What's the deal with the three parter. Was there a contract dispute like on Sanford and Son. All three just seemed so pointless, and the third one they were just killing a half hour waiting for Archie to come back.

Those episodes where Archie was "missing" were so painful to watch. Carroll O'Conner had contract issues with Norman Lear at that time. The two were always at each other's throats. He had threated to quit the show because of a conflict in the way the show was going creatively. Needless to say, they came to an aggreement, but we got stuck with three dud episodes. Norman Lear had even told him that if he wanted "out", they would write Archie off in those episodes. They were going to have the cast find out that Archie had died while he was "missing". Wouldn't that have been kicker? It would have been like when they killed off James on "Good Times". John Amos had issues with Norman Lear, too. So many egos in Hollywood!

There were other signs of them playing games with the Archie character that season like in the episode "Mike's Friend". Archie was not in that one at all, and sure enough, the episode was horrible, just alot of Gloria-Mike crap. A whole 1/2 hour of Gloria's wah wah wah. That's okay in short dosages with the others to play off of, but most eps that focus on her only were duds.

I figured it was something like that. I can't imagine what it would be like without Archie. Like you said Gloria crying for a half hour. There's another one too where he goes to a convetion but at least he's in that one a little bit.

I remember the news that O'Connor had missed the first tapings of the new season, but I thought the reports said he missed 4 episodes. Perhaps the other one he missed was the one out of that sequence, where Mike's friend comes over and he slights Gloria as intellecutally inferior; but at the end he promises he will help her go through school as she has helped him... and the ultimate ending to that side story goes too far off the subject here.

Anyway, yes, it's 3 episodes about waiting for Archie, and therefore going way off the normal avenues of entertainment for the show... a tupperware party, a belly laugh out of nosepicking, Gloria's ridiculous phobia about beans, Mike proving he's a cola connoiseur (yeah, I did have to look the spelling up), and finally setting the stage for Archie to walk in with a "Aw geez, look at this!" Of course, O'Connor had to wait a long time for the applause to calm down before he could say his line. And it seems it can't be shown by watching the eps, but probably they taped that ep up to when Gloria and Mike are kissing, Edith is tipsy, and Irene is doing some 'loosening' contortion, so then when O'Connor did come back they could pick it up right there. Or, if he didn't, that's when they would get word that Archie was dead. Yet, that doesn't fit some of the earlier dialogue, where Edith had heard from him and knew he was coming back. Perhaps they wrote-- maybe actually taped-- 2 differing possibilities. Someone here may know for sure.

Yes these episodes were horrible. I could never Stomach Edith without Archie and Gloria Without Mike.

Yes these episodes were horrible. I could never Stomach Edith without Archie and Gloria Without Mike.

The funny thing is though when Mike is there without Gloria it really doesn't feel like anything is missing-lol

The funny thing is though when Mike is there without Gloria it really doesn't feel like anything is missing-lol


When Gloria was there she was STILL MISSING-lol

While I agree with all the comments about the character of Gloria, I think it's important to point out that none of this, imo anyway, was really the fault of Sally Struthers. I always thought that, out of all the cast members, she did the most with the least in terms of her character. Gloria was very underwritten, pretty much just a "Daddy's girl" and sometimes marital complication for Mike. I think there were signs that, had the couple stayed on the show, her role would have been deepened a bit, but that never came to pass, obviously.

While I agree with all the comments about the character of Gloria, I think it's important to point out that none of this, imo anyway, was really the fault of Sally Struthers. I always thought that, out of all the cast members, she did the most with the least in terms of her character. Gloria was very underwritten, pretty much just a "Daddy's girl" and sometimes marital complication for Mike. I think there were signs that, had the couple stayed on the show, her role would have been deepened a bit, but that never came to pass, obviously.
In the early years Gloria was underwritten and I actually liked the character because she was just out of high school when she got married. As the years went the character of Gloria did mature and I think if we saw her in her 30s and 40s the character would had deepened even more. One episode I did not care for her was Battle of the Month episode where she was on her time of the month. She was disrespectful and insulting to Archie and Edith. They should had kicked her out of the house. No matter what you do not disrespect your parents like that.

