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On mySimon: Cashmere Sleepwear

All in the Family

CBS (Ended 1979)

Episode Score

 
8.5 Great
32 votes

Your Score

Episode Buzz

The Draft Dodger ranks 163,158 out of all 118,440 episodes (of all shows) on TV.com.

All in the Family fans have written a total of 2 reviews of The Draft Dodger.

Air Date

Saturday December 25, 1976

Production Code

715

Episode Summary

The clash of two worlds explodes in this episode. Mike's friend is a Draft Dodger and it is Christmas dinner and unbeknownst to Archie this guy is sitting at his Christmas dinner table. The guy is exactly everything Archie hates about Mike's generation. On top of this Archie's friend is also spending Christmas dinner with the Bunkers and he lost his son to the war.

Read Full Recap » (warning: possible spoilers!)
  •  
    10 Perfect

    This show dealt with how the conservative Archie Bunker handles having a draft dodger in his midst.Archie's friend is also there,and his son did go to Vietnam but he never made it home.See how the father handles the situation as compared to Archie. hide show

    This television show really faced a lot of serious matters during its run, and it did an excellent job of dealing with the Vietnam issue. I have to say that it was very eerie to listen to this today because if it weren't for the part about the draft, the scene could have been written for today's time, if you know what I'm talking about. It was great to see how Archie didn't know how to handle having to face somebody who was on the complete opposite end of the spectrum in his beliefs and who was not afraid to stand up to Archie.
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  •  
    9.6 Superb

    Archie celebrates Christmas with a draft dodger, as well as a Gold Star father. hide show

    Again, tough to choose favorite episodes, but this one clearly deserves recognition among the best. All hell breaks loose when Archie discovers Mike's buddy David is a draft dodger, sneaking down for Christmas from Canada. One of my favorite moments is when Pinky Peterson (the Gold Star father) shakes hands with David and tells him his son would have wanted to sit down to dinner with him, and that's what he (Pinky) wants to do as well...you just see how tough it must be on him as a dad. Shortly thereafter, Archie still can't return to the table to face him, and Edith finally coaxes him by saying, "Please Archie...for me?" He looks at her, and slowly makes his way back to the table.

    Also, love in the final scene when Archie reluctantly thanks the Christmas carollers outside his door, then mildly threatens to call the cops on them. He then shuts the front door, which is adorned with a wreath that reads PEACE.
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Episode Cast and Crew

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  • Goof: Where is Baby Joey in this episode? It's the family Christmas and he is nowhere to be seen or heard. Both Gloria and Mike arrive at the house without him. []
  • This episode was among Norman Lear's favorites of the series. []
  • This is Eugene Roche's second appearance as Pinky Peterson. He had previously appeared earlier in Season 7 in "Beverly Rides Again." []
  • Archie says he doesn't want to hear about "That God Damn war no more" ... they dub over "God" with "Rotten" []
  • I noticed that in this episode that Archie's speech (when he blows up after discovering that the guest is a draft dodger) is edited. If you watch closely to his lips, they "dubbed" a certain part of it because possible he said something that the network wanted "removed". []
  • Teresa: (to David) Here, come let me show you around! (takes him under the mistletoe and kisses him full on the lips)
    Archie: (protesting, then making a pained face) Aw, geez them people are so hot. []
  • Gloria: What's the matter, Daddy, doesn't God understand Spanish?
    Archie: Oh, sure...God understands four or five languages, it's just that Spanish isn't what you call His first.
    (Gloria makes a face)
    Archie: Aw, don't give me the constipated face! The Bible was started by Adam and Eve, not Desi and Charro! []
  • Edith: (trying to convince Archie to rejoin everyone at the table after the tense exchange) You heard what Pinkie said, Archie. Now you should do the same.
    (Archie resists)
    Edith: Please, Archie? For me? (He looks at her for a moment, then slowly turns back to the table)
    []
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