The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

[The Old Mixer]

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Post-50th Anniversary Viewing

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All in the Family
"Mike's Friend"
Originally aired December 14, 1974

One of Mike's graduate school friends, Stuart, comes over one evening for a visit and Gloria begins to feel like an intellectual outcast. This leads her to believe that perhaps as Mike becomes more educated in school, he may start looking for a smarter woman.

Carroll O'Connor does not appear in this episode, [which] was taped during O'Connor's hold out early in the season.

A-ha--Substitute Archie Syndrome!

As Gloria's preparing dinner for the visit of Mike's philosophy student friend Stuart Henderson, Edith tells her about a movie she watched in which a man sacrificed his life for his wife. When Mike comes home from school, Gloria asks Mike if she'd do the same for him.

Mike: Right after I finish this sandwich.​

This goes around a bit as Gloria brings up various hypothetical scenarios, with Mike giving unsatisfactory answers. When Stu arrives (Greg Mullavey), Mike immediately gets into high-brow conversation with him about philosophy and other subjects, while repeatedly shooing Gloria out of the room when she attempts to contribute. Stu, clearly uncomfortable about the situation himself, offers to switch from chess to charades so Gloria can join in; though she ultimately uses this as an opportunity to tell Mike to shove it.

Upstairs, Gloria frets to Edith that she's paying Mike's way through college so he can dump her for somebody more intellectually stimulating. Edith tells a story of how she used her "people smarts" to help Archie buy the house, and encourages Gloria to talk to Mike. Meanwhile, Mike learns that he's not in Stu's league when it comes to chess, and Stu tells him that he's coming on too strong with the intellectual angle, sharing that he'd rather have done something fun that included Gloria.

After Stu leaves, Gloria comes down and starts to talk, but a defensive Mike thinks she's accusing him of being intellectually inferior. When she clarifies what she's talking about, he admits that she's probably smarter than him despite not being as educated. After she expresses the root of insecurity, Mike offers to help her go to school after he's graduated and started his career, and they make up.

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Needs more whips!

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Reports of a shadowy figure wearing a cloak and a top hat skating around remain unconfirmed.

Not sure who you're alluding to here.

There was a brief sequel series some years later, but I don't believe our boys made any guest appearances.

Actually, I recently learned that they did each make two. Apparently both appeared in the same episode as store owners (don't know if they were together); and each appeared in a separate episode as his old character--Malloy a captain and Reed a lieutenant.

Sadly, she died very young before the 70s were over.

Didn't know that.

Super-Fonz! I wonder how hard it was for Henry Winkler to play Hamlet as the Fonz rather than Henry Winkler.

He was definitely the Fonz here.

Might have worked then. Personally, I would not have trusted it.

They made sure the masks worked before going in further.

Interesting for the face of being topical, yet not political.

Doesn't seem especially topical for me. Just a scam.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Edith tells her about a movie she watched in which a man sacrificed his life for his wife. When Mike comes home from school, Gloria asks Mike if she'd do the same for him.

It's a trap!

When Stu arrives (Greg Mullavey), Mike immediately gets into high-brow conversation with him about philosophy and other subjects, while repeatedly shooing Gloria out of the room when she attempts to contribute.

I remember this one. I don't think I even noticed that Archie was MIA.

she ultimately uses this as an opportunity to tell Mike to shove it.

I definitely remember that part.

Stu tells him that he's coming on too strong with the intellectual angle, sharing that he'd rather have done something fun that included Gloria.

I don't think 70s television was ready for that.

After Stu leaves, Gloria comes down and starts to talk, but a defensive Mike thinks she's accusing him of being intellectually inferior.

One of the strengths of this show was that it didn't really spare anybody-- everybody had their flaws and failings.

After she expresses the root of insecurity, Mike offers to help her go to school after he's graduated and started his career, and they make up.

Did they ever say exactly what career he was working toward? I don't remember.

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That's more like it!

Not sure who you're alluding to here.

Just some mysterious, fog-enshrouded Victorian figure, like Jack the Ripper or whatever. Bit of a stretch, I guess.

Actually, I recently learned that they did each make two. Apparently both appeared in the same episode as store owners (don't know if they were together); and each appeared in a separate episode as his old character--Malloy a captain and Reed a lieutenant.

Well, that's kind of weird that they made separate appearances both in character and out, but it's nice that they got to play Malloy and Reed again later in their careers. I like that sort of thing.

They made sure the masks worked before going in further.

"Okay, you go first and see if you die."

Doesn't seem especially topical for me. Just a scam.

Well, it's a topic. I mean, it was something no doubt derived from the news, without being political, as opposed to a purely personal issue like this latest episode (and the missing-Archie episodes).

 

[The Old Mixer]

It's a trap!

Okay, Mike...

I remember this one. I don't think I even noticed that Archie was MIA.

And if they accounted for his absence, I didn't catch it.

I don't think 70s television was ready for that.

Shame, shame, shame...

Did they ever say exactly what career he was working toward? I don't remember.

I'm not sure if they've said it yet, but as I recall, he became a teacher.

That's more like it!

I hope we all learned something today, Squiggy.

Well, that's kind of weird that they made separate appearances both in character and out, but it's nice that they got to play Malloy and Reed again later in their careers. I like that sort of thing.

I know nothing of the show. May have seen it coming on in the day.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Shame, shame, shame...

I'm a baaaad boy.

I'm not sure if they've said it yet, but as I recall, he became a teacher.

Okay, that rings a bell.

I hope we all learned something today, Squiggy.

DEVO sure did.

I know nothing of the show. May have seen it coming on in the day.

I never saw it, but I have a vague recollection of both it and Dragnet being revived briefly. They may have been syndicated as a package, but I'm not sure.