one of the first episodes this season that started to show that George was starting to change was in the season 6 opener The Announcement, when he was talking to jenny and then he said that out of all the girl th Lionel ever dated she was his favorate and there was other stuff he said which he would have never said from 1974-1979.
you could tell he was staring to change a bit right there when they were talking and it was the beginning when George was starting to tone down and change , a matter of fact Season 6 Was when George Started To Change and Would Chan Alot Overt The Next 3-4 Seasons.
and that talk between George And Jenny would have never happened in the first several years.

i know it wasnt the same i wish he would of stayed the George jefferson from 1974 and so on he was lot funnier and storylines lot more edgey as well but he stil one of my favorite charactors ever on tv