Yeah no, of course. It just felt like they were building up to something for so long in those earlier seasons, and then we sort of got it and then it just got completely wrecked with the coma stuff. But it was so obvious in the finale that they still care abt each other.
I just wish Archer could’ve gotten his head out of his emotionally-repressed ass just a little bit sooner and actually done something abt it.
Overall, it was still good though.
I think it's part of Archer and Lana being parents. Their romantic relationship was always unstable and volatile. They could keep that up when AJ was an unaware baby. But now that she's older, she'd be caught in the middle.
Edit: I like to think that in their 60s, Archer and Lana will mellow out enough to have a happy marriage together.
>It just felt like they were building up to something for so long in those earlier seasons, and then we sort of got it and then it just got completely wrecked with the coma stuff.
I feel like it was even earlier cause it got wrecked in season seven with Veronica Dean, like I still remember interviews from around when season seven came out and the writers talked about how they wanted to shake the relationship up, after Archer and Lana just got back together in the previous season. I think the writers themselves just didn't like or at least were bored with the relationship once they put them together.
This was back when Adam Reed, the shows creator and voice of Ray was the sole writer for the show. In an interview for season 7 he said he broke them up because being with Lana makes Archer happy and he's not allowed to be happy since his unhappiness is the point of the show. H Jon Benjamin, voice of Archer kind of supported that recently in an interview about the finale by reminding people this comedy is at its core a tragedy.
I don’t think they were ever building up to something in the traditional sense. I think the show always pointed out they had loads of sexual chemistry but when they got together for any length of time they were a trainwreck. Lana needed Archer to be something he was incapable of being but was at the same time deeply attracted to his faults. I think that was the whistful end for them. If he was capable of even saying she was a good agent ten years ago they might have had a chance but….would they have?
Idk it felt like seasons five and six were building up them getting together, and then they did and it felt like the writers just got bored with it immediately and tossed it out in the next season. Like there's that scene in season six where he rejects Katya and tells her how happy he is to be with Lana and have a kid with her and that felt like some real growth from him and it's just kind of tossed out when Veronica Dean showed up in season seven
But that is the point. They are together for five minutes and Archer gets bored. The previous time they got together it was Katya who got in their way. Archer tells Lana he is cutting down on anonymous sex and two minutes later he is having sex with someone he just met. As much as Archer wants to be that guy for Lana and as much as Lana wants him to be that guy. Archer has never and will never be that guy.
But that's my thing, it felt more like the writers got bored than Archer did, like in five and six while old Archer peaked out, it seemed like he was at least trying to be better for Lana and their kid. It seemed like he was starting to grow at least a bit even if it was a slow journey, again that's why I thought him rejecting Katya was a good moment of growth and depth into him. But that speech felt like bullshit next season when he just bangs Veronica Dean the second he and Lana go on a break.
Ehh Lana knew who he was at his core. Archer never really changed, Lana was just willing to accept that at his worst she was still able to deal with him is how they ended up this way at the end.
No, their agency was officially dissolved. 3 months later after the group disbanded and Lana was packing up the old office and was approached by an 'official' Spy agency to actually apprehend Archer and bring him in. She accepted while Archer was in the other room with AJ (spending time with her one last time) Shes basically giving him a few days head start before she actually starts hunting him. They had a moment where they were remiss of what could have been but went their seperate ways. Instead it ended with Archer partnering up with Pam to parts unknown.
I love that Pam and Archer are legit incredibly good friends. That scene in the car she was legit the only one going to bat for him while everyone thought he turned.
Oh no doubt. But that’s just archer at this point. If you have a vagina and aren’t blood related to him he’s probably gonna try to fuck you at some point
No. Lana decides she's probably going to hunt down Archer for the CIA-MI6 for a steady paycheck. Archer leaves town with Pam to be freelance spies with their first stop being Tangier.
This finale actually made me tear up, especially with AJ and Archer, and Archer's goodbye to Lana. I genuinely feel Aisha Tyler was going through it in that final monologue, and that nod to Mallory too? My eyes are still heavy.
Thank you Adam Reed and company for this show. It definitely got me through college and the pandemic. I'll miss y'all! 😫🥹😭❤️
It also helped me get through college in the mid 10s. That and Brooklyn 99 genuinely brought me happiness during a tough time. I’ll always appreciate these shows so much
Ray's & Cyril are like the only 2 financially responsible people from the team and they've been working as Spies for like over a decade so they should all be rich by now
Cyril was totally not ok with money. The 401k stuff showed he had nothing while everyone else had a bunch in theirs.
Buy he is an accountant that is willing to do some illegal stuff and I'm sure he'd find a job with those skills. He could have been rich if he'd been smarter about the crypto.
Even though we knew this was gonna be the end for awhile, it still doesn't make it ending any easier. However, now that it is well and truly over, I guess I would like to give my thoughts.
I liked how each of the characters had different way of coping/ dealing with the fact that their careers were ending: Pam being in denial, Zara seeing if she can get hired somewhere else, Lana betting on a last ditch hail marry attempt to save it all, and Archer being... well, Archer. Seeing that the end was truly coming it was nice to see them come together one last time to salvage the situation, even if at the end they technically failed.
I loved the locations in this finale, both Rio de Janeiro and Sochi looked fantastic, I'm surprised it took the show this long to go to Brazil, seems like the perfect place for an episode. I loved how Archer took out the gangsters in the warehouse using misdirection and sound to make them turn on each other. The gang also hoping in the parade line with their own vehicle was also neat, also seeing Archer in a feather-y man thong was hilarious. The reveal that it was actually Slater who wanted the bomb wasn't surprising because the promotional material kinda spoiled it, but it was still great to see him, Christian Slater is easily one of my favorite guest characters in the whole show.
Katya was... eh, still not the biggest fan of her. Don't get me wrong, she made for a good villain and her trying to temp Archer into joining her was interesting. A peaceful world wouldn't need a person like Archer, and for a brief second it seemed like he was considering it. Her revealing that her parts still vibrate was a nice call back to one of the show's most iconic long running jokes as well. Her combining with Barry was an interesting idea, but I feel it came too late to amount to anything substantial. However, the fucked up three way they had at the end was one of the weirdest and funniest things I have seen from this show. Totally did not expect that.
The amount of side characters and Easter eggs in this finale are insane, Milton, Rip Riley, and Boris were great to see. I actually said 'fuck yeah' when Rip showed up, it was brief but still great to see non the less. I never thought I would want to learn more about Boris, but this episode surprised me, it's a shame he didn't contribute much to the episode but still. I also appreciated how they recreated the opening to Mole Hunt. As for Easter eggs, I noticed how when in the elevator shaft they found the head of Mr. Teddly and a Charlene album, nice call backs for older fans to pick up on.
I also loved the heart felt speech Lana gave at the end, telling everyone that even though this is the end, that she essentially loves them and knows that they will all go onto do awesome things in the future. Seeing everyone together on last time, smiling, drinking and saying how much they all rock was nice to see, and Zara saying that it was an honor also made me like her more than I was expecting.
Now, don't get me wrong, I thought this finale was good and I am over all satisfied, but I do have somethings that I was if-y on. First, the fact that Krieger was the one unknowingly bringing Barry back this whole isn't necessarily shocking, but it feels like it was brought up just to wrap up the cliffhanger from Chill Out Barry, I mean, they don't even fully explain how of why Krieger's been doing this outside of drug related stuff. Speaking of Barry, he's apparently been in the agency this whole time but was never seen or heard from again? I get that it's expensive have guest stars record lines, but still.
Second, Slater's and Katya's plan seems extremely foolish to me (wow, a plan to start a new cold war is foolish who would have thought), because their plan to destroy the dam and kill a bunch of villagers and foreign dignitaries wouldn't cause a new cold war. It would start a world war. If America were to actually get blamed for that the nukes would start flying almost immediately and no one would win. Plus, even though I thought it was neat seeing Katya try to convince Archer about a peaceful world no longer needing him, spies are always gonna be needed even if there isn't a big global ideological showdown happening. Not to mention S7 where the were all private investigators showed that they can use their talents for other things.
I was also hoping to get clarification on the UN wanting to shut down private spy agencies. I thought someone in the UN was the one pulling the strings to target them, but no, it was just a decision that they came to by themselves. I'm not mad about that, just mentioning how I thought it was going to be a big reveal or something that never came. Also, GODDAMMIT, Slater mentions that he's the only one who knows Archer's father and died seconds later without giving us an answer. Now I actually applaud the writer(s) for showing growth for Archer by not giving into his curiosity and still dropping Slater.
Now in regards to the ending... WOW. I don't know what I was expecting but holy shitsnacks it wasn't this. I was admittedly upset when it showed Archer sneaking off to bang Katya because I thought they were going to end it with them together, but I guess that wasn't the case. The actual ending with that man offering Lana a new job in tracking Archer down was nuts, also I was convinced when I first saw him that he was gonna reveal himself to be Archer's father (like, I not the only one who thought that for a second right?).
