Archer is known for making me laugh so hard that soda comes out my nose. Not for making me feel uncomfortable (well, soda coming out my nose isn’t comfortable, but you get the point…)
This week’s episode had its funny moments, but most of it actually made me kind of sad.
Archer found out that Krieger had resurrected his murdered fiancee Katya (Ona Grauer) as a cyborg, and immediately fell back in love with her — although it took him some time and a lot of scotch to accept her new parts. Yet his nemesis Barry Dillon returned to kill Katya again, only to commit an even worse crime: he seduced her.
Much to Archer’s shock and disgust, Katya told him that she felt that she and Barry were the same, and needed to be together. So the two cyborgs ran off together, although their happy smiles turned really awkward, very fast.
I don’t want to say I hated this episode, but rather than my usual falling out of my chair, I found myself feeling sorry for Archer and even for Katya.
Of course Archer was never going to settle down, not with all the mileage the show gets out of him bedding every available woman (I mean, Pam?!?), but it was obvious that his feelings for Katya were as genuine as he could muster. They were a nice change of pace for him, reminding us that he might be capable of a real relationship … he simply chooses not to have one. Regardless, I liked the little extra shading to his character, proving that he’s not always a womanizing douche.
And that last scene on the bus certainly implied that Katya and Barry aren’t exactly headed for happily ever after. That’s no surprise considering that they hardly know each other. I’m sure we’ll see Barry again, but where’s Katya going to end up?
I’m certainly overthinking this a little bit. This is Archer, where horrible things happen to characters all the time (hi, Brett!) and they’re supposed to be taken as funny. And a lot of the time, most of the time, they are hilarious. But just this once, that wasn’t the case. Which was both a little neat, and a little weird.
What did you think of the episode?
Clacked by Brittany Frederick 
on Mar 09, 2012 @ 07:58 EST5EDT
I really liked your comments on that recent episode, and I have to say that could not agree more. That last scene surprisingly hits home, like something out of a movie rather than a typical episode of the Archer comedy series. It just made me think of what existence as a cyborg would really be like. Completely disconnected from everyone, without cause or purpose. I mean what would you do? I know this is a adult cartoon, but if we really think about the broader content of the show, what does Barry really want beyond hurting Archer? And then there is Katya (the Hottest Character IMHO), what is she to do? These are definitely thought provoking questions. I may be pulling a lot out of a little, but that’s the whole point of staying up and watching funny shows like this (one of the few i make an effort to see). Anyways, Skin Game, the most recent episode, most definitely provided some food for thought that has not been seen in previous episodes.
Love the show and can’t wait for the next chapter.
– OG
This episode made me extremely sad as well. Im very disapointed with how the episode unfolded. I enjoyed the other side of archer’s personality and wish they gave it more than two episodes. Also side note. That end scene on the bus is from a movie. “The graduate” 1967.