5 Greatest Sitcom Kisses Of All Time

4. Archie & Edith Bunker - All In The Family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zITo2Brcwb8 Episode: 2.19 - "Archie And Edith Alone" Just a note before we begin: if you want to jump directly to the moment in question in the video above, you'll want to skip to 8:30. I wouldn't recommend doing that, though; it's the context the scene provides that makes this kiss great. Now, back to your regularly scheduled article. At first glance, it's hard to imagine a less-likely TV event occurring; bigoted, short-tempered reactionary Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) sharing something a kiss with his sweet, understanding (but a little naive) wife, Edith (Jean Stapleton)? Looking at Archie, it seems like romantic trappings and sweet gestures are about as far from his nature as you could get. That's why the kiss that makes this episode occurs at the end of the episode; it takes a half-hour (or a week, in show-time) to wear Archie's tough exterior down. In "Archie And Edith Alone," Mike "Meathead" Stivic and his wife, Archie & Edith's daughter Gloria (Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers, respectively) leave for a week's vacation, leaving Archie and Edith alone in the house. Edith, wanting to get Archie out of his shell and have some fun, instigates a card game that degenerates into a fight, ending with Archie calling Edith names that hurt her deeply. Frustrated, Archie storms out of the house, returning hours later considerably calmer. He calls Edith into the living room to talk. As they talk, it becomes obvious that Archie wants to apologize, but he can't bring himself to say the words. As the talk goes on, it becomes more emotional, with Archie and Edith talking about their childhood dreams (Archie wanting to be a pro baseball player and Edith wanting to be a pro dancer). With Edith's dream as a spur, Archie invites Edith to dance, awarding her afterward with his new razor for being a great dancer. It's after bestowing this honor that Archie is able to tell Edith that he's sorry, and it's after the apology that the kiss comes. Again, this kiss isn't particularly passionate; that's why, again, the context is so important here. As far as I can remember, this is the ONLY time Archie and Edith actually kiss on the show. That's what makes this scene special: it's one of the few moments where we can see how much Archie loves his wife.