Entertainment
3 Years After Ending, This 145-Episode Spy Adventure Series Is Already Considered a Classic
In Archer, even Sterling Archer’s (H. Jon Benjamin) biggest enemies refer to him as “The World’s Most Dangerous Spy.” To his co-workers at ISIS — the spy agency, not the terrorist group — he’s simply the alcoholic, womanizing secret agent who’s practically a nepo baby because his mother runs the agency. Premiering in 2009, Archer was a stylish, sophisticated breakthrough between long-running animated series like The Simpsons and South Park. While its cartoonish aesthetic might suggest otherwise, the series still stands as one of television’s sharpest adult comedies three years after its series finale.
Rather than centering on a dysfunctional family, Archer follows an equally dysfunctional spy agency. Unlike the prestigious CIA or FBI, ISIS is underfunded, over-the-top, and staffed by spectacularly unqualified employees, with Archer serving as its poster boy. Packed with obvious homages to the spies of yesteryear, Archer gives audiences the bad boy of espionage — not because its hero has gone rogue, but because it’s almost unfathomable that someone so immature can also be such a well-oiled killing machine.
What Is ‘Archer’ About?
Archer has every espionage trope in the book: the suave 007 persona, expensive cars, and a Cold War-like rivalry with the KGB. The catch, however, is that Archer is no James Bond. He’s a childish, narcissistic operative with a severe Peter Pan complex and glaring mommy issues. In today’s climate, he’s a walking red flag, displaying the kind of politically incorrect behavior that would never fly today — think the early seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, only even cruder and occasionally bordering on illegal. Somehow, despite all his flaws, Archer is an exceptional field agent. Alongside his reluctant partner — and on-again, off-again lover — Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler), Archer bumbles through missions like it’s child’s play, fighting off everyone from cyborg assassins to Chinese triads.
Archer isn’t the only eccentric character in the show. Ironically, he works for his emotionally detached mother, Malory Archer (Jessica Walter), who runs ISIS. Since Malory rarely spent time raising him, the two have a deeply complicated relationship, one built on constant insults and petty jabs. Archer’s abrasive behavior also affects the rest of ISIS’s equally maladjusted staff, including the insecure accountant Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell), the masochistic office assistant Cheryl Tunt (Judy Greer), the borderline intrusive head of HR Pam Poovey (Amber Nash), the mad scientist Dr. Algernop Krieger (Lucky Yates), and bomb specialist Ray Gillette (Adam Reed).
‘Archer’ Pays Homage to Spy Classics with a Comedic Twist
The first four seasons of Archer follow an episodic mission-of-the-week format, usually tied together by an overarching storyline revolving around Archer’s messy personal relationships, whether with Lana, Malory, or someone outside ISIS. Each episode throws the show’s titular character into a hyper-specific mission built around familiar espionage clichés, only with an unmistakably indecent twist. These escapades range from hunting down a mole inside the agency — where Archer somehow gets an erection during a gun standoff — to protecting the 16-year-old daughter of a German billionaire who has the hots for him.
By the middle of its run, Archer began shaking up its formula by parodying some of Hollywood’s beloved works. The Miami Vice-inspired fifth season follows ISI after its dissolution by the FBI, forcing the team to sell counterfeit cocaine to stay afloat. Season 7 borrows from Magnum, P.I. as ISIS relocates to Los Angeles and opens a boutique private investigation agency in Hollywood. After Archer falls into a coma following the Season 7 finale, the series conceived what is now referred to as the “coma dream” trilogy: the 1940s noir-inspired Archer: Dreamland, the Tales of the Gold Monkey-inspired South Pacific adventure Archer: Danger Island, and the Alien-inspired sci-fi romp Archer 1999.
Between the Crude Jokes, ‘Archer’ Has Plenty of Heart
Archer’s proneness for utter disrespect might make him a difficult character to root for, but what makes him so endearing to watch is that everyone else at ISIS is more than willing to knock him down a peg. He might be excellent on the field, but when it comes to his cognitive abilities and emotional quotient, he’s nothing but weaponized incompetence, giving his co-workers more reason to push back against his nonsense. Because Archer’s carelessness constantly gets him into messes during missions, almost every episode sees him swallow his pride and ask his teammates for help, much to their amusement.
While Archer keeps the momentum going with its offensive jokes, explosive missions, and bureaucratic side plots, it also knows when to take itself seriously. Archer may be rude, but he’s not heartless. Much of his hypermasculine bravado is a defense mechanism, and whenever his teammates are in real danger or he loses someone he loves, those walls come down. Throughout the series, expect surprising sacrifices, unexpected deaths, and a farewell nobody saw coming. While 145 episodes may seem like one too many for a spy series — after all, there are only so many missions audiences can follow — Archer gives classic espionage an eccentric edge, taking cues from the spy television of its heyday while reinventing the genre for modern audiences.
- Release Date
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2009 – 2023-00-00
- Directors
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Casey Willis, Matt Thompson, Justin Wagner, Pierre Cerrato, Adam Reed, Megan Johnson, Chi Duong Sato, Omaka Schultz, Kim Feigenbaum, Stephen Slesinski, Marcus Rosentrater
- Writers
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Mark Ganek, Matt Roller, Asha Michelle Wilson, Mike Arnold, Shane Kosakowski, Shana Gohd, Brittany Ann Miller, Alison Zeidman, Miles Woods, Mehar Sethi
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