Review written by Will Fan
Last week, our would-be drug cartel lost 20 kilograms of cocaine with only 10 million in counterfeit bills to show for it, and things haven’t improved much since. With their options and resources dwindling, Pam decides to take matters into her own hands by reaching out to the yakuza. This week’s episode isn’t one of Archer’s best; it serves mostly to bring back some familiar faces, but doesn’t provide much in terms of plot or character development.
The biggest issue with this episode is that not a lot happens. The counterfeit bills are high enough quality that the group might be able to make use of them, and the group decides to replace the weapons that were seized by the FBI (“If we’re making a list… bullets”). However, their plan is quickly derailed when Pam uses the money to purchase amphetamines from the yakuza to feed her growing addiction. The counterfeit bills are quickly spotted, and the Yakuza leader Mr. Moto (voiced by George Takei) tracks Pam down to settle the debt. Surrounded in the Tunt mansion with few weapons and fewer options, Archer dons his slightly darker suit to save the day. He sneaks into Mr. Moto’s limousine using the mansion’s many underground passages and forces Mr. Moto by gunpoint to forgive Pam’s blood debt in exchange for the return of the amphetamines and 5 million dollars’ worth of cocaine.
Sounds like a fairly standard episode of Archer, but it lacks any real progress or character development. Some of Archer’s best episodes in the past have been self-contained, but this felt mostly like an excuse to dig up old characters and references. Ron Cadillac drops by because he has nothing else to do (he later gets shot, but survives); passing references are made to Skorpio, Conway Stern, and Ray’s brother Randy; and of course George Takei returns as Mr. Moto. There were a good number of laughs in the episode, but I found myself disappointed to find everyone back at square one by the end.
We don’t learn much about our characters or their motivations either, unfortunately. Lana is still an inexplicably willing and active player in the group’s most dangerous plans, while Pam continues on her singular quest to feed her addiction. Ray continues to be a “cyborg in a wheelchair who keeps pussyaching about being a cyborg in a wheelchair” according to Cheryl, while Woodhouse once again gets stuck in a random place (this time, under a medicine ball in an old gym). The episode picks up a bit towards the end, when we’re treated to a glimpse into Cheryl’s family history (a crazy uncle who attempted to tap into what he thought was a literal Underground Railroad to recapture fugitive slaves) and Archer has a great shotgun-punctuated discussion with Mr. Moto.
The new premise of Archer Vice has opened up a lot of opportunities for our characters, but we’ve barely scratched the surface of everything this season has to offer. This episode doesn’t break too much new ground for the series, but it’s still very early in the season.
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According to Pam’s note to the UPS guy, Cheryl’s mansion is located on the Northwest corner of 55th and 5th
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Krieger’s virtual girlfriend has evidently survived the government raid/seizure of ISIS
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“I don’t get all pissy every time you mistake a dutchman for a swede!”
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Archer has been shot 26 times over the series, according to this episode
Archer Season 5, Episode 03 – “A Debt of Honor”
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