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Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2013
OVERVIEW: The comedy series "Archer," created by Adam Reed, was first announced on FX in the fall of 2009. Reed credits the inspiration for the show to a personal experience in which he was unable to muster up the charisma to hit on a beautiful woman; he later fantasized about a suave, debonair spy who would always have the right moves. I have absolutely fallen in love with "Archer;" I can't get enough of the continuous wit and exceptionally clever dialog. Unlike other animated shows, "Archer" utilizes complex plotting as well as character development, allowing viewers to watch and rewatch episodes without sacrificing entertainment value. I am personally humbled by the various cultural references employed by the writers--it just goes to show how involved intellect must be in creating comedy. I fully understand that much of the show's content may be deemed offensive to some viewers, so to enjoy it, it's best to keep in mind that "Archer" is written in a satirical manner. It is fair to warn, however, that the series earns its TV/MA rating quite well through use of crude language, violence, and sexual situations; basically, it's probably not suitable for children or anyone who isn't a fan of that sort of comedy.
The storyline centers around Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) who is the sort of spy Reed had imagined, only with a few extra character `flaws'--he is pretty much a sociopath. Despite bearing the codename Duchess, Archer is considered the world's most dangerous spy; were he not absorbed with promiscuity, alcoholism, expensive toys and tactlenecks, he might also be considered the world's best spy. Archer works for his self-centered and emotionally distant mother, Malory Archer (Jessica Walter), at the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS) based in New York City. Fellow ISIS employees include agent Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler), comptroller Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell), agent Ray Gillette (Adam Reed), HR Director Pam Poovey (Amber Nash), Head of Applied Research Dr. Algernop Krieger (Lucky Yates), ISIS whipping-boy Brett Buckley (Neal Holman), and nut-job secretary Cheryl Tunt (Judy Greer). Other recurring cast-members include: ODIN agent/cyborg/KGB leader Barry Dylan (Dave Willis), call-girl Trinette (Maggie Wheeler), ex-KGB head Nikolai Jakov (Peter Newman), ex-KGB agent/cyborg Katya Kazanova (Ona Grauer), and Archer's valet, Woodhouse (George Coe; Roy McCrery in flashbacks).
Season 3 Guest Stars: Italian Prime Minister Savio Mascalzoni (Luciano Palermi), manhunter and former ISIS agent Rip Riley (Patrick Warburton), Cuban drug lord Román Calzado (Joaquim de Almeida), slave pirate Noah (David Cross), Canadian terrorist Kenny Bilko (Robb Wells)**, NYPD Detective Murphy (Lloyd Sherr), Sheriff E.Z. Ponder (Michael Rooker), Pangu pirate Bucky (James Hong), train manager George (Dave Fennoy), Commander Kellogg (Dave Fennoy), Yakuza boss Mr. Moto (George Takei), ISA researcher Trish (Brett Butler), Randy Gillette (Jack McBrayer), Jenette Gillette (Paula Malcomson), Commander Anthony Drake (Bryan Cranston), and film-star Burt Reynolds.
ARCHER: THE COMPLETE SEASON THREE--kicked off in January of 2012. The third season carries some of the long-running jokes from Seasons One and Two; but the third season begins to provide more plot-depth. Some of the continuing themes include: Who is Archer's father? Will Brett finally die? What is Barry's master plan? Will Lana and Archer get back together? What is to become of the rivalry between Barry and Archer? Will Archer and Pam continue their relationship? How does Barry get home?
SPECIAL FEATURES: [13 Episodes/2 Discs] `Heart of Archness' Trilogy Enhanced, Book-on-Tape Fail, Cooking with Archer, Gator 2--Trailer, "Archer" Season 3 as Comin-Con 2012, and Commentaries on `El Contador,' `Drift Problem,' and `Lo Scandalo.'
