Season Review: Archer Season 13

Overview:

Another year, another international crisis for Sterling and the rest of The Agency team. In the absence of their former compass, growing pains within the makeup and group dynamics of the team get stressed in new ways. Fabian’s fearless direction gives The Agency a newfound confidence, but concerns over ulterior motives threaten to be the ultimate fly in the ointment. Which in this case is treason and martial law. Hell of a fly.

Our Take:

Sterling Archer and the rest of The Agency team have previously been resilient in the face of unprecedented changes, whether it’s moved them out of their espionage comfort zones and into film noir shenanigans, jungle-running mischief, or the heights of outer space (okay, some of those may have been coma-induced fabrications of reality), but the team begins to finally buckle under pressure when faced with true change through the absence of Mallory. This one change in the cast is so simple, but it manages to trigger a domino effect of character development that lights a fire under everyone, especially Archer.

Granted, this is far from the first season of Archer that’s examined substantial growth for its main character, but it’s enlightening how the absence of his mother dwarfs every other crisis that he’s extinguished. Mallory’s exit means that somebody new needs to step up as The Agency’s new leader, but this also becomes a reflection of Mallory’s legacy and what she’s left behind. It’s a clever way to finally make Sterling give a damn about his job and the team’s reputation, while it’s also able to become emblematic of everything he’s experienced during the past year.

This season of Archer–which is ingeniously masterminded by Mark Ganek–wisely avoids the temptation to make Sterling Mallory’s replacement by instead turning to a more rewarding structure. Ray becomes the first Mallory replacement, but the season ostensibly rotates between leaders across these tight eight episodes in a way that forces everyone’s talents–and shortcomings–to be put under the microscope. It’s a simple formula, but one that keeps the season feeling fresh, feeds into serialization, and compliments the big twist that occupies the final installments of the season.

A lot of characters get to prove themselves through this structure (Pam is consistently on the ball, but her new relationship with Alessia is a highlight of the season that doesn’t get overdone), yet Lana spends most of these episodes in a frustrating point of regression. Lana’s ambivalence becomes a real drag for 2/3 of the season, but it’s at least able to culminate into a smart resolution that’s built upon realistic character development. This doesn’t fix a season’s worth of frustrating decisions, but the year ends with Lana in the most interesting place that she’s ever been and it’s an encouraging direction for a potential season 14.

On that note, so much of Lana’s stress this year is based off of her impending custody trial. It’s not the lightest territory to spend time in, but it does result in AJ getting the most attention that she’s ever had in Archer. Not only does she feel like an actual character, but she feels like a kick ass one who could likely hold her own against Agency’s finest, if needed. This heavier focus on AJ is hopefully another detail that the series will continue to develop in any future seasons, especially since Lana and Sterling are both independently in places that actually seem healthy.

Sterling’s subtle maturity in his post-coma years has always been a delight, but this season features a shocking level of lucidity as he engages in therapy and personal work that pushes him to look inward instead of escape in empty actions. The tender love story that he embarks upon with the unfortunately-named Mallory feels different from past hookups and even a potential place to return to when the series is ready to say goodbye. Character development of this nature can threaten to “break” a character like Sterling Archer, but after 13 seasons it’s not just overdue, but it’s exciting.

The other area in which this season stands above the rest is in how it seamlessly handles serialization, in particular with the competent mystery that it drags along regarding Ray’s loyalty. This isn’t completely new material for Archer to dwell in, but for once it actually feels like a real betrayal is afoot. It’s a testament to this season’s writing, both in a broader sense, but with specific character beats and dialogue.

Finally, Archer continues to surpass the high standard that it’s set when it comes to its action setpieces. The past few seasons have truly impressed in this department, but it feels as if season 13 intentionally tries to go for broke. This chaotic season includes fights that are set on jet skis, aboard trains, or take place hundreds of miles in the air as characters simultaneously fight and skydive. This year won’t be easy to top in this department. They don’t just find a way to include a multitude of exotic animals (much to Archer’s delight), but they also concoct brilliantly morbid sequences where these creatures explode. Believe it or not, Cheryl is only involved with some of these explosions. However, she’s also in the finest form that she’s been in years and doesn’t just feel like the world’s most chaotic wild card.

Season 13 of Archer ends with newfound confidence as everyone–at least for now–pulls themselves together, Mallory’s legacy intact, and Sterling exhibits some level of what might actually be satisfaction. As normal as all of this may sound, it’s exciting, uncharted territory for the show that’s been everywhere and done everything. If this marks the end of the series then Archer will go out on one of its best seasons in years, but it also feels more prepared than ever before to march forward and keep this ship sailing. That’s a rare thing to claim for any series that’s getting on its run, but it’s practically impossible for a series that’s considering a 14th season. If Archer sticks to this formula then they’ll have at least a few more years in them and will get to celebrate 150 episodes of spy schtick and beyond.