S08.E01: Archer Dreamland: No Good Deed

[OnceSane]

Quote

Archer tries to find out who killed his partner, but accidentally gets in bed with Mother, a notorious L.A. crime boss.

[Danny Franks]

1 hour ago, OnceSane said:

Quote

accidentally gets in bed with Mother,

Woah, phrasing!

[Galileo908]

Archer's alive! And they finally killed off Woodhouse. I looked away from the tombstone shot, how old WAS he?

So Dreamland was, well, a dream land. Also a club.

I'm very intrigued to where this season is gonna go. Loved this episode, Jessica Walter was especially fantastic. Seriously, I think going noir is one of the best decisions this show's made in ages.

[Lantern7]

Archer lives!! Seriously, of course he'd survive "Deadly Velvet." If Krieger had taken a bullet in the pinky, he would've died before Archer.

Damn, the only guy older than Woodhouse is Stan Marsh's grandpa.

I'm okay with the idea of a season based on a vivid coma dream. Then again, I didn't hate "Archer Vice." Aside from the idea of Archer fighting on a war (no Mallory to bail him out), I'm keeping my mind open. And we might get Trexler back. Haven't seen him since the ISIS gang kept him from buying them out, and that was six seasons ago.

I remember the panel at New York Comic Con, hearing that Cyril would be a bigger adversary. I know Archer will come out on top, but I'm sure Chris Parnell is tired of playing buttmonkeys.

Heh . . . Dutch Dillon got crippled. Some things should never change.

[benteen]

Funny episode and a good start.  I enjoyed it.  Even dead, Woodhouse is still a good source for jokes.

[Galileo908]

2 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

I remember the panel at New York Comic Con, hearing that Cyril would be a bigger adversary. I know Archer will come out on top, but I'm sure Chris Parnell is tired of playing buttmonkeys.

Heh . . . Dutch Dillon got crippled. Some things should never change.

I was also at the panel and yeah, Chris Parnell characters are getting an overhaul this year.

Spoiler

Jerry in Rick & Morty is getting divorced, for one.

Can't wait to see how else Dutch Dillon gets crippled. I'm hoping for Steampunk Cyborg Dutch by the end. And yeah, can't wait for Len Trexler's inevitable return. Maybe there's a Dreamland Nikolai Jackoff, too? Here's hoping.

[Lantern7]

26 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

Archer's alive! And they finally killed off Woodhouse. I looked away from the tombstone shot, how old WAS he?

The flowers covered up most of the info. I can tell you he was born in the 1890s, and the tombstone said he died in the twentieth century. That could have been the year his soul expired in the service of the Archers. The heroin might have been the only thing keeping him active. Otherwise, it's a "vague timeline" thing.

[Wryly]

This episode was more interesting than funny, and I'm just fine with that. I'm intrigued by the decision to make Archer a war vet with PTSD. The real Archer didn't even make it through boot camp, if I recall correctly.

Some interesting changes. Like Archer seems to care about Woodhouse the partner a lot more than Woodhouse the servant. It's refreshing to see Lana stringing Archer along. First time I've seen Archer act around Lana like he acted around Katya. Weird to see Cyril as a crooked asshole cop -- I would've thought Archer didn't respect Cyril enough for him to feature as a villain in Archer's subconscious. Am I supposed to think Pam is playing a man in Dreamland?

[Joimiaroxeu]

Loved the opening credits. Very film noir.

[allonsyalice]

They got me the moment the credits rolled.

I was intrigued, definitely. Everyone's roles seem perfect for them, especially Malory, and I like the changes between the characters that come with that.

RIP Woodhouse.

[bmoore4026]

Everything in Dreamland is based on how Archer views himself and the world.  I love that!

Archer sees himself as an action hero with severe PTSD (In reality, he's a sociopathic, incompetent Jerkass who blunders through life)

Malory is seen as a calculating crime boss who never seems to get drunk (In reality, she's an emotionally abusive drunk who sends people on missions that benefit her.)

Lana is seen as an unobtainable love goddess (In reality, she's a cuckolding shrew)

Cyril is seen as an asshole that has it out for Archer (In reality, it's the other way around)

Ray is seen as just someone in Malory's employ (In reality, he's the most competent one in the lot)

Kreiger is also seen as someone in Malory's employ but also as a supplier (Not terribly different in reality)

Len Trexler and "Dutch" are dangerous enemies (In reality, Archer and the gang destroyed both of their lives)

And Pam/Poovey is seen as Archer's near equal and conscience  (In reality, she's...hmmm, don't know what to make of her in reality)

Next episode, we get to see how he views Cheryl.  Sounds like fun!

