Was "Meathead" truly a meathead in the end?? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

seventies_sitcoms · 05-16-2005, 12:45 PM

I wonder if Archie was truly right about Michael all along. When Mike and Gloria were fighting during those Christmas episodes when Archie and Edith visited, Michael was acting really bad.

It seemed like as soon as they arrived in California, Michael swept Gloria under the rug to hang out with his snooty smart friends. As soon as he became a teacher he was better than everybody else including his own wife. He even said living at Gloria's parent's house was worst years of his life.

I always thought Mike had a "superior attitude" and it really showed through once he got out of the Bunker house. He seemed truly unlikeable always going around acting like he knew so much about society and government....

TripperFan · 05-16-2005, 01:03 PM

I hated those episodes. I'll never understand why they left us with a bad memory of both Mike and Gloria (remember, it was Gloria who had the affair on him after ditching her for his smart friends and collegues).

I wish they had never done that. I still won't watch them whenever I see they're on. I'd rather remember them in better times.

seventies_sitcoms · 05-16-2005, 01:08 PM

Yeah, they screwed both characters up bad. I could somehow see Mike messing up, but i just couldn't see Gloria messing around with another guy. It seems very very out of character for her. If they were leaving the show, they should've had them divorce under better terms than they did. They could've simply just have fallen out of love and agreed to a divorce.

TripperFan · 05-16-2005, 01:13 PM

I agree, although didn't they end it with both of them going to try to fix their marriage and you just never heard again whether they did or not?

Actually, I don't remember any references to any of them after those episodes. They just started in with Stephanie after that (which is about the time I just stopped watching).

I guess they were going for "reality" that not all marriages work even though they might love each other, but geez, it was pretty down for a sitcom.

The same as when they had Edith raped. That's almost like hearing that Mother Theresa had been raped! Just a little too "heavy" for my taste.

Mikado · 07-22-2005, 02:52 AM

Well, I guess M&G divorced, or the show Gloria couldnt have happened.....not that it should have!!! The producers of that show should have taken WC Feild's advice about never working with children or dogs

Lamont · 07-22-2005, 07:54 AM

Mike and Gloria and Joey did come back to visist the bunker home for the holidays in a Archie Bunkers Place and they were more like their old selves. The episode was the

best of the series of ABP!

pilotguy · 07-22-2005, 08:02 AM

It was almost as if the producers and writers thought, "Now that Mike and Gloria aren't series regulars anymore, we can do whatever we want to with their characters". Their characters were really smeared and destroyed in later "visit" episodes.

For me, the ending of the "All In The Family" series was when Mike, Gloria and Joey left to go live in California and Archie sat in his chair and cried. I consider anything after that episode to be like "After-M*A*S*H".

Chain Gang Member · 07-22-2005, 11:38 AM

I think the reason that All In The Family didn't go well after Mike & Gloria left was because the whole series was about conflicts between Archie & Mike

JeffRuss1972 · 07-22-2005, 12:56 PM

All of those episodes after Mike and Gloria left were not worth watching for me, really. They still had occasionally funny episodes, but it was a VERY different show. For me, the LAST episode of AITF was when Mike, Gloria and Joey moved to California. They should have ended it right there. That was the final show.

Chain Gang Member · 07-22-2005, 01:47 PM

True

Janice · 07-23-2005, 11:51 AM

I hated how they destroyed Mike and Gloria's marriage by all the deceit and infidelity. It took too dark a turn for me. They could have just had them move away. After years of watching them as a young couple in love...it made no sense to me, and like TripperFan, I won't watch those episodes.

Brian Damage · 07-23-2005, 12:06 PM

They really did make Mike a "*****" in that episode. He called Gloria fat and made her sleep on a chair.

PrettyinPink55 · 08-07-2005, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janice

I hated how they destroyed Mike and Gloria's marriage by all the deceit and infidelity. It took too dark a turn for me. They could have just had them move away. After years of watching them as a young couple in love...it made no sense to me

I'm with you all the way, Janice!

jon123 · 08-18-2005, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lamont

Mike and Gloria and Joey did come back to visist the bunker home for the holidays in a Archie Bunkers Place and they were more like their old selves. The episode was the

best of the series of ABP!

But two seasons later Mike ran off to a commune and Gloria went to her own short-lived series (which never should have been)-Mike would never have done that but it was the only way for Gloria to have her own series (which was awful and quickly cancelled) without Mike without killing him off.

GeorgeWBushGOP · 08-21-2005, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotguy

It was almost as if the producers and writers thought, "Now that Mike and Gloria aren't series regulars anymore, we can do whatever we want to with their characters". Their characters were really smeared and destroyed in later "visit" episodes.

For me, the ending of the "All In The Family" series was when Mike, Gloria and Joey left to go live in California and Archie sat in his chair and cried. I consider anything after that episode to be like "After-M*A*S*H".

You make a good point. You can also make the argument if the series ended just like that. at that moment while still being a hit it would have been a perfect way to end the series with Archie and Edith sitting there in stunned disbelief.

