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"Space Race: Part II" is the thirteenth episode of the third season and is the second half of a two-part season finale of Archer.

Plot[]

Synopsis[]

Archer and his colleagues at ISIS discover they've been tricked into a bizarre mission by the Horizon's commander.

Summary[]

S03E13-Drake reveals plan

We searched for so long to find the perfect female specimen.

Archer, Lana, Cyril and Ray are escorted in handcuffs by Commander Kellogg to see Commander Drake in Horizon's detention center. They learn that Drake only hired ISIS for Lana to bear children when they arrive at Mars. Archer tries to secure his release but is told that the male ISIS members will be made Mars terraforming slaves. The space shuttle Intrepid will be used to push Horizon to Mars. Drake then orders Kellogg to get Cheryl, Pam and Malory off Intrepid.

S03E13-Archer gives Lana stickers

Stolen from the gift shop.

Kellogg tries to get Pam to open the door to Intrepid but she breaks the intercom and informs Cheryl and Malory of Drake's intentions. Cheryl secretly likes Drake's plan and is dressed in a crazy outfit for the boarding "party." To escape the detention center, Lana bares her breasts and gives Archer her shirt, which he wields as a whip. Lana lures the guard into the cell and he is blinded by Archer and disarmed.

S03E13-Archer-Ray-Lana pasties

You tell me these are not perfect!

Archer is wounded in the arm so he uses Lana's shirt as a dressing. This leaves Lana topless which Archer remedies with some stickers. Archer teases Lana that her breasts have drooped since the last time he saw them. The guard activates an alert which results in Drake sending a security team to the detention center. Drake is displeased that Kellogg hasn't gained access to Intrepid and presses him to. Archer and company are soon engaged in a firefight and have to flee but Lana is more concerned that her perfect breasts be acknowledged as such.

S03E13-Cheryl-Kellogg-Drake

Don't say "whordiot", we hate that.

Archer and company free a group of scientists whose leader, Trish, chides them to get to Intrepid so they can return to Earth. Drake is furious that access to Intrepid still hasn't been achieved and while choking one of his men, Cheryl opens the door. Behaving as if she will be Queen of Mars, Drake humours her, enters the Intrepid and prepares the ship for launch. Archer and company are ambushed by Kellogg and his men.

S03E13-Mars forever

Mars forever!

Distracted by Cheryl, Drake is grabbed by Pam who puts an M41 to his head. Kellogg arrives with Archer and company also with guns to their heads. The standoff is ended by Kellogg, who surrenders his men's guns, much to Drake's distress. He is so distraught that he commits suicide by pulling the trigger of the M41 Pam had to his head. This sets of Cyril who shoots wildly, killing Kellogg and his men.

S03E13-Pogo-Horizon

...to shoot that dickbag in his face...

Meanwhile, Barry Dylan is on his way to Horizon to kill Archer. As the ISIS agents prepare to return to Earth, Archer has found a new toy - Spacebot, a power loader. After he uses Spacebot to bring the dead bodies to Horizon, he leaves it, enters the Intrepid and seals the door behind him. Ensuring that the scientists on Horizon will be OK (as the station is self-sustaining), Cyril, with only brief simulator training, is chosen to pilot the Intrepid.

S03E13-Barry-Spacebot

Dōmo arigatō misutā robotto.

The launch is interrupted by Barry, who, unable to get through the door to Intrepid, challenges Archer to a battle. His teasing and the offer to have Archer use Spacebot to fight him are nearly successful. It is Cheryl (the most self-centered ISIS employee) pointing out that Archer is being incredibly selfish with his desire to open the door, which will probably result in all their deaths, that stops him.

S03E13-Ending in Malory office

You already had the chair!

As the Intrepid launches, Archer gives Cyril a rare compliment. Returning the favour, Cyril spins the Intrepid so its engine plume destroys Barry's ship, stranding him on Horizon. On final approach for landing, Archer's selfishness kicks in and he tries to take the controls from Cyril, resulting in a crash landing. Sometime later in the Office of Malory Archer, all the agents, except Archer, are displaying various injuries. Most severely, Ray has been paralyzed (for real this time) and is confined to a wheelchair.