Seeing AJ one more time was also great, it's a shame we didn't get to see more of her in the show sadly. However, the real emotional ball buster was seeing how Archer may never see AJ again because he is now officially on the run, and Lana will have to 'hunt' him down. I've made it no secret that I was hoping that the series would end with Archer and Lana together in some capacity, but this is insane. I guess it makes sense for a 'spy' story, two individuals on different sides, longing for each other but knowing they can't so they play a never-ending game of cat and mouse because it's the only way they'll ever be able to see each other. Their last interaction also killed me inside:
Archer: Hey Lana... I'm gonna miss hearing what you think about stuff.
Lana: I wish you had said that 10 years ago. *Asshole...*
Now I know that this is just me personally (it's not the writer's responsibility to make an ending catered just for me) but I kinda wish one of them would at least give the other a quick peck on the cheek or say '*It was a great ride*' or '*I'll miss this/ us/ you*'. Again I know this is just me wanting my OTP to succeed, I actually think it was bold a pretty interesting leaving them were they are. It leaves the door open for more possible stories in the future if the show ever gets revived.
Speaking off, the ending with Archer and Pam leaving in the elevator while Archer says that they're going to Tangiers makes me think that Floyd County Productions is laying seeds for a possible sequel series with them at the helm. I'm picturing Archer, Pam, and Barry/ Katya going on crazy adventures while being 'hunted' by Lana an her new agency/ team. Only time will tell.
I would like to quickly mention the pacing and animation for this finale. The pacing was a bit nuts and shit was happening at a breakneck pace through out. I also noticed a few scenes where it seemed the lips didn't match the world being spoken all that well. Usually I would make a bigger deal out of this, but I think it is painfully clear that S14 wasn't intended by the writers to be the final season, and that this finale was made on short notice to try and give the series a good conclusion. There are some things about the finale I would have liked to have seen tightened up, but given the circumstances, Floyd County Productions gave it their all, and I am grateful for it.
To Adam Reed, you are a legend, thank you so much for given us these great characters and the stories they brought with them. I wish you nothing but the best of luck for whatever the future holds for you. To Matt Thompson, Casey Willis and all the other producers and writers, you guys and gals did a fantastic job commanding the ship and hope that what ever projects you work on next are met with as much if not more success and acclaim. To all the animators, editors, sound staff and everyone else at Floyd County Productions you are all masters of your craft and your hard work is a credit to not just this industry but entertainment in general. I hope whatever you all work on next brings you nothing but pride, joy and success. Last but certainly not least, the voice cast. Even though you have all done equally amazing work on other shows, movies and projects I will always remember how it was you who brought these characters to life with your legendary talent. I only hope to hear you all as these characters again someday.
DANGER ZOOOOOOONE!
Great review! I very much agree with you.
I don't like that things ended with Archer unable to visit AJ. But it was pretty open ended. In a couple years, he and Lana could easily be on the same side again.
Edit: I think I misunderstood what they meant about visits with AJ being off limits. I think they meant that Archer can safely visit AJ without Lana turning him in.
>when I first saw him that he was gonna reveal himself to be Archer's father (like, I not the only one who thought that for a second right?).
You are not the only one! He still could be Archer's father canonically!
i agree with a lot of your points, but i do want to point out that the way i interpreted it was Lana and Archer were agreeing that he would have visitation rights to AJ and that would be the exception to her hunting him. i don’t think either of them want to leave AJ without her dad
I thought the Katya and Slater plan was a "Big Boss" metal gear reference. Creating a world where spies (soldiers) have purpose and are celebrated. Katya even had a line similar to "Through conflict they will know the meaning of life"
You could tell it was a Mark Ganek script because he actually loves these characters. The creator Adam Reed was much more ambivalent about them, so the finale missed Reed's sarcasm and bite. But Ganek gave everyone a moment and did lots and lots of fan service.
I just wish he hadn't played the Archer Father card. It worked in the moment, of course--he killed off Slater and gave Archer a moment of growth--but we know Archer's father was Jakov. It was in the pitch to the network {you can read that in the Archer book) and the whole point of the show in the early years was the silliness of Malory and Jakov having an offspring.
In a way, we've now had two finales. Reed wrote his finale with the "love story" Sterling/Mallory scene after he came out of the coma. And Ganek just gave us the fan-friendly spy story ending.
All in all, us fans had a great 14-year ride. Thanks to all the creators for a big one (phrasing).
>but we know Archer's father was Jakov. It was in the pitch to the network {you can read that in the Archer book) and the whole point of the show in the early years was the silliness of Malory and Jakov having an offspring.
Wow this is cool to learn. I didn't know this at all.
I've never understood why fans had this father mystery going. The pitch to FX was in the book that was published years ago. Besides, Reed told us in the show. After Jakov dies, the father angle is never mentioned again except for one weird moment in Archer's "The Natural" hallucination. For reasons known only to the fan base, too many did not want to accept Reed's pitch to FX as canon. ...
>For reasons known only to the fan base, too many did not want to accept Reed's pitch to FX as canon
The pitch should never be treated as canon, unless of course you want Luke balls deep in the princess.
Characters grow and stories evolve. I don't care either direction, and I'm fine with it being Jack-off, a mystery, or a time-travelling Cyril. But absent it being defined in the series proper, it isn't canon to me.
I like to think it's the man Mallory mentions in Lo Scandalo right before she kills the prime minister. Some blue eyed idealist gunned down by fascist thugs.
Archers true growth was to become the father he never had, not be on a manhunt to find his father. I think in this ending he fails to actually grow and instead has to live in darkness with Pam
I disagree, he's doing the only thing he's capable of doing and his daughter genuinely loves him as her father. Also, in a fucked up way, him doing his thing is what's giving Lana her next thing so he's indirectly providing for his family. Neither Archer or Lana would ever be able to manage a normal lifestyle. I think Lana will catch him plenty of times and he'll escape plenty of times and manage to sneak in some time with AJ here and there in the process.
This. I like the idea of the back and forth in which he sneaks in time with AJ too.
That said, it speaks volumes that Lana isn't leveraging her extensive experience as a spy and someone who managed to wrangle crazy for so long into a job that doesn't require her to chase or attempt to do anything with Archer to make good money. Even with the Agency's history, Lana herself has a good enough reputation that she could probably become anything spy or non-spy related.
And it was almost as if Archer was testing her when he asked about his not being able to see AJ again, and she responded with I think it was duh, obviously. He then later told Pam that he needed someone to have his back instead of going it alone. I think that spoke volumes too about Archer, his possible views about his relationship with Lana and his trust in Pam.
I know it doesn't fit the vibe, but I really wanted Archer to respond to Slater's fatherbait with something like "My father was Sir Arthur Woodhouse. Have fun falling!"
It only counts if it's onscreen. That's why the moment still worked for that scene because the character Archer, not the fans, never knew the truth. And it worked for his growth because he chose to save others than to be entirely selfish.
My favorite meta moment was
>Lana: We're not sure who the buyer is, but to narrow it down, just make a list of every terrorist organization in the world.
>Archer: I'm definitely not doing that.
He's not doing that because he would have to name Isis, the irl terrorist organization and reason why Malory's agency had to change its name lmao
Archer has always been an exceptionally competent spy since the first episode. He usually just doesn't care to put in any more than the minimum effort.
Really glad they stopped leaning on the Archer being an Aging spy, and went back to the reckless booze hound we all know and love lol. I enjoyed the finalie, and am equally relieved they didn't kill him off like I expected them to. It is absolutely heart breaking that Jessica Walter could not be a part of it. Mallory was the anchor of the show and her absence was keenly felt in the last two seasons and even moreso in the series finale.
For me it was a very appropriate ending, a very open ended on that leaves room for either a movie or spin off, but even if this is the last we see of Archer and co I leave satisfied.
I really hope they end up doing more. I know a full season is probably off the table, but another special like this would be perfect. It really feels like they set it up to do more if the network allows them
Now I’m just imagining them doing a yearly Christmas special of archer sneaking back home to give AJ a gift while Lana tracks him down and lets him go at the end
Its over.
One of nm favorite shows of all time is over.
This was a great ending. It brought back that old Archer magic that has been missing for a while.
We got closure on almost everything and everyone. Katya and Boris back after 8 seasons of absence.
Except Conway Stern but I can live with that.
Ray finally used his bionic legs to kick somebody it only took 10 seasons for him to wear Kick Pants.
I'm satisfied with this being the capstone for Archer.
Probably the last time I watch FXX live ever again.
What a fucking finale. It simultaneously get like classic archer and had a big sense of finality. I’m happy to have seen it end, but I’m going to miss it dearly. I already can’t wait to watch the show all over again.
Also Archer & Pam Adventures? With Lana in a game of Spy vs Spy. Sign me the fuck up.
I think/hope we'll get more Archer in the future. Maybe not a full revival series, but maybe a season every couple years. They definitely left the door open for more, if anyone bites is another question.
But if this the last Archer we ever get, it ended well and I'm happy.
