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Danger Zone: FX's "Archer" Wraps Its First Season Tonight

I'm going to really miss FX's gleefully absurd animated comedy Archer.

The Adam Reed-created action/workplace comedy wraps up its first season tonight after last week's hilariously perverse and just plain weird episode that finds ISIS' best two agents--that would be Sterling Archer and Lana Kane, natch--poached by a rival intelligence agency, ODIN.

(The same agency that happens to be headed up by a man voiced by Jeffrey Tambor, which makes this episode all the more delicious because it's another Arrested Development reunion between Tambor and the former Lucille Bluth, Jessica Walter.)

Anything with Walter's Mallory is a plus and tonight's season finale features a mystery-style set-up involving a sleeping Mallory, a blood-covered Sterling, and a sharp cleaver, all before flashing back 18 hours earlier to reveal just how we got to this point.

I'll admit that I wasn't knocked head over heels by the pilot for Archer when I saw it last year, but the series itself has found its voice and settled into a nice rhythm of espionage-related action, workplace humor, gross-out humor, and double- and triple-entendres.

It's helped that the series doesn't take itself too seriously and has a hell of a lot of fun with its premise, a spoof of both James Bond films, office-based sitcoms, 1960s red terror, and anything the writers can get their hands on. (The same can't be said for ABC's FlashForward, which returns tonight just as Archer ends its freshman season.)

But I'm curious to know: have you been enjoying Archer this season? Going to miss Mallory, Archer, Lana, Cyril, Pam, Cheryl (or whatever her name is this week) and the rest of the gang at ISIS? Discuss.

Archer's season finale airs tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on FX.
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Comments

Unknown said…
I completely agree. Decent pilot, then it really found a groove. I've always liked H. Jon Benjamen's work on "Home Movies" and "Important Things." I'm trying to get friends to check out the show, especially since in my area we get recent HD episodes of FX shows on-demand. I'll miss the show while it's on hiatus.
3/18/2010
Naomi said…
Oh no! It's already over! I missed the first couple of episodes but am now completely addicted to the show. Are they doing a second season?
3/18/2010
Jace Lacob said…
Naomi,

Yuuuuup, Archer will be back for a second season. And, who knows, FX might do a marathon of the episodes you missed. Fingers crossed!
3/18/2010
Unknown said…
I was prepared to be disappointed by Archer, but I found a wickedly funny, irreverent comedy. I look forward to its return, but now I'm wondering what ever happened to Secret Girlfriend. That was a deliciously funny show, too.
3/18/2010
Mimi C said…
I am so glad that FX is bringing this back.
3/18/2010
Unknown said…
Aside from "Modern Family" it's one of the only shows that makes me laugh out loud every week.
3/21/2010
Tim T. said…
Such a great show. I have all the episodes on my DVR and have watched them all at least twice. The writing is tight and sometimes I'm laughing so hard the first time through that I miss the quick one-liners that are often even funnier than the bigger gags. Not very often that repeat viewings of a half-hour show actually INCREASE your enjoyment of it. I think it should also be said that this show looks incredible in high definition on a big screen TV. All around, the only bad thing about Archer is that the first season has so few episodes. I want more dammit! Put me back in the Danger Zone!
3/23/2010
ATSeibel said…
What a great show! Visually and verbally engaging, it keeps me interested from start to finish.

Does anyone know the name of the book on the bed next to Mallory in the final episode?
3/24/2010
dubs_zino said…
archer is a truly superb comedy. kudos to adam reed and matt tompson! and for anyone who hasn't seen it before, check out the cartoon they had on adult swim. it's called frisky dingo. boooooosh!
4/09/2010
Anonymous said…
I absolutley love this show. Saw the pilot last year and while most seemed to the piot episode only moderately. I nearly p@&ssed my pants I was laughing so hard. I can't wait till the sophmore season aires. And really can't wait till season one arrives on DVD.
6/13/2010
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