[jadecorleone]

This is going to be great! Im glad they went this route. A part of me was wondering if they were gonna have Archer wake up in this episode, realize it was a dream only to find out Krieger had transfered his brain and heart into one of his robotic clones, bringing Archer's fear of being a cyborg to life. But this works for me. 

Edited April 6, 2017 by jadecorleone

[OnceSane]

I absolutely loved this premiere!  And I liked that Woodhouse's death made it into Archer's coma dream.  I'm looking forward to Cop!Pam & Archer adventures and seeing how Cheryl is in the dreamland.  Mallory looks fantastic (& a little scary) and Krieger is Kreiger.

[Machiabelly]

I loved this. I think that Pam and Archer are in awake world and will be in coma world, best friends and see each other as equals.

In dreamland I expect it will be a "this could be the start of a beautiful friendship" kind of thing.

[cyberfruit]

I really enjoyed the opening episode as it was such a departure from the Archer as we would expect -- him bumbling through a situation that Mallory sets up, hi-jinks, and ab-libing from the voice actors. His coma world was perfectly dark and somber, though still very Archer. He is the hero of his own story. I'm definitely intrigued as to how this season will develop.

And throw me into the small group of fans who also liked Archer Vice.

18 hours ago, Wryly said:

This episode was more interesting than funny, and I'm just fine with that. I'm intrigued by the decision to make Archer a war vet with PTSD. The real Archer didn't even make it through boot camp, if I recall correctly.

Some interesting changes. Like Archer seems to care about Woodhouse the partner a lot more than Woodhouse the servant. It's refreshing to see Lana stringing Archer along. First time I've seen Archer act around Lana like he acted around Katya. Weird to see Cyril as a crooked asshole cop -- I would've thought Archer didn't respect Cyril enough for him to feature as a villain in Archer's subconscious. Am I supposed to think Pam is playing a man in Dreamland?

In dream land, Archer thinks of himself as softer than he actually is, or maybe he wishes he could be. He's a dick, but I do believe he cared deeply for Woodhouse. Unfortunately, Mallory's his mother and he never removed himself from under her thumb, so he turned out just like her...just maybe less of a classist. I liked seeing Archer act lovestruck around Lana. We came into the series with them as exes and then two people who couldn't stay away from each other. It's obvious that Archer's always been in love with Lana, but he's a jackass who pushes her buttons and she knows how to push his, so they stay riled up. In Archer!reality, they, honestly, do not belong together but who else could deal with them? In dream land, maybe he can have a relationship with her that's actually healthy. It also depends on how dream!Lana develops.

Dream!Cyril as the crooked cop, to me, explains that Archer does not trust, and will never trust, Cyril in his life. 

As for Pam, she's just more butch in his mind, which is kind of fits. She may wear dresses in reality, but she is anything but feminine. I thought her outfit and hairstyle made sense. 

[Lantern7]

12 hours ago, bmoore4026 said:

Everything in Dreamland is based on how Archer views himself and the world.  I love that!

Lana is seen as an unobtainable love goddess (In reality, she's a cuckolding shrew)

Next episode, we get to see how he views Cheryl.  Sounds like fun!

Cannot cosign on Lana. I file her under "Seems Sane, Makes Poor Choices (See Also: Bluth, Michael)" Cheryl (Charlotte?) will still be crazy. "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT AND KILL ME!!!!"

[Kel Varnsen]

Wow that animation was gorgeous. I remember they said they had to step it up and make everything new when they moved to LA (character clothing, buikdings, backgrounds), but this was on a whole other level.

Seemed to be a lot more set up then pure funny. Remembering it takes place inside real Archer's brain makes it extra interesting (if he had a spirit animal it woukd be an ocelot). Also Pam's line about how Archer screwed the tits off Cyril's wife was hilarious.

[TVSpectator]

22 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

Archer's alive! And they finally killed off Woodhouse. I looked away from the tombstone shot, how old WAS he?

 

It looked like that his tombstone had 18... something is written on it. Which would make sense if he was a veteran of the first WW then he would've have been at least born sometime in the late 1800s. 

I really like this episode and I am going to say this now but I am sure that it is Cyril who was the one that Archer couldn't see and was taking the money and he was probably doing it as part of an undercover gig- and Poovy is in on it as well. 

[bmoore4026]

1 hour ago, Lantern7 said:

Cannot cosign on Lana. I file her under "Seems Sane, Makes Poor Choices (See Also: Bluth, Michael)" Cheryl (Charlotte?) will still be crazy. "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT AND KILL ME!!!!"

