Archer, Season 11 (2020)

27 November 2020

Times have been hard on Archer over the years. Our main character (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) is a spy with the skills like James Bond but with levels of vanity and shallowness that make him a liability for any mission he goes on. For the last 3 seasons the character was placed in a coma (which had 3 seasons of alternate universes: 1920s Crime theme, Jungle theme, and Space them), and at the end of Season 10 ("Archer: 1999"), Archer wakes up from his coma and is now back in his real world 3 years later - and the rest of the world moved on.

The independent spy agency he worked for started being profitable, his coworkers learned to overcome their personal issues, and his love interest found another relationship. This season puts a level of introspection on Archer's character, as he reflects on is fall from success and adapts to his new role in the team.

I think the most difficult thing with Archer is that's ultimately a rudderless ship, focusing more on character dynamics or quips for humor over other things like a solid story or plot. The stories with Peregrine or Aleister (with some notable special guests as backing voice actors) were definitely more developed, and are generally the highlights of the series. Personally I'm also a fan of the episode with Barry in it, more because he's been one of the most interesting villains in the series, and I think something as strongly established is easier for them to write to. I'm willing to forgive this season a little for its writing weaknesses, as it's trying to remember the characters after 3-season underwhelming segue. But for now it's an uninspired shadow of its drowned predecessor. 6/10