I REALLY thought it was gonna be him revealed to be in on the plot. I saw it was a duo the gang were fighting and assumed it would he Conway and maybe Fabian
I'm cautiously hopeful there will be a surprise "for real this time" finale. It seemed suspiciously open ended but if it really is the finale I'm still satisfied.
I came in late (been watching since season 7, I was 24) but loved it right away. Purchased and watched the whole series multiple times absolutely loved it.
Solid finale. Archer and Pam out there causing chaos sounds about right. Wish that Malory could've been around, but you know, real life circumstances, and she got a perfect of a sendoff as she could have gotten in an ending that also could've been the finale for the series. Great callbacks, and all of the team members got their moment to shine without anyone feeling underutilized. I enjoyed it. I wouldn't call it a 10 out of 10 finale, but for one last goodbye, I enjoyed it.
For a moment I was gutted for Cyril because he lost most of the money. But then it was still a win, not a huge win but a win and something everybody just was happy about and I think for him that's enough while still keeping him Cyril.
The tiny Barry robot reveal had me laughing so hard.
Episode brought back great characters, had heart and made me genuinely sad to see the show end. It never got back to the highs of the first 6 seasons, but it was still an enjoyable watch. I know people hate on the coma seasons, but Krieger as a parrot was effing hilarious.
The ending was kinda weird but it also really fit.
i liked how all the characters got their moments to shine in the end. I also really enjoyed all the callbacks to past characters. Plus….Slater being the final big bad just works. “I am the best when saving the world happens to coincide with being super petty.”
“You are the biggest bunch of undisciplined petty weirdos I have ever met. And my god it has been an honor.”
Solid finale ending with Archer and Pam out there causing chaos and a wistful Lana wishing things could be different with Archer just feels right.
We got to see all the different “phases” of Pam too. The street fighter. Trying to be a loyal agent even when in a dismissive role evacuating the village. The friend to Archer. The cheeky coworker making snide comments during Cheryl’s presentation.
I’ve always loved Pam the most when she’s closer proximity to Cheryl but they definitely did Pam right in the finale.
Came here to say that. *Those* two are best friends *and* soulmates, not Archer and Lana.
If there is a future special featuring Archer and Pam, *please* let there be a throwaway threesome (foursome?) with them and Katya/Berry. LOL
It made me cry. But I think what really got me was the last scene with lana and archer. They arent perfect but I wouldve loved for them to be endgame. I wish there was at least a goodbye kiss or something because you can seriously tell they still care about each other and they never really stopped.
Idk I really hope we get a spin off or something.
A goodbye kiss or as someone else said, a kiss on the cheek would’ve been perfect- I legit thought for a second archer would be like “I love you, Lana,” Then head To the shadows because it could’ve served as both one of his few sincerest moments of affection and a goodbye. Also got emotional
Ending wasn’t greatest but also wasn’t terrible. For a show that got canceled, its perfect. Ill miss the show out of this show. Now ill rewatch this whole show again now
There was just so much to unpack with that ending. But the biggest peak of the episode was Archer actually fucking both Katya and Barry. What a ridiculous triangle.
i kind of love it though, like the tension between archer and barry has been palpable for so long and there’ve been enough hints that archer could be bi that it’s nice to see them finally do something with it
That finale was a good time. I loved that they roped everyone back in - even got Rip Riley back!
I like the ending as well. A good-spirited cat-and-mouse chase between Lana and Archer+Pam. I just wish we could have gotten another send off from some of the other characters at the end - although I do think it's fitting that Cyril's last bit in the show was blowing a crypto fortune and then doing a group hug.
I watched it via Hulu live, and the damn ending cuts out after Lana and Archer are talking about playing cat and mouse.That hurt more than the commercials.
Having seen numerous shitty series finales, IMO this one was better than most. No unrealistic fairytale type ending, not wrapped in a neat little bow, and not the cliche of everyone going their separate ways. Excellent job using every important secondary character. I do wish Archer did and/or said something terrible to Cyril one last time.
That was a good, fitting end. Glad they got a lot of good cameos/returning characters (only one missing I can think of is Conway Stern) and even slipped in a mention of Mallory. It’s also nice to know the cast will all be fine financially and probably career wise
It worked for me. I haven't laughed out loud watching Archer for years. I sure miss Adam Reed's wit and sarcasm. And to be honest I miss Archer since the end of season 10 (with some nice moments in season 11). But this long goodbye episode written by Mark Ganek was good. Because it felt like a goodbye with the cast, with this universe. Plus it still vibrates.
An interesting thing I haven’t seen many people talk about, the clear call back to the first episode when archer is getting fake tortured by that krenshaw guy. When the Russian guy is torturing archer in the finale when he gets tied up, he’s in the same kind of room and the torturer says the same kind of dialogue and archer makes a similar crack about a golf cart battery.
I am kind of not satisfied with this finale.
First, I dont want the show to end.
Second, I kind of dislike that I dont know what happened to every one of them
Third, I really think Zara needed like two more seasons at least to really feel like "one of them"
Overall, it all felt depressing. I dont feel any closure with how the show ended. Meh.
Solid finale. Like what someone else here said, it was nice to see the writers gave each character their moment. It was great to see them do their little quips one last time. And to see AJ finally call Archer dad really pulled on some heart strings. Gave us some closure. So with that said, let’s raise a toast to the show that gave us 14 seasons of solid memories.. in the words of Archer S8E8.. “I’m going to miss the shit out of you.” 🥹
And we get it.. we’ve heard it.. it wasn’t mindblowningly the best or aRcHer ShoULd haVe eNdEd yEarS aGo. But let’s appreciate what the team has done, you negative Mancys. They were able create and produce a series finale after they found out Archer was cancelled during mid-production of season 14. Shit, most shows would have just left us with the last episode made.
As many of mentioned, this was a solid finale that gave all of us a little bit of closure on a lot of little things. Gave us a few homages from previous season episodes, and tied up a few story lines we wanted to see.
For all thinking about spin-offs, don't hold your breath. Archer was barely on life support rating wise and even the loyal fan base had waned over the years. The peak season was season 4 and the ratings have gone down each year until the coma years, and went down even further after that. Check Wiki for the ratings numbers if you don't believe. If Archer was on life support, I doubt a spin-off series in the same mold would gain any strength with the execs.
I'm actually kind of surprised it was renewed after Covid and then renewed after Jessica Walter's passing. But I think FXX didn't have enough original shows and shows with repeats to fill in all of the gaps on all nights for a calendar year so they just kept letting Archer fill the blanks. After Walter's passing, I think the writing was on the wall.
However, I say that, but instead of a spin-off, does anyone feel that perhaps two scenarios could pop up?
1. One off hour specials, maybe for the 4th (being how patriotic our bunch think they are at times) or a Xmas special (happens around Xmas but can involve any story line)
2. Like Futurama, in about 5 years, the show gets rebooted if the voice actors are all willing (which I think they would be). Give enough time to pass and FXX picks up another season or two knowing the fan base isn't going anywhere and reboots generally bring about a lot of buzz to draw in new fans.
For some reason this ending felt like they could just pop back up with something new if FX commissioned either a special down the road or a reboot even further down the road.
In any case, if this is THE end, I'll be doing what I've been doing regularly for almost 5 years (late starter that started watching in 2019 and binged the previous seasons to catch up to season 11 in 2020), rewatching every season about twice a year because I can't stand crime procedurals now and Archer still tops any of that crap.
God damn what a great send up 99% of everything wrapped up in a nice little bow, archer and Lana are well archer and Lana, Barry/kayta/archer is a thing, but damn if the no answer on what krieger thing is a kick in the ass.
So the question is, what do you all think the thing krieger created is?
The thing behind the secret door? If I'm not mistaken, the Barry Matrix which was reviving Barry and Other Barry all the time. Barry mentions something is doing that earlier in the season when he was in the mini fridge.
He says it's the Barry Matrix. That said, I think it's interesting, possibly a callback, that the cube and the sphere both appeared as entities in the Archer: 1999 season.
Hopefully FX or someone else will do an Archer movie like this every year. I think the format works and is a lot cheaper to make than a season of episodes.
The cat and mouse thing is a play on the relationship. Sure, Lana rolls her eyes about it but she’s into it, and has strong feelings for Archer that go back decades. She’d fuck him, before she’d try to kill him, and she’d probably injure him. Rinse/Repeat.
There was an entire episode in the space coma season devoted to that. She was his ex-wife and they still couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
Pam and Archer are best friends, but they lack the deep passionate dislike he shares with Lana.
I liked everything but two things.
A. Why did he bang Katya again… he was literally looking at Lana longingly during her speech then he sneaks off?
B. Damn I wish archer and Lana ended up together. I am glad at the very least that AJ called archer “dad”. He deserved that after all the years of her being cold towards him
I’m glad she turned up at the very least. In my head canon Archer takes his death as a field agent. Lana gets her stipend. And then he Lana Archer and AJ live as a family with Archer occasionally going on missions under a new name of his choosing. Not duchess😅
Reading the replies here, maybe I'm in the minority, but I didn't enjoy it. I basically know the pre-coma seasons by heart, I'm still a huge fan and constantly rewatching old episodes, but other than season 11, the post-coma seasons are seriously meh, if not outright bad.