05-16-2005, 12:45 PM	#1
seventies_sitcoms * Senior Member Join Date: Jan 09, 2005 Posts: 2,244	Was "Meathead" truly a meathead in the end?? I wonder if Archie was truly right about Michael all along. When Mike and Gloria were fighting during those Christmas episodes when Archie and Edith visited, Michael was acting really bad. It seemed like as soon as they arrived in California, Michael swept Gloria under the rug to hang out with his snooty smart friends. As soon as he became a teacher he was better than everybody else including his own wife. He even said living at Gloria's parent's house was worst years of his life. I always thought Mike had a "superior attitude" and it really showed through once he got out of the Bunker house. He seemed truly unlikeable always going around acting like he knew so much about society and government....

05-16-2005, 01:03 PM	#2
TripperFan In God's Arms Now Forum Star Join Date: Sep 14, 2003 Location: Heartbreak Ridge Posts: 12,086	I hated those episodes. I'll never understand why they left us with a bad memory of both Mike and Gloria (remember, it was Gloria who had the affair on him after ditching her for his smart friends and collegues). I wish they had never done that. I still won't watch them whenever I see they're on. I'd rather remember them in better times.
	__________________ If I don't see you in this world, I'll meet you in the next one.....don't be late James Marshall Hendrix Voodoo Chile The Forum Legend formerly known as TripperFan "religion is for people who are afraid of hell--spirituality is for people who have been through hell"---anonymous

07-22-2005, 07:54 AM	#6
Lamont Lamont says Smile! Forum Veteran Join Date: May 28, 2005 Location: Deep in the Heart of Nowhere Posts: 5,217	Mike and Gloria redeemed! Mike and Gloria and Joey did come back to visist the bunker home for the holidays in a Archie Bunkers Place and they were more like their old selves. The episode was the best of the series of ABP!

07-22-2005, 11:38 AM	#8
Chain Gang Member 1st Female Triple Crown Champ Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Watching Three's Company & Wrestling Posts: 8,927	I think the reason that All In The Family didn't go well after Mike & Gloria left was because the whole series was about conflicts between Archie & Mike
	__________________ Mickie is the best woman to step inside the ring http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOTh3hVT0HU

05-16-2005, 01:08 PM	#3
seventies_sitcoms * Senior Member Join Date: Jan 09, 2005 Posts: 2,244	Yeah, they screwed both characters up bad. I could somehow see Mike messing up, but i just couldn't see Gloria messing around with another guy. It seems very very out of character for her. If they were leaving the show, they should've had them divorce under better terms than they did. They could've simply just have fallen out of love and agreed to a divorce.

05-16-2005, 01:13 PM	#4
TripperFan In God's Arms Now Forum Star Join Date: Sep 14, 2003 Location: Heartbreak Ridge Posts: 12,086	I agree, although didn't they end it with both of them going to try to fix their marriage and you just never heard again whether they did or not? Actually, I don't remember any references to any of them after those episodes. They just started in with Stephanie after that (which is about the time I just stopped watching). I guess they were going for "reality" that not all marriages work even though they might love each other, but geez, it was pretty down for a sitcom. The same as when they had Edith raped. That's almost like hearing that Mother Theresa had been raped! Just a little too "heavy" for my taste.

07-22-2005, 02:52 AM	#5
Mikado Main st bridge Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 25,892	Well, I guess M&G divorced, or the show Gloria couldnt have happened.....not that it should have!!! The producers of that show should have taken WC Feild's advice about never working with children or dogs

07-22-2005, 08:02 AM	#7
pilotguy Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 09, 2003 Posts: 1,305	It was almost as if the producers and writers thought, "Now that Mike and Gloria aren't series regulars anymore, we can do whatever we want to with their characters". Their characters were really smeared and destroyed in later "visit" episodes. For me, the ending of the "All In The Family" series was when Mike, Gloria and Joey left to go live in California and Archie sat in his chair and cried. I consider anything after that episode to be like "After-MAS*H".

07-22-2005, 12:56 PM	#9
JeffRuss1972 70s Sitcoms Rule!!! Eternal Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 11, 2005 Location: Villa Rica, GA Posts: 1,257	All of those episodes after Mike and Gloria left were not worth watching for me, really. They still had occasionally funny episodes, but it was a VERY different show. For me, the LAST episode of AITF was when Mike, Gloria and Joey moved to California. They should have ended it right there. That was the final show.

07-22-2005, 01:47 PM	#10
Chain Gang Member 1st Female Triple Crown Champ Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Watching Three's Company & Wrestling Posts: 8,927	True

07-23-2005, 11:51 AM	#11
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	I hated how they destroyed Mike and Gloria's marriage by all the deceit and infidelity. It took too dark a turn for me. They could have just had them move away. After years of watching them as a young couple in love...it made no sense to me, and like TripperFan, I won't watch those episodes.

07-23-2005, 12:06 PM	#12
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	They really did make Mike a "*****" in that episode. He called Gloria fat and made her sleep on a chair.