EPISODES:
Episode 1: "Heart of Archness: Part I"--In the wake of Katya's death, archer has been missing for three months. Even though ISIS has been reporting better numbers in his absence, Malory determines it's time to bring Sterling home. She hires Rip Riley, manhunter and former ISIS agent, who has tracked Archer to a small island in French Polynesia where he has been tending bar and ruining honeymoons. Rip forces Archer onto his sea plane, Lucy Goosey; Archer manages to incapacitate Riley and commandeer the plan, but his lack of understand on the concept of autopilot causes Lucy to run out of fuel and crash into the Pacific. Following the crash, Archer selflessly chooses to save Rip over a bottle of booze. After losing contact with Riley, Malory spares no expense sending Lana and Ray to rescue Archer. As it turns out, a gang of pirates kidnaps Riley and Archer with the intention to ransom; Archer, with the help of his Omicron Spymaster, quickly relieves the head pirate of his duties, thus making himself the new Pirate King of the pirate island, Pangu.
Episode 2: "Heart of Archness: Part II"-- To begin his reign as Pirate King, Archer imprisons Riley. Noah (David Cross) is one of the slave pirates; he was an anthropology doctoral candidate working on his dissertation when he was captured. Because he speaks English, Archer uses Noah as a translator for communicating with his subjects. Archer is living-it-up as Pirate King, but neglects his duties as a pirate, leading to low morale among the men; Bucky attempts to overthrow Archer by melawan raja. Rip escapes his dungeon and contacts Malory by radio. Amid the skirmish, the pirates mutiny; Sterling, Rip, and Noah end up in the dungeon. When Ray and Lana arrive on the shore of Pangu, they are quickly captured and thrown in the cell with the others. Back at ISIS, Cyril is both drunk and concerned for the impact Archer's rescue will have on the budget; he does some blackout online banking... and Pam.
Episode 3: "Heart of Archness: Part III"--Cyril realizes he embezzled all of ISIS's funds during the late-night banking session, but can't remember the password he used. Pam suggests they try drunken-recall; the two repeat their actions from the previous night. Ray and Lana are shot during a struggle between Archer and Bucky. In order to save Ray from succumbing to blood loss, the team has to make a quick escape... meaning there isn't time for Noah to retrieve his dissertation before fleeing. Because the rest of the pirates are distracted by the intramural lacrosse final, Archer, Lana, Ray, Riley, and Noah manage to make a (mostly) clean getaway.
Episode 4: "The Man from Jupiter"--Archer finally meets his hero, Burt Reynolds, only to discover that Burt is dating his mother. Archer disregards the threat of a Cuban hit-squad trying to kill him and focuses on kidnapping Burt to keep him away from Malory. The Cubans mistake a wheelchair-bound Ray for Sterling and pursue Lana, Ray, Krieger, and Cyril (and Krieger's virtual ex-fiancé) in Dr. Kriger's newly handicap-accessible conversion van. Burt and Archer join the car chase to take out the Cuban hit-squad and save Lana.
Episode 5: "El Contador"--Since Ray is paralyzed, Malory promotes Cyril to field agent. Malory sends Lana, Archer, and Cyril to bounty hunt the notorious Cuban drug lord and distributor for La Sombre, Román Calzado. Lana and Archer lose Cyril while trekking the South American jungle; after their capture, Archer and Lana discover Cyril back at Calzado's compound, passing himself off as `El Contador' (Spanish for "the accountant") for La Sombre. Cyril visits Lana and Archer in their cell to warn them that, come morning, he and Calzado will be hunting them, `the most dangerous game.' While he is clearly not cut out for the physically-oriented spy work, Cyril proves his tactical worth in the field. Back at ISIS: Ray, Cheryl, and Pam are sent into full panic-mode when Malory announces an ISIS-wide drug test. Dr. Krieger seizes the opportunity to promote and test `Krieger-Cleanse,' a tea formulated to remove all traces of drug use from the body. After ingesting the disgusting tea, Ray, Pam, and Cheryl experience terrifying hallucinations.
