Summary

Archer revolutionized animated adult fare, paving the way for shows like Rick & Morty and Teenage Euthanasia to find their audience. The untimely death of Jessica Walter halted plans for an Arrested Development reunion and an Archer homage episode. Archer created its own mythology, challenging stereotypes and mixing realities to create a deeply funny and irreverent series. Don’t predict the ending, watch it yourself.

“The decadent, suave spy lit his eightieth cigarette of the day…” So begins the opening line of Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale – released on April 13, 1953. How could anyone resist a guy like that? This basic, outlandish, and almost cartoonish representation of a double agent in a clandestine organization served as the firm basis for Archer, as any fanatic is aware.

Unfortunately, for long-time shout-oriented spy fare, Archer is bidding its curtain call, leaving FX and heading for reruns via streaming Hulu service. Yet before all hail the chief and us mere knaves proclaim “long live the king,” it’s appropriate to look back at the amazing, ground-breaking, and cringe-inducing classic moments and underlying themes that accompany the peculiar world of Archer.

Remnant from Another Era
FX

Created by Adam Reed, Archer follows H. Jon Benjamin as self-important, womanizing scoundrel Archer, with Jessica Walter as his mother-slash-boss-slash-handler as they operate a privately-owned spy business. Aisha Tyler works as a counter-intelligence operative, which implies that she goes out into the field to interrogate or infiltrate nefarious activities. Mostly, she drinks coffee and yells at Archer.

A great deal of other properties owe their popularity to Archer, including FX’s other series, Little Demon, Hulu’s Praise Petey, and Adult Swim’s Teenage Euthanasia. Indeed, even Rick & Morty owes a bit of gratitude, as this, alongside the aforementioned shows, perhaps wouldn’t have gleaned the audience they did had it not been for Archer setting the stage. Why? Well, audiences tired of Family Guy and the long-canceled Cleveland Show had also outgrown The Simspons, and watching Archer convinced these same audiences to give other, later animated adult fare a serious shot. And it paid off!

Lest other fans of other series feel left out, Archer has met up with other properties, such as the fan-favorite episode where the titular Archer crosses over with the characters from Bob’s Burgers, leading to an action scene. Similarly, the clerk from Family Guy (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) does a stand-up routine where Bob from Bob’s Burgers meets Archer (from Archer). It’s about as thrilling as it sounds. The bit lands, though, leading Archer devotees to speculate on future out-of-the-box comedy for the series’ final outing while vocalizing their hopes for the finale.

Related: FX’s Archer: What We Hope to See in the Final Season

The Untimely Death of Jessica Walter
FX

In the recent trailers for the apex season of Archer, many aficionados were introduced to a new character. The new character, Archer’s agency’s young, untried super-agent, Zara Khan, is played by Natalie Dew. While it doesn’t seem wise to introduce audiences to new characters in the final season of a series, Archer had no choice.

Jessica Walter died in her sleep at home in New York City on March 24, 2021. The actor (a term she preferred) was 80 years of age. While this came as a surprise and quite a blow to the production team of Archer, it also put a halt on plans for an Arrested Development reunion as well as plans for an animated Archer homage episode to the cult comedy hit featuring actors Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, David Cross, Alia Shawcat and Jeffrey Tambor – all cast members of Arrested Development who had cameos in Archer.

A Fitting Tribute
FX

Archer has created its own mythology out of the ashes of James Bond, who was officially killed off in No Time To Die (2021). The superspy legacy continued through Archer, taking it from its roots in the noir style all the way to the cyborg-infested future of tomorrow. Fans watching Archer from its inception to its brilliant conclusion were immersed into a world that was deeply skeptical, deeply paranoid, deeply funny, and deeply, er, annoyed. Archer, if one can get used to the constant yelling, seems at first to promote misogyny and stereotypes, but the truth is that circumstances within the plots of Archer turn these cliches on their head.

Related: Archer Season 14 Trailer Unveils a Fitting Farewell to the Classic Spy Parody

H. Jon Benjamin has admitted to growing tired of screaming, “Lana. Lana? LANA!” repeatedly, but his child-like kinship with the character is something he’ll miss. Taking a swipe at everything from politics, societal norms, S&M, alcoholism, parental absenteeism, genetic experimentation, the blurring lines between media reality and daily life, and recreational drug use make Archer the definitive, irreverent series the defied classification.

Archer challenged the precepts of action comedy, mixing separate realities to achieve a certain ontological uncertainty. Everything you need to know heading into the final season? Don’t predict the ending. The creators have teased an outcome that will challenge enthusiasts’ view of the reality of the series, but don’t dare submit to spoilers and make sure you view the final season for yourself.