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Techtite's TV Reviews! |
"Let me cut to the chase: Archer is, simply put, one of the funniest animated shows I've seen in quite awhile." ---from the review
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Archer
Sometimes the best new shows are the hardest to find on cable TV. Take Archer, for example: an "Adult Swim" style cartoon, from the makers of Sealab 2021 and Frisky Dingo. As you might expect: it's a funny, well done series, with great voice acting. What you might not expect: it isn't on Cartoon Network! It's on the FX network, instead. Wow; someone over at Cartoon Network really fumbled the ball with this one! Let me cut to the chase: Archer is one of the funniest animated shows I've seen in quite awhile. Imagine if the classic sitcom Get Smart was upgraded for the 21st century, only this time, the James Bond parodies held back no punches. Yet while this animated show is not for young kids, the humor remains mature, without getting juvenile. Who knew that was even possible? It helps that there is an engaging roster of characters here, each with perfectly chosen voice actors. Lead character Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) seemingly solves cases with half of his wits, and half "sheer dumb luck!" His ex girlfriend, Lana (Aisha Tyler) is also a spy, and a very good one; possibly even better than Archer. Their boss, Mallory (Jessica Walter) happens to be Archer's mother, though don't think he gets any favoritism; in fact, her chosen codename for him is "Duchess!" Lana's new boyfriend, Cyril (voiced by Saturday Night Live alum Chris Parnell) is not much of a spy, though he and Lana seem to have hit it off, so he must be doing something right. In the "Miss Moneypenny" type role is Cheryl (Judy Greer), whose running gag is that she continuously changes her name, if only because Archer can't seem to remember it! If there's one flaw with reviewing this show, it's how the humor relies heavily on comedic timing and the "delivery." It's hard to not lose the context of such jokes in a text review. Here's an example; Mallory insists that Cyril should be concerned that Lana and Archer are on a mission together. While Cyril insists that Lana will remain faithful, Mallory says maybe not: Lana's loins were stirring. "You think her loins were...stirring?" laments Cyril. "If not frothing!" insists Mallory. It loses some humor in the translation, though it's the delivery of the joke that makes it so funny. It helps that Archer is one of the rare comedy series that knows when to push the envelope, and how much. This is a decidedly after-hours, "Adult Swim" kind of animated sitcom, and yet the humor never delves into the "Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone," as Archer might put it. Sure, there is partial nudity, though no more than a classic James Bond movie ever showed. There is also violence (bad guys get killed left and right on this show), and yet it is merely there to keep with the subject of the series. This is a spy organization after all! Politically incorrect? Well, let's put it this way. Yes, there's the obligatory gay joke. Yet it remains politically correct and is, frankly, a very funny episode. Here's the scene: Archer must combat his homophobia while trying to make friends with a homosexual double agent. So Archer hilariously fails again and again, after attempting every "gay" cliché in the book. Soon Archer winds up making friends with the gay spy, by finding something they both have in common: their nagging mothers! Okay; so this episode wouldn't be good for Mother's Day. It was still very funny. In the end, the only gripe so far with Archer is how soon the "end" is. By the time you read this, the first season is probably close to its season finale by now. The good news: it isn't the series finale. Archer has already been picked up for season two. That's welcome news to anyone who's been waiting patiently for a "Get Smart" for the next generation. With animated series as funny as this, who needs a "cone of silence"?
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