Production Note: Executive Producer Matt Thompson will be dropping by at 1PMest to answer questions and comment on last night’s episode. Please direct all questions @Matt and load up early.
Even with all the cyborg action on Archer I’m coming to the conclusion that Sterling is actually the most indestructible of all. Multiple gunshot wounds (kicked off with a teenage gut shot), Tinnitus, breast cancer, and now a tainty poisonous snake bite? For a guy whose top three fear is a brain aneurism he sure does sustain a lot of other scary injuries.
But it was all worth it because we got alligator hallucinations, the many definitions of “gurp gork,” and so many movie homages it made me regret not waiting to put this together. And oh yeah, Sterling kinda/sorta/almost remembered who his dad is. No one saw this coming.
Loads of notes, as always. Let’s get to them.
- “You’re all over the road here.” Heaven Can Wait, The Natural, It’s a Wonderful Life, and even Pulp Fiction homages? Wow. I haven’t been keeping score but this has to be a new record.
- “Lewis and/or Clark” is definitely my favorite and/or so far this season.
- “A sticky-fingered people, the Greeks.” – This will be recycled.
- I love everything about graduating from man hands to clomp feet.
- “Strongly opposed” was a Few Good Men shout out, right? Right?
- Duh? Just a solid all around Ray usage episode.
- Archer’s bucket list FTW.
- In case you need to familiarize yourself with James Mason, cut rate or otherwise.
- Thoroughly enjoyed Archer eating county fair food throughout the flashbacks.
- Bilbo’s dead? When did this happen?!
- Not sure how I haven’t wondered this before, but who does kid Archer’s voice? Please tell me it’s H. Jon.
- And did anyone else get a strong Lee Majors vibe from Archer’s dad flashback?
Pop Culture Reference Count: Rat Patrol, Empire Strikes Back, Janice Joplin, Davey Crockett, Flintstones (second of the season), Buck Henry, and the aforementioned film homages. Pam has something for this:
Chet Manley GIFs on the next page as to not crash too many browsers. Let’s make Matt forget about Vulture mistress.
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so ashamed it took me a week to watch this episode
Did Archer get renewed for season 5 today, Barry?
Yes it did, Bionic Barry. Yes it did.
Okay, I’m glad I’m not the only one who missed the Bilbo death.
The hallucinations were the best part of this episode.
I just realized that the hotel bar where Mallory was going for drinks with Ron on Valentines Day was called the Tuntmore. Which I assume Carol also owns.
I’m probably missing something blatantly obvious, but what did Ray mean when Cyril hit the camel and said,
“Well great, now we’ve both killed a large animal”?
Earlier in the ep Ray told a story from his childhood about being forced by his father to kill a bear
This season has been much better than the last one.
Great season so far but we need more Pam. Nary a shitsnack to be found.
I could watch that AT-AT gif like, forever.
So was Rat Patrol a big show and I lived under a rock for many years and just learing about it now; or is it just a really really obscure reference?
/googles videos of Rat Patrol
They’re fools that wanna make sure his casket’s closed.
In the 70′s every boy in my neighborhood loved the Rat Patrol. As I recall somebody at my grade school has a Rat Patrol lunch box.
Despite strong work from Ray, Cheryl wins with her AT-AT impression and vivisecting Lana in a rant she doesn’t remember speaking aloud (I blame the glue).
Agreed. Plus I thought our puppies would look cute together.
What’s that Other Barry? Another badge? Thanks Barry.
Loved Lana screaming her comeback at Mallory
So many questions…
How do you have bionic legs and still lift with your back? Seriously funny
Such a good episode! It sucks that I’m stuck at work so I can’t get my questions in to the Archer guys in on time. However, I want to say thank you so much to the UPROXX crew for getting them to show up and them for being so cool with everyone!
aw! i missed matt! (the husband and i were traveling between states today, so we got to miss out all of the fun!) but what a great episode. still have no clue who archer’s dad was, but at least we know that cyril can’t negotiate AT ALL with people. that said, ray gillette for the WIN.
