Top Ten Archer Episodes

On one hand Archer is about an immature, world class spy with a drinking problem and his adventures with his crazy coworkers at the ISIS spy organization that his mother Mallory runs. On the other hand, it is also one of the most smartly written adult animated shows of its time. While it could initially be summed up as a spy comedy, Sterling Archer and his colleagues have also worked as drug kingpins, private investigators and even treasure hunters. With its risqué subject matter (including brushes with death, terminal diseases, job losses, pregnancies and many addictions), its creator Adam Reed has sculpted one of the most unique comedies of the noughties. Choosing the ten best episodes is no easy task but to my mind the following episodes represent Archer at its best.

Ten

Swiss Miss

When Mallory decides to increase ISIS revenues by seeking outside investment, she offers her agency’s services to a wealthy German dignitary. Archer’s job is simple – protect Anka, the dignitary’s sixteen year old daughter from potential danger. But as is often the case with the teenage kids of the powerful, Anka is a lot more trouble than she lets on. Her overt and aggressive sexual advances not only cause Archer discomfort, but could potentially scupper any plans for investment. There is a little bit of ‘the boy who cried wolf’ about his predicament as his colleagues refuse to believe his claims of harassment. However by the episode’s end, both Archer and Anka realise that they actually have more in common than meets the eye.

Nine

White Elephant

Although Adam Reed’s decision to dramatically alter the settings for the characters for seasons 8’s Dreamland and season 9’s Danger Island frustrated sections of the Archer fan-base, his creative risks have merit. After a certain number of seasons, it can prove difficult to find new adventures for the same characters. Moreover, Reed’s first experimental season – season 5’s Archer Vice – proved successful in breathing new life into the characters. In this season 5 opener, the FBI infiltrate the ISIS office and arrest everybody because as it turns out they were running spy operations illegally. While Mallory is able to bail them all out by episode’s end, the ISIS crew are still stuck because they have to shut down operations. That is until they discover the kilos of cocaine in the ransacked office. It speaks to how morally ambiguous these characters are that in only a matter of minutes, they decide that entering the murky world of cocaine dealing is worth doing. In what is one of the most conceptually strongest Archer seasons, “White Elephant” is the perfect season premiere.

Eight

The Double Deuce

For a guy with major daddy issues, Archer is awfully cruel to Woodhouse, his lifelong butler and the closest thing he’s had to a father figure. He constantly belittles him, saddles him with the most demeaning tasks and cruelly mocks his heroin addiction. But in “The Double Deuce”, the viewer gets to learn more about Woodhouse’s complex past as a general’s assistant during WW1. What this season 2 episode does is give one of Archer’s secondary characters a rich backstory that helps viewers not only see Woodhouse’s life before he met Mallory but also sheds some light on the complex nature of Archer’s upbringing.

Seven

Skytanic

When Mallory offers ISIS services on the maiden voyage of the Excelsior (a luxury airship aka blimp), it becomes clear that there is more than meets the eye. A bomb threat has been called in and it’s Archer (who doesn’t understand how blimps work) and Lana’s (who is dealing with Cyril’s trust issues) job to find and disarm the bomb. But that’s just the main plot. The subplot sees Cheryl continuing to blackmail Cyril for sex while Pam mostly provides commentary from the sidelines. Eventually the truth comes out that Mallory called in a fake bomb threat in order to score a choice room on the Excelsior. But not before Archer ironically discovers an actual bomb. This season 1 episode is not only hilarious (providing some of the most iconic lines in the show’s run), but helps emphasize some of the particular screw ups of the ISIS crew that will become a staple of the show.

Six

Sea Tunt (Parts 1 and 2)

In this season 4 two part finale, the ISIS crew find themselves underwater under false circumstances. Mallory is convinced that a hydrogen bomb has been misplaced under the sea and orders the ISIS crew to help recover it for the US government, for a sizable profit of course. In order to accomplish this, they get help from Cecil Tunt, Cheryl’s brother and his girlfriend. But in typical Archer fashion, there is more than meets the eye. Not only is there no hydrogen bomb, but Captain Murphy (the captain of Cecil’s sea lab) has possession of nerve gas missiles that he threatens to release unless his demands are met. Oh, and it also turns out that Lana is pregnant. There is a lot unraveling over the two episodes, but the hilarity flies at the same frenetic pace as the plot and makes it one of Archer’s best episodes.

