Archer: Vice may be the weirdest creation since the aardvark. Season five of Adam Reed’s farcical spy series starts off with the bombing of ISIS headquarters and immediately jumps into the business of international cocaine dealing. Addiction, mysterious pregnancy, and country music collide in a truly horrifying way as the gang faces a brand new set of challenges.

Archer constantly tackles multiple plot lines in one season, a tactic that keeps the viewer engaged and entertained. The fifth season takes the idea of multiple plot lines to steroidal levels. Throughout the season the gang must focus on selling all of their cocaine, staying out of the eye of the FBI, furthering Carol/Cheryl/Cherlene’s country music career, managing Pam’s cocaine addiction, and wondering about Lana’s mysterious pregnancy. While it’s definitely a ballsy move to maintain so many plots at once, it creates a very busy season that isn’t always enjoyable.

The two plots I did enjoy were Pam’s cocaine addiction and Lana’s pregnancy. In reality, it highlights the importance of going to a drug detox and getting their help to get rid of addiction.

Let’s talk about Pam. For four seasons, Pam has been the show’s Ugly Betty. She’s constantly put down by her peers because of her weight and less-than-gorgeous appearance, as well as some personal flaws. No matter what, Pam had always found a way to muscle through the hate and prove herself to be a strong character. In season five Pam does a complete 180, becoming bodacious and dangerous because of cocaine. Instead of comical, her faults have become problematic for the group. A good chunk of the season is dedicated to putting a stop to Pam’s addiction, an interesting goal in a show rank with high-functioning alcoholism and sex addiction.

While Pam’s plot line is pretty unique in terms of season-arcs, it doesn’t hold a candle to Lana’s. In the fourth season finale, Lana revealed to the gang that she was pregnant and that the baby wasn’t Cyril’s, despite the fact the two were dating. She’s pregnant throughout the entire fifth season, and it provides many interesting moments of introspection for the kick-ass spy. While it hardly slows her down, the pregnancy causes Lana to confront and explore the dangers of her job, both immediate and potential. Her entire sense of identity has come into question, as she is no longer a spy, but an expecting mother. Even though the pregnancy was completely her choice, it has unforeseen consequences for Lana.

I really don’t like season five (lookin’ at you, Cherlene), so I won’t waste more words than needed on the subject. Archer is available on Netflix and DVD.

The post Between the Lines: Archer, Season 5: Cocaine and Kids appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Trigger Warning: Article discusses abuse and sexual assault.

As evidenced in seasons past, Adam Reed has no qualms about tackling tough social issues and inserting his opinions into his creative work. Archer‘s fourth season, however, goes above and beyond in the social issues department. In every episode, some social or political undertone (if not full-on focal tone) can be isolated and identified. There were a couple epsidoes that stood out to me for their controversial material and sheer ballsiness.

Episode 2, “The Wind Cries Mary”

So, Archer has a complicated relationship with sexual assault. On one hand, Adam Reed puts forth a conscious effort to make sure Archer’s sexual conquests are include (his idea of) consent. On the other, almost every other character has committed some form of sexual assault without experiencing much – if any – comeupance. On the third, biomechanic hand, the characters aren’t exactly lauded for their actions. One could even argue Reed is simply observing the casual way in which sexual assault — especially in the workplace and among friends/acquaintances — is treated.

I bring up the show’s history with sexual assault because in just the second episode, Reed drops a shitbomb on both the viewer and Archer. The episode begins with Archer finding out his long-time, no-see best friend Lucas Troy (Timothy Olyphant) has been killed, then immediately discovering the opposite. Archer wastes no time responding to Luke’s summons, which leads him to a decrepit B&B in Vermont. There, Archer learns that Luke 1) betrayed his fellow agents, 2) stole a shit ton of money, and 3) is in love with him.

Of course, the episode features countless moments of humorous tomfoolery to distract from the seriousness of Archer’s situation. The hilarious subplot of annual peer reviews almost makes you forget how terrifying it would be to be drugged and held against your will in snowy Vermont. Almost.

The weirdest, most cringe-worthy moment comes when Lana – who, accompanied by Cyril, was sent out to rescue Archer – finally bests Luke, via death by giant tree. Bleeding to death in the snow, Luke makes a final confession to Archer. When the two were in training for ISIS, they happened to get absolutely shitfaced. While Archer was passed out, love-struck Luke snuck into the room, suntan oil in hand with one thing in mind: rape.

The episode ends with Lana driving Cyril and Archer back to ISIS headquarters, Lana and Cyril clearly disturbed and concerned and Archer clutching a bottle of alcohol, unsure of how to deal with the recent turn of events. Of course, the situation isn’t later addressed beyond half-second references, so I would hardly call it an after-school special on sexual assault. Once again looking to the other hand, it could also be Reed once again making light of an observance: the silence and ignorance that male rape victims often face. However, that could always be a coincidence.

Episode 8, “Coyote Ugly”

Next up on the social issues checklist: immigration. In this episode, Archer, Lana, and Cyril are charged with stopping a Mexican immigration ring from crossing the border into Texas. Unsurprisingly, conflicting views on immigration come to light, with Lana, Malory, and Cheryl leaning right and Pam, Cyril and Archer leaning left. In the end, Archer aids the group in making their way safely into the States.

