Ep 2. The Handoff

When his beloved partner/best friend turns up dead in the trunk of a car*, it's pretty safe to assume that Sterling Archer's day isn't off to a great start. And when said car happens to be your occasionally significant other's - who wound up with it after a particularly grueling, anything-goes, no-rules-no-regulations drag race the night before - things get even stickier. But when Malory calls (well, FaceTimes) to inform Archer that his partner's death may have been the result of a handoff gone wrong (we're talking about a literal handoff here, not the metaphorical kind), all bets are completely off. Because now Archer and Lana have to go and recover this thing, and the sheer volume of covert operations, double-crosses, and plot twists that come along with that makes what seemed like a simple retrieval job at the beginning of the episode look like child's play.

"The Handoff" is, in many ways, a classic Archer episode: all around, it has the perfect mix of action, snarky humor, and acrobatic spy antics that make it one of the most underrated shows on TV. But this particular episode also has a few standout elements, too. For one thing, the stakes have never been higher for the titular character: we've seen Archer struggle with a lot of things over the years (relationships, addictions, tackling a hard-boiled egg), but this might be the first time we've seen him genuinely afraid - not just for his life, but for the safety of someone else's. This is a new dimension for the character, and it's fascinating to watch.

In addition, "The Handoff" is chock-full of tertiary characters, each with their own eccentricities, quirks, and secrets. Wait till you meet Season 7's newest addition: a one-legged mercenary named Poovey who is a-whole-nother level of weird. (I won't say too much here, but let's just say her car, which is essentially a giant metal phallus with a one-man turret on top, comes complete with a working kitchen. Yep.) And then there's Slater, another series regular who pops up to (loudly and colorfully) voice his um, concerns - fans of Christian Slater's unique brand of scenery chewing will definitely not be disappointed here.

But the real standout in this episode is, of course, Lana. Voiced with pitch-perfect snarkiness by Aisha Tyler, Lana is one of the most fascinating characters on Archer, and "The Handoff" gives her an opportunity to shine. She's the one making most of the tactical calls, she's the one physically beating up half the people they encounter, and she's the one managing to do it all while still rolling her eyes at Archer's various antics. It's a reminder that, while Archer may be the show's protagonist, the ensemble cast is what really makes it work. And when the team is firing on all cylinders, like they are here, Archer is truly something special.

I won't give away anything more than that, but suffice it to say, if you're a fan of Archer, you should definitely check out "The Handoff." It's one of the strongest episodes of the show's seventh season, and it's a reminder of why this series has been going strong for so many years. Plus, it's pretty much the perfect distraction from all the real-world chaos going on right now, so if you need a good laugh, I highly recommend it.

*Note: This particular event took place in the previous episode, but it's so cataclysmic that I felt I had to mention it here. I mean, come on - your partner's death is kinda a big deal.