10 Thoughts on Archer – Motherless Child

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Hello, Archer fans! We’re back, catching up with the new season of our beloved Archer. On today’s episode, Archer gets a visit from an old friend who makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Boy, that’s vague! Barry the cyborg is back and he’s looking for his mother and wants Archer to find her. He has also locked up Mallory in an underground bunker and won’t let her go unless Archer does what he asks. Yup. Could have just said that.

Here are some thoughts.

ARCHER -- "Motherly Child" -- Episode 704 (Airs Thursday, April 21, 10:00pm e/p) Pictured: Sterling Archer (voice of H. Jon Benjamin). CR: FX

1. How many episodes start with Archer drunk?

A good 60% I’d say. He’s definitely drunk in every episode. You’d think at this point, he’d be able to function properly even if he drank an entire distillery.

2. For a world class spy, Archer is bad at spotting traps

When he comes out of the bar, his tire is locked and a cab just happens to pull up in front of him, he hops in without thinking. Of course, the driver is Barry wrapped up like the invisible man (yes, that joke is made). He wants Archer to help him find his mother. So what does he do? Obviously, he tries to shoot Barry through the glass, but…

3. Archer’s tinnitus 

…it’s bullet proof, and the ensuing sound triggers Archer’s tinnitus. That’s a joke we haven’t seen in awhile. Nothing really interesting or new about it this time around.

4. Barry remains dependably vile

He trapped Archer’s mother in an underground bunker. And though if anybody has a right to be mad at Archer, it’s Barry, he’s still awful to everybody. Again, I can’t blame him really. And without Other Barry bouncing around his head, his character isn’t that fun.

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5. Archer has grown

Lana makes a joke at his expense late in the episode, a joke that a few seasons ago would have sent him off into a violent rage. But now he just chuckles and appreciates Lana’s  joke. It’s nice to see him growing up. But not too much. He stills wants to stick a giant live wire into Barry’s (non-existent) asshole.

6. Mallory isn’t given much to do

She’s put in a bunker and then escapes the bunker. That’s about it. Seems like a missed opportunity.

7. Topsy it!

When Archer tells Krieger he wants to Topsy it, he means just what I said: he wants to put so much electricity into Barry’s system that his wires get fried. It’s a reference to when the Edison Company filmed the elephant Topsy getting electrocuted to death at Coney Island in 1903. Weird shit, check out the link.

8. Cheryl loves Barry

Ugh, why? I mean, I get why she does, because she’s crazy and it’s a very Cheryl thing to do. But it doesn’t add anything to the episode. It’s a poorly constructed joke that doesn’t go anywhere. Again, endless potential. Squandered.

9. … Kreiger, uh

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That’s all I have to say.

10. Once again, Barry ends crushed

Literally. While walking to go find his birth mother, he gets flattened by an eighteen wheeler. Oh, well. Seems appropriate somehow.

Colin is a writer and actor based in Brooklyn, NY.