7 Edith Bunker moments that had us cheering at our television screens
Remember that episode of All in the Family where Edith told ARCHIE to stifle?
Edith Bunker is often seen as Archie’s more reserved better half, but when you get her fired up about something, boy is she a sight to behold. In this list, we’re naming some of Edith’s most powerful moments that made us laugh, cry, and stand up and shout.
1. Edith Leaves Archie at Home
In the episode “Edith’s Night Out,” Edith tries to convince Archie to take her out on a date after Gloria buys her a new outfit. When Archie refuses and demands to stay home yet again, Edith decides she needs some time away from her husband and goes out to Kelsey’s on her own.
This is also the episode that has Edith’s iconic line “I’m going where the action is!” when Archie asks where she’s going.
2. Edith Tells Archie to Stifle
Edith spends this episode going through a “special change” that leaves her going through a series of emotions, varying from happy to miserable.
Archie spends the episode trying to convince her to go to Disney World with him, and at one point, Edith turns Archie’s iconic line against him when she orders him to “Stifle, stifle, stifle!”
3. Edith Stands Up to the Bank Loan Officer
When a bank officer refuses to give Edith a loan so she can buy Archie a television as a surprise anniversary gift, he calls her “just a housewife” and tells her that her husband needs to apply for the loan instead.
He shuffles Edith out of his office, but she storms back in to stand up for herself, telling him that she refuses to do business with him, and pulls her accounts from the bank.
4. Edith Tells Off Archie After He Mortgages the House
When Edith refuses to agree to mortgage the house in Archie’s pursuit of owning Kelsey’s bar, Archie does the unthinkable and forges her signature.
When Edith finds out, she absolutely chews him out, even saying “I think you’ve got one hell of a nerve!” before slamming the door in his face. It’s up to Mike to convince Edith to forgive Archie, and she does, but this is still a pretty memorable scene.
5. Edith Explains She Had a Life Before Archie
When an old fling of Archie’s and her husband visited the Bunkers for dinner, Archie spent the entire evening trying to make sure Edith didn’t discover his previous dalliance from their youth.
Of course, Edith finds out anyhow, and to Archie’s complete shock, she has no problem with it. When he asked why, she said this absolute banger: “Well, I figure that what you done before we were married is your business…Just like what I done before we were married is my business!”
6. Edith Can Count On Herself
The series of episodes “Archie’s Brief Encounter,” tends to polarize audiences. Some viewers say that Archie’s affair was the worst thing to happen to the series, others believe it brought Archie and Edith closer together.
But when Edith initially finds out about Archie’s indiscretion, she’s heartbroken, stating that he was the one thing that she could count on. Once they reunited and she forgives him, she says that she discovered that there was something that she could count on: Herself.
7. Edith Tells Archie They’re Staying For the Wedding
In “Unequal Partners,” Archie tries to push Edith into missing the wedding of two Sunshine Home Residents so that he can go on a fishing trip.
However, Edith puts her foot down, and tells Archie that if he walks away, he can just keep on walking out of her life!
