Archer season 4 episode 2 review: The Wind Cries Mary

This review contains spoilers.

4.2 The Wind Cries Mary

Ah, the office team meeting. That monthly get together where everyone likes to play “Look at how much work I’ve been doing, suckers!”. Most of us probably go through them, but unlike Pam Poovey, most of us probably don’t rebuke our colleagues by telling them to “shut your d*ck holster”. 

The Wind Cries Mary opens with the ISIS reaching topic six of theirs and the announcement of peer reviews for all staff, which only Pam seems excited about. There’s also the revelation that former ISIS trainee/defector to rival organisation ODIN, and Archer’s best “friend”, Lucas Troy has been killed. There’s some great use of Archer’s form of exaggerated insulting in this scene, which brings all the characters together, and Cheryl Tunt is on particularly fine form with her level of pure loathing. 

This episode revolves heavily around the ISIS staff poking fun at Sterling Archer and his relationship with Lucas Troy (voiced by Timothy Olyphant, who is one of the coolest men on planet Earth), which may have been more than plutonic. It’s a reversal of fortunes somewhat as Archer is usually the one dealing out the scathing judgements, and Lana in particular seems to relish the opportunity to give him a taste of his own medicine. She pushes Archer so far in fact that he unleashes the big guns in his retaliation with a threat to “find Kenny Loggins and get him to come down here and play an acoustic set.” A Kenny Loggins gag is always a highlight in Archer. 

Troy isn’t dead of course and lures Archer up to Vermont where he reveals a rather different plan to the one Archer had presumed, when he asks him to run a B&B with him. Thankfully for Sterling, Cyril and Lana are in hot pursuit, though Cyril seems intent on conducting Lana’s peer review. This is a really well done script and bristles with the resentment that Cyril still feels for his ex-girlfriend. If you ever had to conduct a review on someone you once dated, it’d probably go something like this. 

Despite getting drugged by Troy after not welcoming his “singular same sex attraction”, Archer is typically impressed with Troy for his method of subduing him before Lucas goes out to deal with Cyril and Lana. Cyril has clearly been taking lessons from Ellie on Broadchurch as he’s chosen to wear a bright orange cagoule which Lana chastises him for – “is it pumpkin season?” Naturally Lana outwits Lucas Troy leading to a confession for a recovered Archer and a final scene which features only one line of dialogue, but is one of the funniest the show has ever done. It’s the pure brilliance of Archer that an animated show, one that is known for its razor-sharp script, can do a scene like this and make it so good. 

The Wind Cries Mary was an excellent episode. Lucas Troy was a fitting guest character, his catchphrase retort of “said your mum” the show’s equivalent of The Office’s “that’s what she said”. I know I only talked about it in the last paragraph but the final scene is worthy of repeated mention as one of the best moments Archer has produced so far, and that’s up against some stiff competition…… 

…..said your mum.

Read James’ review of the previous episode, Coyote Lovely, here.

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