Cast[]

Cultural References[]

  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyArcher attacks a soldier with a wet towel, using it as a weapon in direct reference to one of the many uses of a towel for space travelers in this work.
  • Sealab 2021 (2000-05):  Multiple references in this episode.
    • During the fight when Lana tricks the guard, the guard is heard exclaiming "My eye!" and "My other eye!" as Archer whips him with a towel. These were lines spoken by Dr. Quinn on Adam Reed's previous show.
    • The alarm mentions 'Pod 6' after the group escapes their cell.  Pod 6 was full of jerks.
  • Aliens (1986):  The Power Loader Exo-skeleton used by Sigourney Weaver in this film is referenced.
  • Rush: Krieger's new van is once again a reference to his favourite prog-rock band. "Caress of Krieger" derives from the band's 1975 album "Caress of Steel", and like "Exit... Van Left" and "Vanispheres", it features art inspired by the album covers and the van's owner. Perhaps coincidentally, the runtime of the episode is also 21:12.
  • Star Wars is referenced numerous times throughout the episode:
    • Lana blasts open a hatch in the side of the corridor, into what is presumably a garbage compartment, similar to the scene in episode IV when Princess Leia does the same thing in the detention center of the Death Star.
    • Cyril repeats "almost there" as the space shuttle comes in for a landing similar to the line from Star Wars Episode IV spoken by Garven Dreis as he attempted and failed his attack on the Death Star.
    • Archer references the franchise saying that he left his "lightsaber in his other space pants."
    • Pam references Star Wars when she blows up the com on the shuttle saying that "It was a boring conversation anyway."
    • Commander Drake throttling a subordinate with one hand is similar to how Darth Vader choked Captain Raymus Antilles onboard the Tantive IV.
    • Archer asks if Cyril can die after he disables the tractor beam, referencing the fate of Obi Wan Kenobi.
    • Barry's helmet as he flies to the Horizon bears a striking resemblance to the helmet worn by Rebel X-Wing pilots in the Star Wars films.
  • Animal Farm (1945): George Orwell's classic political satire is referenced by the crew of the Space Station referring to the state of affairs on there, though it is quickly noted that there is no actual animal farm on the Horizon.
  • Lidsville: When Malory retorts that Cheryl is "not fit to be queen of... name a place," Cheryl replies with "Lidsville"; the titular town of a show created by Sid and Marty Kroft, who were rumored to have worked under the influence of LSD, not unlike Cheryl herself.
  • Convair XFY Pogo: Barry's spaceplane is a propellerless version of this experimental fighter plane.
  • Fly Me to the Moon & Mr. Roboto: Barry sings modified lyrics to these songs.
  • The Warriors (1979):  "Archer come out to pla-i-ay" when Barry tries to get Archer to leave the shuttle he is referencing this line from the film, including the empty beer bottles on his fingers.
  • Marvel Comics and Lord of the Rings : When Kellogg and his men try to break the door lock to get onto the Intrepid, the worker references adamantium, which makes up Wolverine's skeleton and claws, and mithril, which appears multiple times throughout the Lord of the Rings saga, as materials making up the door. They are later referenced again as dwarven technology.
  • GoldenEye 007: Alarm sounds are very similar to those heard in this N64 game.
  • X-Men & The Lord of the Rings: The door into the Intrepid is remarked to be made of an alloy of "adamantium and mithril."

Running Gags / Callbacks[]

  • Name an 'X': - Malory's attempts to recall witty names and places is abandoned owing to Pam and Cheryl's superlative sluttiness and idiocy, respectively.
  • 934TXS - On the side of the building when the Intrepid space shuttle lands.
  • Looks Like A Whore - This is a running gag of Cheryl's, which originated in "Double Trouble", when she says not very subtly that Katya looked like a whore.
  • Lana's Insecurities - On show yet again (amongst other things).
  • Krieger's Ambiguous Ethics - Giving Drake Lana's medical records, and (in a callback to the aforementioned medical records) it is shown that he also told Barry of Archer's location on the Horizon. Knowing that Barry is Archer's sworn enemy, it is difficult to fathom why he would give him Archer's location.
  • Suppressing Fire! - Cyril's schtick.

