Wandavision did not make much sense, but fans did understand that Wanda was basing her fake world on popular old sitcoms she watched as a child. All in the Family debuted in 1971, and given its popularity, it's a sitcom she would have definitely watched. The show ran for nine seasons, and to this day it is considered to be one of the greatest sitcoms ever made.
The show was considered groundbreaking at the time because it covered subjects that were extremely controversial like race, sexuality, religion, and politics, and at the center of it all was the Bunker family. Dozens of characters appeared on the show over the course of its run, but only a handful really stood out.
10 Maude Was Played Impeccably By Bea Arthur
Most People know the late Bea Arthur from her time on The Golden Girls, another popular sitcom that had a pretty decent ending, but before that, she starred in a completely different sitcom called Maude. She may have had her own show, but the Maude character actually debuted on All in the Family.
She appeared in the 12th episode of the second season in order to take care of the Bunker family who was dealing with the flu. Maude is Edith's super liberal cousin, and she and Archie have hated each other for decades. She may have only appeared in two episodes, but Maude certainly left her mark as one of Archie's greatest adversaries.
9 Barney Hefner Was Archie's Best Friend
All in the Family had quite a few recurring characters, including Archie's best friend, Barney Hefner. He first appeared in the infamous Sammy Davis Jr. episode in the show's second season, and he went on to appear in a total of 25 episodes.
When Barney's first wife dies, Archie and Edith set him up with another friend named Blanche, who eventually leaves and divorces him. Barney is just as nitwitted as Archie, and at times, he is even worse, but in a foolish and comedically pitiful way.
8 Stephanie Mills Turned Archie & Edith Into Parents Again
Archie and Edith raised their daughter, but season 9 saw them revert back to their early parenting days when Stephanie gets left on their doorstep. Stephanie is the daughter of Edith's step-cousin, Floyd Mills. Floyd is an alcoholic, and he leaves Stephanie with the Bunkers after his wife dies in a car accident.
Archie had no interest in taking care of Stephanie at first, but he quickly gets attached to her, and she causes him to go through some exceptional personal growth. Stephanie grows attached as well, and when her father returns, she begs to stay with the Bunkers instead, which leads to Archie paying off Floyd to essentially adopt Stephanie.
7 Irene Lorenzo Did Not Follow Standard Gender-Roles
Irene Lorenzo debuted in Season 4's premiere, and she went on to appear in 24 episodes total. She starts off as the Bunker's new neighbor, but she quickly becomes Edith's friend, and she clashes with Archie in very playful ways because of her liberal views.
Many women in the '70s were still housewives who relied on their husbands, but Irene was ahead of her time. She carried her own tools, played pool better than any man, and eventually got a job as a forklift operator at the plant Archie worked at. She even managed to become Archie's boss.
6 Lionel Jefferson Helped To Make Archie A Better Person
Lionel was the son of George and Louise Jefferson, and he appeared in 33 episodes over the course of 5 seasons. Lionel and his parents become the Bunker's next-door neighbors, and he was close friends with both Mike and Gloria.
Lionel took it upon himself to point out Archie's flaws, but he does so in a friendly and affectionate way because he can see that Archie is actually a caring person despite his blatant ignorance and bigotry. Archie evolves thanks to Lionel, to the point that he considers himself his mentor.
5 Gloria Was At The Center Of Some Heavy Storylines
Gloria is Archie and Edith's daughter, and she is a proud feminist who worked to help out her husband while he was in college. Gloria is a very emotional character, and she can be incredibly bratty at times, but she gets involved in some very serious storylines.
The episode where she miscarries is very emotional, and it showed the loving relationship between Gloria and her father. She has to deal with the consequences of having an affair, and there is also an episode that sees her get assaulted by a stranger. Sally Struthers' performance in that episode is both stellar and haunting.
4 George Jefferson Didn't Appear Much, But He Left An Impact
The iconic character of George Jefferson was played by Sherman Hemsley, and although he only appeared in 14 episodes over two seasons, he left a lasting impression that spawned an even longer running sitcom.
He and Archie had amazing chemistry, and their arguments always included quick, well-delivered one-liners that often left Archie angry or oblivious to the fact that he had just been insulted.
3 Michael Was The Perfect Thorn In Archie's Side
A lot of TV series start off with incredible first episodes, but All in the Family is not one of them. With that being said, the chemistry between Archie and his son-in-law Michael was present from the very beginning. Michael was incredibly liberal, to the point that he and Archie clashed nearly every week.
Michael was an atheist and a semi-feminist who opposed guns, war, and bigotry, which means that he was the complete opposite of Archie, who viewed him as a "Meathead" who only cared about eating and having intimate time with Gloria.
2 Edith was by far the happiest & wisest character
Edith was Archie's devoted wife, and she is remembered for being a kind and non-judgmental person with a high-pitched and nasally voice. Edith was incredibly loyal to Archie and stuck up for him quite often, even though he called her a "dingbat" virtually every episode.
She may have not been the smartest person on the show, but Edith was by far the happiest and wisest character, and she was often the voice of reason. There are rare instances when Edith does snap at Archie, and they are all incredibly funny because Archie is almost always left speechless and dumbfounded afterward.
1 Archie Grows & Evolves Throughout The Series
Archie is the heart and soul of the entire series, and many consider him to be one of the best-written characters in television history. Archie was raised by a drunk father who managed to pass his bigotry onto his son, but unlike his father, Archie learned to evolve.
Archie may have been portrayed as a rough, ignorant racist who said a lot of terrible and insensitive things, but as the series progresses, it becomes clear that he is actually a kind and caring person. He starts off as a man who can't deal with the fact that society is changing and becoming more progressive, but he slowly comes around thanks to all the people he encounters throughout the series.