S08.E03: Archer Dreamland: Jane Doe

[OnceSane]

Quote

Archer tries to escape from jail with the help of a crazed heiress and a dysfunctional jazz quartet.

[bmoore4026]

So, in Archer's mind, Ray is an annoying load.  Hell, that's what he's been since season five.  Where's the awesome Ray from seasons one and two.  Granted, this is Archer's dream world, but there's no point to him if you have three black guys filling the smart assed guy roll.

Lana's 40s lady voice was great, as was the escape, and Cheryl/Charlotte's giddiness over being kidnapped and stuff.  Don't know why the three black guys lost their shoes when fighting Poovey, who (as it turns out) is a guy.  Also, all those brief cuts to Poovey's life with the Chinese ladies was fantastic.

[Lantern7]

Dang, I kinda want to see the five-on-one fight. Poovey fucked everybody up. Some things should never change. I could buy Archer cuffing him out of desperation.

Charlotte? Still batshit. Still awesome. Not awesome: Lana trying standup. I have to remember that Aisha Tyler got started that way, and she probably didn't crater as hard as Lana did.

Am I weird for liking how Jeffery Tambor says "Chinese whores"? I kept laughing. Ditto with the band giving Archer shit, and Poovey getting the first case of hearing loss this season.

[Galileo908]

So more insight into Dreamland: Gillette is lamer and more effeminate (I INSIST YOU LET ME SHARE YOUR MARIJUANA CIGARETTE!), everyone's racist (especially Cheryl/Charlotte), and Lana dabbles in (terrible) standup comedy. This version of Cheryl still has that physical violence fetish, and Pam is still a fighter.

Pam's cutaways to her as an old woman(man?) living with all the Chinese prostitutes were hilarious.

I liked that Poovey offered Archer pie...and then the guard brought Archer a slice a pie.

Edited April 20, 2017 by Galileo908

[ThePansyBastard]

I am NOT AT ALL enjoying this season.  I really thought I would LOVE it.  I am just NOT laughing.  Not at all.  :( I love the noir setting, but I can't seem to find anything funny. 

And what is up with Jessica Walter's voice? She sounds like she is losing it.  I hope she's ok! 

[ThePansyBastard]

Am I the only one NOT laughing like usual while watching Archer? I LOVE the noir setting but I am just NOT laughing.  Cheryl/Carol, whatever, is funny at times, but that's about it for me.  I don't hate it, I just am not enjoying it like I thought I would.  I had SUCH high hopes!! :( 

I am going to binge-watch the first three episodes again and hope that I can find myself enjoying it.  

[enlightenedbum]

Wendell Pierce stole this episode.  I miss Bunk.

[OnceSane]

2 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Charlotte? Still batshit. Still awesome. Not awesome: Lana trying standup. I have to remember that Aisha Tyler got started that way, and she probably didn't crater as hard as Lana did.

Aisha Tyler was as good at stand-up comedy as Lana, imo.

Of course Mallory re-kidnapped (I don't think that's a word) Charlotte…and Charlotte is still turned on by violence.

I like the Poovey/Archer alliance.  And Poovey and her wives/maids(?).

[Christina]

Cheryl/Carol/Cristal/Carina/Cherlene/Charlotte NOT yelling, "You are NOT my supervisor!" was a major fail. I was waiting for it, ready to yell along, but nothing. It's one of my favorite catchphrases from this show.

[TresGatos]

Carol/Cheryl/Charlotte seems to have become more unhinged and is now excited by emotional/physical violence when she was not in the previous episode but I guess years in prison will do that to a gal.

I especially enjoyed Wyatt Cenac. His show People of Earth is my favorite new show by far.

I hope some of the real world starts seeping into the coma world. I want to see Len Trexler with a rabbit.

I am really enjoying this season but 8 episodes is far too short.

[Joimiaroxeu]

I don't know why but I was surprised when I recognized Keegan-Michael Key's voice. Guess it's more distinctive than I realized.

Seems like Lana is not only not that great of a stand-up comedian, she's about average as a singer too. Her act is probably more about the sultry look and the backup band.

[CaptainTightpants]

Man I am loving this season! 

"Remind me never to rent YOU a mule"! I'm still laughing about that! ?

Another keeper was Krieger's "Let's get you dancin' handsome". 

Pam continues to be awesome(Panda Christmas sweater), and Cyril continues to be repulsive. Since this is Archer's dreamscape, maybe Cyril's face will melt off by the end of season or something. 

[marceline]

I'm not enjoying this season as much as some but I'm liking it more than Archer: Vice which just left me kind of cold. The last episode bothered me just because of the way they kept tossing Bernice's body around. I have a low threshold for corpse humor. 

One part about this episode I loved was Lana's failed stand up. I've read Aisha Tyler's book and seen her perform so I know how much work she puts into doing a good tight standup set. Lana did everything Aisha said "baby comics" do. 

[Morrigan2575]

I'm really enjoying Dreamland.  So far Cheryl/Charlotte and Pam/Poovy (guess we got a gender answer) have been the highlights. 

This Lana does nothing for me but, I'm good with that. I like that Pam/Cheryl are getting more story.

[Chaos Theory]

Cheryl/Charlotte was hilarious and of course her best day ever would be continually getting kidnapped and randsomed off.

Loved how almost every answer to every question was "four".

Lana's stand up act was really bad but in a really funny way.

[cyberfruit]

10 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

I don't know why but I was surprised when I recognized Keegan-Michael Key's voice. Guess it's more distinctive than I realized.