Now the Archie is Missing episodes. To me they were good and the cast pulled together without Carroll O'Connor. Grant it the episodes were not the same without him but they were still entertaining. Charlotte Rae in the first part was a scream during the tupperware party. When Edith learned that Archie was missing I did teared up.

Glad that Carroll O'Connor worked out his contract dispute. The show was still very good when he came back. The foursome of Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers was the best core cast in the history of television.

Now the Archie is Missing episodes. To me they were good and the cast pulled together without Carroll O'Connor. Grant it the episodes were not the same without him but they were still entertaining. Charlotte Rae in the first part was a scream during the tupperware party. When Edith learned that Archie was missing I did teared up.
I vaguely remember these episodes. I'd like to see them again.


Glad that Carroll O'Connor worked out his contract dispute. The show was still very good when he came back. The foursome of Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers was the best core cast in the history of television.

Wow, I had no idea there were contact issues on AITF! I don't think the show would have survived long without Carol. Whenever I think of AITF, Archie Bunker always comes to mind! While I would pick Jason, Jerry, Julia and Michael on Seinfeld as the best core cast, I agree that a very close second would be Carol, Jean, Rob and Sally! They were a brilliant foursome!

Andrea

Archie was susposed to go to a Reunion with some of his friends and he missed The Bus and the family through Archie was Missing

Oh yes, those "Archie's Missing" episodes are on Season 5. There's also another three-parter for Season 5 called "The Bunkers and Inflation", which was a really good story line, especially for that time period. Anyways, my "issues" with these episodes are:

- how can you make Tupperware "burp"?
- why did Edith reherse the "welcome" line for her party so many times?
- wasn't that horn-honking by Gloria annoying?
- why was everyone acting so wacky at the end of the last episode?

These episodes without Archie SUCKED!! It would be the same as watching an episode of I Love Lucy without Lucy! Had they not come to an agreement, the show would have been over.

The 'Archie is Missing' episodes aside, it wasn't uncommon as the series went along for them to shift some storylines to other characters especially when Mike and Gloria move out. I find those episodes rather boring. While Archie may be there for a walk on in the beginning and/or end, the guts of most of these shows is pretty average. I didn't really care to listen to the whining of Mike and Gloria about their marriage.

The one exception for me is a 5th season (I think) episode called 'The Games Bunkers Play'. Archie is there in the beginning and right at the end while the bulk of the show is carried by the rest of the cast (including Lionel and the Lorenzo's). Mike feels everyone is ganging up on him during the game and loses control. It is a good solid episode because it focused on the Mike character in that he wasn't always right much the same as the other episodes focused on the Archie character always being wrong. It revealed there were shades of gray in both of them (kinda like the 8th season episode 'Twos a Crowd' where Mike and Archie are locked in the storeroom of the bar).

In 'The Games Bunkers Play' you get to learn a little more about Mike and about how he and Archie relate to each other. Edith, the anchor of the family IMO, brings to voice of reason to Mike so he can better understand things. A real classic episode if you haven't seen it.

The 'Archie is Missing' episodes aside, it wasn't uncommon as the series went along for them to shift some storylines to other characters especially when Mike and Gloria move out. I find those episodes rather boring. While Archie may be there for a walk on in the beginning and/or end, the guts of most of these shows is pretty average. I didn't really care to listen to the whining of Mike and Gloria about their marriage.

The one exception for me is a 5th season (I think) episode called 'The Games Bunkers Play'. Archie is there in the beginning and right at the end while the bulk of the show is carried by the rest of the cast (including Lionel and the Lorenzo's). Mike feels everyone is ganging up on him during the game and loses control. It is a good solid episode because it focused on the Mike character in that he wasn't always right much the same as the other episodes focused on the Archie character always being wrong. It revealed there were shades of gray in both of them (kinda like the 8th season episode 'Twos a Crowd' where Mike and Archie are locked in the storeroom of the bar).

In 'The Games Bunkers Play' you get to learn a little more about Mike and about how he and Archie relate to each other. Edith, the anchor of the family IMO, brings to voice of reason to Mike so he can better understand things. A real classic episode if you haven't seen it.

I agree with you on this and in this particular episode I wasn't so put off by Archie's absense because of the plot. I enjoyed it because people were FINALLY "putting Mike in his place" so to speak. I loved the brutal honesty in it all and it was humorous at the same time.