9x01 Strange Pilot

[7.2/10] Nice setup to the new season. A lot of this is just establishing the new setting and how the characters fit into this new milieu, but it’s a lot of fun. The show’s crackling dialogue is still very sharp, and the island backdrop and Casablanca references are good fodder for the tone of the show.

As much as this episode is table-setting for the new season, the new modes for the characters are enjoyable, and the way the character relationships are transmuted for the new season is fun. I think I like these mini-reboots more than most (though even I’m a little anxious to get back to the real world sooner or later). They let the show keep the basic humor and shtick that made the show so much fun, while transporting it to different genres and giving the show a chance to get even weirder than normal.

Plus the art style has evolved so much and is officially tremendous now. There’s a level of detail and depth to the imagery that I don’t think Archer fans would have dreamed of when the show started.

Beyond that, I like Archer as the layabout pilot of “Archer airlines” with Pam. I like Mallory has the owner of an island hotel who has certain off-the-books arrangements with Ray as the local constable. I’m come-see-come-saw about Lana as a local princess with Cyril as her foreign investing mark. And I love love love Krieger as a smartass parrot (er, rather, Macaw). It’s all a good setup, and the show’s running gags and amusing lines are all intact despite the change in scenery.

Overall, it’s a solid start to the new season that is more about setting the stage than really advancing anything, but the laughs are there and the setup is promising.