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The Best Episodes of All in the Family

Every episode of All in the Family ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of All in the Family!

Archie Bunker, a working class bigot, constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day.
Genre:Comedy
Network:CBS

Best Episodes Summary

"The Return of Stephanie's Father" is the best rated episode of "All in the Family". It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Paul Bogart and written by Mel Tolkin, it aired on 3/25/1979. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Too Good Edith".

  • The Return of Stephanie's Father
    10.0/101 votes
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    #1 - The Return of Stephanie's Father

    Season 9 Episode 26 - Aired 3/25/1979

    Stephanie's father, Floyd, finally arrives with a devastating proposition for the Bunkers: They can keep Stephanie if they agree to pay him $1000 cash!

    Director: Paul Bogart

    Writer: Mel Tolkin

  • Too Good Edith
    10.0/101 votes
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    #2 - Too Good Edith

    Season 9 Episode 27 - Aired 4/8/1979

    On Archie's St. Patrick's Day Party at the tavern, he discovers that Edith is terribly ill after doing a lot of cooking for him. Sidney comes to the rescue and is able to save Edith before it's too late and he also tells Archie that he knew about her illness before and so did Edith. Sidney mentions that he did tell Edith to stay off her feet, but obviously, with the cooking for Archie, she didn't listen to his instruction. Archie visits Edith upstairs and is disappointed that she didn't get rest instead of doing something for his party. Instead of leaving to host it, Archie falls asleep in the arms of his lover, Edith.

    Director: Paul Bogart

    Writer: N/A

  • Sammy's Visit
    9.2/10565 votes
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    #3 - Sammy's Visit

    Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 2/19/1972

    One of the classic episodes in the series, Sammy Davis Jr. plays himself, a passenger in Archie's taxi cab who has inadvertently left his briefcase behind. Arrangements are made to retrieve the briefcase at the Bunker house. As usual, Archie displays his ignorance and bigotry, but Sammy plays along. Before Sammy has to leave, Munson decides to have the two pose for a picture. HE KISSES ARCHIE!!! Archie is too astonished to say anything.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: N/A

  • Edith's Problem
    9.1/10408 votes
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    #4 - Edith's Problem

    Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 1/8/1972

    Edith is suddenly moody and irritable with the approach of menopause.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: Burt Styler

  • The Bunkers and the Swingers
    9.0/10369 votes
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    #5 - The Bunkers and the Swingers

    Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 10/28/1972

    Edith unwillingly invites a pair of wife-swapping swingers to dinner when she responds to a newspaper ad for pen pals.

    Director: John Rich, Norman Lear

    Writer: Michael Ross, Lee Kalcheim

  • Lionel's Engagement
    9.0/10307 votes
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    #6 - Lionel's Engagement

    Season 4 Episode 20 - Aired 2/9/1974

    The family attends Lionel's engagement party, where his parents discover that one of his fiancé's parents is white.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: Michael Ross

  • The Draft Dodger
    8.9/10324 votes
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    #7 - The Draft Dodger

    Season 7 Episode 15 - Aired 12/25/1976

    The clash of two worlds explodes in this episode. Mike's friend is a Draft Dodger and it is Christmas dinner and unbeknownst to Archie this guy is sitting at his Christmas dinner table. The guy is exactly everything Archie hates about Mike's generation. On top of this Archie's friend is also spending Christmas dinner with the Bunkers and he lost his son to the war.

    Director: Paul Bogart

    Writer: N/A

  • The Stivics Go West
    8.9/10240 votes
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    #8 - The Stivics Go West

    Season 8 Episode 24 - Aired 3/19/1978

    The Bunker house is the scene of many tearful good-byes when Mike and Gloria finally leave for California.

    Director: Paul Bogart

    Writer: Bob Weiskopf, Bob Schiller

  • Judging Books by Covers
    8.8/10489 votes
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    #9 - Judging Books by Covers

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 2/9/1971

    Archie scorns one of Mike's effeminate friends, unaware that one of his own beer-drinking buddies is a well-adjusted gay man.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: Burt Styler, Norman Lear

  • Archie is Branded
    8.7/10370 votes
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    #10 - Archie is Branded

    Season 3 Episode 20 - Aired 2/24/1973

    Archie wakes up to find a swastika painted on his front door.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: N/A

  • Archie, the Hero
    8.7/10266 votes
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    #11 - Archie, the Hero

    Season 6 Episode 4 - Aired 9/29/1975

    Archie gets a rude shock when the tall,classy dame whose life he saved in a taxicab turns out to be a man.

    Director: Paul Bogart

    Writer: N/A

  • Edith's 50th Birthday (2)
    8.7/10246 votes
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    #12 - Edith's 50th Birthday (2)

    Season 8 Episode 5 - Aired 10/16/1977

    When Edith tells the story to the family in tears, Gloria and Mike believe she should report to the police while Archie fears Edith will be the one going to jail. Two weeks later, Edith is still ironing sheets for no reason and keeps running upstairs when someone knocks on the door. Gloria tells her dad to give her some TLC (Tender Loving Care). But while he does so, Gloria gets a call from the policemen asking her to identify the rapist. Edith fears. But with convincing, Archie takes Edith to the police stations.

