Season 7 (All in the Family)

Also see: Maude (TV series) Archie Bunker's Place

This guide lists all of the season 7 episodes of All in the Family, which aired on CBS-TV during the 1976-77 television season.

Liz Torres joined the series in a supporting part as Teresa Betancourt, the Bunkers' temporary Puerto Rican tenant, as Edith (Jean Stapleton) began doing volunteer work part-time at the Sunshine Home for the Aged, much to the chagrin of Archie.

Season 7 (1976-77)

Season 7 episodes
No. in series	Image	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
	133 134	1 2	"Archie's Brief Encounter (Parts 1 & 2)"	Paul Bogart	Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine	September 22, 1976	702 705
Edith is preoccupied with her work at the Sunshine Home, and so Archie — feeling neglected — succumbs to the advances of an attractive waitress named Denise. Edith eventually becomes suspicious when, as Archie tries to sneak out one night, she finds Denise's phone number. Archie lets slip the truth and an outraged Edith leaves him. Notes: Actress Janis Paige played the role of Denise. Originally shown as a one-hour episode, and is part of a two-week story arc depicting Archie's near-affair with another woman. In syndication, it is aired as a two-part episode. Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers both do not appear in the first part of the two-part episode.
	135	3	"Archie's Brief Encounter (Part 3)"	Paul Bogart	Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine	September 29, 1976	706
In this conclusion of a three episode story, It's been several days since Edith has moved out of the house, and refuses to speak to Archie — even though he's told Denise that perhaps it was best if they no longer were to see each other. It's up to Mike and Gloria to try to get the two back together. Note: In its original airing on CBS, this was the second part of a two-week story arc depicting Archie's near-affair with another woman. In syndication, it is aired as a three-part episode.
	136	4	"The Unemployment Story (Part 1)"	Paul Bogart	Ben Starr & Chuck Stewart	October 6, 1976	703
Note: Part 1 of a two-part episode, concerning Archie being laid off from his longtime job. Episode features F. Murray Abraham in a guest role as a clerk at the unemployment office.
	137	5	"The Unemployment Story (Part 2)"	Paul Bogart	Chuck Stewart & Ben Starr	October 13, 1976	704
Note: Part 2 of a two-part episode, concerning Archie being laid off from his longtime job. Rob Reiner does not appear in this episode.
	138 139	6 7	"Archie's Operation (Part 1)" "Archie's Operation (Part 2)"	Paul Bogart	Teleplay by: Milt Josefsberg & Mort Lachman Story by: Calvin Kelly & Jim Tisdale Part 2: Teleplay by: Milt Josefsberg & Mort Lachman Story by: Larry Rhine & Mel Tolkin	October 27, 1976	707 708
Archie goes into the hospital and has a verbal run-in with a Puerto Rican nurse and gets a blood transfusion from a black doctor. Note: Originally shown as a one-hour episode, depicting Archie's surgery. In syndication, it is aired as a two-part episode. This is Liz Torres's first appearance as Teresa Betancourt, who will appear in five additional episodes during the 1976/77 season. Sally Struthers does not appear in part 2. In the second part of this episode, Mike mentioned Gloria, a couple times.
	140	8	"Beverly Rides Again"	Paul Bogart	Phil Doran & Douglas Arango	November 6, 1976	711
In an attempt to get back at his buddy Pinky Peterson for all his practical jokes, Archie sets his friend up on a blind date with transvestite Beverly LaSalle. Note: Pinky Peterson, played by Eugene Roche, plays the same role in episode 146. Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers do not appear in this episode.
	141	9	"Teresa Moves In"	Paul Bogart	Michael Loman	November 13, 1976	710
Archie and Edith place an ad in the paper to rent Mike and Gloria's old bedroom to a boarder. Their ad is answered by Teresa Betancourt, a young, Latina student-nurse, who Archie had previously encountered in a previous episode (when he was admitted to the hospital for surgery), and who hadn't made the greatest first impression on him. Note: Rob Reiner does not appear in this episode.
	142	10	"Mike and Gloria's Will"	Paul Bogart	Bill Richmond and Gene Perrett	November 20, 1976	709
After a near-death experience, Mike and Gloria decide they should name someone to take care of Joey in the event of their deaths. Rather than Archie and Edith, they name their friends Al and Trudy, something that Mike is even more resolved to do when he learns Archie had bought Joey a toy machine gun at the store. Archie, as one might expect, is angered ... but Edith is even more so when Mike calls Archie a "bad grandfather;" even Gloria is upset that Mike is too tough on his father-in-law. Gloria then tells Mike about Al making a pass at her and Mike realizes they aren't going to make good guardians either. They decide to leave the matter unresolved.
	143	11	"Mr. Edith Bunker"	Paul Bogart	Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine	November 27, 1976	712
Edith attends a birthday party for an elderly patron of the Sunshine Home. While there, a young visiting nephew has a heart attack. Edith saves his life by administering CPR, and is named "Person of the Week" on the CBS Evening News. Archie is surprised and jealous when he's not in the spotlight, but still manages to compliment his wife when the interview comes on TV. Note: Rob Reiner does not appear in this episode.
	144	12	"Archie's Secret Passion"	Paul Bogart	Michael Loman	December 4, 1976	701
Archie is looking forward to a visit from an old high school buddy, until he learns that he will be arriving with his wife, a woman Archie once had a quick fling with, panicked that the woman will speak of the encounter in front of Edith. However, it turns out Archie was one of many, and the woman doesn't even remember the encounter. Note: Sally Struthers does not appear in this episode.
	145	13	"The Baby Contest"	Paul Bogart	Teleplay by: Larry Rhine and Mel Tolkin Story by: Marion Zola & Ed Haas	December 11, 1976	714
