Ep 37. Old Flame

In Gunsmoke season 5 episode 37 titled "Old Flame", Marshal Matt Dillon finds himself in a tough situation when an old flame named Laura comes back into town. She arrives with her husband and son, but it's clear that she still has feelings for Matt and wants to rekindle their relationship.

At first, Matt tries to avoid Laura as much as possible, but he eventually can't resist spending time with her. They talk about their past, and it's clear that they had a deep connection when they were younger. However, Matt knows that Laura is married and he doesn't want to come between her and her husband.

Laura's husband, Dan, is a farmer who is struggling to make ends meet. Matt tries to help him out by offering to buy some of his crops and sell them in Dodge City. Dan agrees, but things quickly go wrong when some bandits steal the crops on their way to town.

Matt and Dan try to track down the bandits, but they're unable to find them. Meanwhile, Laura starts to become more and more disillusioned with her life on the farm. She hates the hard work and the constant struggle to make ends meet, and she starts to feel like she made a mistake by marrying Dan.

As these problems start to pile up, Laura becomes more and more desperate. She tells Matt that she's unhappy and that she wants to leave Dan and start a new life with him. Matt is torn - he still has feelings for Laura, but he knows that it wouldn't be right to abandon her husband and son.

Eventually, a confrontation between Matt, Laura, and Dan becomes inevitable. The three of them sit down to talk things out, but it quickly becomes clear that there's no easy solution to their problems.

In the end, Matt decides to do what he thinks is best for everyone involved. He tells Laura that he can't be with her because it wouldn't be fair to her husband or their son. He offers to help Dan get back on his feet financially, and he promises to always be there for Laura as a friend.

The episode ends on a somber note, with Matt and Laura saying their goodbyes and Matt riding off into the sunset. It's clear that their relationship will never be the same again, but they've both come to accept the choices they've made and the paths their lives have taken.