Review: Archer “Operation: Fang”

Overview:

The Agency’s first official mission with Ray Gillette as leader experiences “the horror, the horror” of a thriving jungle that has just as many natural threats as it does private espionage perils. With a seemingly simple goal getting further away from the Agency team, the spies are left to wonder if their own teamwork and leadership issues are more hazardous than any quicksand, snake bite, or exploding hippo.

Our Take: 

There’s a visual early on in “Operation: Fang” where the fruits of a stranded Agency’s labor result in a shoddy, makeshift raft that looks questionable in its ability to carry one member of the team, let alone all of them. This faulty means of transportation becomes metonymic for The Agency’s patchwork cooperation in a post-Malory world. It’s a helpful visual for the episode to turn to during moments of peak conflict. However, while this raft’s fate is to sink to a watery doom, the muddled Agency team find a way to stay afloat and avoid troubled waters.

The larger obstacle in “Operation: Fang” involves the liberation of firearms from the radical Serpiente jungle revolutionists, but the episode functions much more as a litmus test for Ray’s abilities as The Agency’s new leader. After thirteen seasons, Archer has featured endlessly shifting teamwork dynamics as well as exercises that are specifically designed to get these co-workers to power through their differences. There’s a kernel of stasis that Archer continues to cling to even when it’s embracing change, which means that these team-building exercise episodes have increasingly diminishing results. “Operation: Fang” does often fall back on old habits, but it avoids these past problems by properly committing to Ray’s promotion.

“Operation: Fang” puts Ray’s leadership skills on trial, but it also briefly considers who else on The Agency would be an improvement in this situation. Lana, Archer, Pam, and Cyril all have their separate moments of authority, which also feel like necessary moments following the recent regime change. It’s appreciated that Archer doesn’t back away from this responsibility, especially when this felt like it might have been the series’ approach during its fairly lackluster, small-minded season premiere. Archer doesn’t just make arbitrary decisions because they’d be funny, but it instead proceeds to have them prove themselves. 

“Operation: Fang” gets a lot of mileage out of the leadership question as the episode continually passes the buck. It’s genuinely funny when this question comes full circle and is earnestly addressed by their captors. It’s not terribly surprising when everyone figures out how to work together, regardless of who’s in charge, but the idea that their cooperation is all for naught is a welcome development. It’s another opportunity for the series to point out that Sterling and company are often the most destructive people in the room, even when they’re supposed to be the good guys.

The plotting in “Operation: Fang” makes sure that the story keeps moving along and some of the episode’s highlights involve the explosive action setpieces, which have become more of Archer’s specialty. The escape sequence that’s set around a collapsing tower in the jungle is both thrilling and visually gorgeous. The music in Archer doesn’t always stick out, but this is an episode where the score is fantastic and compliments the busy climax. This jungle setting also isn’t wasted when it comes to the natural wildlife of the area. “Operation: Fang” is filled with combative creatures that aren’t the norm for Archer, including an adorable tapir named Ryan who deserves to be The Agency’s official mascot.

“Operation: Fang” is an entertaining installment that’s pleasantly not defanged after the season’s questionable start in last week’s premiere. “Operation: Fang” is easily a stronger episode than the season premiere and it honestly wouldn’t have been difficult to make this entry the starting point of the season. Matt Roller, who scripts the episode, has steadily proven himself to be one of Archer’s more consistent writers during the years following Adam Reed taking a step back in the writing process. 

Roller’s understanding of this world and its characters lends itself to a beneficial level of shorthand that helps the episode sprint through information when it’s required There’s a necessary level of expository table setting that holds back the premiere, but “Operation: Fang” has to play catch-up in its own ways, yet still manages to cover considerably more ground. It’s a fun celebration of everything that works in Archer and the success and direction of “Operation: Fang” make it easier to be excited about what’s to come this season and excuse the slapdash season premiere..

And if nothing else, this episode blesses audiences with the glory that is Cheryl’s Lord of Cinders. A little naked fire elemental effigy sacrifice never hurt anybody.