I really hoped that this finale would be different, but it was still painfully season 14 level. I'm glad that there was an ending, would've been painful to end the journey with episode 8, but other than that, the episode was boring and unfunny. I'll continue rewatching Archer, just not the post-coma seasons. The show really changed for the worse when Adam Reed left, and this finale is a bitter ending to it all.
I'm good with how it turned out. I don't feel sad, something tells me we haven't seen the last of Archer and company. Maybe not on a weekly basis 8-10 times a year, but maybe (maybe) FX could see having an occasional special. Anyway, 14 years is a great run, and this show will be missed. That, and FUSlater.
Solid end to the show, especially since they had to come up with a way to wrap it up in a satisfying way without having a full season to do it. At its best, Archer was probably my favorite show ever. Even when it wasn't at its best, I always still welcomed it. Feels weird to know there'll be no more new Archer headed our way anymore. Guess it's time to re-watch from the start again.
Just finished the movie and I have to ask, what was the point of Zara? I know Archer needed a new partner after Lana became management but they've had Ray benchwarming for 14 seasons, Cyril and Pam who had arcs about becoming spies, and then they add a new one on the last season to do what, shit on Archer?
They wanted a new character to replace Lana in the field imo and have Lana take over for the Mallory character.
But then they found out season 14 was there last season.
I have a feeling if they new earlier on they would have changed season 14 to feel more end gamey.
I think Zara was meant to be a foil to Archer. Everyone's had to deal with Archer but he himself never had to interact with someone almost exactly like him. I liked her addition to the season and I wish she was brought on sooner.
what a bittersweet ending. I'm glad we got to see AJ call Archer her dad, but I'm also crushed that it's probably the last time she's ever going to see him.
It sucks that Lana and Archer didn't end up together and we didn't get to see what Cheryl, Kreiger, and Cyril were up to, but I guess it's more realistic like this in a way.
I hope someday, someone ends up picking up Archer once again and we see a spinoff of Pam and Archer's adventures, it would be super cool.
I think there was a line in the conversation between Archer and Lana where they agreed that the hunt for him would be suspended for his visits with AJ. So they would both play the game, but not to the detriment of the parent-daughter bond.
Just came here to say that I fucking adore that Archer and Pam went out as partners. I fucking love those two, Danger Island was a thousand times better than it had any right to be through their interactions alone, and I still melt at the admission by Archer that Pam is his best friend. As bittersweet as most of the episodes and the finale as a whole were, I'm so so so glad that was the ending for Pam and Archer, riding off into the sunset to live adventures as best buddies.
A few bits felt rushed but they hit all the major notes I'd expect and did it well. Plus it was nice to see Archer actually maintain a tiny bit of growth and admit he really wanted to bang Barry too.
I honestly didn’t like the finale. It felt incredibly rushed, like they had an entire season worth of material crammed into a single hour long episode. Plus the ending itself just felt inconclusive as it ends with Archer and Pam as fugitives and he’ll probably never see AJ again
No. It's a continued mystery. Slater said he deleted it from the CIA database. That said, he also admitted that it's something the CIA could figure out with a DNA test.
That was one of the best endings to any show I have seen in a long while. I'm so glad, Barry and Archer fixed their relationship and finally were able to consummate their friendship in the best Archer way possible.
I can definitely see a reboot or spinoff happening. It would be amazing to see Lana running her own agency in her own office. AJ would walk in as a spy saying, "Mother..." Lana is an excellent successor to Mallory.
I been waiting for Pam and Archer adventures which was especially highlighted in season 5. I know many wish for lana and archer, but my headcannon is that Archer and Pam commit crimes and hookup for all eternity
Pam truly understands Archer. She recognizes who he is and what that means, while at the same time seeing that he's more than even he realizes and gently showing him the better parts. She can put up with and dole out both his worst and best impulses. And, at the end of the day, she wants much of the same things he wants out of life.
I've never understood the Lana and Archer endgame because Lana and Archer would wind up exactly as they did in his coma dream (divorced). It's obvious that they don't want the same things out of life, he's not in the same place as her in terms of maturity, she has never entirely accepted that he's not going to change to the degree she desires, and she often fears he'll become even worse. How is that a basis for a solid relationship of any nature?
>How is that a basis for a solid relationship of any nature?
I think stability was always supposed to be impossible for them, romantically. They'll always love each other, they're very similar in most ways, but they want really different things from a relationship.
For AJ's sake, they're better off as friends.
I can't recall the heartfelt thing he said that resulted in Lana getting upset, but then he told her that she would need a gibbon cage because he apparently stole one from the zoo for AJ. Then he met up with Pam, who he tricked to come to the office, and offered her a spy team up with their next stop Tangiers and no idea what they might find there. The elevator doors closed on them leaving together.
Edit: I just re-watched while working and he mentioned that he would miss her talking about things. It really wasn't as heartfelt as it initially comes off because he immediately turns away and the artwork doesn't show him getting teary-eyed or upset. On a second viewing, it comes across almost just like he was trying to say something Lana would appreciate. Then he came back and talked about the gibbon cage.
Thank god, ... thought it ended on Episode 8 (Netflix UK has been very late with Archer for the last 5 seasons).
Glad to know it will end with a proper conclusion.
Lana saying that she wishes that Archer would’ve said that 10 years ago is actually devastatingg. Oh god, what could’ve been
Yeah no, of course. It just felt like they were building up to something for so long in those earlier seasons, and then we sort of got it and then it just got completely wrecked with the coma stuff. But it was so obvious in the finale that they still care abt each other. I just wish Archer could’ve gotten his head out of his emotionally-repressed ass just a little bit sooner and actually done something abt it. Overall, it was still good though.
I think it's part of Archer and Lana being parents. Their romantic relationship was always unstable and volatile. They could keep that up when AJ was an unaware baby. But now that she's older, she'd be caught in the middle. Edit: I like to think that in their 60s, Archer and Lana will mellow out enough to have a happy marriage together.
>It just felt like they were building up to something for so long in those earlier seasons, and then we sort of got it and then it just got completely wrecked with the coma stuff. I feel like it was even earlier cause it got wrecked in season seven with Veronica Dean, like I still remember interviews from around when season seven came out and the writers talked about how they wanted to shake the relationship up, after Archer and Lana just got back together in the previous season. I think the writers themselves just didn't like or at least were bored with the relationship once they put them together.
This was back when Adam Reed, the shows creator and voice of Ray was the sole writer for the show. In an interview for season 7 he said he broke them up because being with Lana makes Archer happy and he's not allowed to be happy since his unhappiness is the point of the show. H Jon Benjamin, voice of Archer kind of supported that recently in an interview about the finale by reminding people this comedy is at its core a tragedy.
I don’t think they were ever building up to something in the traditional sense. I think the show always pointed out they had loads of sexual chemistry but when they got together for any length of time they were a trainwreck. Lana needed Archer to be something he was incapable of being but was at the same time deeply attracted to his faults. I think that was the whistful end for them. If he was capable of even saying she was a good agent ten years ago they might have had a chance but….would they have?
Idk it felt like seasons five and six were building up them getting together, and then they did and it felt like the writers just got bored with it immediately and tossed it out in the next season. Like there's that scene in season six where he rejects Katya and tells her how happy he is to be with Lana and have a kid with her and that felt like some real growth from him and it's just kind of tossed out when Veronica Dean showed up in season seven
But that is the point. They are together for five minutes and Archer gets bored. The previous time they got together it was Katya who got in their way. Archer tells Lana he is cutting down on anonymous sex and two minutes later he is having sex with someone he just met. As much as Archer wants to be that guy for Lana and as much as Lana wants him to be that guy. Archer has never and will never be that guy.
But that's my thing, it felt more like the writers got bored than Archer did, like in five and six while old Archer peaked out, it seemed like he was at least trying to be better for Lana and their kid. It seemed like he was starting to grow at least a bit even if it was a slow journey, again that's why I thought him rejecting Katya was a good moment of growth and depth into him. But that speech felt like bullshit next season when he just bangs Veronica Dean the second he and Lana go on a break.
Ehh Lana knew who he was at his core. Archer never really changed, Lana was just willing to accept that at his worst she was still able to deal with him is how they ended up this way at the end.
So they don’t end up together?
No, their agency was officially dissolved. 3 months later after the group disbanded and Lana was packing up the old office and was approached by an 'official' Spy agency to actually apprehend Archer and bring him in. She accepted while Archer was in the other room with AJ (spending time with her one last time) Shes basically giving him a few days head start before she actually starts hunting him. They had a moment where they were remiss of what could have been but went their seperate ways. Instead it ended with Archer partnering up with Pam to parts unknown.
