Hi folks! Welcome the to our weekly recap of Archer’s third season, on the Multiversity Summer TV Binge 2021. This week’s episode is named “Heart of Archness, Part 3” and it closes the first Let’s dive right in.
1. Self-embezzlement
The first thing we have to talk about is, as usual, the things at the office, in particular the fact that Cyril has woken up from his drunken adventure and now he cannot remember what he did with ISIS’ money. In his desperation, Pam offers him to get drunk again; maybe state-dependent memory will help him.
This phenomenon is really incredible, if you mind is altered either from mood or a drug, your brain will store that memory in a different place from usual, and is only accessible if you are in that same state. That’s why it is discouraged to use pills while you are studying for an exam, you will only remember if you are using them while answering it.
Later, we see Cyril drunk again and Pam naked on the desk, clearly, their plan didn’t work, luckily the password was “guest” and at the end of the episode he fixes the problem he caused.
2. Life in pirate prison
It must be hard being on a jail, but it must be worse to be trapped in a pirate cell, as shown here. They all got infested with lice a.k.a. crabs, and the bathroom situation is bad, you get a dirty bucket and everybody is seeing you do your stuff.
The team seeks ways to escape, Noah attempts to dig a hole with a spoon, while Lana tries to reach the hatch in the ceiling, meanwhile Malory is negotiating with Bucky to free them, but, as usual, the things get complicated.
3. Malory always comes to save Archer
While arguing in their endless fight, Lana tells Archer that his mother always is there to save him; for example, we got three brief flashbacks of her protecting him from a psychologist, a school and the very Army itself.
While struggling with Bucky, Archer yells at his mother, basically telling her that she is a whore, and she gets angry at him and tells him that she is not paying any ransom and he has to see for himself, which, props to Archer, he does in fact save the day… well, mostly.
4. The escape
While fighting with Bucky, Ray is shot in the stomach, Lana on a leg, and Noah accidentally spoon-stabs Rip Riley in the eye. They force Noah to give blood to a dying Ray and they all try to reach a helicopter to flee the island.
While sneaking on the pirates, Archer discovers that they are playing the final on his Lacrosse intramural league, and almost abandons his team to go and play, but Lana warns him that she will never forgive him and he admits he doesn’t want to lose her only friend and they finally escape, is that personal growth?
5. Ray’s unluckiness
This three-episode story arc sets up some things that will be staples of the show for the next seasons; first of all, as I said before, this is the first time there is a serialized, non-spy story, which will be further developed later, with seasons like Vice, Dreamland, Danger Island and 1999.
Also important, is the fact that Ray is very unlucky, from losing an eye, to using a wheelchair; he will become a living running gag in his slow descent into a “cyborg-ized” spy. It’s funny because, usually, when they laugh at something in the show, there’s something that is being criticized, but here, it is just plain evilness from the creative team, I cannot find a single motive to Ray becoming a cyborg than just playing with the character.
I guess the future me will find some motives to Ray’s descent.
Today I learned: Dr. Karl Landsteiner, discovered the main blood groups and Dr. Charles Drew, found better ways to storage blood and do transfusions.
Joke of the week:
(Archer struggling with a toy at a psychologist’ office)
Mallory: Sterling, get your things, we’re leaving… before this quack’s office burns to the ground.
(Archer struggling with an exam)
Mallory: Sterling, get your things, we’re leaving… before this cruddy school burns to the ground.
(Archer struggling to climb a wall in the army)
Mallory: Sterling, get your things, we’re leaving… He’s gay.
And that’s it for this episode, a great conclusion to a very funny story arc, the next “arc” is going to be the season finale, on the meantime, what did you think of this episode? Leave your comments below and join us next week for our take on episode 304, “The Man From Jupiter”.