Continuity[]

  • This episode continues where the previous episode left off.
  • At the end of the episode, Ray is once again returned to his old wheel chair.

Trivia[]

  • When Commander Kellogg says the line, "Agh, you idiots!", his mouth doesn't move, and he merely shakes his head in disbelief. That's because Commander Drake is the one who says the line.
  • Brett Butler voices the blond, bandaged guard who, when attacked, yells, "ow, my eye!" and, "ow, my other eye.' These reference Butler's previous role as Dr. Quinn's on Adam Reed's previous series, Sealab 2021, and his constantly occurring eye injuries.

Locations[]

Quotes[]

Drake: "Are the cuffs really necessary?"
Kellogg: "Archer broke both of Wu's arms..."
Drake: "He WHAT?"
Kellogg: "...while shouting 'whoo!'"
Archer: "Happy coincidence."
Drake: "Mr. Archer, do I have to sedate you?"
Archer: "Well, I wouldn't say no to a drink."

─────────────────────────

Lana: "And do you realize you're insane?"
Archer: "Well he wouldn't, by definition."
Drake: "What's more insane? Suffering through famine, war, disease on a dying Earth, or creating a utopia on Mars?"
Lana: "Uhh, using me as your brood sow?
Drake: "No, not--well, okay, yes."

─────────────────────────

Pam: "Hey, guys, we got a problem!"
Cheryl: "Duh! The party's starting, and this dress makes me look like a whore!"
Malory: "Oh, you don't look like a whore. An idiot, maybe."
Cheryl: "Wha--"
Malory: "Or both. Yes, a whordiot."

─────────────────────────

Lana: "Why is nobody else wearing a t-shirt under their flight suit?"
Ray: "Because this thing feels amaaaa-ziiiinng!"
Cyril: "I know, right? It's like a-a vagina with a zipper."
Ray: "Ew!"

─────────────────────────

Pam: (Regarding Lana)"Don't get me wrong, I'd still do her."
Malory: "Oh, please. You'd do... name a noun."

─────────────────────────

Kellogg: "What is taking so long?"
Horizon scientist: "Couple things: One, I didn't invent whatever this door is made of-which is apparently some alloy of adamantium and mithril, and two, not really liking your tone!"

─────────────────────────

Horizon scientist: "I heard him tell you to do it."
Kellogg: "And I'm telling you to do it."
Horizon scientist: "And I'm telling you that I didn't sign up for 'Animal Farm' in space!"
(cut to Archer and co. in hiding.)
Archer: "Wait, there are animals?"
Lana: "No, 'Animal Farm.'"
Cyril: "How do you not get that?"
Archer: "Cyril, I know what an animal farm is."
Cyril: "Not an animal farm--"
Archer: "Maybe we can...I don't know... stampede a flock of goats down the hall."
Lana: "'Animal Farm' is a book."
Archer: "No, it isn't, Lana. It's an allegorical novella about Stalinism by George Orwell! And spoiler alert; IT SUCKS!"
(Archer and co. are immediately held at gunpoint by Kellogg and the Horizon scientist.)
Archer: "Although, I was talking about an actual animal farm. So... never mind."

─────────────────────────

Cheryl: "Now, we heard some mention of babies."
Drake: "Uh-huh."
Cheryl: "But just to be clear, we don't do babies."
Drake: "'Do' as in...?"
Cheryl: "'Do' as in tolerate, be around, touch, and definitely as in let them claw their monster-y way out of our vagina."
Drake: "Well...let's put a pin in that."
Cheryl: "EWW! Wait, put a pin in what?"
Drake: "What? What is wrong with you?"

─────────────────────────

Archer: "Let me land it!"
Lana: "Archer! You had, like, an actual moment of self-awareness in space, so--"
Archer: "So I deserve to land the goddamn spaceship!"

─────────────────────────

Cheryl: "Stop this at once! I command you, as your queen!"
Mallory: " Oh, shut it. You're not qualified to be queen of...name a place!"
Cheryl: "Lidsville".

Gallery of Images[]

There are 14 screenshots and images from "Space Race: Part II" on this Wiki, visit the category page for a complete gallery.


References[]


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