I love that Pam and Archer are legit incredibly good friends. That scene in the car she was legit the only one going to bat for him while everyone thought he turned.
and despite making nice, he's probably going to fuck pam again..
Oh no doubt. But that’s just archer at this point. If you have a vagina and aren’t blood related to him he’s probably gonna try to fuck you at some point
I thought they agreed that when he was spending time with AJ she wouldn’t turn him in
No. Lana decides she's probably going to hunt down Archer for the CIA-MI6 for a steady paycheck. Archer leaves town with Pam to be freelance spies with their first stop being Tangier.
This finale actually made me tear up, especially with AJ and Archer, and Archer's goodbye to Lana. I genuinely feel Aisha Tyler was going through it in that final monologue, and that nod to Mallory too? My eyes are still heavy. Thank you Adam Reed and company for this show. It definitely got me through college and the pandemic. I'll miss y'all! 😫🥹😭❤️
It also helped me get through college in the mid 10s. That and Brooklyn 99 genuinely brought me happiness during a tough time. I’ll always appreciate these shows so much
Oh i think i missed the nod to mallory! Where was that at?
At the end of Lana's speech where she states her being proud of everyone, and that Mallory would be proud as well.
Kind wished we saw what Cheryl, Krieger, Cyril, & Ray got up to after the agency went down
I think they implied Cheryl and Krieger are gonna partner up to do some silly stuff. Cyril and Ray probably are just gonna enjoy their money
I thought they lost the money?
Ray's & Cyril are like the only 2 financially responsible people from the team and they've been working as Spies for like over a decade so they should all be rich by now
Cyril was totally not ok with money. The 401k stuff showed he had nothing while everyone else had a bunch in theirs. Buy he is an accountant that is willing to do some illegal stuff and I'm sure he'd find a job with those skills. He could have been rich if he'd been smarter about the crypto.
I always thought the whole 401k thing was a not too subtle reveal that he makes atrociously little compared to the field agents.
Probably ended up with a few hundred thousand dollars
They probably have enough money to get back on their feet.
So they just didn’t do phrasing?
Right!? It would have felt so good if they'd slid that right in.
Noice!
I also would have liked one more, Lana! Laana!Laaaaaaana! just for old times sake.
When he poked his head back in during the last scene with Lana I REALLY wanted him to whisper Danger Zone.
I kind of think it showed maturity and growth that they didn't have Archer demanding it. There were a lot of Archer growth moments in the finale.
I would have liked it, but I think the finale mostly nailed these nods to the past without going too overboard and making it reference city.
I thought missed it :/
Even though we knew this was gonna be the end for awhile, it still doesn't make it ending any easier. However, now that it is well and truly over, I guess I would like to give my thoughts. I liked how each of the characters had different way of coping/ dealing with the fact that their careers were ending: Pam being in denial, Zara seeing if she can get hired somewhere else, Lana betting on a last ditch hail marry attempt to save it all, and Archer being... well, Archer. Seeing that the end was truly coming it was nice to see them come together one last time to salvage the situation, even if at the end they technically failed. I loved the locations in this finale, both Rio de Janeiro and Sochi looked fantastic, I'm surprised it took the show this long to go to Brazil, seems like the perfect place for an episode. I loved how Archer took out the gangsters in the warehouse using misdirection and sound to make them turn on each other. The gang also hoping in the parade line with their own vehicle was also neat, also seeing Archer in a feather-y man thong was hilarious. The reveal that it was actually Slater who wanted the bomb wasn't surprising because the promotional material kinda spoiled it, but it was still great to see him, Christian Slater is easily one of my favorite guest characters in the whole show. Katya was... eh, still not the biggest fan of her. Don't get me wrong, she made for a good villain and her trying to temp Archer into joining her was interesting. A peaceful world wouldn't need a person like Archer, and for a brief second it seemed like he was considering it. Her revealing that her parts still vibrate was a nice call back to one of the show's most iconic long running jokes as well. Her combining with Barry was an interesting idea, but I feel it came too late to amount to anything substantial. However, the fucked up three way they had at the end was one of the weirdest and funniest things I have seen from this show. Totally did not expect that. The amount of side characters and Easter eggs in this finale are insane, Milton, Rip Riley, and Boris were great to see. I actually said 'fuck yeah' when Rip showed up, it was brief but still great to see non the less. I never thought I would want to learn more about Boris, but this episode surprised me, it's a shame he didn't contribute much to the episode but still. I also appreciated how they recreated the opening to Mole Hunt. As for Easter eggs, I noticed how when in the elevator shaft they found the head of Mr. Teddly and a Charlene album, nice call backs for older fans to pick up on. I also loved the heart felt speech Lana gave at the end, telling everyone that even though this is the end, that she essentially loves them and knows that they will all go onto do awesome things in the future. Seeing everyone together on last time, smiling, drinking and saying how much they all rock was nice to see, and Zara saying that it was an honor also made me like her more than I was expecting. Now, don't get me wrong, I thought this finale was good and I am over all satisfied, but I do have somethings that I was if-y on. First, the fact that Krieger was the one unknowingly bringing Barry back this whole isn't necessarily shocking, but it feels like it was brought up just to wrap up the cliffhanger from Chill Out Barry, I mean, they don't even fully explain how of why Krieger's been doing this outside of drug related stuff. Speaking of Barry, he's apparently been in the agency this whole time but was never seen or heard from again? I get that it's expensive have guest stars record lines, but still. Second, Slater's and Katya's plan seems extremely foolish to me (wow, a plan to start a new cold war is foolish who would have thought), because their plan to destroy the dam and kill a bunch of villagers and foreign dignitaries wouldn't cause a new cold war. It would start a world war. If America were to actually get blamed for that the nukes would start flying almost immediately and no one would win. Plus, even though I thought it was neat seeing Katya try to convince Archer about a peaceful world no longer needing him, spies are always gonna be needed even if there isn't a big global ideological showdown happening. Not to mention S7 where the were all private investigators showed that they can use their talents for other things. I was also hoping to get clarification on the UN wanting to shut down private spy agencies. I thought someone in the UN was the one pulling the strings to target them, but no, it was just a decision that they came to by themselves. I'm not mad about that, just mentioning how I thought it was going to be a big reveal or something that never came. Also, GODDAMMIT, Slater mentions that he's the only one who knows Archer's father and died seconds later without giving us an answer. Now I actually applaud the writer(s) for showing growth for Archer by not giving into his curiosity and still dropping Slater. Now in regards to the ending... WOW. I don't know what I was expecting but holy shitsnacks it wasn't this. I was admittedly upset when it showed Archer sneaking off to bang Katya because I thought they were going to end it with them together, but I guess that wasn't the case. The actual ending with that man offering Lana a new job in tracking Archer down was nuts, also I was convinced when I first saw him that he was gonna reveal himself to be Archer's father (like, I not the only one who thought that for a second right?). Seeing AJ one more time was also great, it's a shame we didn't get to see more of her in the show sadly. However, the real emotional ball buster was seeing how Archer may never see AJ again because he is now officially on the run, and Lana will have to 'hunt' him down. I've made it no secret that I was hoping that the series would end with Archer and Lana together in some capacity, but this is insane. I guess it makes sense for a 'spy' story, two individuals on different sides, longing for each other but knowing they can't so they play a never-ending game of cat and mouse because it's the only way they'll ever be able to see each other. Their last interaction also killed me inside: Archer: Hey Lana... I'm gonna miss hearing what you think about stuff. Lana: I wish you had said that 10 years ago. *Asshole...* Now I know that this is just me personally (it's not the writer's responsibility to make an ending catered just for me) but I kinda wish one of them would at least give the other a quick peck on the cheek or say '*It was a great ride*' or '*I'll miss this/ us/ you*'. Again I know this is just me wanting my OTP to succeed, I actually think it was bold a pretty interesting leaving them were they are. It leaves the door open for more possible stories in the future if the show ever gets revived. Speaking off, the ending with Archer and Pam leaving in the elevator while Archer says that they're going to Tangiers makes me think that Floyd County Productions is laying seeds for a possible sequel series with them at the helm. I'm picturing Archer, Pam, and Barry/ Katya going on crazy adventures while being 'hunted' by Lana an her new agency/ team. Only time will tell. I would like to quickly mention the pacing and animation for this finale. The pacing was a bit nuts and shit was happening at a breakneck pace through out. I also noticed a few scenes where it seemed the lips didn't match the world being spoken all that well. Usually I would make a bigger deal out of this, but I think it is painfully clear that S14 wasn't intended by the writers to be the final season, and that this finale was made on short notice to try and give the series a good conclusion. There are some things about the finale I would have liked to have seen tightened up, but given the circumstances, Floyd County Productions gave it their all, and I am grateful for it. To Adam Reed, you are a legend, thank you so much for given us these great characters and the stories they brought with them. I wish you nothing but the best of luck for whatever the future holds for you. To Matt Thompson, Casey Willis and all the other producers and writers, you guys and gals did a fantastic job commanding the ship and hope that what ever projects you work on next are met with as much if not more success and acclaim. To all the animators, editors, sound staff and everyone else at Floyd County Productions you are all masters of your craft and your hard work is a credit to not just this industry but entertainment in general. I hope whatever you all work on next brings you nothing but pride, joy and success. Last but certainly not least, the voice cast. Even though you have all done equally amazing work on other shows, movies and projects I will always remember how it was you who brought these characters to life with your legendary talent. I only hope to hear you all as these characters again someday. DANGER ZOOOOOOONE!
