The seventh season of the animated television series, Archer, created by Adam Reed, aired on FX from March 31 to June 2, 2016.[1] It was originally planned to consist of 13 episodes;[2] however, it was later changed to 10.[3]
Premise
Following the ousting of the ISIS employees from their CIA freelance work, everyone has relocated from New York to Los Angeles. Cyril Figgis, possessing a requisite law degree, has opened a boutique Private Investigation agency (The Cyril Figgis Agency) in Hollywood. Cyril’s authority is constantly undermined by everyone, and Mallory continues to assume the primary leadership role.
Though some of the season is episodic, a serial plot line is established early and is ultimately paid off in the two-part finale.
Whether Archer was going to continue beyond season-7 was unknown during the writing process, leading show runner Adam Reed to write a season finale that could have served as a conclusion for the series or a cliffhanger heading into season-8.
In June, 2016, FX announced it had renewed Archer for an additional three seasons, ensuring the show would continue through at least season 10.[4]
Production
The show's seventh season changes its setting from New York City to Los Angeles and follows the main characters as they run a private investigation agency in Hollywood.[5]
While developing the season, the creative team took inspiration from Magnum, P.I. when writing the stories and they also used the series' location switch to change the series from the 1960s-aesthetic of prior seasons forward to 1970s-style, which included new clothing for the main characters.[6]
The seventh season also marked the first time the show had a composer, J. G. Thirlwell, scoring the soundtrack for the season, a notable difference from previous seasons, in which only the opening and ending music themes were made by composers (Scott Sims and Mel Young, respectively), and the episodes used stock library music.[7]
On February 1, 2016, a trailer for the show's seventh season was released. The trailer was a shot-for-shot remake of the opening scene of Magnum, P.I.[8] Later that month, pictures of female Archer characters appeared in both the online and print versions of the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.[9] On March 11, 2016, a new trailer for the show—a PSA in which Sterling and Lana instruct the audience at a movie theater to turn off their cell phones—began airing.[10]
Following on from the successful scavenger hunt in Season 6, animator Mark Paterson devised an even more intricate hunt for Season 7, calling it "the most elaborate alternate reality game in television history" and including hidden clues or puzzles in every episode. It won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Program for 2016.[11]
Having lost their contract to work with the CIA, the group set up a detective agency called Figgis because Cyril Figgis is the only one with a license. They are hired by a heavily disguised Veronica Deane to break into her lawyer Alan Shapiro's mansion in the Hollywood Hills to retrieve a data disc. They successfully complete the job although Sterling is heavily battered after falling down the rocky and heavily vegetated embankment.
The real Veronica Deane hires the agency to retrieve her data disc which is now in the hands of a blackmailer. Sterling and Lana make a tricky handoff to retrieve the disc with a gang of bikers where Sterling gets beaten up even more. They are saved when the rest of the gang come to their rescue after hearing Sterling being beaten up through his phone.
Sterling and Lana go to an exclusive childcare centre to secure a place for AJ, and Sterling discovers that Ivy Stratton, one of two bullies who hazed him at prep school, is one of the owners. Stratton says he is dying of cancer and wants wants Sterling to kill him in a faked home invasion so his wife will get his life insurance money. However, Sterling arrives that night to finds Trent Whitney, the other bully who has been having an affair with Stratton's wife. Stratton shoots Whitney with a long range rife and tries to shoot Sterling but he is killed later in an ensuing car chase with Sterling.
Guest stars: Jon Daly as Richard "Ivy" Stratton IV, Jon Glaser as Trent Whitney and Keegan-Michael Key as Detective Diedrich
A heavily bandaged Barry seeks Sterling's help in finding his birth mother. To encourage Sterling to agree he locks Malory Archer in an underground chamber with a limited air supply. They gang find the location of Barry's mother, but Barry is hit by a car as he leaves the building to visit her. Meanwhile, Malory frees herself and gives a trucker a painful lesson in how to treat women.
Veronica Deane's lawyer, Alan Shapiro, hires the Figgis agency to protect a valuable emerald necklace that Veronica will wear at a fundraiser. A group of Evil clown-masked hoodlums crash the party and demand the necklace.
Guest stars: John O'Hurley as Ellis Crane and Patton Oswalt as Alan Shapiro
Sterling, Lana and Pam each overcome a clown and then don their disguises and end up fighting each other. The remaining criminals escape by pretending to be hostages. Meanwhile, Sterling discovers that the lawyer Shapiro planned the whole robbery in an attempt to get the insurance money to save Veronica Deane from bankruptcy and hoped the Figgis Agency would fail.
Guest stars: Keegan-Michael Key as Detective Diedrich, John O'Hurley as Ellis Crane, Patton Oswalt as Alan Shapiro and J.K. Simmons as Detective Harris
Quite separately, film producer Zissner and his wife each hire the agency to confirm whether their spouse is cheating. Someone from the gang must successfully seduce them to confirm it so Cyril and Krieger, and Pam, and Cheryl are selected to complete the assignment. The mission comes undone when they all arrive at the hotel at the same time as the Zissners.
Slater hires the Figgis Agency to prevent a former CIA agent from assassinating a visiting Soviet dignitary. While interrogating a source, Slater gives Sterling a taste of "waterboarding" which leaves him completely traumatized. Out on the job, Sterling and Lana constantly to argue over his stolen kiss with Veronica Deane, jeopardizing the mission and losing out on their payment. Lana suggests she and Sterling take a break.
The Figgis Agency is hired by Ellis Crane to find out who has been sabotaging his new film Deadly Velvet. The members of the agency go undercover and Sterling makes a play for Veronica Deane while Lana gets friendly with Ellis Crane. Cyril uncovers what looks like an insurance scam by Ellis to make a fortune if the film is not completed, but he is found shot dead.
Guest stars: Keegan-Michael Key as Detective Diedrich, John O'Hurley as Ellis Crane, Patton Oswalt as Alan Shapiro and J.K. Simmons as Detective Harris
Lana is arrested for the murder of Ellis Crane, but Sterling suspects Veronica Deane. Sterling releases one of Krieger's cyborgs that look like him which he takes with him to confront Veronica. She shoots one Sterling who falls into the pool, but then also shoots the second Sterling and flees. When the police and the gang arrive, they discover that the real Sterling is floating lifeless in the pool.
Guest stars: Keegan-Michael Key as Detective Diedrich, Patton Oswalt as Alan Shapiro and J.K. Simmons as Detective Harris
