Season 3, Episode 11
After a few bumps in the road, Archer returned with a strong episode in “Skin Game”, and it did so by using some of the same narrative tricks that I have decried the show using in the past.
First things first: It's important to remember that I wasn't a fan of “Double Trouble”, the season two finale that ended with the weirdly emotional moment of Katya's death, but I respected the the show for continuing the plotline in “The Heart of Archness” trilogy (which is something that can't be said for the similar ending in last week's episode), and I was glad to see the show bring it back for one more time here. Regardless of that original ending, I enjoyed the energy that Katya had brought to the show, and her robotic presence brought a similar, if much weirder, dynamic to the show once again.
In fact, this very well maybe the weirdest episode that the show has produced so far (and let's face it, there have been a lot of weird episodes from this show), what with the robotic vagina, and human-on-robot sex, and robot-on-robot sex, and whatever is going on in Krieger's apartment. But I think what makes all this work is that the show is able to show all of the character's more or less taking these admittedly batshit crazy developments in stride, so that instead of just spending all their time reacting to the weirdness around them, they're actually able to try to do something to counter it, and all that contention makes for a much funnier episode.
But if we return to that continuity angle, it's not just Katya that provides a connection to the past, but Barry as well. And while I'm still not entirely sure that I like Robo-Barry (even his one reliable joke of talking to “Other Barry” has grown old), it wasn't his presence that I was interested in so much as his use as a plot device. Barry represents not only another connection to “Double Trouble”, but also to even the previous episode, as Jakov's murder has put him officially at the head of the KGB, and thus able to fly to the US and hunt down Katya. (That he is able to find Katya only because Krieger buys Russian hard drives in order to save about 80 bucks is just a sweet detail on top.)
This all ends in a pretty well-done action sequence, as Krieger cuts the power to the ISIS building in order to drain Katya and Barry's light-driven power cells, and Archer attempts to fight Barry in the dark, only to find he and Katya having sex. It's a pretty obvious ending to the storyline, especially as soon as Katya does a thigh-hold on Barry face, but it works as a retribution to Archer sexing up Barry's finance two seasons ago.
Yet while all this is going on, the show also manages to get some good material for the rest of the cast, even as they are all sitting on the sidelines to the A-plot (and this episode was all A-plot), with all their quips and pettiness at the ready. Obviously this is use of the characters that doesn't always work, but here their reactions of incredulity helped to fit the overall weird tone of the episode itself.
Quotes and Other Thoughts:
“What is that? I've never smelled that smell before in America.”
In fact, this very well maybe the weirdest episode that the show has produced so far (and let's face it, there have been a lot of weird episodes from this show), what with the robotic vagina, and human-on-robot sex, and robot-on-robot sex, and whatever is going on in Krieger's apartment. But I think what makes all this work is that the show is able to show all of the character's more or less taking these admittedly batshit crazy developments in stride, so that instead of just spending all their time reacting to the weirdness around them, they're actually able to try to do something to counter it, and all that contention makes for a much funnier episode.
But if we return to that continuity angle, it's not just Katya that provides a connection to the past, but Barry as well. And while I'm still not entirely sure that I like Robo-Barry (even his one reliable joke of talking to “Other Barry” has grown old), it wasn't his presence that I was interested in so much as his use as a plot device. Barry represents not only another connection to “Double Trouble”, but also to even the previous episode, as Jakov's murder has put him officially at the head of the KGB, and thus able to fly to the US and hunt down Katya. (That he is able to find Katya only because Krieger buys Russian hard drives in order to save about 80 bucks is just a sweet detail on top.)
This all ends in a pretty well-done action sequence, as Krieger cuts the power to the ISIS building in order to drain Katya and Barry's light-driven power cells, and Archer attempts to fight Barry in the dark, only to find he and Katya having sex. It's a pretty obvious ending to the storyline, especially as soon as Katya does a thigh-hold on Barry face, but it works as a retribution to Archer sexing up Barry's finance two seasons ago.
Yet while all this is going on, the show also manages to get some good material for the rest of the cast, even as they are all sitting on the sidelines to the A-plot (and this episode was all A-plot), with all their quips and pettiness at the ready. Obviously this is use of the characters that doesn't always work, but here their reactions of incredulity helped to fit the overall weird tone of the episode itself.
Quotes and Other Thoughts:
“What is that? I've never smelled that smell before in America.”
“I hate surprises. Except for surprise fellatio. I love that.”
“Why did you emphasize 'serial'?”
“Gross, and/or ick.”
“Is she alive?” “Yeah, flick her titty.”
“Krieger thank you, this is...Why do you have an erection?” “I'm...happy.”
“Holy shit zombies!”
“Just like the gypsy woman said.” “Yeah, you need to stop going to her.”
“Hey! Wait, or do I mean 'sploosh'?”
“I was emotionally shattered, which it turns out is a bit of a panty dropper.”
“I don't waste the ROM. Or the RAM. Whatever.”
“And what do you see in my eyes?” “Mostly those insane boobs.”
“Well, I don't really have a road map to my ex-boyfriend finding your robo-vagina in the sink.”
“It was like a transistor radio and a veal cutlet had a baby.”
“Plus it will make mother crazy. Plus yes, it vibrates.”
“BAAAARRRRRYYY!” “Polo.” “Will you shut up?”
“Oh Barry, I am coming for you.” “Phrasing.”
“And smug it would be, because told you I did.”
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