Archie of course mostly played it for laughs, but there was one scene in All In the Family, where you realized that Carol O'Connor was one hell of an actor, it was the Christmas episode with the draft dodger, one of the most powerful scenes in television history IMHO. You can just feel the anger pouring out of him.
Especially when you realize that Carol O’Connor was the polar opposite of Archie Bunker.
It was, indeed, amazing acting.