Kyle’s Thoughts

The seventh season of Archer marks the third consecutive year the show has changed its format. I was a little worried before Archer Vice and it proved to be one of the better season. The CIA season last year was a little closer to the original Archer, but I still panicked with Archer’s shift to a private investigator, Magnum PI style. Like Archer Vice, this was a wildly different angle for the show, but I shouldn’t question Archer’s direction. They hit it out of the park most of the time, and Archer PI—at least for the first episode—is no different.

The beautiful thing is that Archer keeps their characters intact, while presenting a new world view each season. I won’t spoil it here, but the opening is Breaking Bad (another great show) in nature, so you know Archer’s going to have fun. And that’s what Archer is, fun.

Each new job the gang takes illustrates a new way Sterling can fail and that’s where the change in the show’s direction is a strength. We’ve seen Sterling goof as a secret agent, a drug lord, and as a CIA operative, but a job as a private investigator presents new pratfalls and puns. This is the first time Sterling has to break into a building to procure evidence, and he leaves the work to Lana and Ray, while he plays with infrared goggles. He’s so like Predator.

It’s too soon to tell what will be this season’s ongoing joke or jokes. “Inappropes” (short for inappropriate), “phrasing,” and “Danger Zone” have been staples in the past, getting peppered into most seasons after they were introduced, but Archer adds at least one new wrinkle to keep things fresh.

I’m sure the first episode’s name “The Figgis Agency” will factor into the show going forward. Sterling’s ticked off that his investigation agency isn’t named after him, and that it’s named after Cyril Figgis. The reason for the agency’s name is that Figgis has multiple degrees, assets, and the certificates to open an agency, while Sterling’s a screw up. Cyril loves to remind Sterling of the agency’s name, so you know there’ll be plenty of explosions.

I don’t want to accidently spoil anything, so I won’t go into too much detail. Just know that Sterling remains as knuckleheaded and suave as ever. And that the first episode’s a blast.

Thanks for reading.