'Archer' Season 2 Preview

Archer, Sterling Archer, codename "Duchess" - he's ISIS's greatest agent and the world's greatest spy. And now he's back.

The return of what might be my favorite animated show of the last half decade is happening this week: On Thursday, January 27th, Archer season 2 premieres on FX, and you can party along with us and thousands of other Archer fans via virtual viewing party as we tune into the season 2 premiere "Swiss Miss".

As a loyal fan of Archer I'm here to share a whole Archer season 2 preview grab bag, including clips, images, episode descriptions and even a few quotes from cast member Aisha Tyler and show creator Adam Reed. Don't say we never do anything for you.

Archer Season 2 Episode Descriptions

When we last left off, Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) and the ISIS gang had taken on agency moles, traitorous Black/Jewish double agents, gay hit-men, rival spy agencies (ODIN), sexually perverted drug lords, and a KGB head who has strong paternal feelings for our titular hero. And that was just business as usual.

On the personal side of things, ISIS field agent Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler) found out her seemingly safe boyfriend, ISIS comptroller Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell), was a raging poon hound; Archer's mother Malory (Jessica Walter) was torn between two suitors; We learned more than we ever wanted to about the dark fantasies of ISIS secretary Cheryl (Judy Greer); Krieger (Lucky Yates) was a 24/7 mad scientist; and HR Director Pam (Amber Nash) tried and failed to get laid.

Suffice to say the stage is set for a whole lot of laughs and drama to come. Below are episode titles and descriptions for the first 7 of 13 episodes in Archer season 2:

"Swiss Miss" (Season Premiere) - Archer and the ISIS team are assigned to protect an underage German heiress who takes a serious fancy to Archer. But when a pair of identical twin assassins strike, things go from sexy, to dangerous.
"A Going Concern" - After hitting a financial wall, Malory considers selling ISIS to rival ODIN; Archer and the gang try to thwart the deal. Jeffrey Tambor guest stars.
"Blood Test" - Archer faces his greatest threat yet: a paternity suit.
"Pipeline Fever" - Archer and Lana brave the Louisiana swamplands to stop an eco-terrorist from blowing up an oil pipeline.
"The Double Deuce" - Secrets of Woodhouse's (George Coe) past make him the seeming target of an assassin. Archer sort of gets mildly concerned about it.
"Tragical History" - After one too many embarrassments at work, Cyril tries to prove himself a hero. Disaster and espionage ensue.
"Movie Star" - Hollywood starlet Rona Thorne (Rachel Harris) shadows Lana as research for an upcoming role, and Archer can't help but to compete for the movie star's attention.

I can say that Archer season 2 continues the strong track record set by season 1. The banter is snappier, the multiple plotlines are well-woven, the gags from season 1 are still running strong and new running gags introduced in season 2 up the pace. There are even a few new phrases that will be sure to penetrate the social media zeitgeist (early prediction: "Hush! Hush! - WHAT? WHAT?" and "Bag in which one douches," will be big hits).

Of the episodes I've seen, "The Double Deuce" is easily my favorite and should not be missed at any cost - I only hope we get to see more flashbacks of Woodhouse and Malory's younger years. There is certainly a lot more epic spy action breaking up the stints of banter in season 2, and it's a welcome change of pace, far as I'm concerned. All in all, Archer still delivers the goods.

Later In Season 2

We had a chance to talk to Archer creator Adam Reed (who also voices ISIS field coordinator Ray Gillette) and star Aisha Tyler about - amongst other hilarious things - what we can expect in the latter half of season 2. Just check out how that conversation went:

Question: Adam, could you maybe just talk a little bit about what you have cooking for the latter half of Season 2?

Adam Reed: Yes, there’s a character dealing with a devastating illness over the course of a few episodes.

Aisha Tyler: That is going to be insane.

AR: The body count goes way up.

AT: Talk about a blood marriage.

AR: What else happens? Archer continues his quest to find out who his father is. Archer falls in love, for real, which leads to the explosive season finale.

Question: Will we find out who Archer's daddy is?

AR: We keep looking, but as I’m writing the explosive season finale today by lunch, we may or may not. It’s going to depend on where the morning takes me.

Needless to say, Archer season 2 is looking pretty sweet.

BONUS: I'll tell you something right now that totally won't make sense to you, but totally will make sense to your future selves: The pirate virus will likely be offered as a ringtone.

Archer Season 2 Clips & Images

Last but not least, take a look at clips from "Swiss Miss", "A Going Concern" and "Blood Test" episodes of Archer season 2 - they're just a small hint of all the hilarity that awaits. Below the clips you'll find a Gallery of images from Season 2 episodes 1-7:

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