Archer
Season 2, Episode 1 – A Swiss Miss
Starring: H. Jon Benjamin, Judy Greer, Amber Nash, Chris Parnell, Aisha Tyler, Adam Reed and Jessica Walter
FX Network
Air date: January 27, 2011

I’ll admit, I didn’t watch much of the first season of Archer. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the show or anything of the sort, I just… didn’t watch it. However, the season two premiere of Archer reminded me of what I loved about the episodes I had seen and made a lot of headway in selling me on the rest of the season.

For those unfamiliar, Archer is a spy parody that focuses on the day to day life of a group of spies at the International Secret Intelligence Service or ISIS which is run by Archer’s mother, Malory Archer (Jessica Walter), but with the humor and great animation style of Adam Reed (creator of Frisky Dingo and Sealab 2021).

The season 2 premiere, “A Swiss Miss,” is a perfect jumping-on point for new viewers. Without giving too much away, the episode sees the ISIS crew taking a retreat to protect a foreign business man’s daughter while proving that for as sexual Archer is, he does have limits — he won’t have sex with an underage girl.

The story moves at a great pace and consistently kept me laughing, which is more than some of the other cable comedies I’ve seen and more importantly, Archer fits the FX television model. It pushes the envelope by offering an entertaining, edgy story, while providing interesting and dynamic characters.

Comedy is always a tough thing for me to review, as much of comedy comes down to personal taste, but if you like edgy, raunchy, and hilarious comedies, Archer is right in your wheelhouse.

Quick Thought:

– While the entire cast is comprised of amazing voice actors, it’s really H. Jon Benjamin that stands out above everyone else. He brings such an energy to both the character and the show and I can’t see anyone else playing the character.

I’ll be watching Archer throughout the rest of the season and writing about random episodes here and there. For those who are already Archer fans, are you what did you think of the Season 2 Premiere, and for potential new viewers, are you interested in checking in on the on-goings of the ISIS?