Archer Review: Klumping Around Turkmenistan
Eric Hochberger
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This week, we went back in the field all the way to Turkmenistan to watch The Rat Patrol attempt to blow up an oil pipeline and knock a few items off Archer's bucket list in "Once Bitten."
With Lana unable to go to Turkmenistan for either racist or sexist reasons (pick one), we were treated the ultimate incompetent trio of ISIS field agents with half-cyborg Ray back and field operative Cyril joining Sterling.
While out in the dessert, Cyril got to shine with his surprising amount of snake knowledge. Identifying the Caspian cobra was impressive enough. Duh, it's all about their ventral bands. But the man's knowledge in venom and vasodilators? Possibly saved my life. I'll never suck out venom out of anyone's taint again.
Ray, meanwhile, managed to prove how badly he'll lose in his impending epic robot battle against Barry when he couldn't even live the a measly jeep with his new legs. He also revealed his very creepy bear heart-eating traumatizing Legends of the Fall upbringing.
But the real backstory revealed? No, I'm not talking about Archer's lacrosse careering ending shot from Ruth Anne Litzenberger (will she return?) as narrated by a poor man's James Mason. I mean the origin his alligator fears! Now if only we can get to the bottom of those crocodiles and brain aneurisms.
Back at ISIS headquarters, meanwhile, Lana was busy klomping around in her most idealistic self since "Pipeline Fever" trying to stop the boys from blowing up the pipeline and proving she could love something outside of work. Of course, she was unable to prevent the guys on the former. Only their incompetence and corruption was to blame for that.
That and a venomous snake bite. Luckily, Archer pulled through when the guys were properly able to identify the right gurp gork and get Archer's antidote. But not before we missed out on Archer's father's reveal.
Overall, it was a pretty solid episode and better than last week's Katya and Barry outing. Now for some of my favorite Archer quotes and references from the episode:
- Gurbanguly really is the President of Turkmenistan. Not so used to the show using real life figureheads. Nor using Dictator jokes.
- Maybe James Mason is Archer's Lorne Green. Nah, that's gotta be Janis Joplin.
- New number one on my bucket list? Eating some record breakingly huge kind of food.
- What Wedding was Krieger working on that couldn't wait with that little cake!?
- Fred and Barney at the Water Buffalo lodge. Was that two Flintstones references this season?
Eric Hochberger is the programmer of TV Fanatic, so please forgive his mediocre writing. His programming is far better. Follow him on Twitter and/or email him. Just don't request threaded comments. They're coming.
