7.3/10199 votes#1 - Archie's Brief Encounter (1)
Season 7 Episode 1 - Aired 9/22/1976
Edith leaves Archie when she finds out he dated flirtatious waitress while she was volunteering at the Sunshine Home.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Mel Tolkin
7.6/10186 votes#2 - Archie's Brief Encounter (2)
Season 7 Episode 2 - Aired 9/22/1976
Edith forgives Archie's indiscretions after Mike and Gloria bring the two together for an emotional reunion.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Mel Tolkin
7.5/10179 votes#3 - Archie's Brief Encounter (3)
Season 7 Episode 3 - Aired 9/29/1976
Edith forgives Archie's indiscretion after Mike and Gloria bring the two together for an emotional reunion.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Mel Tolkin
8.0/10185 votes#4 - The Unemployment Story (1)
Season 7 Episode 4 - Aired 10/6/1976
Archie's self-esteem takes a beating when he loses his job on the loading dock.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: N/A
8.0/10183 votes#5 - The Unemployment Story (2)
Season 7 Episode 5 - Aired 10/13/1976
A college grad threatens to commit suicide after he loses a jaintor's job to Archie.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: N/A
8.1/10207 votes#6 - Archie's Operation (1)
Season 7 Episode 6 - Aired 10/27/1976
Archie's trip to the hospital is an ethnic nightmare. He's admitted by a Puerto Rican receptionist, treated by a Jewish physician, and is forced to accept a blood transfusion from a black doctor.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: N/A
8.0/10187 votes#7 - Archie's Operation (2)
Season 7 Episode 7 - Aired 10/27/1976
Archie recuperates in record time after he's called back to work-with a raise and a promotion.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Mel Tolkin
8.1/10215 votes#8 - Beverly Rides Again
Season 7 Episode 8 - Aired 11/6/1976
As a practical joke, Archie fixes up one of his drinking buddies with female impersonator Beverly La Salle.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: N/A
7.5/10177 votes#9 - Teresa Moves In
Season 7 Episode 9 - Aired 11/13/1976
The Bunkers take in a boarder to help revive their battered budget.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: N/A
7.5/10176 votes#10 - Mike and Gloria's Will
Season 7 Episode 10 - Aired 11/20/1976
Mike and Gloria are having a discussion over who will take care of Joey, just in case there comes a time when both of them are unable to care for the little tyke before his 18th birthday. Mike has serious reservations over allowing in-laws Archie and Edith to get custody of Joey, particularly due to what he perceives as Archie's bad influences. Gloria is having a hard time convincing Mike otherwise and gives in to Mike's rhetoric. Mike's suspicions are confirmed when Archie and Edith return with Joey after a day of playing in the park. What's that Joey's got in his hands? Why, a toy machine gun that Grandpa had bought him. Of course, Mike (being dead set against gun violence) immediately is very angry and tells Archie that toy guns could influence children's behavior later on. Tempers really escalate when Mike grabs the plastic gun from Archie and breaks it over his knee. After the two continue to argue, Mike lets slip that he is considering including a clause in the Stivics' will that
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Bill Richmond
7.9/10191 votes#11 - Mr. Edith Bunker
Season 7 Episode 11 - Aired 11/27/1976
Edith saves a man's life and becomes the toast of the town,but Archie isn't happy standing in the shadow of her limelight.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Mel Tolkin
7.4/10180 votes#12 - Archie's Secret Passion
Season 7 Episode 12 - Aired 12/4/1976
Edith discovers Archie once had a brief encounterswith an old high school friend she's invited to dinner.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: N/A
7.1/10166 votes#13 - The Baby Contest
Season 7 Episode 13 - Aired 12/11/1976
Archie enters Joey in a newspapers's beautifull-baby contest, against the express wishes of Mike and Gloria.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Mel Tolkin
6.8/10158 votes#14 - Gloria's False Alarm
Season 7 Episode 14 - Aired 12/18/1976
Gloria insists that Mike get the vasectomy he's talked about for years.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: N/A
8.9/10324 votes#15 - 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
7.6/10171 votes#16 - The Boarder Patrol
Season 7 Episode 16 - Aired 1/8/1977
Returning home unexpectedly, Archie and Edith surprise a scantily clad Teresa and her boyfriend.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Mel Tolkin
8.3/10197 votes#17 - Archie's Chair
Season 7 Episode 17 - Aired 1/15/1977
Mike accidently breaks Archie's Chair.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: N/A
6.7/10171 votes#18 - Mike Goes Skiing
Season 7 Episode 18 - Aired 1/22/1977
Mike asserts his independence by leaving Gloria behind while he joins his friends on a weekend skiing trip.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: N/A
8.3/10208 votes#19 - Stretch Cunningham, Goodbye
Season 7 Episode 19 - Aired 1/29/1977
Archie reluctantly agress to deliver Stretch Cunningham's eulogy, unawware that his departed friend was Jewish.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: N/A
7.5/10164 votes#20 - The Joys of Sex
Season 7 Episode 20 - Aired 2/5/1977
Both Gloria and Mike help Edith and Archie express their sexual interaction after catching Edith reading How to be your Husband's Mistress.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Mel Tolkin
8.0/10193 votes#21 - Mike, the Pacifist
Season 7 Episode 21 - Aired 2/12/1977
Stranded in a subway train with different personalities, Mike is shocked when he punches a man for the very first time in his life after the man had pushed Gloria aside.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Mel Tolkin
7.4/10184 votes#22 - Fire
Season 7 Episode 22 - Aired 2/19/1977
The Bunkers and Teresa wake up with their bathroom on fire! Archie expects money cashing in from the insurance company, until he finds out he's guilty for starting the fire.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Erik Tarloff
7.7/10177 votes#23 - Mike and Gloria Split
Season 7 Episode 23 - Aired 2/26/1977
Before bedtime, Mike and Gloria have a game of Scrabble in which Mike ends up winning. He uses this game as an opportunity to rub Gloria's nose in the fact that he has to be better at everything, leading to an argument between the two. Gloria asserts that this is because Mike has had the chance to go to college and use his skills, while she hasn't had the chance yet, bringing up the fact that Mike promised her three years ago that chance. Gloria accuses Mike of ruining her life, causing him to walk out and try to spend the night at Archie and Edith's house. Archie and Mike reluctantly become roommates, which ends up in disaster. Archie then scolds Mike for trying to correct everybody's way of doing and saying things. Realizing his mistake, Mike goes home and apologizes to Gloria for being pompous, and Gloria apologizes to Mike for saying he ruined her life.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: N/A
7.5/10180 votes#24 - Archie, the Liberal
Season 7 Episode 24 - Aired 3/5/1977
When Archie and the guys at the lodge are being called bigots in the papers because they are only white, Archie suggests to initiate a black jewish guy.
Director: Paul Bogart
Writer: Mel Tolkin
7.2/10168 votes#25 - Archie's Dog Day Afternoon
Season 7 Episode 25 - Aired 3/12/1977
Archie must spend his afternoon at the vet when his accidently runs over Barney's annoying--but cute--dog with his cab.
Director: N/A
Writer: Mel Tolkin
The Best Episodes of All in the Family Season 7
Every episode of All in the Family Season 7 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of All in the Family Season 7!
Archie Bunker, a working class bigot, constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day.
Genre:Comedy
Network:CBS
Season 7 Ratings Summary
"Archie's Brief Encounter (1)" is the best rated episode of "All in the Family" season 7. It scored 7.3/10 based on 199 votes. Directed by Paul Bogart and written by Mel Tolkin, it aired on 9/22/1976. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "Archie's Brief Encounter (2)".