Archer - Season 2 [DVD] [NTSC]

Archer is a wonderfully absurdist frolic for strictly adult audiences. Fundamentally this show is a giant spoof of 1960s spy thrillers; a spoof made for decidedly 21st century sensibilities. It's the show Get Smart would have been had all the characters been perpetually high on crystal meth.

However you felt about season one, you'll probably feel the same way about season two. Personally, I love it! I don't think season two is actually any better than season one, but I don't think the quality has dropped at all either. So long story short, what we get here is more of the same. But without, I should stress, the show becoming merely repetitive.

If you haven't seen season one yet, I would suggest you begin at the beginning rather than just plunging in here. Season two does pick up pretty well exactly where season one left off. It'd be overstating things to say that this show is story-driven; it's more like a comedic improv act than that. But unlike most of Cartoon Network's [adult swim] cartoons, Archer does have a definite continuity. It's not like Aqua Teen Hunger Force where characters regularly die or get horribly mutilated only to be back again as normal the very next episode. In this universe when things happen, they've happened, and subsequent episodes do build on what's gone before.

In fact, in many ways this show is a whole lot like a more grown-up version of the original [adult swim] lineup. The sense of humor is certainly no less deranged. Things are as amoral and as brutal as ever. The difference is that the descent into anarchy is now played out on a much larger, more elaborate stage. What's more, given the success of the [adult swim] franchise, we're now watching shows with real budgets. This means that we can finally move beyond art lifted from old Hanna Barbera cartoons and into a world all our own. A jet-age, pop-art world that's smart, sexy, and at times just plain disturbing. Every bit as disturbing, say, as accidentally stumbling upon your mother's vibrator...

Not that I'm giving away any spoilers, you understand.

I'd never do that to you.

Theo.

Before we get into the show itself, another quick word of warning. Once again, for some unknown reason, Fox has released these DVDs in a bizarre Region 2 NTSC format. In case you put these discs in your player, and the picture comes up monochrome and striated, that's why it does that. Seriously, who's in charge of deciding the format on these things, a ring-tailed lemur on heroin? But if you have a relatively modern TV/DVD combi, XBox, or computer that you can play DVDs on, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting the discs to play properly. Any other issues or problems pertaining to the format that you have personally experienced would be most welcome as comments at the end of this review.

Anyway, Sterling Archer, the world's biggest jerk of a secret agent is back, along with the rest of the dysfunctional crew at the ISIS spy agency. Watch in awe and embarrassment as they try to cope with guarding a German industrialist's nymphomaniac sociopath teenage daughter from terrorist kidnappers, Mallory Archer's decision to sell ISIS to the highest bidder, determining whether or not Sterling is the father of the wee baby Seamus, guarding a gas pipeline from an eco-terrorist and surviving in an alligator-infested swamp, a plot to kill off the last remaining members of an RAF squadron, the deadly chaos brought on by one man's insecurity, babysitting a Hollywood actress who's tagging along to get inspiration for her role as a spy in her next film, the onset of breast cancer and tracking down an Irish gang that's profiteering from a chemotherapy scam, the kidnapping of one of their office staff, a series of colossal foul-ups in Monaco involving casinos, a pay-off, and the Grand Prix, and a botched mission into Russia that leads to some very unexpected developments.

You'll learn more about the secret backgrounds of not just Sterling Archer and his mother, Mallory, but also ISIS staff members agent Lana Kane, secretary Cheryl (Or is it Carine, or Carol, or what?), Head of HR Pam, Ops Center Controller Ray, butler Woodhouse, comptroller Cyril, and top boffin Dr. Krieger. It's not so much a can of worms that's opened up with these revelations, it's more like a 55-gallon oil drum of worms. Worms with teeth. Teeth, and . . . wait . . . I had something. Never mind. Massively stylish and crammed full of action, cool jazz, and women with not much clothing on, this is spy spoof comedy at its best. Also Peter Serafinowicz doing a damn good Michael York impression.

As far as special features go, they're all fun, and consist of a behind-the-scenes documentary explaining the tragic story why "Archersaurus" never made it beyond the pilot episode, a fan-letter Q&A session with Archer himself (in which he also pitches his book "How to Archer," also available here on Amazon), Archer's shout-out to some American troops in Afghanistan, what would happen if Archer found out that he was actually a short, balding, bearded guy who looks startlingly like voice actor H. Jon Benjamin, and the "Archer" panel at the San Diego Comic Con, where you get to meet the people behind the show and get some interesting questions answered, plus a hint of what's to come in "Archer" Season 3.

If you liked "Archer" Season 1, this is more of the same, only a bit edgier and more emotional. If you've only seen a couple of episodes of this show on 5* (and considering their broadcast schedule seems to be determined by drunken chimps throwing darts randomly into a list, I'd be amazed if you saw more than a couple of episodes on 5*) and liked them, I can highly recommend both Seasons 1 and 2 in full on DVD. If you're a fan of envelope-pushing adult cartoons such as "Family Guy" or "The Venture Brothers," or fast-paced comedy or the spy-film genre in general, I think you'll get a massive kick out of this as well.

I waited an age for this dvd to come out, the tv showing on UK's Ch5, was low key, so without SKY hard drive box or TIVO i kept missing the odd episode, and it wasnt viewable on CH5 catchup system either, the episodes were so funny, the writing as sharp as ever, building on the great foundations of humour and characters of series 1. Now i bought the dvd for series 1 which was in the shops 48hrs after the last episode was shown on tv, ever wanting to keep a "library" of re seeable films and programmes, but with series 2 it took about 4-5 months before it was on sale on amazon, but waiting to see again some episodes and viewing some for the first time too- it was well worth it. on Fb their site reports that series 3 has already been shown on the USA FX channel, no news yet of the UK release, and i bet we must wait a year at least to get the dvd of series 3- if it ever comes out! - i'n thinking here of the BBC's refusal to contemplate a release of Mongrels 2...nothing is certain in life, but one thing is- and thats a good laugh when viewing Archer....!