Seems like Lana is not only not that great of a stand-up comedian, she's about average as a singer too. Her act is probably more about the sultry look and the backup band.

Ha! Keegan's voice is pretty distinctive! I was wondering, "Is that him..." and then I caught a slight gag when two of the three band members were standing next to each other. Keegan's character (tall, lighter brown skin) and then next to him was a band member who was shorter and darker skinned (Cenac). 

Edited April 21, 2017 by cyberfruit

[benteen]

After not being impressed with the first two episodes, I ****ing LOVED yesterday's episode.  I was laughing from start to finish and the band made for some great guest characters.  This corrupt but incompetent cop persona is a great fit for Cyril and I enjoyed Lana being portrayed as more of the nut that she is and I laughed at the Al Capone routine.  Hell, they even had her throw in a period-specific mention of the Taft-Hartley Act.  Well done!

[ganesh]

I don't think Pam is actually a man in the Dreamland universe because Archer and her did it a lot in the season that ended on the space station. I thought she's a woman portraying a man so she can be a detective, but everyone thinks she's a man. I think Archer sees her like that in Dreamland because she's actually competent. 

I thought the best scene was the entire discussion about segregation in the war. 

[thuganomics85]

Favorite episode of this season so far.  Lana's back-up singers are welcome additions.  I remember spotting Wyatt Cenac's name in one of the former episodes, but Keegan Michael-Key (again) and Wendell Piece are great casting as well.  I also felt like they made Keegan's character actually look like him in real life.  I do wonder if he is suppose to be completely knew, of if Archer's subconscious remembers his cop character from last season.  And if so, will J.K. Simmons' cop be popping in as well.

Charlotte and her craziness continues to delight me.  Judy Greer is perfection.

Lana's failed attempt at standup cracked me up, especially since Aisha Tyler is a successful standup comedian in real life.  Lana constantly doing syphilis jokes reminded me of when Liam Neeson kept doing AIDS jokes in Life is Short.

Trexler and Cyril are pretty fun antagonists so far.  And Krieger is getting Barry new legs!

I like how in his own weird way, Archer's almost become the straight guy in his dreamland.  Even then, he's still pretty out there, but he just isn't as insane as everyone else.

[benteen]

Wyatt Cenac was one of the guest voices?  That's cool.  I love People of Earth, another really funny comedy.

[tennisgurl]

We get some more insight into how Archer sees everyone. His version of Ray is way more of a swishy loser than he is in real life, and Lana is a failed comedienne obsessed with jokes about STDs, who he still has the hots for. I don't exactly know what that means, but...it was there.

Looks like Charlotte has turned into Cheryl after her time in prison! Her long, miserable 30 minutes in prison.

[cyberfruit]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

We get some more insight into how Archer sees everyone. His version of Ray is way more of a swishy loser than he is in real life, and Lana is a failed comedienne obsessed with jokes about STDs, who he still has the hots for. I don't exactly know what that means, but...it was there.

Looks like Charlotte has turned into Cheryl after her time in prison! Her long, miserable 30 minutes in prison.

Right now, my guess is that Archer thinks Lana's beautiful, but incompetent. Remember, "Spray and Pray?" 

I think the fact that Lana's connected to Mother is important. Mallory and Lana's relationship has never been played up, but they've become very close over the series and Mallory probably trusts her the most, aside from her son. 

[ganesh]

How much should we be reading into Archer's view of the others? Not every scene has Archer in it. In UK Life on Mars, the concept is similar, but the main character was in every single scene. I don't know if we're supposed to read that deep into this show. 

[Independent George]

I love this season - it feels so natural that I have to consciously remind myself that it's a dream sequence. And yeah, Cheryl/Carol/Charlotte is positively terrifying.

I think Pam is man because Archer thinks of her as one of the boys. Which, when you consider the other cast members, kind of makes sense. Regardless, she's established as his best friend, so Poovy as his grudging noir ally just works beautifully. 

Pam: best character on the show, or best character ever?

Edited April 24, 2017 by Independent George

[Snookums]

Quote

"Remind me never to rent YOU a mule"! I'm still laughing about that! ?

"Why on earth would I rent a mule?"

"You're afraid of commitment?" Howling. HOWLING.  

I was worried about this season but the whole forties noir/coma thing is great reset.

And loving Jeffery Tambor. "I feel like we're running out of things to fill with Chinese whores." 

[Lantern7]

20 hours ago, Snookums said:

"Why on earth would I rent a mule?"

"You're afraid of commitment?" Howling. HOWLING.  

I got a flashback from last season. "Why would you rent a mule?!? You lease the surly bastard!"

[Kel Varnsen]

On 19/04/2017 at 10:39 PM, Lantern7 said:

Not awesome: Lana trying standup. I have to remember that Aisha Tyler got started that way, and she probably didn't crater as hard as Lana did.

I thought Lana's standup was so bad that it kind of made it funny. Plus I am sure she knows what it is like to bomb that bad. From what i recall from  her book there is at least a whole chapter about how bad her early stand up was. The whole point of the chapter was talking about how real stand ups will keep working and grinding to work out good jokes, and how long it takes to get to the point where you develop a solid set.

[Temperance]

Phil McCracken was the name Ray had on his fingerprint card in the police station. It's also the name Archer gave Slater in the Archer Vice episode where they met Slater (first time ever) out in the jungle. In that episode, they didn't know who Slater was and Archer said that Ray and Cyril were McCracken brothers: Phil and Odie. Then both Ray and Archer told Cyril "Odie, hush!"

Edited May 23, 2017 by Temperance