The Complete Season Eight of ARCHER: Dreamland is Locked and Loaded on DVD

Jeri Jacquin

This week on DVD from 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the coolest and smoothest spy who sees the world in his own unique way with The Complete Season Eight of ARCHER: Dreamland.

The season finally brings relieve when it left Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) face down in a swimming pool after being shot! In a coma, Archer is in a dream of being a private-eye who is looking for who killed Woodhouse. Detectives Figgis (Chris Parnell) and Poovey (Amber Nash) are irritating Archer so he takes it upon himself to a known crime boss called Mother (Jessica Walter).

Making a deal, Archer gets help and Mother gets the dirty on mobster Len Trexler (Jeffrey Tambor). The deal of course is even sweeter when Archer lays his eyes on nightclub siren Lana (Aisha Tyler) Detective Poovey finds the mobster has been dealing in sex trade and Archer returns to his office to find Charlotte VanderTunt (Judy Greer) who has a request of Archer.

For a huge chunk of change, Charlotte asks Archer to help her fake death which will be easy since she’s set everything up. On their way to sending Charlotte’s car off like a Thelma & Louise stunt, the detectives catch and haul Archer and Charlotte off to the pokey!

In jail he finds Lana’s back up band behind bars and uses bartender Barry (Dave Willis) and the musicians to escape. That means Lana can’t sing so decides to try her hand at comedy via syphilis. Archer can’t leave until he gets Charlotte back and the arrest cards for his cohorts.

Trexler and Figgis decide they want to make use of Charlotte’s imprisonment but are slow on the draw. Of course Poovey catches on and makes sure that no one is getting out without a fight – a big fight. Getting back to Dreamland, the gang is pretty beaten up and Mother isn’t surprised and turns the tables on Trexler by using Charlotte as bait.

Of course that really means everything is screwed up when Mother sends Archer to the Vandertunt estate to get ransom for Charlotte. Figgis realizes that Charlotte is gone but figures he can make a phone call claiming to have the woman for ransom. Mother informs Archer that Figgis is in deep with Trexler which might explain where the money is.

When they all regroup and head to Trexler’s house, they are shocked to find that crazy-loves-to-melt-humans-with-acid Dutch has some upgrades from the crazy Nazi Tin Man (Lucky Yates). The chase is on and Archer is in the midst of a nervous breakdown rant about Woodhouse when he is told disturbing news.

Finally, Archer knows who is responsible for Woodhouse and Det. Poovey can’t find the sex slaves! Then again it’s all in an Archer dream that he needs to wake up from.

H. Jon Benjamin as the voice of Archer has done everything right with this character. I have been taken with this rogue spy since day one and Benjamin is totally responsible for that. The edge, humor, wit and sarcasm is stunningly brilliant and there is no one else who could give Archer the life he has except Benjamin.

Tyler as Lana is just the absolute everything that I love about this show. She is smart, witty, vulnerable and has no problem saying exactly what is on her mind. I realize that Lana is an animated character but damn if Tyler just doesn’t make it easy to forget that.

Walter as Mother is ruthless, maniacal, twisted and quite the little liar and uses Archer as only Mother can. I love when Walter lends her voice in such a way that is only heightened by the clinking of the ice in her constant glass of liquor.

Greer as Charlotte is clearly clueless about the way of the world and all she wants is to get away from her family. Irritated that she can’t get on with her plans, she is dragged from event to event and clearly not happy about it. Nash as Poovey is just twisted every which way but loose and has a vision of her future boat family. 

Parnell as Figgis is a little bit of a double crosser with his partner as well as anyone else that he gets next too. Yates as the Tin Man wanted to create perfect creatures but actually should have chosen his creations more carefully. Tambor as Trexler isn’t sure where his slaves are, where the money is or how he ended up in his underwear.

Guest stars include Wyatt Cenac, Keegan-Michael Key, Wendell Pierce, and Eugene Mirman as Cecil Vandertunt.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

The DVD includes the episodes No Good Deed, Bernice, Ladyfingers, Sleepers Wake, Waxing Gibbous, Gramercy Halberd!, and Auflosung. The 2-Disc set also contains the Special Features of Audio Commentary on Select Episodes.

In 2009 I began to see commercials on FX for an animated series about a company of spy’s. Intrigued by what seemed to be an adult animated comedy and always up for a challenge, I watched the first episode. Needless to say not only did I laugh myself crazy but have spent the last eight seasons cheering on my favorite group of characters (and I do mean characters!)

Each season creator Adam Reed comes up with the most insanely brilliant stories and crazy laughs. The twists, turns and outrageousness is so up my alley of humor that each week it’s like a party I don’t need guests for! A glass of wine, a few snacks and I am ready for a great time! This is an adult animated series so trust me when I reiterate the word – adult!

This season with its detective-noir dreamlike storyline, Archer gets a chance to be – well, Archer while everyone else is shrouded in mystery. Finding Woodhouse’ killer is his main goal but like any good season of ARCHER, it wasn’t going to be easy and it certainly wasn’t going to be predictable. The only thing you can count on is that it is filled with side splitting – an occasionally drink spitting – laughter.

Knowing that ARCHER is getting ready for it’s 9^th season and with a promise from creator Adam Reed for a tenth – I have more time to recruit followers so that maybe we can get an 11^th season. The madness and mayhem between Archer, Lana, Mallory and the gang is cut with quick humor, rapid fire comments and comebacks and the occasional pause glance by Archer that causes antici………pation makes me giggle and sometimes even applaud.

So in preparation for the new season, grab The Complete Season Eight ARCHER: Dreamland and take a trip to noir-land with the gang!

In the end – there’s nothing like a trip to dreamland!