“The decadent, suave spy lit his eightieth cigarette of the day…” So begins the opening line of Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel,Casino Royale– released on August 09, 2025. How could anyone resist a guy like that? This basic, outlandish, and almost cartoonish representation of a double agent in a clandestine organization served as the firm basis forArcher, as any fanatic is aware.
Unfortunately, for long-time shout-oriented spy fare,Archeris bidding its curtain call, leaving FX and heading for reruns via streaming Hulu service. Yet before all hail the chief and us mere knaves proclaim “long live the king,” it’s appropriate to look back at the amazing, ground-breaking, and cringe-inducing classic moments and underlying themes that accompany the peculiar world ofArcher.
Remnant from Another Era
Created by Adam Reed, Archer follows H. Jon Benjamin as self-important, womanizing scoundrel Archer, with Jessica Walter as his mother-slash-boss-slash-handler as they operate a privately-owned spy business. Aisha Tyler works as a counter-intelligence operative, which implies that she goes out into the field to interrogate or infiltrate nefarious activities. Mostly, she drinks coffee and yells at Archer.
A great deal of other properties owe their popularity toArcher, including FX’s other series,Little Demon, Hulu’sPraise Petey, and Adult Swim’sTeenage Euthanasia. Indeed, evenRick & Mortyowes a bit of gratitude, as this, alongside the aforementioned shows, perhaps wouldn’t have gleaned the audience they did had it not been forArchersetting the stage. Why? Well, audiences tired ofFamily Guyand the long-canceledCleveland Showhad also outgrownThe Simspons, and watchingArcherconvinced these same audiences to give other, later animated adult fare a serious shot. And it paid off!
Lest other fans of other series feel left out, Archer has met up with other properties, such as the fan-favorite episode where the titular Archer crosses over with the characters fromBob’s Burgers, leading to an action scene. Similarly, theclerk fromFamily Guy(voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) does a stand-up routine where Bob fromBob’s Burgersmeets Archer (fromArcher). It’s about as thrilling as it sounds. The bit lands, though, leadingArcherdevotees to speculate on future out-of-the-box comedy for the series' final outing while vocalizing their hopes for the finale.
Related:FX’s Archer: What We Hope to See in the Final Season
The Untimely Death of Jessica Walter
In the recent trailers for the apex season ofArcher, many aficionados were introduced to a new character. The new character, Archer’s agency’s young, untried super-agent, Zara Khan, is played by Natalie Dew. While it doesn’t seem wise to introduce audiences to new characters in the final season of a series,Archerhad no choice.
Jessica Walter died in her sleep at home in New York City on August 11, 2025. The actor (a term she preferred) was 80 years of age. While this came as a surprise and quite a blow to the production team ofArcher, it also put a halt on plans for anArrested Developmentreunion as well as plans for an animatedArcherhomage episode to the cult comedy hit featuring actors Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, David Cross, Alia Shawcat and Jeffrey Tambor – all cast members ofArrested Developmentwho had cameos inArcher.
A Fitting Tribute
Archerhas created its own mythology out of the ashes of James Bond, who was officially killed off inNo Time To Die(2021). The superspy legacy continued throughArcher, taking it from its roots in the noir style all the way to the cyborg-infested future of tomorrow. Fans watchingArcherfrom its inception to its brilliant conclusion were immersed into a world that wasdeeply skeptical, deeply paranoid, deeply funny, and deeply, er, annoyed.Archer, if one can get used to the constant yelling, seems at first to promote misogyny and stereotypes, but the truth is that circumstances within the plots ofArcherturn these cliches on their head.
Related:Archer Season 14 Trailer Unveils a Fitting Farewell to the Classic Spy Parody
H. Jon Benjamin has admitted to growing tired of screaming, “Lana. Lana? LANA!” repeatedly, but his child-like kinship with the character is something he’ll miss. Taking a swipe at everything from politics, societal norms, S&M, alcoholism, parental absenteeism, genetic experimentation, the blurring lines between media reality and daily life, and recreational drug use makeArcherthe definitive, irreverent series the defied classification.
Archer challenged the precepts of action comedy, mixing separate realities to achieve a certain ontological uncertainty. Everything you need to know heading into the final season? Don’t predict the ending. The creators have teased an outcome that will challenge enthusiasts' view of the reality of the series,but don’t dare submit to spoilersand make sure you view the final season for yourself.
