Archer Season 13 Retains the Show’s Signature Amusement and Absurdity: Review
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The post Archer Season 13 Retains the Show’s Signature Amusement and Absurdity: Review appeared first on Consequence.
The Pitch: Typically, the longer a hit program goes on, the harder it is for it to maintain its quality and relevance. Thus, Archer’s ability to mostly preserve its trademark wittiness, ridiculousness, and audaciousness across 12 seasons (and 12 years) is commendable. Admittedly, some fans and reviewers feel that it’s fallen from grace in some ways — and maybe it has — but it’s hard to deny that the show remains immensely clever, fun, and (at times) moving.
The Season 12 finale “Mission: Difficult” cemented all of that very well. For one thing, it found its lovable band of dysfunctional spies dishing out plenty of biting quips and explosive action before ultimately being acquired by a rival company called the International Intelligence Agency, or IIA, run by British mogul Fabian Kingsworth (Kayvan Novak of What We Do in the Shadows).
What’s more, it gave the group’s boss, Malory Archer, a sincere sendoff by having her leave a caring yet chastising goodbye note to son Sterling (H. Jon Benjamin) before retiring to a beach with her husband, Ron Cadillac.
That closing scene was doubly resonant because it also venerated Malory’s voice actor, the legendary Jessica Walter, who passed away in March of 2021. (Adding even more emotional weight is the fact that Ron was portrayed by Walter’s real-life partner, Ron Leibman, who died in 2019. Therefore, the creators used some archived audio to pull it off.)
Of Malory’s parting, executive producer Matt Thompson told TV Insider: “Casey [Willis] and I had planned out that finale way in advance, because Jessica passed in the middle of the season. So we had to reorganize the season to where you felt like she was in the episodes, but we actually kind of retro-scripted them. And then, we had an early idea for the finale, and that came together really nicely.”
Naturally, diehard devotees have spent the last ten months or so asking themselves two major questions: “Will Archer still satisfy as it enters its thirteenth season?” and “Will it sufficiently honor Malory — and Walter — amidst its various shenanigans?”
The answers are yes and no. Well, at least so far.
While nearly all the initial four episodes screened for critics are as comical and chaotic as you’d expect, they rarely acknowledge the absence and lingering influence of the show’s central matriarch. Granted, focusing on Malory too much could also be problematic, but by the time you get to the third and fourth episodes, it seems like the characters have essentially forgotten about her entirely. Even so, the 13th season of Archer is off to a generally triumphant start.
Highway to the Danger Zone: The best of this season’s bunch so far are the first two episodes, “The Big Con” and “Operation: Fang”: Obviously, they find Archer and company getting into all sorts of characteristically illogical yet intense mishaps (including thwarting a kidnapping, competing in high-octane activities during the Agent Skills Competition, trying to escape a hazardous tropical jungle, and facing off against guerilla soldiers).
It’s all pleasingly over-the-top and highly stylized, with the team’s habitual disregard for safety, practicality, regulations, and human life in full effect. These situations showcase not only how incredibly reckless, elaborate, and dangerous their jobs remain but also how well animated and edited the show can get during action scenes. In particular, a skydiving sequence during “The Big Con” (whose parallels to Point Break are so blatant that Archer even screams, “Whoooo! Johnny Utah!” as he falls) is complex and thrilling.
Archer (FXX)
Of course, the true brilliance and charm of Archer come from its lead personalities, all of whom are just as lewd, selfish, cowardly, and/or deranged as ever. As a result, there are many hilarious retorts, insults, and admissions strewn across each adventure that perfectly embody who these people are. Archer is still a narcissistic man-child, Pam is still a crass bruiser, Dr. Krieger is still a weirdo inventor, etc. They haven’t changed one bit – which is a good thing – and their voice actors continue to nail their performances.
That said – and without trying to spoil things too much – suffice it to say that Cheryl Tunt (played by Judy Greer) often steals the spotlight. Whether she’s being self-involved to the point of absolute obliviousness, licking frogs to get high, or lighting fires to appease her god, nearly everything she does and says is uproariously bizarre. As the series’ beloved psychopathic nymphomaniac, we’d expect nothing less.
For the most part, those positives endure for Episode 4, “Laws of Attraction,” too. It pits our outrageous scoundrels against wily Swiss terrorists, with a recurring joke regarding Swiss chocolates getting a laugh every time. Oh, and Archer’s inevitable arc (getting drunk amidst saving sea turtles and disrespecting his crew) is wonderfully fitting.
What Mother Would’ve Wanted: At first, it seems like the loss of Malory Archer will weigh heavily on those she’s left behind, especially early on in “The Big Con.” You see, Archer begins a heartfelt conversation with a bartender, confessing: “I do feel a responsibility to keep my mother’s legacy alive, but on the other hand, I don’t have to worry about being yelled at by the one person in the world who scares me. So, do I go with responsibility, or do I go balls-to-the-wall?”
Viewers might guess that he’ll immediately lean toward the latter, but it’s nonetheless a valuable bit of pathos. In fact, it simultaneously adds depth to Archer himself and lets viewers know (five minutes into the episode) that his mother’s shadow casts itself over those she’s left behind.
A few superficial references to Malory are made across the next three episodes, plus there’s an ongoing gag involving nearly every agent vying for her vacant position. That said, it never truly seems like anyone (including her son) actually misses her or that her absence affects, well, anything important. Instead, their jobs and lives go on as normal, and while Archer has always been about its humorous lack of consequences (and it’s by no means a drama), fans hoping for something more impactful won’t find it.
This is How We Get Ants: You’ll notice that Episode 3, “Saturday,” hasn’t been mentioned yet, and that’s because it’s easily the weakest entry of the set. The storyline (basically, Lana and Archer try to capture another operative, The Broker, while Pam babysits their child, A.J.) is comparatively insignificant, tedious, and unfunny.
There are some mildly amusing moments, of course, and it’s nice to see Archer and Lana’s daughter again, but “Saturday” mostly comes across like an unrelated internet short or bonus feature on a Blu-ray. (Honestly, you could go from “Operation: Fang” to “Laws of Attraction” without missing a beat.) Plus, whereas the other episodes feature strong running jokes, this one’s frequent jab at them having to work on the weekend instantly falls flat.
Beyond that, Fabian lingers as a very bland and one-note character who – if it’s what the creators are intending – is a pale substitute for Malory. Sure, he’s meant to be the sort of stodgily condescending Englishman that Monty Python loved to lambast, but aside from one terrific remark about Archer in “The Big Con” (“It’s like his liver absorbs alcohol and excretes luck”), he’s not appealing.
The Verdict: Despite those complaints, the thirteenth season of Archer is shaping up to be superb. After all, the majority of what’s been shown thus far is typically lively and hilarious, with plenty of outlandish set pieces, wisecracks, and plot developments sustaining the show’s classic allure.
With any luck, “Saturday” will stand as the season’s only significant misfire, and perhaps Malory will be given greater reverence as the second half progresses. Either way, Archer is still a delightful time.
Where to Watch: The first episode of Archer, “The Big Con,” will premiere on FXX on August 24th, with subsequent new episodes arriving every Wednesday.
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Archer Season 13 Retains the Show’s Signature Amusement and Absurdity: Review
Jordan Blum
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