Throughout its 1971-79 run, All in the Family not only dealt with hot-button issues traditionally ignored by other sitcoms, but also featured episodes that sometimes ended with a tear or heartbreaking silence instead of a reassuring laugh. This eighth and penultimate 1977-78 season (the last to star the core ensemble) was no exception, garnering Emmys for Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, and Rob Reiner, as well as for Outstanding Comedy Series, and for writing and directing. In one of the most powerful episodes, Edith (Stapleton) fends off a rapist; in another, the devout Edith has a crisis of faith when female impersonator Beverly LaSalle (a popular recurring character) is beaten to death by gay bashers. O'Connor gives some of his finest performances here, such as in “Archie's Bitter Pill,” where a desperate Archie faces financial ruin after he buys a bar; and in “Two's a Crowd,” which finds Archie and son-in-law Mike (Reiner) experiencing a bonding moment when they are locked in the storeroom of Archie's tavern and learn heretofore unknown details about each other's lives. The finale has Mike and Gloria (Sally Struthers) heading off to California, and the fade-out—Archie and Edith alone in that iconic Hauser Street living room—packs an emotional wallop. All in the Family had dropped out of the Top 10 the previous year, but the show rebounded to fourth place with this season. Compiling all 24 episodes, this set is highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)
All in the Family: The Complete Eighth Season
Shout! Factory, 3 discs, 570 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95 Volume 26, Issue 2
All in the Family: The Complete Eighth Season
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