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by R.J. Carter Published: February 13, 2007
So now everything will be fluff and light, right? Think again! Archie is a devout Christian (well, okay, his wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) is, so that counts), and his son-in-law Mike (Rob Reiner) is an avowed atheist, and plans to raise his son without a religion as well. Well, it's bad enough that the meathead has turned Archie's own little girl, Gloria (Sally Struthers), against her raising -- now he's going to try to raise another little atheist! Not if Archie can help it. But hold that thought. Because little Joey Stivic hasn't even been born yet, and there's a lot to deal with before the blessed event -- Archie's going to experience a lot as he begins to recognize his age is getting the better of him. When he tries to look younger (with hair dye) in order to compete for a new position at work, he goes the extra mile to suck up by signing up for the new program close to the boss's heart -- not realizing that it's an organ donor program! When the same job later requires Archie to get a physical examination, he decides to preempt it with a physical of his own, and finds out his stress levels are (surprise!) just a tad high. Things at home are changing as well, as Edith begins spending more time volunteering at the Sunshine Home, assisting the elderly, and finally stands up to Archie when he tries to forbid her from working any more. But Archie does some good things as well. While doing some part-time work driving a cab, Archie saves a passenger's life by administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. But Archie is taken aback when the woman he saved turns out to be a female impersonator, as the audience is treated to their first introduction to the character of Beverly LaSalle (played by real-life female impersonator, Lori Shannon, aka Don McLean). Things aren't exactly hunky-dory in the Stivic household during this time, either, as Gloria's pregnancy has an impact on the amorous relationship she and Mike have historically shared. Gloria loses her job due to discrimination against pregnant women, and when Mike takes on extra tutoring, she begins to suspect that he's actually having an affair with the sexy coed (played vivaciously by Bernadette Peters).
With little Joey finally here, Archie decides to take care of that whole religion matter. Against Mike and Gloria's wishes, Archie sneaks the baby out of the house and to the church, where -- when he can't get the minister to baptise the child without the parents' permission -- he baptises the child himself, creating the strongest rift between himself and Mike yet. Sharp-eyed viewers will spot the handful of guest-stars this season, including a young up-and-coming Billy Crystal, Everybody Loves Raymond's Doris Roberts, and Crystal's Soap co-star, Robert Guillaume. A true turning point in the show's history, the sixth season of All in the Family was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Comedy Series", as well as two Golden Globe Awards. The series continues to make audience laugh even today, while still addressing issues that continue to exist in modern society. Those may have been the days, but the right-left arguments of the mid-70s are just as real today as they were then. The only downside to this set is the lack of special features. If any season deserved some form of commentary from the surviving cast members -- or even television historians -- this was the one. Regardless, this set is an essential to fans of the show. Previews on this set include Bewitched, Boynton Beach Club, and three montages of television shows now available.
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