The whole thing with the baby plus how she's treated Archer since that baby has soured me quite a bit, and I'm not the only one.  "Cuckolding" might be the wrong word, though.

[Galileo908]

6 hours ago, jadecorleone said:

This is going to be great! Im glad they went this route. A part of me was wondering if they were gonna have Archer wake up in this episode, realize it was a dream only to find out Krieger had transfered his brain and heart into one of his robotic clones, bringing Archer's fear of being a cyborg to life. But this works for me. 

We still have a whole season to go, we don't know if this is the endgame.

[CaptainTightpants]

That was an absolutely wonderful premiere! I was concerned about the direction of the series after last season, which did not do anything for me. But Dreamland is visually gorgeous, and genuinely funny. I was massively relieved! 

I never thought that I would be happy to see Barry again, but he had the funniest scene of the episode in the cab of the truck. I'm also glad that the death of Woodhouse was worked into the storyline. Although in typical Archer fashion, it looks like what could have been a simple explanation will now be a season-long hunt for the killer. (:

[TVSpectator]

56 minutes ago, CaptainTightpants said:

That was an absolutely wonderful premiere! I was concerned about the direction of the series after last season, which did not do anything for me. But Dreamland is visually gorgeous, and genuinely funny. I was massively relieved! 

I never thought that I would be happy to see Barry again, but he had the funniest scene of the episode in the cab of the truck. I'm also glad that the death of Woodhouse was worked into the storyline. Although in typical Archer fashion, it looks like what could have been a simple explanation will now be a season-long hunt for the killer. (:

 

Yeah, it was nice to see Barry (and his name in the Dreamland is Dutch) and I also really did like the way they worked in Woodhouse's death with the death of the actor. That being said, I really did like that poem that was read at his funeral- was that real it sounded familiar to me for some reason?

[jbrecken]

They should have given his recently deceased partner the name Spade.

[CaptainTightpants]

9 hours ago, TVSpectator said:

That being said, I really did like that poem that was read at his funeral- was that real it sounded familiar to me for some reason?

I thought it was a poem too. But google says it it from the book of common prayer, for the order for the burial of the dead. So maybe it is something that George Coe would have liked. I'm glad that they are focusing on his death for the season, I loved that guy!

[TresGatos]

I fell asleep before the 1st airing and woke up in time to see the 1;33 a.m. repeat. I wanted to watch it again before commenting but stupid Comcast, or maybe stupid FXX, or both, doesn't have it on demand yet.

I was most intrigued with the Archer/Pam pairing in this episode. It was like the concept of Dostoyevsky's  novel "the Double" or that she's his spirit animal instead of an ocelot. I would like to re-watch the dynamic, but, like I said, stupid Comcast/FXX.

Hey! They added a dog! (Sorry. I read a recent article where H. Jon Benjamin suggested Archer add a dog next season like his childhood favorite, Scooby Doo).

The last veteran of WWI was Florence Green, born February 19, 1901. She had served with the Women's Royal Air Force. She died February 4, 2012 at the fantastically old age of 110. RIP Woodhouse.

[thuganomics85]

This looks like it could be even more out there then Archer Vice.  Thought it wasn't as laugh out loud funny as most episode, but I really enjoyed it and found it interesting.  Already like how the characters are fitting into various "noir" types, like Mallory is the mobster (of course), Lana as the gorgeous lounge singer and Cheryl as the femme fatale.  And, naturally, Barry is some gangster who really enjoys melting people with acid and the episode ends with Archer running over his legs.  I wonder what Other Barry will be!

They fooled me with the funeral fake-out.  I'm glad they gave Woodhouse a proper send-off, due to the actor's passing.  But Archer is actually in a coma, huh?  I guess he'll be like this for the entire season, unless they wake him up early for whatever reason.

For better or worse, this show sure is not afraid to take risks, and I respect that.

[Morrigan2575]

I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. I agree it wasn't as funny as others but, I think the humor level was appropriate for the situation (Woodhouse dead, Archer in a coma, film noir genre). 

I'm assuming the show will get crazier as Archer's coma/dream deteriorates and more teal world information (like Woodhouse's death) funnels into his dream world.

What really sold me on this episode was the Pam/Archer team up. I've always enjoyed those two characters together.

[ganesh]

On 4/6/2017 at 5:25 PM, Machiabelly said:

I loved this. I think that Pam and Archer are in awake world and will be in coma world, best friends and see each other as equals.