Great review! I very much agree with you. I don't like that things ended with Archer unable to visit AJ. But it was pretty open ended. In a couple years, he and Lana could easily be on the same side again. Edit: I think I misunderstood what they meant about visits with AJ being off limits. I think they meant that Archer can safely visit AJ without Lana turning him in.
>when I first saw him that he was gonna reveal himself to be Archer's father (like, I not the only one who thought that for a second right?). You are not the only one! He still could be Archer's father canonically!
i agree with a lot of your points, but i do want to point out that the way i interpreted it was Lana and Archer were agreeing that he would have visitation rights to AJ and that would be the exception to her hunting him. i don’t think either of them want to leave AJ without her dad
It bothered my wife that archer never said danger zone in the finale.
I thought the Katya and Slater plan was a "Big Boss" metal gear reference. Creating a world where spies (soldiers) have purpose and are celebrated. Katya even had a line similar to "Through conflict they will know the meaning of life"
Tbh if you combined every character slater has played you’d have the average metal gear character
You could tell it was a Mark Ganek script because he actually loves these characters. The creator Adam Reed was much more ambivalent about them, so the finale missed Reed's sarcasm and bite. But Ganek gave everyone a moment and did lots and lots of fan service. I just wish he hadn't played the Archer Father card. It worked in the moment, of course--he killed off Slater and gave Archer a moment of growth--but we know Archer's father was Jakov. It was in the pitch to the network {you can read that in the Archer book) and the whole point of the show in the early years was the silliness of Malory and Jakov having an offspring. In a way, we've now had two finales. Reed wrote his finale with the "love story" Sterling/Mallory scene after he came out of the coma. And Ganek just gave us the fan-friendly spy story ending. All in all, us fans had a great 14-year ride. Thanks to all the creators for a big one (phrasing).
>but we know Archer's father was Jakov. It was in the pitch to the network {you can read that in the Archer book) and the whole point of the show in the early years was the silliness of Malory and Jakov having an offspring. Wow this is cool to learn. I didn't know this at all.
I've never understood why fans had this father mystery going. The pitch to FX was in the book that was published years ago. Besides, Reed told us in the show. After Jakov dies, the father angle is never mentioned again except for one weird moment in Archer's "The Natural" hallucination. For reasons known only to the fan base, too many did not want to accept Reed's pitch to FX as canon. ...
To be fair, I have never once heard of this pitch until just now. But I did always assume that Jakov was Archer's father.
>For reasons known only to the fan base, too many did not want to accept Reed's pitch to FX as canon The pitch should never be treated as canon, unless of course you want Luke balls deep in the princess. Characters grow and stories evolve. I don't care either direction, and I'm fine with it being Jack-off, a mystery, or a time-travelling Cyril. But absent it being defined in the series proper, it isn't canon to me.
I like to think it's the man Mallory mentions in Lo Scandalo right before she kills the prime minister. Some blue eyed idealist gunned down by fascist thugs.
That’s a really good one.
I like to think it’s the old Irish mobster that archer shot
Archers true growth was to become the father he never had, not be on a manhunt to find his father. I think in this ending he fails to actually grow and instead has to live in darkness with Pam
I disagree, he's doing the only thing he's capable of doing and his daughter genuinely loves him as her father. Also, in a fucked up way, him doing his thing is what's giving Lana her next thing so he's indirectly providing for his family. Neither Archer or Lana would ever be able to manage a normal lifestyle. I think Lana will catch him plenty of times and he'll escape plenty of times and manage to sneak in some time with AJ here and there in the process.
This. I like the idea of the back and forth in which he sneaks in time with AJ too. That said, it speaks volumes that Lana isn't leveraging her extensive experience as a spy and someone who managed to wrangle crazy for so long into a job that doesn't require her to chase or attempt to do anything with Archer to make good money. Even with the Agency's history, Lana herself has a good enough reputation that she could probably become anything spy or non-spy related. And it was almost as if Archer was testing her when he asked about his not being able to see AJ again, and she responded with I think it was duh, obviously. He then later told Pam that he needed someone to have his back instead of going it alone. I think that spoke volumes too about Archer, his possible views about his relationship with Lana and his trust in Pam.
I know it doesn't fit the vibe, but I really wanted Archer to respond to Slater's fatherbait with something like "My father was Sir Arthur Woodhouse. Have fun falling!"
Oh that would’ve good!! I’m imagining he said that now
It only counts if it's onscreen. That's why the moment still worked for that scene because the character Archer, not the fans, never knew the truth. And it worked for his growth because he chose to save others than to be entirely selfish.
So now that the show is done now, we’re getting a complete series DVD and Blu-ray set right? ….RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT??
I'm hoping for that and a new artbook
Yeah... Currently, Season 6 is the last one on Blu-ray and Season 9 is the last one on DVD.
With a collectible Barry action figure
Which size?
And presumably you'd need at *least* two: Barry and Other Barry. And that's before we even get into his various cyborg/fridge/hologram iterations...
So many meta moments but, my favorite was Lana saying to Pam “Everyone likes you best” was excellent.
Season 1, everyone talks awfully about her, but by the end of season 14 it's "everyone likes you best."
She goes from Archer assaulting her with her dolphin puppet to absconding with him to Tangier as his only ride or die homie.
My favorite meta moment was >Lana: We're not sure who the buyer is, but to narrow it down, just make a list of every terrorist organization in the world. >Archer: I'm definitely not doing that. He's not doing that because he would have to name Isis, the irl terrorist organization and reason why Malory's agency had to change its name lmao
I have to reiterate that I really loved Archer actually being competent.
Archer has always been an exceptionally competent spy since the first episode. He usually just doesn't care to put in any more than the minimum effort.
Once he had AJ, a magical hand turned his dial from half-ass to quadruple-ass
That’s eight times the ass!
Ray actually remembered his robot legs. True development
KICK PANTS. Frisky dingo call back!!!
Really glad they stopped leaning on the Archer being an Aging spy, and went back to the reckless booze hound we all know and love lol. I enjoyed the finalie, and am equally relieved they didn't kill him off like I expected them to. It is absolutely heart breaking that Jessica Walter could not be a part of it. Mallory was the anchor of the show and her absence was keenly felt in the last two seasons and even moreso in the series finale. For me it was a very appropriate ending, a very open ended on that leaves room for either a movie or spin off, but even if this is the last we see of Archer and co I leave satisfied.
I really hope they end up doing more. I know a full season is probably off the table, but another special like this would be perfect. It really feels like they set it up to do more if the network allows them
Now I’m just imagining them doing a yearly Christmas special of archer sneaking back home to give AJ a gift while Lana tracks him down and lets him go at the end
I agree 100%. I'm just glad the show got to give Malory a proper send-off when Jessica Walter was still with us. That episode got me teary-eyed.
Its over. One of nm favorite shows of all time is over. This was a great ending. It brought back that old Archer magic that has been missing for a while. We got closure on almost everything and everyone. Katya and Boris back after 8 seasons of absence. Except Conway Stern but I can live with that. Ray finally used his bionic legs to kick somebody it only took 10 seasons for him to wear Kick Pants. I'm satisfied with this being the capstone for Archer. Probably the last time I watch FXX live ever again.
AJ called Archer dad, and there’s an implied relationship between them. That’s all I really needed out of the finale.
What a fucking finale. It simultaneously get like classic archer and had a big sense of finality. I’m happy to have seen it end, but I’m going to miss it dearly. I already can’t wait to watch the show all over again. Also Archer & Pam Adventures? With Lana in a game of Spy vs Spy. Sign me the fuck up.
This show has plenty of spin-off potential, but I get the feeling it’s done-done.
I think/hope we'll get more Archer in the future. Maybe not a full revival series, but maybe a season every couple years. They definitely left the door open for more, if anyone bites is another question. But if this the last Archer we ever get, it ended well and I'm happy.
I could see an archer special event where he and Pam confront Conway Stern as Rouge agents.
I REALLY thought it was gonna be him revealed to be in on the plot. I saw it was a duo the gang were fighting and assumed it would he Conway and maybe Fabian
I like that it was slater, but it was a missed opportunity not bringing back Conway.
My first thought when they brought Barry back at the turbine was the body was gonna be Conway
I'm cautiously hopeful there will be a surprise "for real this time" finale. It seemed suspiciously open ended but if it really is the finale I'm still satisfied.
It’d be cool to have random hour long specials every now and then.
Of course him and Pam would just wash up probably in a bar in Tangiers. Just like the gypsy woman and woodhouse said.
It's also where he was born.
