Archer: Vice – Review

The fifth season of Archer (renamed “Archer: Vice”) departs from the zany spy scenarios the series is known for. Instead, after an FBI raid shuts ISIS (the spy agency) down, the team turns to a life of crime, transforming into a drug cartel attempting to sell the tonne of cocaine ISIS has accumulated over their years in operation.

Archer’s comedy lies in a combination of double entendre, pop culture references and crude humour, with a deal of general craziness thrown in for good measure.

Compared to previous seasons, the humour of Archer: Vice is lacklustre, downplaying the usual witty banter and with the perfectly placed obscure pop culture references being traded in more and more for the unnecessary randomness and crude, often offensive humour that Family Guy and South Park  are more known for.

Luckily, Archer’s greatest strength is in its now well-developed cast of characters, each with personalities that both clash and compliment each other. Including the womanising, alcoholic titular character Archer (H. Jon Benjamin), the solemn matriarch, Malory (Jessica Walter) and the level headed Lana (Aisha Tyler).

Beyond Archer’s main characters there is a quirky cast of supporting characters who always steal the spotlight and make the show the joy it is to watch. In Archer: Vice, the insane, pyromaniac heiress secretary Cheryl (Judy Greer) attempts to fulfil her dream of being an “outlaw country music sensation”. While Pam (Amber Nash), the overweight, super strong HR manager becomes addicted to cocaine within their very first mission.

Archer’s biggest strength in its supporting cast is also its biggest weakness. Without the antics of its supporting cast acting as a foil for the titular characters many selfish character flaws, the series would quickly become bland, boring and frustrating. Especially in Vice, the massive flaws of the supporting cast can be unbearable to watch at times.

For newcomers to the series, it is recommended Archer be watched from the first season. Unlike other animated comedies, the events of Archer are largely continuous, with many jokes throwing back to events in episodes from previous seasons. Luckily, each season of Archer is only around 13 episodes long, so it is easy to catch up on over the course of a weekend.

Though not as good as its previous seasons, Archer: Vice is still witty and holds up on its own. 3.5/5

Archer: Vice is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray.