All in the Family was an American sitcom that premiered from January 12, 1971 to April 8, 1979. The show tackled heavy topics such as racism, rape, and homophobia, just to name a few. Although it wasn’t the only show to do this, it certainly had an influence and what will eventually turn into today.
We remember some classic episodes from this timeless show and the Bunker family as a whole. Here are just a few of those that you might remember!
1. “Cousin Maude’s Visit”
TV shows back then weren’t that openly political. We all know that Archie Bunker was famously conservative, but this would obviously cause him to butt heads with anyone who was liberal, such as cousin Maude (who got a spin-off series about her called Maude). Since politics weren’t big on entertainment TV shows back then, it was rather exciting for viewers to watch the two bicker back and forth!
2. “The Threat”
In this episode, Archie’s eyes begin wandering when a young trophy wife of an old friend stays at their place. This makes Edith rather suspicious that there’s something more going on and the situation tests her usual chipperness and genuine hospitality.
3. “Edith’s Problem”
Edith is going through menopause in this episode, another taboo thing that no one really talked about back then (or rather, tried their best to keep them from being talked about). The change in her body is giving her hot flashes and mood swings that cause her to let out her frustrations at Archie ruthlessly. One hilarious line Archie gives her is, “If you’re gonna have the change of life, you gotta do it right now! I’m gonna give you just 30 seconds. Now, come on, change!”
4. “Gloria Sings the Blues”
Gloria is going through a crisis in which she says she looks at Mike and feels like she doesn’t know him anymore. Edith lends some of her wisdom and advice to her, saying she had a similar situation happen with Archie. It’s a real look into showing the realistic problems of some marriages.
5. “The Bunkers and The Swingers”
Edith responds to a personal ad from a couple seeking “new friends.” This couple turns out to be a couple of spouse swappers and, well, you can guess how that played out. It’s a “no” from the Bunkers! Let’s not forget an absolutely hysterical line from this episode. “What do you call it [swinging]?” asks the couple. “Communism!” Archie answers. Classic.
6. “Two’s A Crowd”
In this episode, Mike accidentally locks himself and Archie into the bar’s storeroom so the two decide to get drunk and share secrets. More interestingly, Archie reveals that he allegedly inherited his racial tendencies from his father, but that it would be a betrayal to change them. It gets pretty deep!
7. “Archie in the Cellar”
Another episode that truly shows Archie’s comedic brilliance… and also another episode in which a character locks themselves in. And another episode where there’s alcohol involved. When Archie accidentally locks himself in the cellar and everyone’s gone for the weekend, he gets drunk and makes out his will on a tape recorder. At one point, he even believes he is meeting God.