I am so mad I missed the discussion because I was travelling today. This was such a good episode. I had many questions. Oh well.
I thought Archer’s father sounded a tad bit like Krieger.
Archer’s father: Hitler. Krieger and he are half brothers.
Calling it for season finale.
Well, one could say that Archer will Jump the Shark when we found out who his father is
/dodges rotten tomatoes
Lots of things to love about this episode. Looks like I (and a lot of others) were dead wrong about Archer’s dad. Hope to see more of the mystery character!
I have the feeling it’s someone we haven’t seen yet (well, besides the glimpse of his lower body we got today)
Wait, so it’s not Buck Henry?
Archer is strong show, it rewards fans and I like that. I just want a damn badge…
I got a brett badge in my box…phrasing…boom!!
I just got a Ray badge. Yes! Cyborg legs!
Don’t forget the Silence of the Lambs reference when Archer goes to take a dump.
That was fantastic. “THE LAMBS ARE SCREAMING!”
They should make reference to Jon Benjamin Has a Van
Archer, looking at Krieger’s new Van: “…how did you know I dreamed about that face, Krieger?!”
I asked HJB about the possibility of a Has A Van crossover/reference episode at Archer Live in L.A. His answer: “Uhhhh…that….that’s never going to happen…yeah. Sorry.”
This is my third time watching archer and I love it.
As a fat man, I plan on referring to my non-clomping walking as being “like Jackie Gleason dancing.”
/watching “Honeymooners” brb
Another great episode. Good thing I DVR these every week, cuz I have to go back and see all the references I missed. Not that I dont enjoy repeat viewings, just because.
@Matt – Why is James Mason “cut-rate”?
I think they meant that anyone that is NOT James Mason is just pretending to be and is therefore “cut-rate”
Cyril’s cobra drawing got the biggest laugh of the night and I think I have a new avatar.
It’s such a happy bread snake.
Easily the hardest I’ve laughed all season.
Well done, Charlie.
My belly still hurts from laughing so hard
It was so perfect, with his satisfied smirk as he was recalling all the snake’s features he clearly had just learned a day or two ago. Classic!
Awesome avatar! Good move.
Don’t know if this has been pointed out before, but the threat of Soviet T-72s pouring through the Fulda Gap juxtaposed to an independent Turkmenistan further serve to complicate the politics and timeline mess that we all so enjoy.
You’re saying Russia still doesn’t have those laying around somewhere?
Sorry, I thought this one was a rare miss, though I did like the fact that Pam was grinding sausages that were already ground up.
Cheryl Tunt is my muse.
Seriously, nothing?
Best episode of the season. Give these people all the Emmys.
And gummy bears for everyone !
Nothing on the Silence of the Lambs reference?
THE LAMBS ARE SCREAMING
Ah man. I made a note and everything and still didn’t include it.
As I seem to mention every week, I couldn’t be more set up to fail with these recaps.
I know I know. You do excellent work on these.
Bring back Conway Stern!
That’s not his real name.
I KNOW.
Yes. Bring him back!
Verified
I am glad y’all liked the epiosde. Or at least are pretending to. Either way, thanks. I hope you like the rest of the season and I will join you again here soon. I love the UPROXX.
Thanks for stopping by, Matt. Do it again! Do it again!
Verified
Seacrest, out.
You killed and/or are the best once again. Thanks for dropping by!
Keep randomly throwing in Mr. Ford and I’ll continue to laugh my ass off at this show. Hell, I’d do that anyways…
You are one of the best answerer of questions ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks
With some of my other favorite shows sucking hard and bordering on being unwatchable, it’s nice that Archer keeps delivering comedy gold.
Sorry I missed it.
The callback joke to the dictator renaming everything after his dog was fucking fantastic. Really puts that entire scene towards the end at 11.
MULAAAAAATTTTOOO BUUUUUUTTTSSSS
I thought it was pretty awesome, myself.
@Matt – Do you get Peter Newman to do all of his old ThunderCats voices whenever he’s around?
