On Wednesday September 16, the animated sitcom Archer returned for the premiere of its eleventh season on FXX with back to back episodes. Archer, created by Adam Reed, follows the life of Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) and the rest of the secret agents at his mother Malory’s (Jessica Walters) spy agency in New York City.
This premiere was especially significant due to Archer having been in a coma for the past three seasons. Since he got shot at the end of season 7, we have spent three seasons traveling through his dreams, remaining unaware of how the world was progressing on the outside. Finally, in these first two episodes, viewers got to experience how Archer’s world and the other characters have changed over the past three years.
In episode one, Archer returns to work and realizes that Malory seems to have gotten a bit more firm with her rules. And Cheryl (Judy Greer) claims to be a new and improved version of herself. The biggest question fans had going into the premiere was whether or not Archer’s on-again off-again girlfriend and baby mama Lana (Aisha Tyler) has waited for him. This does get answered in episode one, but I’m not going to give it away; you’ll have to watch to find out.
In episode 2, Archer and the rest of the team travel abroad to a private island for a mission at an illegal fighting tournament. On the trip, Archer learns that his mother does not allow her employees to drink on the job anymore. However it doesn’t seem like everyone is following this new rule — especially not Pam (Amber Nash).
Overall, it was an exciting season debut full of both drama and adventure. I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the season has in store for Archer and the gang. If you haven’t seen Archer or started watching the new season, I would certainly give them both a try.
Archer season 11 is airing at 10 pm every Wednesday on FXX and is available to stream on Hulu.
By Blair Krassen @blairlyawake