Archie and Barney become increasingly competitive after entering their grandchildren into a local baby beauty pageant. Archie also has a hard time having to deal with an irate Mike, who is against the very idea in the first place. Eventually, Archie and Barney get their comeuppance when, due to suspected ballot box stuffing, their grandchildren are disqualified.
	146	14	"Gloria's False Alarm"	Paul Bogart	Phil Doran & Douglas Arango	December 18, 1976	713
Gloria mistakenly thinks she is pregnant again, which upsets Mike. She argues that if he is so insistent that they shouldn't have any more children, he should get a vasectomy. Note: Carroll O'Connor does not appear in this episode.
	147	15	"The Draft Dodger"	Paul Bogart	Jay Moriarty and Mike Milligan	December 25, 1976	715
Archie's friend Pinky Peterson, who had lost his only son in the Vietnam War, is invited to Christmas eve dinner. Mike's college-aged friend David Brewster also happens by, and is also invited to stay for dinner. Only Mike and Gloria know that David is a draft dodger from the war, living in Canada. He is visiting the United States in secret, and is a fugitive from the law. During dinner, the truth about David's status comes out. Archie explodes in a tirade, probably the most agitated scene in the entire series. He asks "gold star father" Pinky to join him in condemning David's actions. Instead, Pinky takes a conciliatory tone, saying that the difference between Steve (his son) and David is that "David's alive to share Christmas dinner with us. If Steve were here, he'd want to sit down with him, and that's what I want to do. Merry Christmas, David." All are reconciled at this point except Archie, who is so confused and distraught at the turn of events that he opens the front door and harasses a passing band of Christmas carolers.
	148	16	"The Boarder Patrol"	Paul Bogart	Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine	January 8, 1977	717
When Archie and Edith go on a weekend trip to visit relatives for Aunt Iola's 90th birthday, Teresa invites her boyfriend to spend the night. However when Archie and Edith arrive back home earlier than expected, she must find a way to sneak him out of the house without their seeing him.
	149	17	"Archie's Chair"	Paul Bogart	Phil Doran & Douglas Arango	January 15, 1977	716
A leg breaks off of Archie's beloved chair when Mike sits in it, and is taken away to be repaired. However, when the furniture repair shop confuses their deliveries, the chair ends up in a conceptual art exhibit in a New York gallery. The artist, Lichtenrausch, attempts to buy the chair from Archie, but in the end Archie cannot bring himself to sell. Note: This episode aired around the same time as the real life donation of Archie and Edith's chairs to the Smithsonian, for an exhibit on the history of U.S. television; the name of the artist, Licthenrausch, was a composite of the names of two twentieth century modern American painters: Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg.
	150	18	"Mike Goes Skiing"	Paul Bogart	Ben Starr & Chuck Stewart	January 22, 1977	718
Mike receives an invitation to go skiing, but it is on the same weekend that he has already agreed to take Gloria to a party. He attempts to coerce Gloria into suggesting he go on the trip.
	151	19	"Stretch Cunningham, Goodbye"	Paul Bogart	Phil Doran, Douglas Arango & Milt Josefsberg	January 29, 1977	719
After receiving word that his friend and coworker Stretch Cunningham has died, Archie reluctantly agrees to speak at his funeral. However, upon arriving at the service, he and Edith are surprised to learn that Stretch was Jewish, yet never said anything, despite Archie's many anti-Semitic remarks. Despite some awkward initial moments, Archie is able to deliver a heartfelt eulogy for his friend, capping it off with a respectful "shalom". Note: This is the final episode in which Jerome "Stretch" Cunningham's is mentioned, although he is not seen during the episode. Sally Struthers does not appear in this episode.
	152	20	"The Joys of Sex"	Paul Bogart	Erik Tarloff	February 5, 1977	720
Gloria questions the state of her parents' marriage, after discovering Edith reading a book called "How to Be Your Husband's Mistress".
	153	21	"Mike the Pacifist"	Paul Bogart	Phil Doran & Douglas Arango	February 12, 1977	721
Archie tags along when Mike and Gloria go house hunting in the Bronx. On their way back, the subway breaks down, and Mike punches a man who was assaulting his wife, causing him to question his belief in nonviolence. Note: Jean Stapleton does not appear in this episode.
	154	22	"Fire"	Paul Bogart	Michael Loman and Larry Rhine and Mel Tolkin	February 19, 1977	722
When the Bunkers' house catches fire, Archie first blames Teresa, but is later shocked to learn that it is he who is to blame, having short-circuited a fuse. Note: This episode features Liz Torres' final appearance as Teresa Betancourt.
	155	23	"Mike and Gloria Split"	Paul Bogart	Teleplay by: Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine Story by: Mort Lachman and Milt Josefsberg	February 26, 1977	723
During a game of Scrabble, Gloria becomes resentful of Mike's condescending demeanor, complaining that she helped put him through college, and now he looks down on her. Their fight causes him to spend the night next door at the Bunkers' where he has to share a bed with Archie.
	156	24	"Archie the Liberal"	Paul Bogart	Ben Starr & Chuck Stewart	March 5, 1977	724
When Archie's lodge is criticized for not allowing minorities, Archie suggests they recruit a member who is both Jewish and African American. Note: Sally Struthers does not appear in this episode.
	157	25	"Archie's Dog Day Afternoon"	Paul Bogart	Teleplay by: Chuck Stewart & Ben Starr Story by: Mort Lachman and Milt Josefsberg	March 12, 1977	725
Archie cannot seem to get along with his friend Barney Hefner's dog. But when he accidentally hits the animal with his car, he worries that Barney will think he did so intentionally. He and Edith take the dog to the vet, who repairs his injuries and Barney accepts Archie's apology. Note: Sally Struthers does not appear in this episode.