Archer Vice Review: House Call

Review written by Will Fan

This week’s episode is, simply put, everything we’ve been waiting for from Archer Vice.  The last few episodes were plenty amusing but lacked a sense of forward momentum, which is a bad problem to have when embarking in a new direction.  In retrospect, all those episodes were just laying the groundwork for tonight’s story–a great all-around episode that provides plenty of laughs alongside meaningful character development and plot progression.  All the potential of Archer Vice is finally starting to be realized, and the season gains some much-needed traction.

The episode focuses largely on the group’s attempts to rein in a now-skinny, coked-up Pam while simultaneously trying to prevent FBI Agent Hawley (voiced by Gary Cole) from stumbling across the stockpile of cocaine in the kitchen.  There’s a lot going on, but it’s the sort of deftly-executed chaos that Archer does best.  Everyone is given something to do without it feeling crowded or obligatory, and nearly all the characters are given some long overdue attention.

Krieger and Cyril hunt Pam and Cheryl through the Tunt Mansion’s many secret passages so they can implant a newer, smaller version of his mind control chip into Pam’s brain to control her addiction.  It’s great to see Krieger and Cyril getting a bit more to do, and it’s a pairing we haven’t seen a lot of in the series. Pam, meanwhile, is still an unstoppable monster driven by her quest for cocaine.  When she is finally put down by a firing line of tranquilizer darts, Krieger and Cyril decide instead to inject the mind control chip into Cheryl (who caught a stray dart), to help her overcome her stage fright.  They decide that a non-lame, country singer Cheryl (now Cherlene) is ultimately preferable to a sober Pam, a decision that actually doesn’t sit that well with me.  As I’ve said before, it mostly feels like Pam’s crazy enough on her own to not have to be explicitly addicted to cocaine, and tonight’s episode seems to further trivialize her addiction by suggesting that it’s actually an improvement over her previous self.  It doesn’t ruin the episode for me; I’m just not particularly fond of the direction they’re taking in this case.

Lana and Archer share a very touching moment, as she weighs the future and wellbeing of her child against all the dangers that come with being loyal to her friends.  They show once again how much they really care for each other, a moment that isn’t so much revelatory as necessary in reaffirming Lana’s motivations since ISIS decided to become a drug cartel.  It’s a wonderfully written scene that jumps nimbly between genuine sentiment and Archer’s usual jackassery without skipping a beat.

As for the rest of the cast, Ron becomes fed up with Malory’s lies and ultimately leaves her, so we’ll have to see what impact, if any, that has on her.  Even Woodhouse doesn’t spend the entire episode trapped under something (though he does spend a good portion of it unconscious).  The only person who doesn’t get much attention is Ray, who is still paralyzed, drunk and disheveled.  Krieger then casually reminds himself to reboot the CPU in Ray’s spine, allowing him to walk again.  It’s a convenient (albeit amusing) bit of hand-waving, but mostly it’ll just be nice to have Ray back.

It’s a great episode overall that really begins to capitalize on the show’s new premise.  The season’s really picking up now as Cherlene is ready to embark on her country music career and the former agents of ISIS decide to tap into their long list of international contacts to sell their cocaine.

• There were more running jokes than usual this episode (not that that’s a bad thing):

  • Archer’s ongoing savant-like proficiency with numbers and conversions

  • His complete ignorance of more mundane things, like yogurt or the various types of internet porn

  • The metric system

  • The group no longer using “phrasing” (and the attempt to find a suitable replacement)

• This episode’s obscure historical reference: Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, a 19th century meteorologist and strong proponent of the US adoption of the metric system

• “But you could be famous!” “I COULD BE LETTUCE!”

• Coke-rage Pam has torn up purple pants, a nice little nod to the Hulk

• “This is only somewhat like that old gypsy woman said!”

• The group’s various excuses for Ron Cadillac in a hospital gurney: vasectomy, piles, gout, mumps, gout-mumps, progeria

• “GERD, LANA? DO YOU HAVE GERD?”

Archer Vice: Season 5, Episode 04 – “House Call”

Photos Courtesy of FX

Will Fan is a man of varied interests. Born in New Jersey, he was raised on a steady diet of books, videogames, television, and movies. A strong interest in science led him to receive his degree in Molecular Biology & Biochemisty with a double major in Linguistics, neither of which have anything to do with the media industry.

With no formal background in film or television, he approaches most things with an open mind. He can find equal enjoyment in the latest Cannes selection or mindless popcorn fare, and tries his best to offer fair and measured opinions. When he’s not binging on movies or television, he’s probably working his way through an extensive backlog of unfinished videogames.

You can follow Will on Twitter – @will_fan

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