Archer

:

Season 5
  • Network: FX , FXX
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 17, 2009
Season #: 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 123 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 104 out of 123
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 123
  3. Negative: 11 out of 123
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User Reviews

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  1. jeffreybar
    Apr 14, 2014
    1
    Holy crap Archer got terrible fast. What the hell happened? Season 4 was great. Season 5 is suddenly awful, and consistently unfunny. Why the lame change to "Archer Vice" and why ditch the well-crafted jokes and plot twists for tired action tropes?
  2. ozymandias79
    Mar 7, 2014
    0
    What happened to Archer? I think I've laughed two or three times so far (six episodes!), not at all during the last episode. The next episode is the decider whether to stop watching this season.
  3. dillonvs
    Feb 23, 2014
    2
    I loved the first few seasons of Archer, but like other FX comedies (see "Always Sunny"), it seems to have transitioned almost overnight from fresh and funny to old and tired. Even the pop culture references have become forced and "lol, so random."
  4. Raw-Endorfin
    Feb 11, 2014
    8
    Once again Adam Reed has raised the bar an inch higher. This season could develop into something canonical or plunge the show past its depths. Regardless it'll be entertaining to find out.
  5. imthenoob
    May 1, 2019
    5
    The fact that Cheryl becoming a country music star is the main plot of the season just showcases how bad this season was. IMO, It's the worst season of the show and that's saying something considering I enjoyed every other season up until this point.
  6. jakebrink
    Jan 13, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The whole proposed 180-degree and (SPOILERS) downfall of ISIS is a rare and brilliant surprise (only bettered by surprise fellatio). With season 4 starting to feel tired, Adam Reed also seemed so, so he's stripping everything that we knew about the show apart from the characters. This was a great new season premiere (and possible pilot) for Archer... Vice… Expand
  7. NancyA
    Apr 6, 2014
    10
    I don't think I'm in the traditional Archer demographic, but I am completely in love with this series that just keeps on ratcheting up the brilliance. Krieger, Pam, Cherlene have radically and hilariously transformed, and still feel consistent to their personalities. Archer's continued almost innocent narcissistic elitist **** is perfect. Not crazy about the new palette for opening titles,I don't think I'm in the traditional Archer demographic, but I am completely in love with this series that just keeps on ratcheting up the brilliance. Krieger, Pam, Cherlene have radically and hilariously transformed, and still feel consistent to their personalities. Archer's continued almost innocent narcissistic elitist **** is perfect. Not crazy about the new palette for opening titles, but it does evoke the Miami Vice postmodern pink, teal, tropical color scheme. The sets are exquisitely and hilariously rendered as they deconstruct the notion of retro, pulling from several decades simultaneously. Obscure references continue to instruct and amuse.The timing of the cast is spot on. Loved the last episode's Breakfast Club bit (Mallory: "Now you're just spouting random words" (not verbatim). & Fred Armisen is predictably fabulous. I imagine many find this show bad for the kids, deeply profane. I just love it and Bob's Burgers, and find them Macintosh innovative compared to the mass produced Windows-like, endless McFarlane shtick. Total 10 for this girl.… Expand
  8. DoctorTorchwood
    Apr 19, 2014
    10
    The change in plot has created more situations of pure comedy. Same Archer in new situations. This is one of my favorite seasons of Archer, and it's still the funniest animated show.
  9. drlowdon
    Jun 26, 2014
    8
    With the revelation that ISIS weren't actually a legal branch of the CIA Archer both literally and figuratively (is there a word for that?) blows itself up to start over as Archer: Vice. This fifth season is arguably the least consistent in terms of quality, with plot taking priority of jokes perhaps a little too often, but the show still remains thoroughly entertaining with laugh out loudWith the revelation that ISIS weren't actually a legal branch of the CIA Archer both literally and figuratively (is there a word for that?) blows itself up to start over as Archer: Vice. This fifth season is arguably the least consistent in terms of quality, with plot taking priority of jokes perhaps a little too often, but the show still remains thoroughly entertaining with laugh out loud moments throughout the thirteen episodes on offer.… Expand
  10. TheQuietGamer
    Apr 13, 2015
    9
    So changing the Archer crew from spies to cocaine smugglers doesn't drastically change the show. It just allows for some more ridiculous situations for them to get involved in. The humor is still on point. Some new recurring jokes are added into the mix (a twist on the show's "phrasing" gag is particularly funny) and it still pushes the lines of decency enough to still be funny, but notSo changing the Archer crew from spies to cocaine smugglers doesn't drastically change the show. It just allows for some more ridiculous situations for them to get involved in. The humor is still on point. Some new recurring jokes are added into the mix (a twist on the show's "phrasing" gag is particularly funny) and it still pushes the lines of decency enough to still be funny, but not offensive.