    Director: Paul Bogart

    Writer: Bob Weiskopf, Bob Schiller

  • Edith's Crisis of Faith (1)
    8.7/10267 votes
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    #13 - Edith's Crisis of Faith (1)

    Season 8 Episode 13 - Aired 12/25/1977

    Edith's religious faith is shaken after her friend female impersonator Beverly LaSalle is brutally murdered by street thungs at Christmas.

    Director: Paul Bogart

    Writer: Bob Weiskopf, Bob Schiller

  • Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood
    8.6/10369 votes
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    #14 - Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 3/2/1971

    Louise Jefferson makes her first appearance, through husband George will remain an offscreen character for another two seasons. Their son, Lionel, had been a regular visitor to the Bunkers since the pilot episode, when the writers discovered how effective the street-smart black youth was at gently letting the air out of Archie's sails.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: N/A

  • Edith Writes a Song
    8.6/10349 votes
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    #15 - Edith Writes a Song

    Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/9/1971

    Archie buys a gun to protect his family, but a pair of burglars hold the family at bay with Archie's own pistol.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: Lee Kalcheim

  • Flashback: Mike Meets Archie
    8.6/10317 votes
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    #16 - Flashback: Mike Meets Archie

    Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 10/16/1971

    On the Stivic's first wedding anniversary, the family recalls the day Archie and Michael met.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: Rob Reiner

  • Edith's Accident
    8.6/10326 votes
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    #17 - Edith's Accident

    Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 11/6/1971

    A priest pays a call to reward Edith's honesty for leaving a note on his car after she accidentally dents it with a large can of clind peaches.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: Michael Ross

  • Cousin Maude's Visit
    8.6/10393 votes
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    #18 - Cousin Maude's Visit

    Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 12/11/1971

    Everyone in the family is sick, so Edith calls Cousin Maude to help out.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: Michael Ross

  • Everybody Tells the Truth
    8.6/10359 votes
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    #19 - Everybody Tells the Truth

    Season 3 Episode 21 - Aired 3/3/1973

    It's -Rashomon-Bunker-style when the family recounts vastly different versions of the same disastrous encounter with a pair of handyman in the Bunker kitchen.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: N/A

  • Archie in the Cellar
    8.6/10293 votes
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    #20 - Archie in the Cellar

    Season 4 Episode 10 - Aired 11/17/1973

    Locked in his cellar with a bottle of vodka,Archie spends a long night contemplating his life through the haze of a drunken stupor.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: N/A

  • Edith's 50th Birthday (1)
    8.6/10288 votes
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    #21 - Edith's 50th Birthday (1)

    Season 8 Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/1977

    Before Edith arrives home, Gloria and Mike teaches Archie the plan for Edith 50th birthday surprise party which will be taken at 6 o'clock at the Stivics house. Edith comes back home while Archie and the Stivics leave to decorate the house for the party. A sudden knock at the door reveals a cop. Edith welcomes the policeman inside the house who claims that there's a rapper in town but he slips out that it's him. Edith is held at gunpoint and pushed on the couch. The rapist slowly strips Edith! Before it can go any longer, the phone rings. The rapist orders Edithto get rid of the caller as soon as possible. When she does, Archieknocks at the door, wondering why the hell is the door locked. Therapper hides himself in the closet and once again orders Edith to getrid of Archie. She does as quickly as possible. Still stranded in the house with the armed man, they suddenly smell something burning. It was the cake which Edith previously started to bake. They rush to the oven where the room

    Director: Paul Bogart

    Writer: Bob Weiskopf, Bob Schiller

  • The Family Next Door
    8.6/10232 votes
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    #22 - The Family Next Door

    Season 9 Episode 25 - Aired 3/11/1979

    Louise Jefferson returns for a visit at the Bunker's place to ask Edith if she can sell her (Louise's) former house. Edith doubts but Archie makes her agree so that they (mostly he) can choose white people to move in. When Edith sells the house to a couple and she invites the lady to her house, Archie realises that the woman is black and so is her husband. But Archie isn't disturbed when he finds out that the man is a cop, which could be good for Archie's safety.

    Director: Paul Bogart

    Writer: Mel Tolkin

  • The First and Last Supper
    8.5/10330 votes
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    #23 - The First and Last Supper

    Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 4/6/1971

    The Jeffersons arrive for dinner at the Bunkers'--minus husband George, who refuses to socialize with his white neighbors.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: Jerry Mayer

  • The Elevator Story
    8.5/10334 votes
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    #24 - The Elevator Story

    Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 1/1/1972

    Archie gets caught in an elevator, along with a pregant Puerto Rican and her husband, an aging hippie, and an erudite black businessman.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: Alan J. Levitt

  • The Games Bunkers Play
    8.5/10270 votes
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    #25 - The Games Bunkers Play

    Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 11/3/1973

    Mike childishly refuses to accept criticism during an informal group-therapy game.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Michael Ross