The episode is a great example of Reed’s ability to address a controversial, relevant topic without smacking the viewer upside the head with it. The mission fits in well with what ISIS typically gets assigned to do, and the conversation around it comes off as naturally as it would in a real-life discussion.

I love that Reed took the time to address such a relevant topic, and seems to be on the liberal side of the debate. At its roots, Archer is meant to persuade you to root for a character you normally wouldn’t – its titular antagonistic protagonist. Accomplishing this goal first requires Archer to be crass, insensitive, and an undeniable asshole. However, Archer must have redeeming qualities, which include – but are not limited to – an awareness of social issues, a keen sense of justice, and a belief that people should treated a certain way because of who they are, not what they are.

Archer is available on Netflix and Amazon Prime.

The post Archer, Season 4 – Social Issues appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Season 2 of Adam Reed’s spy-comedy Archer ended with the horrific death of Archer’s Russian almost-wife, Katya (Ona Grauer). Not only was this a catalyst for the Archer-Cyborg Barry conflict that would continue for five seasons, but it served as driving force for much of Season 3’s action.

Not unlike the previous seasons, Season 3 spends a considerable amount of time on Archer’s sexual prowess. His first appearance of the season finds him in bed with a newly-wed woman on a small, French-Polynesian island. From there, he sleeps with a number of other women throughout the season, including his coworker, Pam. Unlike previous seasons, Archer has a shadow hanging over him during every hookup: his dead fiance. While this is mostly addressed at the beginning and end of the season, it plays an important part in Archer’s character development.

The effects of Katya’s death are most evident in the first three episodes of the season – Heart of Archness 1, 2, and 3. Following his bloody wedding, Archer runs away to a French-Polynesian island to grieve. There, he discovers his grieving process – bar-tending and banging newlyweds. He’s interrupted mid-process by man-hunter Rip Riley (Patrick Warburton), who’s been sent by Malory to retrieve Archer. Unwillingly, Rip takes Archer onto his sea plane, which ultimately crashes. Soon after, Rip and Archer are picked up by pirates. Long story short, Archer goes from grieving-lover to middle-aged-runaway to sexually-vivacious-bartender to pirate-king to hostage back to ISIS-agent in a matter of days.

These antics may seem nothing-out-of-the-ordinary for Sterling Archer, but they point to a complete loss of identity. For most of his adult life, Archer has defined himself by his field of work. He’s a badass spy, unafraid of illness or injury, taker of lives and maker of widows, bachelor extraordinaire, etc. Katya’s presence in the first place had a marked effect on Archer as she was the first woman he was willing to commit to since Lana. He was moments away from marrying her when Katya’s life was cut tragically short. It’s unsurprising that her death – and the trauma it caused – drove him to abandon his identity. The only way for him to cope with such a huge loss was erase his entire life and start fresh.

Despite the trauma and loss, Archer does manage to move forward with his life, until – in the eleventh episode – Katya is reintroduced as a cyborg created by Krieger in the ISIS lab. This causes intense conflict for Archer, whose love for Katya has now been pitted against his hatred for cyborgs. In the end, his hatred wins out and he must let her go.

Aside from Archer’s character developments, the season contains noteworthy moments for its other characters. Pam becomes Archer’s sexual partner, which further solidifies their relationship while providing even more conflict for Archer as the generally unappealing Pam becomes the “best sex he’s ever had.” Pam is also given a moment to shine in the seventh episode. Here, Pam’s skills as a drifter come to light as the gang tries to recover Archer’s “stolen” car. By the end of the third season, Pam has become a bit more than a punchline, and even attempts to become a field agent after passing the admittance tests with flying colors.

Another punchline character gets his moment in the spotlight in the third season: Ray Gillette. Ray started out as a temporary character, meant to last only one episode. The character got such a strong response, however, that Reed decided to keep him in the mix. The problem that arises from this is that Ray was a “novelty character,” specifically the “sassy gay friend.” There is often a tendency with gay characters to rely on stereotypes and comic relief. Reed did a decent job addressing this challenge, immediately taking Ray’s “flamboyance” down a few levels and humanizing him in several different ways. By the end of the third season, Ray has been established as a badass in his own right. He’s a kickass field agent, grew up familiar with manual labor, and is extremely intelligent.

Unfortunately for Ray, Reed still needed to kick the character in the crotch a bit to make him more “human” and less “novelty,” so Ray got blinded in one eye and paralyzed. Ray’s handicapped status actually acts as a “bit” in the show, and he frequently alternates between “abled” and “disabled.” Ray’s other kick-in-the-crotch comes in the form of his brother, Randy. Ray’s trip to his hometown of Ferlin, West Virginia gives the viewer a peek into what Ray’s childhood consisted of: intolerance, toxic masculinity, and filth. It also allows us to see Ray interact with a loved one. In one episode, we gain sympathy for Ray as well as a reason to rally behind him. He’s sweet and loyal, but strong and fearless as well.

All in all, the third season of Archer may be my favorite. The level of character development almost outweighs the questionable humor. The third season of Archer is available on Netflix, as well as on DVD on Amazon.

The post Between the Lines: Archer, Season 3: Grief and Sexuality appeared first on KRUI Radio.