    New character plots centered around the female characters are much appreciated. They just add some new dynamic to them that bring even more jokes to the forefront. The change in scenery doesn't really make for much of a change in style, but the sharp writing and hilarity all make up for that. In it's fifth season "Archer" is still going strong.    … Expand
  11. JeBjBo
    Jan 11, 2022
    8
    The first reinvention of this series' plot and characters sees the gang become full blown drug dealers.
  12. All_ButTrU4
    Jan 3, 2022
    7
    This fifth season is arguably the least consistent in terms of quality, with plot taking priority of jokes perhaps a little too often, but the show still remains thoroughly entertaining with laugh out loud moments throughout the thirteen episodes on offer
  13. Yester
    Jan 18, 2020
    3
    I'm halfway through the season and I have not ben entertain one bit. There are too many good shows around to continue this unfunny mess.
  14. DrBAMF_PhD_MMT
    Sep 25, 2022
    1
    Wow. This is easily the worst, and in fact, only genuinely bad season of Archer. I might be a bit biased, as I love spy shows and HATE drug shows/movies/games or really media about drugs of any kind, but It seems so obviously inferior to all the seasons before and after it that I had to write a review. For one, its not funny, at all, and when on the rare occasion that it does approachWow. This is easily the worst, and in fact, only genuinely bad season of Archer. I might be a bit biased, as I love spy shows and HATE drug shows/movies/games or really media about drugs of any kind, but It seems so obviously inferior to all the seasons before and after it that I had to write a review. For one, its not funny, at all, and when on the rare occasion that it does approach humor, its only when they abandon the drug premise to focus on cheryl's inexplicable country music career.

    The drug side of things is painfully shoehorned into their world and completely rejects not only the basic premise of the show but all the built-up character arc and continuity from the entire show, dumping all the secondary side characters and turning the main characters into stupid caricatures of themselves that aren't funny, interesting or even sensible.

    Despite reviewing this years after it's release, I actually did see it when it was new. I was a fan of Archer from season 1 and it just got better and better until season 5. Despite the stupid ending of 4 (which did not bode well for 5) I watched it when it was new. It was SO BAD that I quit the show entirely and didn't come back to it until just now, which is a shame because the seasons that come AFTER 5 are amazing, and almost as good as the first 4. This makes me hate season 5 even more, knowing that its decrepit stupidity denied me the goodness of the rest of the show for 8 years!

    To anyone enjoying Archer for the first time who sees this review, do yourself a great favor, ignore the nonsensical positive reviews (probably people who can't admit how awful this season is because they love the rest) and just skip this awful waste of time. It does actually get slightly better near the end, but in no way is it at all worth the boredom and annoyance needed to get to that point. Besides, season 6 immediately retcons season 5 out of existence in the first episode, so you are literally not missing anything by skipping directly from 4 to 6    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
tbd

No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Under The Radar
    Reviewed by: Jim Scott
    Jan 28, 2014
    70
    There was a certain circuitousness to the plotlines that Archer Vice not only interrupts, but short-circuits completely.
    Read full review
  2. PopMatters
    Reviewed by: Michael Ward
    Jan 13, 2014
    80
    Archer‘s affection for character and craft makes it more likely to be remembered as one of the great TV shows of our time, and not just another dirty cartoon.
    Read full review
  3. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: David Sims
    Jan 13, 2014
    91
    The show is getting rebooted for its fifth season, and it’s quickly clear what a good idea that is.
    Read full review