Five

Blood Test

When Archer’s favorite hooker, Trinette shows up unexpected at the ISIS headquarters, it’s with huge news – she just had his baby! This revelation unsurprisingly throws both Archer and Mallory into tailspins but it’s interesting to note how the other characters react. From Pam’s uber elation to Lana’s amusement, Cyril’s condescension to Cyril’s disgust, it’s clear the arrival of the wee baby Seamus is a big deal. But if there’s one thing Archer excels in, it’s setting the viewers expectations a certain way and then subverting them. When Barry, Archer’s arch nemesis organizes an impromptu blood test in order to help Trinette prove Archer’s paternity it becomes clear that there might be some foul play involved. Although most Archer episodes invite the viewers to laugh at the awfulness of its characters, episodes like these help humanize them. Watching Lana’s maternal instincts kick in is one thing, but watching Mallory’s emotional turnaround is truly remarkable. It’s a testament to Jessica Walter’s acting ability that as Mallory, she’s able to believably transition from snarky condescension to sincere empathy within 20 minutes.

Four

El Secuestro

A strong case can be made for season 2 being the strongest season of Archer. Not just because of the memorable storylines and the hilarious jokes, but because this was the season where the characters backstories were more closely examined. In this episode, we find out that Cheryl, the scatterbrained, glue eating receptionist is heir to a family fortune of almost $500 million. Unfortunately, this only comes to light after kidnappers mistake Pam for Cheryl and capture the former. This sets up two separate but connected plotlines. Upon finding out about Cheryl’s immense wealth, Mallory’s number one priority is keeping Cheryl safe at all costs (even if it jeopardizes Pam’s safety). At the same time, the kidnappers realize that they captured the wrong person and the name of the game is to try and infiltrate ISIS and get Cheryl. It’s equal parts action packed, hilarious and insightful.

Three

Live and Let Dine

When celebrity chef and star of new reality series, Bastard Chef, Lance Casteau is given the opportunity to host a dinner between U.S and Albanian diplomats in his chic new restaurant, it is a fantastic coup. But when a threat against the Albanian ambassador’s life is raised, Casteau (voiced by late celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain) calls in the ISIS gang to work security undercover to help thwart it. What follows is a hilarious lampooning of cooking reality shows like Hell’s Kitchen, Master Chef and Iron Chef featuring the Archer characters as restaurant staff. The episode even borrows formatting elements from reality shows with the camera work reminiscent of typical reality shows. Bourdain is this episode’s star as Casteau is equal parts charming and profane. His withering put downs of Lana and Cyril are especially great fun. Like most great Archer episodes, it comes with an unexpected twist at the end.

Two

Vision Quest

Bottle episodes can be conceptually difficult to appreciate. After all, the major advantage of shooting entire episodes in one location is the amount of money showrunners can save, but it can come at expense of telling a robust story. On the other hand, when it’s done right these episodes serve to highlight the quality and depth of the characters as the episodes are heavier on dialogue and interaction. “Vision Quest” sees the ISIS gang show up at the office at 7 am as per Mallory’s instruction. They all pile into the elevator only for it to get stuck midway through its ascent. What with the lack of phone network and the early hours, the gang are stranded for the foreseeable future. Watching these characters rapidly devolve one by one is side-splittingly funny as it becomes clear that at some level these guys bring out the worst in each other. There isn’t a funnier scene in Archer history than at the end, when Mallory arrives at the end of the episode and witnesses the state of her employees and her facilities.

One

Lo Scandalo

When the ISIS gang get called up to Mallory’s penthouse on Friday night they are faced with the lifeless body of the Italian Prime Minister with three holes in his chest. In a leather bodysuit. Strapped to a chair. With a dildo lodged firmly up his rectum. Despite Mallory’s pleas of innocence, this is as dark and twisted a situation as the ISIS employees have found themselves in. A dead body is one thing, but a dead political dignitary from an ally nation is another. The stakes are incredibly high – not just for Mallory, the sure-to-be chief suspect, but the rest of the gang as they could be tried as accomplices. And yet, it’s the most hilarious episode Archer has ever done. Maybe it speaks to the messed up nature of these individuals, but even in these most trying circumstances the banter is relentless, the jokes are side-splittingly funny and their composure never really wavers. Perhaps the greatest thing about this episode is the fact that all the characters are given equal opportunities to shine in the same story-line. Archer’s strength as a show is the impeccable comic gifts of their talented cast so when they get a chance to bounce of each other like they do here, it makes for truly classic television.

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