Once and For All (Married With...Children)

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

I'm conflicted, but I think I'd have to go with Jefferson. I especially like the occasional references to his acting career outside of the show.

[Tapout]

I don't think it's fair to call one better than the other. Each man was, I would say, equally good at what he did.

During Steve's run, the show was still getting warmed up and Marci was still this very uptight character (not sure if Amanda Bearse was still in the closet around that time), and Steve was a very, very good foil for her. He was just as uptight and prim and proper.

When Jefferson came around, the show had become the raunchy, cheap laughs machine most people remember it as and he played right into that. I would say just as well as Steve.

Again, I don't think a clear winner can be called unless we get a bunch of people who simply didn't see much of the earlier episodes and only saw the Jefferson ones.

They were both equally great.

[SHAKEMASTER TV9 is Don Knotts]

I like both eras. Both were the opposite of the other. I think I like Jefferson more because I like that Al got a sidekick and Marcy as his antagonist.

[The Genesis of KoOS]

Jefferson all the way.

[ICBM]

Jefferson. I loved the one where Al finds out Jefferson was an assasin or a cia guy or something. Al tries to grill him on US presidential History with J answering everything right and Al only ever answering "James K. Polk" for every answer.

[01010010 01101001 01100011]

Jefferson easily. Steve sucked.

[Doctor Tull-eus S. Venture]

Dec 15, 2009 14:09:40 GMT -5 ICBM said:

Jefferson. I loved the one where Al finds out Jefferson was an assasin or a cia guy or something. Al tries to grill him on US presidential History with J answering everything right and Al only ever answering "James K. Polk" for every answer.

(ahem)

''EISENHOWER!"

[taylorandborland]

Nah, Jefferson wasn't nearly as cool as Steve. He didn't stand out.

Both him and Steve didn't have any balls, but Steve was at least smart enough to handle Al, Marcy and Peggy's brands of bulls***. He felt different because he was the only sane guy in the whole show. Jefferson was a dime a dozen backstabbin' scumbag like everybody else on the show and didn't really do much.

[Stu]

Gotta go with Jefferson. If nothing else, it got us an occasional Happy Days/Love Boat reference. Also, I can't see Steve being a part of No Maam.

[psychotix5000]

I must go on the record as saying that I hated both of them equally.

[Sir Woodrow]

Jefferson.

[Ducky Momo]

I don't remember much about Steve but I always loved how Jefferson would laugh at all the jokes Al made at Marcy's expense. They were a fun team to watch. Some of my favorite episodes are Peggy & Marcy vs Al & Jefferson.

[Doctor Tull-eus S. Venture]

Dec 15, 2009 15:39:08 GMT -5 Ducky Momo said:

I don't remember much about Steve but I always loved how Jefferson would laugh at all the jokes Al made at Marcy's expense. They were a fun team to watch. Some of my favorite episodes are Peggy & Marcy vs Al & Jefferson.

IIRC, one of those episodes had Marcy verbally ripping Al a new one, and all he could say in retort was "Well, you're a chicken!''

That was awesome.

[taylorandborland]

I will say this for McGinley, I liked that line he did where he was like:

"Alright then, Captain! Er, I mean, Fonzie! I mean...uh...Al?"

[Deleted]

I'm a little split on it.

I've been watching it almost daily lately, between the airings each morning on TBS and each night on TV Land, and so I've been plenty exposed to both guys despite not being into the show until two or three months ago.

With that in mind, I'd say a lot of it varies based on the situations they were in. As mentioned each fit the show nicely for the periods they were in it, and with that came a lot of times where one's characterization fit the story or characters better than the other one would have.

Mostly unrelated, the scene when Steve gets into bed with Jefferson in the episode they shared was one of my favorite parts of the series.

[delurked]

Steve was on the older episodes.
The older episodes were funnier.
So, Steve.

[VenomFang]

Jefferson, but the episodes with Steve were smarter and better written. The stuff with Jefferson was way more psychical comedy and after a while it just got so dumb and boring.

[Allie Kitsune]

Definitely Steve. He was more of a cynical bastard, and that works for me.

[MCMGM]

Jefferson, ha.

[Jimmy]

Steve. I'll never get the love for McGinley over Garrison. Seasons 1-5 were easily Married with Children's best writing and Steve was a perfect character to play alongside the Bundy's. I love the stuff in Season 4 where Steve loses his job (Thanks to Dr. Shoe) and slowly becomes more and more Bundy-esque.