I was thinking a swap of Krieger with Pam made more sense because Pam and drugs, but when they teamed up, it was the right choice. Because Archer doesn't view Krieger that way at all. 

I figured the ptsd were symptoms of the blood loss/drowning/coma. 

I'm not really buying Cyril, but I can roll with it. 

I liked Vice, and I like when shows try to push it and try things. 

[Enigma X]

I recently gave up cable for Sling TV. Imagine the squeal I let out when I saw that I could watch this season on Sling. I am watching now and half way in. I really like it thus far.

[Kel Varnsen]

2 hours ago, ganesh said:

I was thinking a swap of Krieger with Pam made more sense because Pam and drugs, but when they teamed up, it was the right choice. Because Archer doesn't view Krieger that way at all. 

Pam appears to be playing the Russell Crowe character from L.A. Confidential. I am really interwsted to see how this developes.

[TresGatos]

Still no new Archer On Demand but I did not care for Malory as 'Mother' because it reminded me of Mother from Futurama and I kept expecting Ray, Cyril and Krieger as her minion sons.

[ganesh]

I haven't seen L. A. Confidential. Maybe I'll check it out to get a better feel for the setting. 

[tennisgurl]

So this is how the plan on dealing with the Archer cliffhanger from last season huh? Archer in a coma and dreaming of a noir world with the whole gang filling in various noir archetypes? I think its a cool idea, and it works really well for the show. Its always had a weird, retro vibe, where all of the 20th and parts of the 21st centuries seem to exist simultaneously, so actually making the show a retro throw back to the old time noir detective shows really works well for this show. I'm also glad they're actually dealing with the death of Woodhouse, both in the actual show, and in the Dreamland world.

This episode wasn't super funny, it was mostly set up, but I still enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Archer sees the other characters in this weird new context. Cyril as a corrupt cop is the biggest stretch, but I can certainly see it being how Archer sees Cyril, or how he justifies being an asshole to him all the time. He never trusts him, although I'm never sure why. Yeah, now Cyril has done bad stuff, but when the show first started, he was just a dorky desk jockey! I guess he never stopped being pissed off at him for dating Lana.

[Temperance]

There were jokes, but it's subtler than usual. Also the voices themselves are mellower than usual.

For years now everytime someone says Len Trexler, I hear Len Drexler. It's weird because I was sure his name was Drexler. 

On 4/6/2017 at 7:53 AM, bmoore4026 said:

Lana is seen as an unobtainable love goddess (In reality, she's a cuckolding shrew)

Len Trexler and "Dutch" are dangerous enemies (In reality, Archer and the gang destroyed both of their lives)

 They ruined Trexler's life. "Dutch" aka Barry Dylan is just as bad in my opinion as Archer.  Yes, Archer turned him into a cyborg, but then he could have done anything. Half the stuff he blames Archer for probably wouldn't have happened if he left Archer alone.   Lana can be shrew, but she is emotionally cold towards him which goes with unobtainable goddess part.

It bothered me that the song (Fever)  Lana was singing was from the 50s', and I knew that somehow without looking it up. (yes I know Archer may not know that). 

Finally I think Archer heard Lana say Woodhouse is dead and since deep down he cares for Woodhouse,  Lana saying it triggered the dream. I think in some ways this dream is a way of running away from reality, like pirate island, or when he became Bob from Bob's Burgers, etc. 

Spoiler

I think since Lana said he was dead, she will be the killer. But then it could be anyone. 

Edited April 13, 2017 by Temperance

[Scott]

On April 10, 2017 at 7:01 AM, TresGatos said:

Still no new Archer On Demand but I did not care for Malory as 'Mother' because it reminded me of Mother from Futurama and I kept expecting Ray, Cyril and Krieger as her minion sons.

In case anyone is still looking--when I finally got around to watching it last night, my On Demand (Comcast) had this episode under FX, not FXX.  FXX's On Demand had season 2, for whatever reason.

[Snookums]

I found it on FXX after all the season 2 epsisodes.

[TresGatos]

Comcast had it under Archer under the A shows for every season but the current season. FXX had Season 2 and so does Comedy Central but you can fast forward through commercials on Comedy Central On demand but not FXX. It was not under FX when I looked but 2 days ago, after an email to FXX asking what the hay? Archer:Dreamland was On Demand and in re-watching the 1st 4 episodes and there is a line in this episode uttered by Archer, "Hello, 1933 calling - They want their Gold Digger back" may be my most favorite line uttered by anyone anywhere ever.