I would constantly be requesting Monkian and Hachiman.
Verified
He has done them a bit for us. ANd I talked to him about these chat rooms the other day. As the last time I was here we talked about him for a second. SO… very good chance he reads this if you want to say antying to him.
Hey Peter, I think your voice work is stellar and ThunderCats is the greatest cartoon of the 80′s. SilverHawks was pretty cool too. You should voice an Ape like robot or Samurai master on Archer. I think you’d have the perfect voice for it.
But you might need a subscription to read it. Maybe your PR staff should have it?
Loved it. I felt like this episode was really simple and it worked. Very funny stuff all around.
@Matt. It is not a joke. [harpers.org]
I imagine you and your staff should be pretty happy about it.
Verified
THANKS. I will check it out aslijdfkf
Archer as grammar nazi is one of the most severely under appreciated aspects of this show.
Verified
It would have been great if the sentence you typed had a grammatical error in it.
I thought about it, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Verified
Clever girl.
Well, if you want to be picky, “under appreciated” is a compound adjective, so it should be hyphenated, i.e., under-appreciated. Grammar. Boom.
I knew that, but I didn’t think it was cool to embarrass Matt like that.
Hyphenating something is matter of orthography and has nothing to do with grammar. Wait, I had something for this.
@Matt – Can we expect a B.J. and the Bear reference where Archer is disappointed that the show didn’t feature any b.j.’s or bears?
Verified
Too inside maybe… but our Illustrion Director is named TJ Buford. His associate director is a guy named Adam Towes. I usually talk to them together about this or that, but I call then TJ and The Bear. After doing this for about a year, I found out that some people thought I was doing it because one of them was really hairy. And I cried.
After the Billy Batson/Shazam reference you totally need to bring up Andrea Thomas/Isis – she was hot !
Verified
Eh….
@Matt, any possibility of a flashback episode with Archer & Timothy Olyphant back in college or as newly minted spies?
I have to admit I was pretty bummed how we got to know Luke only to see him killed off. Then again, there’s always cyborgs.
Verified
Write it up, Blanche.
You’re on.
@Matt Spot on with the gag of Archer riding his lacrosse sick like a horse. As a lacrosse player I am proud do say that was my go to celebration for a goal. Only not in my underwear.
Verified
I knew a guy named Quattro in college. I assume you are not a 350 lb man from Texas. If by some chance you are – you owe me $3.50.
I am not, however I will send you $3.50 if I can tell people I am that man.
The guy who owes you $3.50 must be the Lochness monster. (South Park reference, boom!)
@Matt Is the fact that Cyril is wearing a slouch hat also a reference to Sgt Troy from The Rat Patrol or am I reading to much into it?
Verified
No. You got it.
I watched an episode recently with a reference to Guy Owen’s “Flim-Flam Man”. That’s a pretty obscure North Carolina reference, is there a North Carolinian writer for the show?
Verified
THE writer of the show is a North Carolinian who went to UNC.
Formatting, boom. @Matt:
I’m curious if you saw the new episode of Harper’s, and the long piece on the show. if you saw it, any thoughts?
I’m curious if you saw the new episode of Harper’s, and the long piece on the show. if you saw it, any thoughts?
Verified
Didn’t see it. Just went to their site and did not see anything. I THINK this is a joke. But I am not very bright. If I am suppose to know you are kidding, you have to put things like WINK WINK in parenthesis.
I have a question from last week. When Lana said “since we didn’t do the former, now we’re going to do the latter”, what was she referring to? Was the former Archer’s insistence that she’s jealous and the latter that Cyril was mad about the scotch?
She didn’t orgasm, so she was going to leave instead.
Verified
We should all listen to Gary Busey more.
@Matt Why was Pam grinding sausages? For some reason, that really bothers me.
It’s a funny sight gag for her to be grinding sausages when typically it’s the other way around?
Some people will grind sausage to mix into pasta sauce.
Why WOULDN’T Pam be grinding sausages?
Verified
SHe loves handling meat?
What Jamaal Said
Ohhhhh Piggly!