Everything old is new again in “Three to Tango,” the second episode of the sixth season of Archer, which welcomes the return of Slater (voice, not so subtly by Christian Slater), Conway Stern (voiced by Coby Bell) and Krieger (voiced by Lucky Yates) seems back to his creepy eugenics with an unholy plan to unite a baby with a cybernetic teddy bear (The Cyber-Neddley Teddley, or TB 800).
by Rob Rector
Yup, progressing as though last season was but a dream, the gang is now in cahoots with the CIA and on a mission to recover a freelance agent from Buenos Aires — one Conway Stern, who devotees may recall from season one as the double-crossing spy who literally stabbed Archer in the back (as he repeatedly points out) and wound up losing a hand.
They are assured by Slater that he was legit and his past actions were only to protect his cover, so all should be forgiven, but that’s a word that is not really in Sterling Archer’s vernacular, and their reuniting is met with a fantastic fisticuffs montage as Lana nonchalantly prepares herself some tea in the background.
Meanwhile, back as ISIS…er, whatever it will be renamed, Mallory (voiced by Jessica Walter) is planning for life with her new grandchild if the parents (Sterling and Lana) were to die on the job. Of course, her skills are quickly called into question when she “misplaces” the child while making herself her third (or fourth) afternoon cocktail.
But for all of their familiar foibles, Archer still managed to develop further as they deal with a baby as part of the operations and the ongoing struggle between Lana (voiced by Aisha Tyler) and Sterling (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) to actually think of “consequences”). “Tango” also continues to develop its animation when it deals with exteriors. Sure, the characters still move in a herky-jerky way, but some of the outside shots and animation within are quite detailed and stunning.
If anything, this episode solidifies everything that is right within the series and includes an almost non-stop string of one-liners, action and nods to the past to satisfy all fans who have come to love the series.
Episode rating: A-
Favorite lines:
Pam (on the toilet): “Just give me five..teen…40 minutes.”
Archer’s new alias in Buenos Aires: Coronel Lando Calrissian de La Fuerses Especiales
Archer’s Star Wars shout out after shooting a guard: “Boring conversation anyway.”
Archer: “I’m Archer-izing this plan.”
Lana: “What? No. No. Uh-uh. You cannot make yourself a verb. I will not allow it.”
Archer: “I’m a verb now, Lana. Deal with it!”
Lana: “I’ve has a baby!”
Conway: “Oh, I’m sorry.”
Lana: “For?”
Conway: “Name it.”