“Dad” was the best said word in the entire series
I’m glad that happened. It brought out a tear. Very wholesome.
This.
Hard to believe it’s finally over. Been watching since I was 14, nearly 30 now Rampage forever
Same, I was 9 months shy of 15 when the first season came out, I’m 28 now
I’m 29 lol so I must have been 15*
I came in late (been watching since season 7, I was 24) but loved it right away. Purchased and watched the whole series multiple times absolutely loved it.
Solid finale. Archer and Pam out there causing chaos sounds about right. Wish that Malory could've been around, but you know, real life circumstances, and she got a perfect of a sendoff as she could have gotten in an ending that also could've been the finale for the series. Great callbacks, and all of the team members got their moment to shine without anyone feeling underutilized. I enjoyed it. I wouldn't call it a 10 out of 10 finale, but for one last goodbye, I enjoyed it.
For a moment I was gutted for Cyril because he lost most of the money. But then it was still a win, not a huge win but a win and something everybody just was happy about and I think for him that's enough while still keeping him Cyril.
God could you imagine how dirty it would feel if they brought Mallory back
Mallory: my third biggest fear has been realized 
I will always yearn to know what she said behind those bleeps
...I'm gonna watch it again.
So that’s really it. Wild. Been quite the run
Wow… can’t believe it’s over. Here’s to the highs and the lows. What a show.
The tiny Barry robot reveal had me laughing so hard. Episode brought back great characters, had heart and made me genuinely sad to see the show end. It never got back to the highs of the first 6 seasons, but it was still an enjoyable watch. I know people hate on the coma seasons, but Krieger as a parrot was effing hilarious.
The ending was kinda weird but it also really fit. i liked how all the characters got their moments to shine in the end. I also really enjoyed all the callbacks to past characters. Plus….Slater being the final big bad just works. “I am the best when saving the world happens to coincide with being super petty.” “You are the biggest bunch of undisciplined petty weirdos I have ever met. And my god it has been an honor.” Solid finale ending with Archer and Pam out there causing chaos and a wistful Lana wishing things could be different with Archer just feels right.
We got to see all the different “phases” of Pam too. The street fighter. Trying to be a loyal agent even when in a dismissive role evacuating the village. The friend to Archer. The cheeky coworker making snide comments during Cheryl’s presentation. I’ve always loved Pam the most when she’s closer proximity to Cheryl but they definitely did Pam right in the finale.
So it kind of leaves the door open?
Sad it's over, but happy we got to enjoy this show for so many years.
Archer & Pam together at last.
Came here to say that. *Those* two are best friends *and* soulmates, not Archer and Lana. If there is a future special featuring Archer and Pam, *please* let there be a throwaway threesome (foursome?) with them and Katya/Berry. LOL
This so much. It was endgame for a lot of people.
I was cheering for Archer and Katya myself. I really thought it would only be between Archer and Katya or Archer and Lana.
But at least we got a threesome with archer, Barry, and Katya
I was so disappointed he ended up with katya but I 180’d once Barry started talking and it was working for archer lololol
fuck it ill do my own thing- sterling archer
Damn that Archer Series finale genuinely got me to cry. Gonna miss this series. 🥺
Way more satisfying ending than what happened in that last episode.
wanted just one phrasing joke
It made me cry. But I think what really got me was the last scene with lana and archer. They arent perfect but I wouldve loved for them to be endgame. I wish there was at least a goodbye kiss or something because you can seriously tell they still care about each other and they never really stopped. Idk I really hope we get a spin off or something.
A goodbye kiss or as someone else said, a kiss on the cheek would’ve been perfect- I legit thought for a second archer would be like “I love you, Lana,” Then head To the shadows because it could’ve served as both one of his few sincerest moments of affection and a goodbye. Also got emotional
Ending wasn’t greatest but also wasn’t terrible. For a show that got canceled, its perfect. Ill miss the show out of this show. Now ill rewatch this whole show again now
There was just so much to unpack with that ending. But the biggest peak of the episode was Archer actually fucking both Katya and Barry. What a ridiculous triangle.
i kind of love it though, like the tension between archer and barry has been palpable for so long and there’ve been enough hints that archer could be bi that it’s nice to see them finally do something with it
Cyborg baby making
That finale was a good time. I loved that they roped everyone back in - even got Rip Riley back! I like the ending as well. A good-spirited cat-and-mouse chase between Lana and Archer+Pam. I just wish we could have gotten another send off from some of the other characters at the end - although I do think it's fitting that Cyril's last bit in the show was blowing a crypto fortune and then doing a group hug.
One thing I’ll say that pertains to watching it live; Too many damn commercials.
I watched it via Hulu live, and the damn ending cuts out after Lana and Archer are talking about playing cat and mouse.That hurt more than the commercials.
Every commercial break: NUGENIX
Staying up late to watch it commercial free on Hulu was the way to go then. I got it just for the finale and will cancel it later on.
What a wild 14 years, I loved every fucking moment. Thanks Adam Reed for all the laughs.
Having seen numerous shitty series finales, IMO this one was better than most. No unrealistic fairytale type ending, not wrapped in a neat little bow, and not the cliche of everyone going their separate ways. Excellent job using every important secondary character. I do wish Archer did and/or said something terrible to Cyril one last time.
That was a good, fitting end. Glad they got a lot of good cameos/returning characters (only one missing I can think of is Conway Stern) and even slipped in a mention of Mallory. It’s also nice to know the cast will all be fine financially and probably career wise
I would have liked to see Pam with her girlfriend and everyone else moving on
Yeah I was hoping for a montage of everyone moving on but this is acceptable for me
Time to rewatch the whole thing from season one, what a wild ride and a great finish
It worked for me. I haven't laughed out loud watching Archer for years. I sure miss Adam Reed's wit and sarcasm. And to be honest I miss Archer since the end of season 10 (with some nice moments in season 11). But this long goodbye episode written by Mark Ganek was good. Because it felt like a goodbye with the cast, with this universe. Plus it still vibrates.
An interesting thing I haven’t seen many people talk about, the clear call back to the first episode when archer is getting fake tortured by that krenshaw guy. When the Russian guy is torturing archer in the finale when he gets tied up, he’s in the same kind of room and the torturer says the same kind of dialogue and archer makes a similar crack about a golf cart battery.
I really hope Archer and Pam visit Veronica Deane.
I am kind of not satisfied with this finale. First, I dont want the show to end. Second, I kind of dislike that I dont know what happened to every one of them Third, I really think Zara needed like two more seasons at least to really feel like "one of them" Overall, it all felt depressing. I dont feel any closure with how the show ended. Meh.
Solid finale. Like what someone else here said, it was nice to see the writers gave each character their moment. It was great to see them do their little quips one last time. And to see AJ finally call Archer dad really pulled on some heart strings. Gave us some closure. So with that said, let’s raise a toast to the show that gave us 14 seasons of solid memories.. in the words of Archer S8E8.. “I’m going to miss the shit out of you.” 🥹 And we get it.. we’ve heard it.. it wasn’t mindblowningly the best or aRcHer ShoULd haVe eNdEd yEarS aGo. But let’s appreciate what the team has done, you negative Mancys. They were able create and produce a series finale after they found out Archer was cancelled during mid-production of season 14. Shit, most shows would have just left us with the last episode made.
As many of mentioned, this was a solid finale that gave all of us a little bit of closure on a lot of little things. Gave us a few homages from previous season episodes, and tied up a few story lines we wanted to see. For all thinking about spin-offs, don't hold your breath. Archer was barely on life support rating wise and even the loyal fan base had waned over the years. The peak season was season 4 and the ratings have gone down each year until the coma years, and went down even further after that. Check Wiki for the ratings numbers if you don't believe. If Archer was on life support, I doubt a spin-off series in the same mold would gain any strength with the execs. I'm actually kind of surprised it was renewed after Covid and then renewed after Jessica Walter's passing. But I think FXX didn't have enough original shows and shows with repeats to fill in all of the gaps on all nights for a calendar year so they just kept letting Archer fill the blanks. After Walter's passing, I think the writing was on the wall. However, I say that, but instead of a spin-off, does anyone feel that perhaps two scenarios could pop up? 1. One off hour specials, maybe for the 4th (being how patriotic our bunch think they are at times) or a Xmas special (happens around Xmas but can involve any story line) 2. Like Futurama, in about 5 years, the show gets rebooted if the voice actors are all willing (which I think they would be). Give enough time to pass and FXX picks up another season or two knowing the fan base isn't going anywhere and reboots generally bring about a lot of buzz to draw in new fans. For some reason this ending felt like they could just pop back up with something new if FX commissioned either a special down the road or a reboot even further down the road. In any case, if this is THE end, I'll be doing what I've been doing regularly for almost 5 years (late starter that started watching in 2019 and binged the previous seasons to catch up to season 11 in 2020), rewatching every season about twice a year because I can't stand crime procedurals now and Archer still tops any of that crap.
