Mike “Meathead” Stivic (Rob Reiner) and Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) spend most of their time butting heads on “All in the Family,” but their goodbye in Season 8’s “The Stivics Go West” is bittersweet and emotional. The late Reiner — who died in an apparent homicide on December 14 — recalled filming the scene in an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, revealing that it showcased his genuine emotions at the time.
“There was just no acting,” he said. “You didn’t have to act. I mean, I looked at Carroll … I’ll never forget it because it was one of those times when you don’t act and all of your emotions just come out.”
The 1978 episode is Mike’s final appearance (and thus Reiner’s) on “All in the Family,” as he and his wife Gloria (Sally Struthers) move on to greener pastures afterward. However, Reiner stopped by the Norman Lear-created franchise again for the “Thanksgiving Reunion” episodes of sequel series “Archie Bunker’s Place.”
“[“The Stivics Go West”] was a very emotional time for all of us,” the actor said. “We’d been together for eight years … and you spend more time with your TV family … than with your real family. And so, you get very, very close to them, and it’s very emotional.”
One 2024 viewer described the big goodbye scene as “a tribute to the ultimate humanity of both characters, and to the actors who played them.” Elsewhere, some fans believe the sob-inducing farewell is just one among several reasons why “The Stivics Go West” should have been the series’ ultimate swan song.
One Redditor wrote: “If the show had ended there, as Norman Lear intended, I think it would be the best sitcom finale of all time.”
This story originally appeared on TVLine
