Review: Archer: Danger Island “Strange Doings in The Taboo Groves”

They are! They’re Goddamn Colossal!

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Archer, Pam, and Crackers continue steaming over recent events when they get a call from Mallory, who grills them for not managing a delivery before Pam lets slip their hunt for the idol. In a rush, Archer shoots the radio and hastens their search, which seems to put them on the course for Dead Man’s Cove. Things seem to be going smoothly enough until Archer trips into a ravine full of quicksand, and Pam soon after trying to get him out. Trapped and at their limits, Archer confesses he plans to ditch Pam the moment they get their idol because of all the crap he’s had to put up with because of her. She instantly bursts into tears, forcing him to admit she’s actually his best friend as they are attacked by Howler Monkeys. The monkeys then flee, but only because of the arrival of cannibal hunters.

Charlotte starts flaunting her newfound power as Mallory begins sniffing for word about the treasure, which perks Fuchs’ ear as he readies his remaining troops for the search, while Ray points her to Dead Man’s Cove. Charlotte tags along out of boredom and threatens to burn down the building if she can’t go.

OUR TAKE

Wow, this recap does not do this episode justice. Very little happened and yet a ton happened all at once, filled in some of the best banter this show’s had this season. It’s like we got a cattle prod to the show’s nutsack and it took off running. Okay, bad analogy. What I’m trying to say is the pace really went up, as now everyone’s involved in the hunt for the idol now, with a lot of different tools in play and a new wild card in the cannibals finally coming out. Though not much gets wilder than Charlotte, who could burn the forest down or get the Germans to do it for her whenever their groups meet up. Heck, I wouldn’t be too shocked if Fuchs’ drug addiction and German science turned him into some sort of Aryan Hulk for the climax, THAT’S how crazy this show can get at times!

Though the real MVP of this week is Pam, who’s had to put up with Archer’s constant abuse all this time and will no longer take it. Which is to say Archer’s comatose imagination version of Pam, who is being abused by his coma version of himself, and this is possibly him realizing she’s been his best friend this whole time, but you see what I mean. As I and likely many other reviews have mentioned about them over this show’s near-decade on the air, their friendship kind of came out of nowhere and yet became one of the most enduring and endearing parts of the show, with this possibly being the payoff for all of that (even if Pam, in reality, may not be fully aware of this revelation on Archer’s part). Floating the topic of marriage was a surprise, and might not be too out of the realm of possibility by the end, considering Archer has no other love interests this time around. I do also wonder if this might’ve been premature, seeing how we have three episodes left this season, but we do have a big chase going on to help keep the attention span.

But yeah, this second half has really kicked things off as we close in on the final hunt for the idol, and maybe finally get Archer out of that coma before the final season starts.

And lastly, a Requiescat In Pace for Luigi, who tragically died this week under his inventory of flower. He rests in Paradiso now, where the angel hair pasta is made from real angels. Hail Italia.