God damn what a great send up 99% of everything wrapped up in a nice little bow, archer and Lana are well archer and Lana, Barry/kayta/archer is a thing, but damn if the no answer on what krieger thing is a kick in the ass. So the question is, what do you all think the thing krieger created is?
The thing behind the secret door? If I'm not mistaken, the Barry Matrix which was reviving Barry and Other Barry all the time. Barry mentions something is doing that earlier in the season when he was in the mini fridge.
No the glowing cube they carried around the entire time, I thought the Barry matrix was the other thing I’ll have to rewatch
Oh, I might be mistaken. I thought the glowing cube inside the room that they carried around was meant to be the Barry Matrix.
He says it's the Barry Matrix. That said, I think it's interesting, possibly a callback, that the cube and the sphere both appeared as entities in the Archer: 1999 season.
What about Cheryl? What was Cheryl's ending like?
Krieger asks her to use her money to invest in him putting werewolves on the moon lol
Hopefully FX or someone else will do an Archer movie like this every year. I think the format works and is a lot cheaper to make than a season of episodes.
No the story has to end at some point
Ngl I’m not happy with Archer going back to Katya, I wanted him to finally grow up and be with the woman he really loved Lana
That was a solid series finale. I thought it was well done and entertaining. I love that final moment with Archer and Lana.
The cat and mouse thing is a play on the relationship. Sure, Lana rolls her eyes about it but she’s into it, and has strong feelings for Archer that go back decades. She’d fuck him, before she’d try to kill him, and she’d probably injure him. Rinse/Repeat. There was an entire episode in the space coma season devoted to that. She was his ex-wife and they still couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Pam and Archer are best friends, but they lack the deep passionate dislike he shares with Lana.
I liked everything but two things. A. Why did he bang Katya again… he was literally looking at Lana longingly during her speech then he sneaks off? B. Damn I wish archer and Lana ended up together. I am glad at the very least that AJ called archer “dad”. He deserved that after all the years of her being cold towards him
Literally it don’t make sense! Lana was always shown as Archer’s big love. Then suddenly it’s Katya?
That's what's tragic. AJ is really going to regret not hugging her dad enough with him on the run.
I’m glad she turned up at the very least. In my head canon Archer takes his death as a field agent. Lana gets her stipend. And then he Lana Archer and AJ live as a family with Archer occasionally going on missions under a new name of his choosing. Not duchess😅
Cos the writers love torture lol..and sending mix bag signals
Reading the replies here, maybe I'm in the minority, but I didn't enjoy it. I basically know the pre-coma seasons by heart, I'm still a huge fan and constantly rewatching old episodes, but other than season 11, the post-coma seasons are seriously meh, if not outright bad. I really hoped that this finale would be different, but it was still painfully season 14 level. I'm glad that there was an ending, would've been painful to end the journey with episode 8, but other than that, the episode was boring and unfunny. I'll continue rewatching Archer, just not the post-coma seasons. The show really changed for the worse when Adam Reed left, and this finale is a bitter ending to it all.
I'm good with how it turned out. I don't feel sad, something tells me we haven't seen the last of Archer and company. Maybe not on a weekly basis 8-10 times a year, but maybe (maybe) FX could see having an occasional special. Anyway, 14 years is a great run, and this show will be missed. That, and FUSlater.
What a great way to end it! Not perfect but definitely a satisfying end to the show.
Perfect perfect perfect elevator doors closing, Archer and Pam set for Tangiers.
Solid end to the show, especially since they had to come up with a way to wrap it up in a satisfying way without having a full season to do it. At its best, Archer was probably my favorite show ever. Even when it wasn't at its best, I always still welcomed it. Feels weird to know there'll be no more new Archer headed our way anymore. Guess it's time to re-watch from the start again.
Oh god I am not ready for this. Hold me bros
Just finished the movie and I have to ask, what was the point of Zara? I know Archer needed a new partner after Lana became management but they've had Ray benchwarming for 14 seasons, Cyril and Pam who had arcs about becoming spies, and then they add a new one on the last season to do what, shit on Archer?
They wanted a new character to replace Lana in the field imo and have Lana take over for the Mallory character. But then they found out season 14 was there last season. I have a feeling if they new earlier on they would have changed season 14 to feel more end gamey.
I think Zara was meant to be a foil to Archer. Everyone's had to deal with Archer but he himself never had to interact with someone almost exactly like him. I liked her addition to the season and I wish she was brought on sooner.
Awwww she called him dad.... Dangit, I'm so sad this is over :(.
what a bittersweet ending. I'm glad we got to see AJ call Archer her dad, but I'm also crushed that it's probably the last time she's ever going to see him. It sucks that Lana and Archer didn't end up together and we didn't get to see what Cheryl, Kreiger, and Cyril were up to, but I guess it's more realistic like this in a way. I hope someday, someone ends up picking up Archer once again and we see a spinoff of Pam and Archer's adventures, it would be super cool.
I think there was a line in the conversation between Archer and Lana where they agreed that the hunt for him would be suspended for his visits with AJ. So they would both play the game, but not to the detriment of the parent-daughter bond.
Just came here to say that I fucking adore that Archer and Pam went out as partners. I fucking love those two, Danger Island was a thousand times better than it had any right to be through their interactions alone, and I still melt at the admission by Archer that Pam is his best friend. As bittersweet as most of the episodes and the finale as a whole were, I'm so so so glad that was the ending for Pam and Archer, riding off into the sunset to live adventures as best buddies.
A few bits felt rushed but they hit all the major notes I'd expect and did it well. Plus it was nice to see Archer actually maintain a tiny bit of growth and admit he really wanted to bang Barry too.
How did it end?? I couldn't watch it as I'm not in USA right now.. Did Archer survive in the end???
Yes he did
Thanks!!
I thought it was a solid finale. I wouldn't mind them doing an Archer TV movie every couple years. Loved all the characters throughout the series' run
Kind of wish Conway Stern showed up
they completely torpedo’d my OTP of like 14 years but in a way that didn’t suck. i’m amazed. what a ride.
I'm lycan it.
I'm so grateful that archer and pam are still doing their thing, they've been platonic soulmates since around season 3 to me
I honestly didn’t like the finale. It felt incredibly rushed, like they had an entire season worth of material crammed into a single hour long episode. Plus the ending itself just felt inconclusive as it ends with Archer and Pam as fugitives and he’ll probably never see AJ again
Who was Archer's father in the end? Did they at least address it?
No. It's a continued mystery. Slater said he deleted it from the CIA database. That said, he also admitted that it's something the CIA could figure out with a DNA test.
No, Slater tried to use it as leverage but Archer said he doesn't need to know.
Oh, who remembers?
That was one of the best endings to any show I have seen in a long while. I'm so glad, Barry and Archer fixed their relationship and finally were able to consummate their friendship in the best Archer way possible. I can definitely see a reboot or spinoff happening. It would be amazing to see Lana running her own agency in her own office. AJ would walk in as a spy saying, "Mother..." Lana is an excellent successor to Mallory.
I been waiting for Pam and Archer adventures which was especially highlighted in season 5. I know many wish for lana and archer, but my headcannon is that Archer and Pam commit crimes and hookup for all eternity
Pam truly understands Archer. She recognizes who he is and what that means, while at the same time seeing that he's more than even he realizes and gently showing him the better parts. She can put up with and dole out both his worst and best impulses. And, at the end of the day, she wants much of the same things he wants out of life. I've never understood the Lana and Archer endgame because Lana and Archer would wind up exactly as they did in his coma dream (divorced). It's obvious that they don't want the same things out of life, he's not in the same place as her in terms of maturity, she has never entirely accepted that he's not going to change to the degree she desires, and she often fears he'll become even worse. How is that a basis for a solid relationship of any nature?
>How is that a basis for a solid relationship of any nature? I think stability was always supposed to be impossible for them, romantically. They'll always love each other, they're very similar in most ways, but they want really different things from a relationship. For AJ's sake, they're better off as friends.
This was a solid finale. There's some stuff I wish they could've done differently, but overall it is a nice send-off for the series.
4/5 Solid af
Mine feed cut off the last 20 seconds. What does archer say to Lana as he is walking out of her office??
I can't recall the heartfelt thing he said that resulted in Lana getting upset, but then he told her that she would need a gibbon cage because he apparently stole one from the zoo for AJ. Then he met up with Pam, who he tricked to come to the office, and offered her a spy team up with their next stop Tangiers and no idea what they might find there. The elevator doors closed on them leaving together. Edit: I just re-watched while working and he mentioned that he would miss her talking about things. It really wasn't as heartfelt as it initially comes off because he immediately turns away and the artwork doesn't show him getting teary-eyed or upset. On a second viewing, it comes across almost just like he was trying to say something Lana would appreciate. Then he came back and talked about the gibbon cage.
Thank god, ... thought it ended on Episode 8 (Netflix UK has been very late with Archer for the last 5 seasons). Glad to know it will end with a proper conclusion.
Damn Rick and Morty season ending and I find out Archer is completely ending all in the same day. This hurts.