[7.3/10] NOTE: So full disclosure, I accidentally watched this episode first, thinking it was the season premiere. Alas!
An amusing start to the new season. We’re pretty familiar with the “Archer as _____” routine by this point, but the intergalactic version of our favorite secret agent team is a nice coat of paint. The “Archer 1999” setting is a nice grab bag of different sci-fi tropes, from the gladiator battles seen most recently in Thor: Ragnarok, to aesthetic references to Alien, Star Wars, and their low budget imitators. It’s a fun, imaginative place to take this crew.
There’s also a nice set of references to the show’s regular continuity. Archer’s ship being “The Seamus” is a nice touch, as is Barry 6 being a straight up robot at this point. The context-specific character changes are all winners here, with Mallory as some kind of Trek-style energy being, Krieger as an Alien-style android, and Pam as a standard sci-fi rock monster. It’s all just out there and tropey enough to amuse.
Speaking of which, the humor in this one is solid. The running gag about Barry 6’s delivery is a solid one. Rock Monster Pam having boners you can smell is a dose of the show’s usual crass humor, but one that finds the laughs in repetition. And bringing in Sam Richardson (Richard from Veep) as the titular, insecure goo-blog Bort is a good call. Plus Ray doing the “Mama’s comin’ home” routine back on the ship was a big guffaw.
There’s some neat designs in the episode (particularly “funbeak”) and cool animation in the gladiator fights and escapes. The show throws us into things in medias res without explaining much, but there’s time for that. It’s good just to get a snootful of the new setting for now, and the awkward silence-based humor in the end were a good way to close things.
Overall, I’ll admit to having a bit of exhaustion with all of these dreamland reboots, but as a sci-fi nut, I’m looking forward to this one, even if the first episode of “Archer 1999” didn’t blow me away just yet.
I don't know why I'm still watching this.
"Eat dicks, Barry 6" was actually a great line :joy:
Big Star Wars / Mandalorian vibes on the scene where they get away
An improvement over episode 1. I think that this season is more appealing than the previous couple have been.
I actually laughed once during this episode. First time in a season and a half!
This was really rough to watch. Clearly a low point in the series, can't wait for it to go back to canon...
It certainly is an improvement from previous anthology-themed seasons and I hope the finale is a return to the main plot.
Shout by Jim G.BlockedParent2019-06-09T05:33:20Z
The only reason that I'm still watching this at this point is that the complete-ist in me is an idiot. Because man, is this thing ever past its sell-by date. I just hope that the voice talent, on some level, is embarrassed about the lame material that's leading to the paychecks that they're cashing.