Everybody loves Dorothy. But Maude Findlay was Bea Arthur's career-defining role, and "Maude" is where she perfected the slow burn that even now no one does better.
[Norman Lear] he cast the fearsome Bea Arthur as Edith Bunker's cousin... an extended guest spot that eventually led to television's first outright feminist sitcom.
From its fourth episode, "Like Mother, Like Daughter," the caliber of acting - the subtlety of the performances, the chances its ensemble cast took - went to a level far beyond even some of the best sitcoms.
Beatrice Arthur in the title role is the screaming liberal to Archie Bunker's screaming redneck, and her performance is as sensitive and believable and hilarious as the show itself.
