Beverly makes another appearance during the Season 8 Christmas special of All in the Family, as she’s back in town and getting ready for her debut at Carnegie Hall. Everyone is excited about seeing her, except for Archie who—despite their past partnership—still harbors prejudice. Edith gives Beverly a special scrapbook gift, and the two tell each other that they think of each other as sisters. It seems as though the outing is setting up a heartwarming holiday episode, but after Beverly changes out of drag, Mike offers to walk her down the street to get a cab. Shortly after they leave, though, a neighbor tells the Bunkers that Mike and Beverly were mugged.
In his hospital bed, Mike tells Gloria (Sally Struthers) that a group of men attacked him and Beverly with a lead pipe. When the group realized who Beverly was, the assault turned even more brutal. While Edith and Archie await news about Mike, the doctor informs them that Beverly has died. Edith is immediately shocked and depressed, and viewers cope with the loss of Beverly along with Edith, who (thanks to an outstanding performance by Jean Stapleton) graphically mourns Beverly. Edith isn’t the only one who’s torn apart, as she’s joined by Gloria, Mike, and, most surprisingly, Archie. As trafic as it is, the effect that Beverly has had on the Bunker family is groundbreaking, specifically with Archie.
Just two seasons before, he was shocked by Beverly’s career and sexuality, but since then, he’s grown after getting to know her and admits that he regrets not telling Beverly how much he cared about her. Beverly’s passing isn’t just for the purpose of bettering Archie, of course, as it also serves as an entry into a larger conversation about bigotry and faith.
Edith Bunker Questions Religion When Faced With Hate in ‘All in the Family’
Following Beverly’s death, Edith struggles to come to terms with the fact she’s been murdered just when her career was starting to take off. Edith, whose Christian faith has been important to her since the first episode of the series, says she may never go to church again. Edith’s struggle spans two episodes and is one of the most realistic and serious subjects the show has ever tackled. Edith speaks as though she still believes in God, but says she doesn’t think he cares about life. The two-part episode strikes up a conversation about the existence of love in a world full of hate; Edith’s conflict isn’t so different from those that many are still having today, especially in the queer community. The series isn’t quick to wrap up the storyline, either, as it convinces viewers that Edith may never be able to cope with Beverly’s demise or her own loss of faith. As the second part comes to a close, the outing is careful not to resolve Edith’s conflict too neatly. At Christmas dinner, Archie’s gone above and beyond to help Edith return to her faith, but after she leaves the table during prayer, Mike goes to comfort her.
Edith returns to the table, her heart still heavy, but leads grace, saying that she’s thankful for her family. It’s the perfect ending to such a complex story. It’s happy enough, but there’s still the acknowledgment that Edith may never understand the hate in the world, how it can coexist with the love she’s supposed to believe in, or the cruelty that took her dear friend from her. Had the show tried to give the story a more straightforward happy ending, it would have been an insult to Edith, and not to mention Beverly, as well as the legacy she created.
The life and death of Beverly LaSalle is one of the toughest subjects that All in the Family ever tackled. One of the first positive portrayals of a drag queen on television, her demise hurt not just viewers, but the entirety of the show’s characters, with Edith’s grief being the most intense. Edith’s loss of faith is real, intense, and brings to light an important conversation many are still having today. As such, the wrap-up was far from clean, and that’s what makes it the right ending to such a heavy story.
