land

    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.

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    Writer:Unknown
  20. Background image for Brides and Grooms
    5.4/10(194 votes)

    #19 - Brides and Grooms

    S20:E19

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

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  21. Background image for Hard Labor
    7.6/10(173 votes)

    #20 - Hard Labor

    S20:E20

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

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  22. Background image for I Have Promises to Keep
    8.2/10(187 votes)

    #21 - I Have Promises to Keep

    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.

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  23. Background image for The Busters
    8.5/10(207 votes)

    #22 - The Busters

    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.

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  24. Background image for Manolo
    5.9/10(177 votes)

    #23 - Manolo

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
  25. Background image for The Sharecroppers
    7.0/10(203 votes)

    #24 - The Sharecroppers

    S20:E24

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

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Season 20 Ratings Summary

"Matt Dillon Must Die" is the best rated episode of "Gunsmoke" season 20. It scored 8.2/10 based on 208 votes. Directed by Victor French and written by Ray Goldrup, it aired on 9/9/1974. This episode is rated 0.7 points higher than the second-best, "Town in Chains".