Episode 6: "The Limited"-- **Special Guest Stars of this episode are Robb Wells, John Paul Tremblay, and Mike Smith, who respectively play Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles on the Canadian show "Trailer Park Boys."** The ISIS team is in charge of extraditing Canadian terrorist Kenny Bilko, of the New Scotland Front, back to Ottawa. Because they are traveling on the Tunts' railroad, Cheryl has her personal train cars hooked up, allowing Ray, Cheryl, Pam, and Babou to tag along for the mission. Malory treats the train manager, George, as her personal slave--furthering the stereotype that Americans are racist. Once they hit the Canadian border, Lana and Archer are met with two teams of Canadian Mounties, one of which is an imposter group attempting to free Bilko. When Cyril loses him grasp on Bilko, Archer (with the help of Babou) finally gets to fulfill his dream of fighting an enemy atop a moving train.
Episode 7: "Drift Problem"--For Sterling's birthday, Malory gives him a brand new Krieger/Dodge Challenger Special-Edition Spycar (thanks Dodge). Much like the Schwinn Stingray bicycle he received in childhood, Malory makes the gift conditional: if Sterling doesn't take the utmost care of his new toy, there will never be another. When the Challenger is stolen from his garage, Archer scrambles to recover it before Malory finds out. Pam, who has been moonlighting as a drift-car racer, suggests that the Yakuza may be responsible for the theft. The ISIS team embarks on a repo mission in the drift-car underworld; Archer disrespects the Yakuza boss, Mr. Moto, which leads to a guns-blazing car chase. Malory shows up to both dispose of Mr. Moto and lecture Sterling on responsibility. The final scene shows the Challenger with its new owner, Mr. Ford, a character from "Frisky Dingo."
Episode 8: "Lo Scandalo"--The opening scene shows Malory, alone in the dark, with gun in-hand. Archer and Lana are called to her apartment only to discover a man in a latex zentai and bound to a seatless chair; he is dead with five bullet wounds to the chest. The corpse is Italian Prime Minister Savio Mascalzoni. Malory reveals that she has been engaging in an annual affair with Mascalzoni since they met on Operation Gladio during WWII. For fear that Malory is being framed for murder, Dr. Krieger arrives to take command of the scene; he invites Cheryl, Ray, Pam, and Cyril along to each carry out pieces of the disseminated body. When NYPD Detective Murphy investigates a mysterious tip about a murder in Malory's apartment, the gang attempts to be nonchalant by staging a `fancy' dinner party.
Episode 9: "Bloody Ferlin"--Lana and Archer discover Ray in the ISIS armory, and that he isn't really paralyzed. Ray is planning to return to Ferlin, West Virginia, to help his brother, Randy, in a battle against the town sheriff, E.Z. Ponder, who Ray believes is trying to take Randy's dope farm for himself. Archer and Ray bring Cheryl along to pose as Ray's wife. Randy and his wife, Jenette, have a progressive `open-marriage;' they agree that if Randy gets to sleep with Ray's wife, then Jenette can sleep with Archer. While back in the Holler, Ray gains a new perspective on family... and reconciles his adolescent feud with E.Z. Ponder.
Episode 10: "Crossing Over"--Archer awakens to a killer hangover and no memory of what happened. Following his steps from the previous night, Archer learns that he had the best sex of his life with [drumroll] Pam, but mandates she not tell anyone. At ISIS, Malory reveals that Nikolai Jakov wants to defect--a problem for Malory because she thinks she's still dating Burt Reynolds. Nikolai is pushed out of Moscow by the new KGB leader, Barry, who apparently has some huge and mysterious master plan for the KGB; Jakov's former assistant, Boris, helps him flee to the U.S. where he is kept in the ISIS safehouse. While in charge of babysitting Jakov, Archer begins to bond with his could-be father. When Barry learns of Jakov's defection, he tracks Nikolai to the safehouse and assassinates him, eliminating any chance for Archer to gain closure on his paternity.
Episode 11: "Skin Game"--Dr. Krieger has a surprise for Sterling: he has rebuilt Katya as a cyborg. Archer and Katya pick back up in their relationship, with only minor weirdness at the fact that she is now a robot. Archer convinces his mother to make Katya an ISIS agent; the decision is made mostly on the grounds that ISIS will need their own cyborg if they are to defeat Barry. Archer and Katya plan to wed as soon as possible, but attract a certain objector: Barry. When Archer and Barry begin to fight, Katya steps in to create an all-out cyborg-v.-cyborg death match. In order to drain their voltaic cells, Krieger cuts the power; when the lights come back on, Archer discovers that his fiancé and arch-nemesis are doing more than dancing.
