Review: Archer: 1999 “Mr. Deadly Goes to Town”

Can you say “please detonate”?

Overview:

Coming across an alien tomb, the crew comes across a mysterious being called Mr. Deadly.  He forces the team to take him with them with the threat of death.  Once on board, they discover that he is actually a giant bomb waiting for someone to ask him to detonate.  Instead of letting him blow them up, Archer and Lana try to help him experience life in hopes that he won’t want to die.

Meanwhile, Dr. Krieger and Malory are trying to sell weapons on the black market.  Looking for something more destructive, they contemplate selling Mr. Deadly.  In a deal gone wrong, the crew struggles to launch Mr. Deadly far enough into space not to harm anyone while hiding from dangerous goons.  Unfortunately, he is detonated before being sent away, and the crew must improvise to survive.

Our Take:

There was one thing that everyone was hoping to see when Archer announced that it would be taking place in space this season.  Epic sci-fi adventure.  Thus far, Archer: 1999 has delivered us some traditional plots, some outlandish humour, and a taste for more.  This week, the show has produced an episode that is original, well-thought-out, and full of adventure.  Conceptually, this is an exciting story that withholds a lot of philosophy and dirty humour at the same time.

Mr. Deadly, the hitchhiking bomb set to destroy all in its path, suddenly one of the best characters to ever appear on the show.  It does not hurt one bit that the robot’s voice is performed by the wildly underappreciated Matt Berry (IT Crowd, The SpongeBob Movie).  The comedian provides a perfect balance of stoic and humoursome in his tone that makes this terrible robot lovable.  He efficiently managed to steal the show, and it leaves you wanting to see him and H. Jon Benjamin team up again and again.

Maybe this has been said before, but it is surprising how quickly Cheryl has become a favourite character as well.  She brings an edgy, lovable humour that works perfectly with the crew constantly being on the cusp of certain doom.  But, in this episode, she has a strange attraction to Mr. Deadly that climaxes in spectacular fashion.

The plot is the most creative and thought out that we have seen from the series thus far this year.  From the beginning, when the team comes across an alien tomb to the massive conclusion, the plot never failed to keep moving.  There is so much to appreciate when a show is packed full, and things actually happen.  There is a lot of effort that goes into making this series, and it always shows.  The animation alone at the end of this episode is enough to be impressed by.

Each episode of Archer: 1999 manages to outdo itself.  Every time you think that the show cannot get much better, it steps up the game.  It would have been great if the whole season just knocked off one sci-fi cliché after another, but to give us such a solid original storyline makes it even better.  Add in some great side characters, and some impressive animation and this was a home run.  Honestly, how can they improve upon this one?  I hope we find out.’