This great episode combines two stories, although slightly different in subject matter, but similar in execution. Carroll O'Connor is terrific as he plays it both hilarious and serious in many fine moments while he has to figure out why his homeowner's insurance is getting cancelled, and how he must break the news to Little Emanuel(Rafael Campos), who Archie has to fire, but really doesn't want to. Archie's steaming because the agent is Edith's nephew Wendell(Phil Proctor), as he tells Archie the reason it's getting cancelled is because his house lies on the border of an "HRN", which he explains is a high risk neighborhood where high risk people live. I can't imagine that line would appear on the tube in today's politically correct society, but it did in this 1971 episode. While this exchange is going on, Emanuel is waiting in the kitchen for Archie to explain to him why he's getting fired; earlier on, Archie explained to Mike that he has to fire a guy for a reason I forget, and that it has to be Emanuel because the blacks and the whites on the docks will be very sore at him if he fires Black Elmo or Stretch Cunningham, and even though Emanuel is a terrific worker, he's the odd man out. Both conversations with Archie/Wendell and Archie/Emanuel both have a serious and touching aspect, as Wendell is clearly sorry to bring bad news, and Archie is also very sorry to let his best worker go. During this time, Gloria simply disappears as she's not mentioned or heard from since the first part of the episode, but who needs her anyway? The early seasons of this great show, including this episode, are a must for fans, as the show started to become great.
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