Dial M for Mother

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"Dial M for Mother" is the tenth episode and season finale of the first season of Archer.

Plot summary

Questions about the identity of Archer's real father lead him into a perilous trap... and an explosive confrontation with Malory.

Trivia

• The title of this episode is a reference to the Hitchcock film Dial M for Murder.
• The title is also shared with an episode of "The Critic", one of the first shows Archer voice actor H. Jon Benjamin appeared on.
• The beginning sequence of a rainy night closing in on a building may be a reference to the opening sequence of the show Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Dr. Weird's laboratory.
• The book Malory is reading is "Greenmantle" by John Buchan, which is one inspiration Adam Reed noted for the character of Archer.
• In the background as Pam is putting up the ISIS "Fraternization Policy", numerous other bulletins can be seen, including "Free Kitten: I'm Kitty-Litter-ate!", "WWJD about the dirty dishes in the break room!" and "Krieger Improv: The Science of Funny".
• Cyril thinking about the time Malory seduced him is a reference to a scene from The Graduate.
• Uta wears a t-shirt from the Excelsior, the airship in Skytanic.
• The flashback of Archer's fathers (fake) funeral is a reference to the funeral of US President John F. Kennedy. Young Archer's salute pose mirrors that of JFK Jr's in the infamous photograph of him saluting his fathers casket. Young Archer's outfit and JFK Jr's are identical. Malory's fake nickname for Archer's father is John Fitzgerald Archer. JFK's full name was John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
• When Trinette is seen in the park she says the baby's dad knows Krav Maga. She is implying that the baby is Archer's, setting up a story arc for Season 2.
• Archer's gunshot scars from Lana shooting him in the foot twice (first time in Skorpio; second time, in subsequent episode, Skytanic) can be seen as he is being held prisoner.
• Cyril is acting out a scene from Full Metal Jacket when he is in the bathroom stall loading his gun.
• When Lana agrees to have sex with Pam, she says she is going to pretend Pam is Alex Karras. Karras was a defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions in the 1960s and '70s, but is probably best remembered as the father on the sitcom Webster or as Mongo in the movie Blazing Saddles .
• Lana tells the men to deliberately make their lies about having sex with her as nasty as possible. Brett claims Lana gave him a "Jane Hathaway", which is a sex act where a women orgasms on a man's chest.
• Uta luring in Archer with the line, "Help, my baby is choking!" is reminiscent of a scene from the second season opener of FX's Sons of Anarchy, where Gemma Teller is lured to a van in the same manner. 
• Steuben glasses, of which Archer breaks one and Malory break the other, are an expensive brand of handcrafted glass.
• Archer hacking through his mothers door is a reference to the 1980 movie "The Shining".

Main Cast

• H. Jon Benjamin as Sterling Archer
• Judy Greer as Cheryl Tunt
• Amber Nash as Pam Poovey
• Chris Parnell as Cyril Figgis
• Adam Reed as Ray Gillette
• Aisha Tyler as Lana Kane
• Jessica Walter as Malory Archer
• Lucky Yates as Dr. Krieger

Guest Stars

• René Auberjonois as Mannfred
• Kathryn Cressida as Uta
• Peter Newman as Nikolai Jakov
• Maggie Wheeler as Trinette Magoon

Gallery of Images

There are 26 screenshots and images from "Dial M for Mother" on this Wiki, visit the category page for a complete gallery.