Exclusive: We ask Archer EP about Lana’s baby

As you may recall from last year, our major story when it came to Archer Vice was that of Lana being pregnant. It may seem like an afterthought now, but at the time we didn’t know how the hell Lana was going to somehow balance the role of an expectant mother, with that of a spy on the run.

Season six changes all of this, because now Lana is working for the CIA and is no longer an expectant mother…nope, now she’s just a mom to little AJ. So, when executive producer Matt Thompson was available for a conference call, we jumped at the chance to reconnect with our friend and ask him about what we can expect from both Lana and the voice actress playing her, Aisha Tyler, as she deals with motherhood, bullets, and Sterling.

I wanted to ask you about what you mentioned a little bit earlier. You were talking about the role that the Lana and Archer baby is going to play in the new season. However, I’d like to learn more about what Lana’s mindset is going to be. Does the baby act like more of a wild card for her now? I mean, how does she balance being a mother and being a spy agent?

Archer executive producer Matt Thompson:

She’s conflicted. She goes through times of wanting to quit, wanting to get away from it. There’s times where we’re trying to take a vacation from the baby. And so, I think more than ever, “Lana” seems conflicted and she doesn’t know what she wants to do.

She also will go on a mission and leave the baby in somebody else’s care, which is driving her crazy because, one, “Malory” thinks that “Lana’s” breasts are filled with corn syrup or something and she’s constantly fattening up the baby. So, “Malory” is like feeding the baby ice chips to try and slim the baby down, or else like leaving “Pam” in charge of the baby and like, “Oh, my God. What happened to the baby? Where’s the baby?”

And so, it creates a lot of stress on “Lana.” She doesn’t really have a good handle with how to deal with it. She’s kind of making it up as she goes along and sometimes she’s handling it well and sometimes she’s not handling it well. How was that?

When you’re directing Aisha [Tyler], are you saying to her to be more motherly in certain scenes towards the baby even though it’s like some sort of an action sequence or vice-versa? How does she balance that from a directing point of view where maybe she has to put on different hats almost at a moment’s notice?

Yes, agreed. There are times when “Lana” – and you’re directing Aisha – that “Lana’s” just yelling at people. And so, I think that there’s a lot of times this season where we’re taking a step back from that. We’re seeing her and we’re seeing Aisha Tyler get really loving when she’s talking to her baby, or very protective, which is a different form of anger than just wagging your finger at people.

There’s also an opportunity for “Lana”— later in the season, we’re going to see a love interest come along and to see her in a very loving, romantic side of her. That’s also interesting. Aisha took each one of those things very much in stride. She is really, really good at this. I’ll find like when we’re directing her and stuff and she’ll do something, then you’ll take a step back and go, “Wow, that was really great, Aisha,” because we’re so used to her in the ‘yelling at us’ mode. Then to give her these opportunities this season to either act so loving to her baby or be in a romantic relationship is really wonderfully fun to see, John.

Archer Season Six premiers tonight on FX @ 10 pm ET/PT, check your local listings and watch a clip here.