Review: Archer: Danger Island “Comparative Wickedness of Civilized and Unenlightened Peoples”

Master Cylinder Coconut!

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

While Fuchs and the Germans call for reinforcements to fight the cannibals, Archer and Pam overhear this and alert them (or at least they warn them through Noah the translator), rallying them to battle in what somewhat resembles a montage. The village completes their hasty training just in time for Mallory and company to arrive, with much of the cannibals flocking to Charlotte as their new goddess.

The Nazis soon strike while Fuchs get crazy high on cocaine and amphetamines (even growing neat little coke Hitler beard), but they’re pretty easily cut down with a combination of the set traps, warrior strength, and getting in the way of Mallory drinking. In a rage, Fuchs breaks open a crate that turns out to have a GODDAMN MECH SUIT FROM ALIENS IN IT…which is then knocked away into the horizon by Archer’s “Widowmaker” trap. He survives but crawls into the night still in the mech with a crazed laugh and eye. The team and the villagers celebrate by eating testicle oysters.

OUR TAKE

Archer celebrates its 100th episode this week!…by doing nothing to actually celebrate the 99 previous episodes. Aside from MAYBE a callback to the “this is how you get ants” joke, although another callback from last week that I didn’t catch until a rewatch was one to “Master Cylinder”, a recurring gag from Adam Reed’s previous show, Frisky Dingo. Seems a fitting time to bring it up, connecting the two shows, if however briefly, for this momentous occasion. It just sucks that this is the closest we get to a proper celebration of how far Archer, and Reed himself has come. I mean, I guess I couldn’t expect much when they’re neck deep in a theme-centric season, but I really hope they give it a proper focus in the show’s final season next year.

I certainly wasn’t expecting the fight with the Nazis to be over so quickly or in this episode before the end, but I suppose that’s part of the joke. Being of color, the oppressed natives do end up being the underdogs, even if they’re cannibals…not that I’m complaining since they’re fighting and eating Nazis and annoying guys like Noah, it just seems a tad obvious for the subject matter. Also was kinda hoping that whole “soldiers love Charlotte” thing would come into play, and definitely was surprised the natives took to her that strongly, though I guess we have another episode to see if it goes south for her like I think it will. In fact, wrapping up the Nazi stuff (aside from Fuchs, who’ll be back for the end for sure) leaves from for the finale to be entirely about the cast going for the idol. Friends becoming enemies, motives and factions forming, and a race for the prize is probably the best way to wrap up this story before Archer finally gets out of his coma (please god, please get him out his coma).

But yeah, like it or not, we are already at the finale. Eight episodes hasn’t been a great length for this show, but it’s worked well enough for these alternate universe stories. This season really flew by, and while I haven’t been as fond of it and its interpretations of the characters as I was for Dreamland, but it’s been pretty fun overall. All that’s left is to land this plane and hopefully not hit shark-infested waters on the way.