Rob Reiner, the iconic actor and director, made the heart-wrenching decision to leave All in the Family alongside his co-star Sally Struthers at the end of its eighth season. As they prepared to exit the show, Reiner reflected on the overwhelming emotion of his final scene with Carroll O’Connor, who played his on-screen father-in-law, Archie Bunker.
Archie Bunker, despite being a loudmouth and a bigot, became a beloved character thanks to O’Connor’s portrayal of the hardworking, opinionated man from Queens. In a 2004 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Reiner, now 73, explained what made Archie resonate so deeply with audiences. “I think Archie was acceptable because he was real,” said Reiner, who would later direct classics like The Princess Bride. “He loved his family, and even though he was bigoted and ignorant, he was human. We saw a very vulnerable, loving person towards his family, and that made him acceptable in a certain way.”
Reiner went on to describe the complex relationship between Archie and his son-in-law, Mike Stivic, whom Archie often called a “bleeding heart liberal.” The tension between them was a central theme of the show, with Archie’s old-school, prejudiced views clashing against Mike’s progressive ideals. But beneath the conflict, Reiner noted, there was a deep, if reluctant, affection. “I think that at the same time Archie was angry with Mike, he had a love for him,” Reiner recalled. “He might have resented Mike for living off him, especially in the early years, but he was also jealous. Mike had the opportunity to go beyond where Archie had gone, and in a way, Archie looked up to him.”
This underlying admiration and affection are what made Archie more than just a caricature. Reiner explained, “As angry, as rageful, and as bigoted as Archie was, he still had a capacity to love. That’s why audiences accepted him.”
When it came time for Reiner and Struthers to film their final episode, the emotions were raw and unfiltered. The episode, titled “The Stivics Go West,” marked the end of an era. Reiner admitted that after spending eight years together, the cast had become closer than family, making the farewell all the more poignant.
“That was a very emotional time for all of us,” Reiner shared. “You spend more time with your TV family than with your real family, so you get very, very close to them. The scene where we say goodbye to each other—there was no acting. There was just no acting. I looked at Carroll… and all of my emotions just came out. It was one of those moments where you don’t have to act because it’s all real.”
Reiner’s heartfelt recollection of his final scene in All in the Family offers a glimpse into the profound connection shared by the cast, a bond that transcended the screen and made the show a timeless classic.