Episode 12: "Space Race: Part I"--Commander Kellogg of the space station Horizon may-days Commander Anthony Drake of the ISA to warn that a space-pirate mutiny has occurred. Drake explains to the ISIS team that with the continuous increase in Earth's population, space is the `new horizon;' he enlists the ISIS agents to travel into space aboard the Intrepid so that they may assist in restoring order on Horizon. Lana, Cyril, Archer, and Ray get about a day of space-camp training--which exposes Lana's weak stomach for zero gravity, but Drake mandates she go anyway. Once in space, Pam and Cheryl are found as stowaways aboard the Intrepid; seeing as how they're women, Drake doesn't seem to mind, but locks Archer up for allowing them onboard. Archer convinces Pam to release him from his cell so he can join the battle of the "boarding-party space-pirates." After Drake uses the ISIS agents to defeat the "mutineers" and regain control of Horizon, Commanders Drake and Kellogg reveal themselves as the true mutineers; they have kidnapped the research crew (referred to as `involuntary laborers') and intend to use them as breeding-stock for populating Mars. Due to Lana's superior genetics and IQ, she is destined to be the Martian Queen.
Episode 13: "Space Race: Part II"--Much like a scene from "Star Wars Episode IV," Archer, Lana, Ray, and Cyril are forced into a sealed room by `Stormtroopers' Drake and Kellogg; Lana's physique and Archer's locker-room experience secure their escape. Back on the Intrepid, Pam begins to make trouble for the mutineers. Lana and Archer find the imprisoned `involuntary breeding-stock;' Trish, one of the ISA scientists, explains that the only way to get back to Earth is on the Intrepid--which can only be piloted by either Drake or Kellogg. Cheryl regales Drake with her desires to become Martian Queen, granting Pam the chance to subdue him. In a standoff, Kellogg surrenders, but Cyril shoots him (and everyone else) anyway. Meanwhile, Barry (dressed to resemble Luke Skywaler) is on his way to Horizon so that he may continue torturing Archer. Archer is very excited to play with Barry--who even promises to let Archer wear the space-bot suit; even though it kills Archer to do so, he has to take a rain check on the play date. Since they don't have a captain, Cyril volunteers to pilot the Intrepid for the return flight. During liftoff from Horizon, Cyril destroys Barry's ship... leaving Barry trapped in space. The Intrepid crash-lands on earth, leaving the ISIS crew with fairly minor injuries (excluding Ray, of course, who is paralyzed for real this time).
5 people found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2013
I am not sure how to really break down this review so I will go bit by bit. Archer is hilarious and all of the supporting cast has really come into their own as the show unfolds. I think the two things that really do it for me is the overlapping dialogue that lets you watch again and again and still pick out new little bits you missed the first 5 times. The second is the reason I love Robot Chicken so much; there is so many clever tidbits from the 70's and 80's thrown all over. Now, if you haven't watched the first 2 seasons you will spoil a lot of the fun. The season starts out with a 3 part episode right after the season 2 tragedy (trying to avoid spoilers). Here is a simple rating and breakdown by episode.
Heart of Archness: Part 1-3: 4 stars
I do wish the could have condensed the 3 into 2 because it seems to drag a bit but there are so many parts that I laughed crazy hard at. Patrick Warburton is perfect as Rip Riley and Archer as the pirate king just kills. So many funny quotes I am hard pressed to pick a favorite but the "Record for length of time holding my breath and most sharks shot in the face!" Some funny booty quotes so choosing is subjective.
The Man from Jupiter: 5 stars
Hello! Burt Renolds! Archer and his super man crush and so many things about this episode are amazing. One of the best of the season.
El Contador: 2 stars
I just really don't like Cyril and this episode was just blah to me.
