There’s no denying that All in the Family is an absolute masterpiece of television. Sure, it may seem a little dated today, and Archie Bunker may seem like a problematic protagonist in today’s cultural landscape, but we can’t divorce the show from its time. Airing on CBS between 1971 and 1979, All in the Family helped revolutionize television by presenting and dealing with countless taboo topics, including racism, abortion, homosexuality, and Antisemitism. That kind of stuff was never seen on prime time television before All in the Family. But not all the episodes are winners. Most of them, yes. But not all.
These are the ten worst episodes of All in the Family, according to IMDb.
Weekend In The Country - 7.2
It’s universally agreed that season nine of All in the Family wasn’t very good. It certainly wasn’t bad, but it was a mere shell of what it used to be, and it disappointed those who knew that the show had more in it.
Weekend in the Country is one of many season nine episodes with a 7.2 rating, and it’s easy to see why. The episode sees the Bunkers spending a weekend with the Heffners and getting into a heated argument over Monopoly. It’s a trite storyline that has been endlessly told and retold, and All in the Family doesn’t bring anything new to the table.
A Night At The PTA - 7.2
A Night at the PTA is another episode to come from season nine. This one concerns Edith and Stephanie, an infamous young character who is not particularly well regarded by fans of All in the Family. Edith is scheduled to sing with Stephanie in her school talent show, but she contracts laryngitis and is forced to withdraw.
There’s not a whole lot going for this episode. For one thing, it’s about Stephanie. For another, most of the jokes simply revolve around Edith’s voice, which quickly gets tiring and stale. The show can do a lot better than this.
Stephanie And The Crime Wave - 7.2
Any time you see Stephanie’s name, you know it’s not going to be well received by the fanbase. And seeing as how Stephanie and the Crime Wave mostly concerns the young character, it’s understandable to see it rated so low.
In this one, Stephanie is accused of stealing from her school. The Bunkers are hesitant in believing the claims, but they quickly realize that various items have gone missing from their own house, leading them to believe that Stephanie has become a thief.
The Baby Contest - 7.1
The concept of The Baby Contest is adorable. Against the wishes of his family, Archie enters a photo of his grandson, Joey, into a “beautiful baby” photo contest. It’s a great example of Archie’s soft heart, but unfortunately, the writing and execution of the episode cannot capitalize on its heartwarming premise.
It’s pretty routine stuff, and it doesn’t do anything particularly fresh, exciting, or even funny. Cute premise, but it could have done much more with it.
Gloria’s False Alarm - 7.0
Coming right after The Baby Contest is Gloria’s False Alarm, making for a terrible one-two punch in the middle of season seven. This is one of those “taboo” episodes of the time, as it concerns an unwanted pregnancy. In this case, Gloria thinks that she is pregnant and tries to convince Mike to get a vasectomy.
It’s a good showcase for Gloria and actress Sally Struthers, and the concept is intriguing. However, like The Baby Contest, the execution is pretty weak, and a lack of Archie significantly hurts the episode.
A Girl Like Edith - 7.0
Returning to season nine, we have A Girl Like Edith, the fifteenth episode of the season and eleventh-last episode of the entire series. In this bizarre episode, Klemmer the butcher returns with a new wife - a German woman who looks suspiciously like Edith. Jean Stapleton played both Edith and Judith in a gimmicky dual role that all-but proved that All in the Family was done for.
It’s clear that the writers had run out of ideas and were resorting to silly gimmicks to keep the show afloat, but it just didn’t work out.
Mike Goes Skiing - 6.9
Mike Goes Skiing comes near the end of season seven, but it seems like an episode that belongs in season nine. In it, Mike gets out of going to a party with Gloria and goes skiing with his office buddies. For some reason, sitcoms continuously return to the “character goes skiing” concept, even though it’s never funny.
We think it’s just an excuse for the cast and crew to go skiing themselves. Unfortunately, Mike Goes Skiing is no exception. It’s a lame episode, and it sidelines Edith and Archie for Mike and Gloria. No thanks.
New Year’s Wedding - 6.8
New Year’s Wedding is one of the rare episodes that doesn’t feature either Edith or Archie, and their absences are sorely missed. New Year’s Wedding concerns Mike and Gloria, and it highlights a significant problem in their relationship. Mike is constantly changing plans without consulting Gloria, and Gloria is growing increasingly upset over it.
The episode mostly surrounds their argument, and it doesn’t really make for great TV. It’s just another “couple fights” episode, and it brings nothing fresh or unique to the table.
Stalemates - 6.8
And here we come to yet another “Mike and Gloria fight” episode, and it’s just as bad and boring as New Year’s Wedding. In this one, Mike and Gloria embark on a second honeymoon to the Poconos in a desperate attempt to keep their marriage afloat. It’s an old and tired cliché of an episode, and it reeks of recycled material.
All in the Family, and numerous other sitcoms, had already milked this cow dry. To do a “couple fights and attempts to save their marriage” episode, you need to bring something new and interesting to the proceedings. This episode doesn’t. It’s a bore.
All In The Family Retrospective - 6.7
Is it cheating to put the Retrospective episode on the list? Maybe, but regardless, it’s the lowest-rated episode of the entire series. This retrospective served as the 200th episode of the series, and to celebrate the occasion, Norman Lear hosted a live event at the Mark Taper Forum, a 739-seat stage at the Los Angeles Music Center.
All in the Family was absolutely enormous, and it called for a celebration of this stature. Unfortunately, the event itself wasn’t very entertaining, and most of the clips that Lear celebrated were from seasons six through eight. It was a baffling decision that ruined what could otherwise have been a fantastic look back at one of the most influential TV shows ever made.
