Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Archer Review: Archer Dreamland “Sleepers Wake” & “Waxing Gibbous”


Once again, we enter Dreamland with all-new episodes that are continuing to tangle Archer in its web.  With only two episodes left till the season conclusion, we’ll see how Dreamland comes to an end. This season has been lots have fun but has been frustrating seeing as each episode flows into each other seamlessly. When waiting for the next episode, it feels more like waiting for a commercial break to end.  Which goes to show how exciting this season has been and these next two episodes do not disappoint. So, without further a due SPOILER ALERT is now in effect you have been warned.


Starting with Archer Dreamland “Sleepers Wake,” the episode opens with Barry aka Dutch in Dreamland who has now become cybernetically enhanced. Then Krieger walks in, and Dutch decides to choke him out for making him into a monster. Krieger’s goes on to explain that before he had no feet and now he’s stronger than ever before. The only reason Dutch doesn’t kill Krieger is that there is an antidote that will keep Dutch alive that only Krieger can make. Apparently, the concoction must frequently be administered for the remainder of his life.  So, Krieger is safe but still gets knocked out, and Dutch then leaves the secret lab which is under Dreamland. Dutch wants to kill Lex Trexler for setting him up for this experiment, and I’m sure Archer is on the list for taking away his feet in the first place.

The next scene shows us Figgis who is trapped in one of those refrigerators in the morgue. Which is where Archer put him has a prank. Figgis turns on a lighter and yells out but drops the flames onto a very sensitive area which causes two men to open the door. They start interrogating him because it becomes apparent that he has cut the finger from one of the bodies in the morgue.  Figgis leaves the two of them with some speech about raining hell down on them before he departs to his office. He calls Lex Trexler who is tired of how disappointing Figgis has been.  Figgis is also disappointed in his partner who has not found Charlotte but explains that there is no need. They just need to show up as cops helping in the exchange and then run off with ransom for themselves. 

 
Archer is setting up the ransom exchange with Cecil. Archer tells him no cops but is too late, because Poovey and Figgis are already there. While Archer was discussing the ransom drop-off, Lana was eavesdropping and seemed interested in more details. So much so that she sleeps with Archer for the information which he still declines to give. That makes her pissed seeing as Archer was the only one able to finish if you get my meaning.  Archer then heads out to collect the ransom.

 
Krieger finally wakes up and warns Lex Trexler about Dutch coming to kill him. Which he thinks will be impossible because his home is a fortress but Krieger knows what he created can easily break through his defenses.  That leads us to one of my favorite scenes this season which is a complete homage to the Terminator movie. With Dutch entering a biker bar asking for clothes and then kicking everyone’s asses.  The entire time he is beating the hell out of these guys he is talking to his other self which is what Barry does in the previous seasons.  Once he is changed, he jumps onto a bike that he crashes, but that doesn’t stop him from getting to his destination which we will see in the next episode.  Krieger does bump into Mother who warns him he better not be snooping he then retreats to the underground lab. Mother and Charlotte talk about what happens after the ransom is received, but Mother could care less about what Charlotte does after she gets her money.
 

 
The next scene shows Archer watching Cecil at the drop, and he is being accompanied by Poovey and Figgis. That frustrates Archer because he said no cops. Archer once again has brought along someone for the ride this time a prostitute. Lana is also following Archer and is observing the exchange her reason will become clearer in the next episode. The drop off was at a Topiary Garden, and the bag is dropped off in the one shaped like a mushroom.  Poovey and Figgis make the first move by throwing out a smoke grenade and taking the ransom money. So, the chase begins with Archer following Poovey and Figgis and Lana following behind them.  Before the car chase starts, Archer tells the prostitute who is Trinette to jump out of the car before the chase begins. She refuses, so he tosses her out while the car was still moving. Figgis starts to shoot and cause Lana to stall out and Archer to crash.  That leads us to the end of the episode with Archer back a Dreamland telling Mother about his failure.
 
 

This episode ends where the next episode begins Archer Dreamland “Waxing Gibbous,” with Archer explaining what happened to the ransom money.  Unfortunately for Archer Mother has heard enough of his failures. So, from behind the bouncer starts to chock the life out of him and Mother starts asking questions. While Archer is still being strangled with his feet not even touching the ground, he begins to play the cruelest charades game ever.   Once he is finally released, he utters the words the cops took it, and Mother knows exactly what that means. That Figgis and Poovey are taking the money to Lex Trexler and that Archer must go to his estate to retrieve the money.
Archer still has not slept in four days, so Charlotte offers more drugs to keep him alert and awake.  The next scene shows us Figgis and Poovey who are on their way to Lex Trexler Estate. Poovey makes a comment about keeping some of the money for themselves. She has a weird flash-forward at a college where she is the parent to several Chinese kids. Figgis makes it apparent that their lives depend on giving the money to Lex Trexler.  Poovey makes a comment about whoever was following them in the chase must be pissed, and this brings us to Trinette. The one who Archer threw out of his car and she bumps into Lana who is working on her car. Trinette pulls out Archer's badge and tries to commandeer Lana’s vehicle, but Lana pulls out her badge which causes Trinette to freak out. Believing that Lana works for the FBI but that’s not the case she works for the IRS. Which Trinette starts to make fun of and Lana tries to defend and all the while coming to no resolution to fixing the car.
 

Archer is shown driving and talking but this time to himself seeing as he is now high on drugs. Lana and Trinette are picked up by Cecil who wants to go after the ransom money bag.  He calls them both prostitutes, but Trinette says that Lana is T-man. Cecil takes that meaning she is a man and not an agent with the IRS. We know the sister is crazy and he is no better but worst. He makes comments again about incest and doing that in a role-playing game with Trinette. That leads Trinette to make a comment that his family tree must be shaped like a telephone pole.
 
 

We see that Krieger has finished the antidote for Dutch, so we know that he will need it soon. We also see Figgis and Poovey arrive at Lex Trexler home which is not be guarded and the front door is wide open. So, they take out their guns just in case. The next to arrive is Archer who is still high as a kite, and then Lana, Trinette, and Cecil come. We see a shot of Dutch motorcycle parked in the driveway. Everyone is different rooms, and slowly they see blood covering all the floors, and they all bumped into each other in the foyer.   They hear a man scream out in the background and Archer believes it may be a werewolf and of course it’s not its Lex Trexler. And this scene was striking with bodies mangled and positioned in a way to resemble the Last Supper.  With Lex Trexler in the center of it tied up and a very creepy Dutch standing off to the side lighting a cigarette. The episode ends there and tonight’s episode will pick up from there. Will see how they get out of this one by staying tuned tonight on FXX at 10:00 pm Archer Dreamland “Gramercy, Halberd!”.

 
Photo Credit: FX, FXX, DenofGeek.com, IMDb.com, Watchcartoonsonline.io, TheAVClub.com, hiddenremote.com, Vulture.com, Reddit.com
Created by: Jasmine Yard
Here’s a preview for the next episode of Archer: #Geektified #Archer #Sterling Archer #FX #FXX
 
 

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