For anyone like myself who had heard in advance that the season 5 premiere of
Based on that montage and the general shift from a spy agency to former agents selling cocaine, it appears the fifth season of Archer will likely play out as more of a movie in 13 parts rather than loosely connected episodes of ISIS agents taking down a threat. There looks to be more ongoing subplots and a bigger story over the course of the season. If and when they do eventually return to being a spy agency, I don’t see it happening until the end of the season.
While “White Elephant” essentially stood as a set-up episode and might not be one worth re-watching countless times, Reed and his staff had to ensure, more than anything, that people would still be on board with the show after the big twist. In that sense, despite it not feeling like there was much of a sense of completion to a story, the episode succeeded in assuring fans things won’t really change all that much, and the show is in the right hands. The characters are what make Archer so great anyway. It shouldn’t (and rarely does) matter where they are or what they’re doing—it’s always enjoyable to watch.
One of animated television’s best shows is not only back, but also, somehow, it appears it’s about to get a lot more over-the-top and insane than it’s ever been. After last night’s premiere, I’m sold.
Carlo Sobral is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer and regular contributor to Paste.