Created by Adam Reed, "Archer" follows the self-serving missions, misadventures and twisted personal lives of the agents and employees at the International Secret Intelligence Service. The title character Sterling Archer, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin whose credits include Comedy Central's "Freak Show" and "Important Things with Demetri Martin," Cartoon Network's Adult Swim program"Home Movies" and FOX's "Family Guy" has all the outer appearances of a top spy. He is tall, dark, classically handsome and in top physical condition.
Yet, Archer proves time and time again that beauty is only skin deep. He is a womanizer who seduces women on a regular basis and keeps company with high-priced prostitutes. He is also the product of a spoiled upbringing and a man-child whose relationship with his mother, ISIS Chief Executive Officer Malory (Jessica Walter of "Arrested Development,") is dysfunctional at best.
The other characters on the show are just as richly developed, with their own flaws and fetishes that create a colorful ensemble of personalities and a truly frightening work environment. Lana Kane (voiced by Aisha Tyler '92), another of ISIS' top agents, never ceases to exhibit her spy expertise as well as her hatred for her ex-boyfriend none other than Archer on the job. Lana has recently moved on from Archer to ISIS accountant Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell, "Saturday Night Live"), who is the former's opposite in many ways. Cyril is awkward, clingy and constantly threatened by Archer and Lana's relationship. Then there's ISIS secretary Cheryl (Judy Greer), who frequently changes her name depending on whom she is trying to attract and often coerces her coworkers into indulging her asphyxiation fetish. Human resources director Pam (Amber Nash), the unattractive and unwilling butt of every joke, rounds out the cast.
The show's exploration of these characters' aberrant personalities and back stories gives us a three-dimensional view of each one. These are all people who need professional psychiatric help (Archer's mother issues rival those of Norman Bates), and they all work together for an international spy agency nonetheless. (Yes, these are the individuals entrusted with ensuring the world's safety.) Yet their quirks, to put it mildly, are all traits we have seen to some extent in people we know, which makes the characters surprisingly personable and their motivations and actions all the funnier.
Throughout the first season, which concluded on March 18, episodes typically center on a new ISIS mission each week that often turns out to have been created by Malory to serve her own needs. For example, in "Skytanic," the seventh episode, Malory calls in a bomb threat on a new luxury airship so she can earn a spot on the sold-out flight under the pretense of investigating the matter.
The half-hour program is clearly rated TV-MA for a reason. For an animated show that does not shy away from showing its (cartoon) characters half-naked, depicting instances immediately before and after sex, celebrating sexual deviance and embracing violence all the while giving you something to laugh at raunchy is an understatement. While these are elements that can be found in other animated shows like "Family Guy" or "South Park," the realistic drawings in "Archer" seem to increase the raciness of the content, as viewers aren't protected from the nature of the material by the constant reminder that they are watching a cartoon.
Despite the abundance of crude humor and vulgarity present in "Archer," the show also features sharp, witty dialogue and clever, subtle cultural references. Running jokes weave from episode to episode that help form a culture of viewers bonded by inside jokes and a love for dark humor. It's a show that can be easily dismissed as offensive and unrefined, but really should be recognized for its comedic brilliance.
The first season of "Archer" premiered on Sept. 17, 2009 and then started airing weekly beginning Jan. 14. Although the 10-episode season concluded in mid-March, those who have not yet been exposed to the charm and originality of "Archer" can easily catch up. FX has also ordered a 13-episode second season that will air in 2011. Let the spy games continue.