The Limited: 3 stars
I just really didn't like much about this episode except Babu the Ocelot. Archer seems to have an affinity for animals and that really elevated the episode. I think the forced politically incorrectness and the whole over the top digs on Canada just fell flat.
Drift Problem: 3.5 stars
Hard to rate this one. Pam and her racing days were awesome and I admit I kinda liked Archer's sweet ride. I might even bump it to a solid 4 stars after I re-watch because this episode just didn't make a huge impact on my funny bone.
Lo Scandalo: 4.5 stars
Great episode. Kreiger is so dark and yet he was some of the funniest lines in all the episodes. His whole body disposal demeanor had my cracking up and the dinner interaction between the crew was spot on. I took away a half star because if you can't speak Italian you miss a huge bit of info about Archers father between Mallory and her freaky boy toy. I wish there was sub titles for this but alas it is not to be and I had to dig it up elsewhere.
Bloody Ferlin: 5 stars
Excellent nod to Justified. Ray is not a character I like so much but so much about this episode worked. The sheriff was crazy intimidating and the end skit between him and Ray made me laugh so hard. I even liked Rays brother and his wife even though it was a tad predictable in places I never got tired of Cheryl like I usually do.
Crossing Over: 4 stars
Pretty good one. No spoilers but it seems Archer more than met his match in the freakiness department and I grinned insanely but had limited belly laughs. Hard to review this one without giving away everything but it's solid.
Skin Game: 3.5 stars
Ah yes Archer is terrified of cyborgs. Cyborg Barry is great but on the whole the end was a bit sad. On the plus side Archer has really grown and that is unusual in this type of show.
Space Race: Part 1 and 2: 5 stars
Such an amazing end to the season. Mallory seemed to take a drunken backseat and that was perfect for me. Archer in space with awesome space gun fighting terrorists? Total win. When Barry arrives was just icing on the cake. "Domo arigato, Archer Roboto." Best taunting quote ever, that whole scene between Barry and Archer was just so funny.
This season is really a must have for fans and for those who enjoy this type of adult humor that isn't full of fart jokes and tasteless cut away gags.
Top reviews from other countries
5.0 out of 5 stars ARCHER SEASON 3
Reviewed in Italy on April 30, 2021
Trovato a poco e comprato dopo aver visto la prima stagione (veramente bella) su consiglio di un'amica. Devo ancora procurarmi la seconda stagione perciò non so cosa succede in questa..ma sono convinto sarà bella ugualmente.
5.0 out of 5 stars Series 3 still funny as hell.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 9, 2019
Great show. Went off the rails a bit in later seasons (6-9), but season 3 is still a cracker. Every character is unredeemably anti-social in some form or other, and most are completely incompetent, not just at their jobs but in life in general. They're rude, obnoxious, ill-tempered, bad-mannered, and would never, ever be given these jobs even in the cartoon universe they inhabit. But somehow they keep getting top secret missions - even if they're often unclear on who those missions are for. It doesn't matter though, because they'll always muck it up. But as long as Archer has a drink in one hand and a gun in the other, he doesn't care. He's Bond dialled up to 11, and about as subtle.
One person found this helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Super
Reviewed in France on November 20, 2015
Super série, on adore l'humour en dessous de la ceinture qui nous fait bien rire. Un dessin animé pour adultes top!
3 people found this helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Danger Zone!
Reviewed in Canada on February 6, 2013
Archer is hilarious. Excellent writing as in previous seasons, and the writers really have hit their stride. Secondary characters are really fleshed out, Lana is smoking hot. I like this series because each episode isn't throw away, the events, and more importantly jokes, of previous episodes tend to return down the road.
And as a proud Canadian, we come up in an episode this year. Which was probably my favorite episode of the season and saw the return of Babou the ocelot... even if it was a downer for anyone who's ever dreamed of fighting on the roof of a train.
Highly recommend this series.
One person found this helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!
Reviewed in Germany on September 20, 2013
As always!
So far the heaviest, weirdest, also bloodiest season. From Archer as pirate king to Cherryl becoming even creepier to Mallory killing a guy -or did she?- all the way to the return of Archer's dead fiancee Katya.
Must see.