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The cult-adored Fox animated series might just be hitting its stride....
Fox / 282 Minutes / 2012 / Unrated / Street Date: January 8, 2013
Archer as a show is a hoot as long as you don't spend too much time thinking it over. It has a flashy, smooth look to it that gives it an arty, deliberate feel, but its humor is decidedly bawdy and cheeky - call it the halfway point between Arrested Development and Family Guy. In fact, Archer fits in perfectly as a stablemate of The League and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, two other shows that splinter during over-analysis.
Archer's zany cast of characters continues to be its greatest asset. We have the agency's pothead HR director, Pam (Amber Nash), our dapper and hilariously self-involved hero (H. Jon Benjamin), and - of course - the show's token dweeb, Cyril (a hilarious Chris Parnell), among others. So while Archer's sexual exploits get him into increasingly narrative troubles as this Complete Season Three set progresses, the entire ensemble here gets a chance to showcase their particular brand of wry, referential humor.
The downside to Archer, though, is that a little goes a long way. An episode here and there is enough to keep the show's dorky pop culture riffing fresh, but absorbed in a season-long marathon, its merits dwindle a bit. It's clear after getting through this Complete Season Three set why the animated show continues to snowball a larger and larger fan base (and, for the record, I'd call this one the show's best season yet), but unless Archer's comedy completely bowls you over, a little dab will do ya.