Why Archer is testing my patience with Danger Island
Archer was a personal favorite from the start. However, a year or two ago…something happened. After starting a sustained skid into bizarre story flourishes, things ran their course. The bizarre story era ended with Archer getting shot and taking a header into a pool. For the last two seasons, audience have gotten to see Archer’s feverish coma dreams.
Last year took us through Dreamland. While the setup was fun and produced some disturbing imagery towards the end, it felt like it was meant to be a one-off. Then, the Archer team pushed their luck.
The idea of Danger Island is pretty neat. I always enjoyed those Tales of the Gold Monkey style stories. Plus, I’m still a fan of the Sterling Archer character. However, I want this show to get moving. My bizarre adoration of Pam and Cheryl can only carry me so far.
What’s happening on Danger Island?
Archer: Danger Island is the second dream season. This time, it’s set in the 1938 South Pacific with the gang playing a mix of adventurers, Nazis and rich trash caught in the middle. Archer is down an eye in this adventure, but Krieger gets to play a parrot. It’s all pretty fair and good, but then they had to drop that bomb on me.
Pam Poovey is looking good. There was a time where I’d make fun of someone for enjoying a cartoon character too much. But, between Pam and Cheryl…the Archer team has got my number. What can I say? I enjoy any show with a shit-talking BBW and a redhead that likes to be choked.
While I like the tight focus provided by the 8 episode seasons, the feeling of being a distraction never goes away. Even with Dreamland, I found myself wondering when we would get back to the present. Does Archer not get to make the leap back home? Does Archer spend the rest of his life in a never-ending coma?
I hate being a pissy fan, but I need to see the story move forward. What we’re getting now feels like DLC. Fun for a jaunt, but by no means is it supposed to replace the main story.
We’ve got one more season after this.
Supposedly, the upcoming Archer season is the last. Some have been calling it Archer: 1999 and I’m not sure what to make of it. It appears to be a spacey Sci-Fi jaunt. Honestly, I’m just thrilled we’re getting back Krieger as a human. Our favorite Nazi descendant scientist needs to be seen in the Rush loving flesh.
There’s not anything wrong with Danger Island, Dreamland or what Archer has been doing recently. It’s just that the audience knows it’s a prolonged distraction. We like the characters and enjoy change to an extent. But, it’s time to get back to the real world and wrap some stuff up.
Not every show needs to last forever, but for the sake of closure…wrap something up. If the series just folded shortly after Archer Vice, I would’ve been fine. It was a high note and pushed the characters away from where they started. Now, it just feels like we’re playing Super Spy dress-up and getting to see our old cartoon pals try on different scenarios.
Sometimes, I’m just happy with a Hentai joke and Krieger’s sweet-ass Rush van. This is a classic example of a creative team overthinking series direction and nose-diving into the murky waters of Tangentville. Hopefully, they pull it together for the finale.
