Archie Bunkers Place - Archie Alone

Here are the final minutes of this classic episode from 11/2/80.

Originally aired as a one hour special, Archie is having understandable difficulty coping with the death of his beloved Edith. It is not until the final moments of this episode that he breaks down.

Jean Stapleton appeared in 6 episodes of the first season of Archie Bunkers Place. With the majority of the action shifting to the bar and her desire to move on to other projects, Jean left the series. Instead of continuing the show with off camera stories of Edith, O'Connor and the producers felt it would be a good opportunity to give the character of Edith a proper and poignant farewell. The scene speaks for itself.

Caroll O'Connor received a Peabody Award for his performance in this episode and rightly so. It's still as emotional as it was when it first aired almost 30 years ago.

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[fenton1017]

You know we are screwed as a country when we used to have Archie and Edith.... Today, all we have are Snooki and Jwoww.

[elc1960]

My Mom and Dad saw this together when it originally ired in 1980. Not quite 3 1/2 years later, Mom passed away, and seeing this scene I can't help thinking about how my Dad felt such deep sadness at losing her. It made it much more difficult to see this even though she's been gone over 29 years. My Dad passed 13 months to the day before Carroll O'Connor, and Dad died on the same day Sir John Gielgud died. For me, the feelings this evokes are indescribable.

[buescher6557]

I cryed for him he looked lost!!

[bunnyhead71]

maybe it is because we all were fans of this show and Archie's abrasive personality, perhaps that's why its a hard one to watch. This scene, the scene where Mike, Gloria & Joey move to CA and the episode that Archie was at the dinner table with the family and started getting burnt up over Mikes Nixon comments & Vietnam comments while Archie was trying to defend the war until he blows up and screams I don't want to hear anything else about that Goddamn war!" This show was no joke.

[James A Fitzpatrick]

Yes but they were that way for a reason, to make a point. Snooki and Jwoww don't stand for anything.

[ben ivanson]

Of all the times you see Archie humanized/humiliated throughout his 2 series, this is the first time that everyone watching is on the exact same page as him. For myself, 30+ years later, this never gets easier to watch.

[David Hofmann]

this is the first time i've seen this since it originally aired. it's still very powerful.

[John Mead]

That feel... the worst feel known to man

[VartAttack]

That's rough stuff. Well played, Carroll O'Connor, well played.

[BoydTheMilkmanX]

A racist, ignorant, domineering mysogynist and a woman who is so dumb it's a surprise she can find her way down the stairs in the morning. I enjoyed both characters but neither of them were what I'd consider worse than Snooki and Jwoww.

[Aeolis7]

This scene still gets to me after all these years. It is historic television. Carroll O'Connor was such a wonderful and talented actor. This was a fitting farewell to the character of Edith Bunker.

[hartisify hmm]

So sorry for your loss.