Archer: Road Trip
July 11, 2019 12:20 PM - Season 10, Episode 6 - Subscribe
Archer and the crew make a side trip to a planet to investigate a distress call.
Things happen. Archer looks for the maraschino cherries. Dinosaurs and cocktails and clones oh my.
AV Club doesn't like this one at all.
Things happen. Archer looks for the maraschino cherries. Dinosaurs and cocktails and clones oh my.
AV Club doesn't like this one at all.
6 episodes down, 2 to go.
It wasn't that bad. Then again, I'm an easy sell on Archer, between the voice acting and the design. Have there been better episodes? Oh yes. But is this the worst thing I've seen? Nope, and not recently.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:36 PM on July 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
It wasn't that bad. Then again, I'm an easy sell on Archer, between the voice acting and the design. Have there been better episodes? Oh yes. But is this the worst thing I've seen? Nope, and not recently.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:36 PM on July 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
I liked, in the first 20 seconds or so, the juxtaposition between the tension-building music and Archer's inane cocktail ramblings. It didn't get any better than that. Krieger and doppel-Kriegerhad a few good lines, but it seemed like the characters were all just tired of being together.
posted by peeedro at 6:07 PM on July 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by peeedro at 6:07 PM on July 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
My specific dislikes, especially in this episode, is how Archer is almost deliberately being a jerk, to goad reactions.
I feel that classic Archer, Archer is just being Archer and he's annoying because he's childish stupid, but is talented enough to accomplish any job with panache.
Pointing out that Archer is an active jerk here, with a gandhiArcher causing everyone to file grievances, feels hamfisted and a distortion of Archer. However, characters develop and change, though. I don't like that - what with losing Wodehouse, having a baby, and a a couple of failed serious relationships - this Archer has developed into a deliberate jerk.
posted by porpoise at 9:50 PM on July 12, 2019 [6 favorites]
I feel that classic Archer, Archer is just being Archer and he's annoying because he's childish stupid, but is talented enough to accomplish any job with panache.
Pointing out that Archer is an active jerk here, with a gandhiArcher causing everyone to file grievances, feels hamfisted and a distortion of Archer. However, characters develop and change, though. I don't like that - what with losing Wodehouse, having a baby, and a a couple of failed serious relationships - this Archer has developed into a deliberate jerk.
posted by porpoise at 9:50 PM on July 12, 2019 [6 favorites]
This is feeling a little mid-Simpsons-ish in that there were a few shineys in a big bowl of pasty mush.
Krieger's "multiple dimensions"/yeah-I-made-those-clones reactions.
- Which one is the original Krieger? Nice subtle callback.
- Why was a niceArcher created?
- How many more crews are out there? Are there different Mothers and do they need to sync up with one another every so often and have to deal with timelag for remote transfer?
The dino-Predator thing. I loved the dino-Predator.
- Subtle callback to (David Lynch's) Dune in the cave scene?
- The Predator reveal. lol!
- The fight with the shuttle was a nice excuse to show off some animation resources.
- It wasn't clear how much of the shuttle's capabilities were computer-assisted, or if Archer was just that badass of a pilot.
The artwork. It's fantastic, the best it has ever been. Rewatch a couple of S01/02 episodes for a comparison. Not denigrating the early seasons at all; budgetary/ resource issues. They have so much more money now to throw resources at this. Not only is the art technically impressive, I've found some of it artistically interesting as well.
However,
- Fresh corpses while the ship was rusted out and overgrown? I know jungle grows fast, but jungles rot super fast, too.
- All they needed to fix a crashed shuttle was a battery?
posted by porpoise at 10:10 PM on July 12, 2019 [3 favorites]
Krieger's "multiple dimensions"/yeah-I-made-those-clones reactions.
- Which one is the original Krieger? Nice subtle callback.
- Why was a niceArcher created?
- How many more crews are out there? Are there different Mothers and do they need to sync up with one another every so often and have to deal with timelag for remote transfer?
The dino-Predator thing. I loved the dino-Predator.
- Subtle callback to (David Lynch's) Dune in the cave scene?
- The Predator reveal. lol!
- The fight with the shuttle was a nice excuse to show off some animation resources.
- It wasn't clear how much of the shuttle's capabilities were computer-assisted, or if Archer was just that badass of a pilot.
The artwork. It's fantastic, the best it has ever been. Rewatch a couple of S01/02 episodes for a comparison. Not denigrating the early seasons at all; budgetary/ resource issues. They have so much more money now to throw resources at this. Not only is the art technically impressive, I've found some of it artistically interesting as well.
However,
- Fresh corpses while the ship was rusted out and overgrown? I know jungle grows fast, but jungles rot super fast, too.
- All they needed to fix a crashed shuttle was a battery?
posted by porpoise at 10:10 PM on July 12, 2019 [3 favorites]
porpoise, good points.
On reflection, with your critiques in mind, this episode felt like the product of throwing darts at the ideas left over on the dart board, or (showing my age) Southpark's joke on how Family Guy episodes are written -- distress signal - Archer makes "road trip" drinks - dead clones - insurance gag - Predator x T. Rex with extra spikes. It could have been pulled together in more modern Archer ways, or they could end up with this episode.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:48 PM on July 13, 2019 [3 favorites]
On reflection, with your critiques in mind, this episode felt like the product of throwing darts at the ideas left over on the dart board, or (showing my age) Southpark's joke on how Family Guy episodes are written -- distress signal - Archer makes "road trip" drinks - dead clones - insurance gag - Predator x T. Rex with extra spikes. It could have been pulled together in more modern Archer ways, or they could end up with this episode.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:48 PM on July 13, 2019 [3 favorites]
Awe cripes guise - I forgot that I figured 'Archer'would never have a T-Rex/ raptor-dinos after having done a gag reel, unless it was for a "Very Special Episode."
I'm not exonerating this episode.
posted by porpoise at 9:33 PM on July 16, 2019
I'm not exonerating this episode.
posted by porpoise at 9:33 PM on July 16, 2019
Archer is renewed for an 11th season—and he's finally waking up
posted by Chrysostom at 8:46 PM on July 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Chrysostom at 8:46 PM on July 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
Not great, although I did appreciate the Ghostbusters ref.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:31 PM on July 20, 2019
posted by Chrysostom at 8:31 PM on July 20, 2019
I (finally?) noticed the patch on the shoulders of their uniforms, with ocelots!
posted by Pronoiac at 1:21 PM on July 26, 2019
posted by Pronoiac at 1:21 PM on July 26, 2019
I loved what I thought we're the call backs to pitch black where they were in the cave and Archer/Lana have the discussion to go back and save people.
posted by Carillon at 9:52 PM on August 5, 2019
posted by Carillon at 9:52 PM on August 5, 2019
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
Show, prove me wrong!
posted by porpoise at 10:49 AM on July 12, 2019 [1 favorite]