The intrigue and danger of Archer!
Archer and ISIS are back! Archer has lost the woman he loved and is missing. With Rip Reilly sent to retrieve him, Archer finds himself a pirate king…but being a pirate isn’t everything he thought. Archer also gets the chance to meet his idol Burt Reynolds, fights on a train, and finds an unexpected new lover in ISIS. A voyage to space to liberate a space station could put all of ISIS in danger and put Archer face-to-face with his enemy Barry again…but at least he gets some quality time with the ocelot.
Oh Pam…don’t you go changing…
Archer—Season 3 aired on FX Network from September 15, 2011 to March 22, 2012. The series was nominated for and won an award for Best Animated Series by the Critics’ Choice Television awards.
I like Archer a lot and always enjoy when a new season rolls around. This season doesn’t disappoint and the series continues to be a fun, politically incorrect animated comedy.
Autobots…Roll-out!!!
Archer works because of smart writing, but not necessarily smart plotting. The episodes sometimes are drawn out or unbalanced between the fun happening back at ISIS and a mission with Archer. I think the opening story “Heart of Archer” went on too long and wasted a bit of the potential of Archer as a pirate king. The two part closing story “Space Race” had a similar problem, but with both sets of episodes, clever dialogue and punchline delivery overshadow weaknesses in the stories.
I love a lot of the parodies set-up in Archer and this season has a fun recreation of The Graduate’s famous ending in “Crossing Over” while “Space Race—Part II” has Barry imitating the famous line from The Warriors “Archer come out and play!”. The series is just solid fun and loaded with these little clever drops that really tie into the story and aren’t gratuitous (like a certain “Family” show about a “Guy” that happens to be animated).
Hello Darkness…my old friend
Archer is aided by great vocal actors. H. Jon Benjamin carries the show with the sometimes completely idiotic and other times supremely intelligent Archer. Aisha Tyler’s role as Lana in the series seems a bit toned down this season with Cyril Figgis played by Chris Parnell also taking the back seat. With less Cyril and Lana, Amber Nash’s Pam Poovey proves to be one of the funniest characters in the show with Jessica Walter continuing her Arrested Development portrayal of Malory Archer. This season also brought Ray Gillette into a bigger role for a number of episodes. Guest stars for the season included Patrick Warburton as Rip Riley, David Cross as Noah, Burt Reynolds as himself, Jack McBrayer as Ray’s brother Randy, and Michael Rooker as Sherriff E.Z. Ponder.
Archer needs to be seen to be understood. I actually think the animation is rather cool (some might find it too simplistic), and I enjoy that the series does have some continuing plotlines (though it also sometimes forgets those plotlines when it is convenient). Archer just has fun with life, and I hope Archer continues to have a long one in the dangerous spy world.
Archer—Season 3 Complete Episode Guide:
“Heart of Archer—Part I”
3.1 Heart of Archer—Part I Airdate: 09/15/11
Archer is missing after the death of his fiancée, and ISIS can’t find him. Rip Riley is hired by Malory to find Archer. Rip finds Archer at a resort and forces him to go back to ISIS. When Archer forces Rip’s plane to crash in the ocean, Rip and Archer are captured by pirates.
“Heart of Archer—Part II”
3.2 Heart of Archer—Part II Airdate: 09/22/11
Archer is now a pirate king after killing all the pirate leaders of the island compound but finds being a pirate king is harder than he thought. Lana is forced to lead a rescue mission for Archer and Cyril finds the budget ruined as the bills piled up. Archer, Rip, and his translator Noah find themselves facing a revolution among the pirates.
“Heart of Archer—Part III”
3.3 Heart of Archer—Part III Airdate: 09/29/11
Archer, Lana, Rip, Ray, and Noah find themselves prisoners of the pirates, and Maloy finds that the pirates want $10,000,000 for them. Cyril and Pam find Cyril has accidentally embezzled funds when he was drunk and decide to get drunk again to try to remember the password. As Archer stages an escape, the sexual tension between Lana and Archer grows while Ray fights for his life.
“The Man from Jupiter”
3.4 The Man from Jupiter Airdate: 01/19/12
Archer meets his idol Burt Reynolds but learns to his horror learns he’s seeing his mother. When reports that Cubans have come to kill Archer, Archer thinks it is just an attempt by his mother to keep him away from Burt Reynolds. Archer kidnaps Burt, but Burt and Archer must team-up to save Lana and the crew from the Cubans.
“El Contador”
3.5 El Contador Airdate: 01/26/12
Malory demands bigger returns and makes Cyril an active agent on a drug trafficker mission with Archer and Lana. Pam, Cheryl, and Ray find they are in trouble when Malory orders a mandatory drug test for the ISIS staff and Krieger promises them a drug cleansing drink.
“The Limited”
3.6 The Limited Airdate: 02/02/12
ISIS transports a Canadian freedom fighter to Canada and find that his allies plan to spring them. Malory tries to get her way into Cheryl’s private car. When the rebels board as fake Mounties, Archer must stop the terrorists and find Cheryl’s missing ocelot.
“Drift Problem”
3.7 Drift Problem Airdate: 02/09/12
It’s Archer’s birthday and Archer is given a new spy-car Dodge Challenger. When “Genie” is stolen, Archer must go undercover to find it to keep Malory from finding out. Pam recommends investigating the Yakuza, and Archer and Isis find themselves in a gunfight.
“Lo Scandalo”
3.8 Lo Scandalo Airdate: 02/16/12
Malory calls Archer and Lana when the Prime Minister of Italy is shot dead in her home after a sexual encounter. Though Malory claims an assassination, ISIS questions how to get the Prime Minister’s body out of her apartment.
“Bloody Ferlin”
3.9 Bloody Ferlin Airdate: 02/23/12
Ray reveals he’s been faking his paralysis and that he needs to return to his West Virginia home to stop a crooked sheriff. With Archer as his back-up and Cheryl posing as his wife, Archer and Ray must go undercover to help his brother while Mallory is kept in the dark.
“Crossing Over”
3.10 Crossing Over Airdate: 03/01/12
After drinking too much on a funeral, Archer wakes up with Pam and tries to hide his new sex partner from ISIS. When Major Nikolai Jakov defects from Russia, Malory tries to keep him hidden while Malory worries Burt Reynolds is using her. When Barry is revealed to be head of the KGB, ISIS learns that Barry is after the Archers.
“Skin Game”
3.11 Skin Game Airdate: 03/08/12
Archer learns that Krieger has created an android of his former fiancée Katya. Archer finds himself back in a relationship with Katya and considering marriage again. As the wedding comes, a surprise guest could ruin everything.
“Space Race—Part I”
3.12 Space Race—Part I Airdate: 03/15/12
A crisis in space has ISIS training for a big space mission. Pam and Cheryl stow away on the ship and Archer and Pam’s relationship is exposed. Discovering the space station is overrun, ISIS must liberate the space station from mutineers.
“Space Race—Part II”
3.13 Space Race—Part II Airdate: 03/22/12
ISIS finds they’ve been betrayed, and that the mutineers intend to use the females for their plans to terraform and populate Mars. Now ISIS must escape their captors and get back to Earth.
Related Links:
Archer—Season 1 Review and Complete Episode Guide
Archer—Season 2 Review and Complete Episode Guide
