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"The Limited" is the sixth episode of the third season of Archer.

Plot[]

Synopsis[]

The ISIS crew is ordered to transport a dangerous terrorist across the border to Canada. Archer hopes to fulfill his lifelong dream of fighting on the top of a speeding train. Meanwhile, the rest of the ISIS crew boards against Malory's orders on Cheryl's private cars.

Summary[]

Bilko in shackles

Extraordinary rendition!

At Grand Central Station, Lana, Cyril and Malory escort the handcuffed terrorist Kenny Bilko onto a train as part of a mission to return him to Canada where he'll be put in the custody of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Bilko is a member of the Nova Scotia Liberation Front and protests his treatment. Malory treats train porter George shabbily and hopes that a successful mission with result in work from the RCMP.

Archer shows up late and drunk and the group make it onto the train just as it is debarking.

Cast[]

Cultural References[]

  • Extraordinary rendition: While being led onto the train at the beginning of the episode, Kenny Bilko (Wells) screams "extraordinary rendition." This is a term used to describe the kidnapping and extrajudicial transfer of a person from one state to another.
    • It has historically (and controversially) been used by the United States against suspected terrorists, generally executed by the CIA. The controversy here is due to those prisoners being tortured in the states to which they were transferred. In at least one famous case a Canadian citizen transferring flights in New York on the way home was renditioned on the basis of mistaken identity. There is a parallel here, except that Bilko is being sent back to Canada from New York, and the extrajudicial nature is more of a formality in that they are basically skipping the step of using the extradition process. ISIS gets involved in another rendition, of Román Calzado, in El Contador. In both cases, the prisoners are being sent to legal authorities. Suspected drug dealers have also been rumored targets of rendition by US government agencies.
  • Three-Ten to Yuma (1953) by Elmore Leonard: Cyril is reading this book during the first scene on the train.
  • Nova Scotia: Bilko is a member of The New Scotland Front, an alleged terrorist group, fighting for a "free and sovereign Nova Scotia". In the Trailer Park Boys, the story takes place in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. All 3 guest stars are from Nova Scotia.
  • The Addams Family / Gomez Addams: After Archer blows up part of the train with a grenade, Lana retorts: "Well thanks, Gomez!" This is a reference to the patriarch of the family, who enjoyed crashing toy trains together.
  • Captain Kangaroo (1955-85): Mr. Green Jeans was Hugh Brannum's character on the children's show.
  • Royal Canadian Mounted Police / "Mounties": Having mistaken them for terrorists in disguise, Archer tries to make the Mounties put down their weapons, holding them at gunpoint. One of the Mounties says "Maintain the right boys," indicating that they are not going to do so. "Maintain the Right" is the common English translation of the RCMP motto, "Maintiens le droit." It is also sometimes rendered "Defend the Law." In other words, it is a reference to their role in maintaining order and rightness. "Maintain the Right" was also the title of a book of the history of the RCMP by Ronald Atkin and a 1940 film of the same subject matter.
  • Hud (1963): Archer references Paul Newman in this film, quickly pointing out to Lana that he hates Patricia Neal. Her character, a main love interest in the film, was originally black in the book, but for the film, she was changed to a white woman.
  • The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (1959-64): Archer twice calls the (real) Mounties "Dudley Douchebag"; this is a play on Dudley Do-Right, a comically inept Mountie who appeared on the cartoon.
  • The Banana Splits (1968-70): "At one point, Archer tells Cyril to "keep sliding down the learning curve like 'The Banana Splits'". This is a reference to the show's titular characters who, during the end credits, ride down a potato sack slide and unsuccessfully try to walk back up it, falling over all the while.
  • Pullman Porters: Malory refers to the porter on the train as "George", to which Lana takes offense. Both are surprised to learn that the porter's name actually is George. This is a reference to the black railroad porters hired by George Pullman (1831-87), who were often called "George" by passengers, regardless of their actual names.
  • From Russia With Love (1963): While Bilko and Archer fight on top of train Biko says "Although I guess sometimes there's a helicopter", which is a reference to From Russia With Love, the second James Bond movie.

Running Gags / Callbacks[]

  • Over Packed: Malory is once again taking a large amount of luggage with her for the train ride, much to the annoyance of Pam and George.
  • 934TXS: 934TXS can be seen as the identification number on their train. Following the trend of 934TXS showing up in the show.
  • Lanaaaaaaaaa!
  • Heinz 56: References "Heinz 57". Created in 1909 advertisement slogan "57 varieties" in time became a synecdoche. It has come to mean anything made up from many parts, which Archer relates to as he thinks bad Blood Mary cocktail with ketchup instead of tomato juice.

Continuity[]

  • Cheryl's pet ocelot Babou makes another appearance in this episode.

Trivia[]

  • The episode starts at the famous Grand Central Terminal.
  • Special Guest Stars this episode are Robb Wells, John Paul Tremblay, and Mike Smith are best known for playing Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles (respectively) in the Canadian show Trailer Park Boys.
    • Robb, Mike, and John all recorded their dialogue from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and did not get to meet the main cast until after the episode was finished. If the viewer listens very closely to Kenny Bliko when he talks, there is a slight difference in audio quality as compared to the rest of the characters, as a recording studio in a smaller city like Halifax would not be to par with a recording studio in Los Angeles or New York, where the main characters record most of their dialogue.
  • Malory does not want Pam to board the train at all for fear that she may stow away, "just like on the blimp". This is a reference to the Season 1 episode "Skytanic".
  • Cheryl turns out to own half of the railroad that the episode takes place on (the other half is owned by her brother).
  • When Malory discovers Pam and the private cars, she refers to Cheryl as "Carol."
  • Archer uses an obsolete WWII US Mk II fragmentation grenade, which was replaced by the M26 in the 1950s.
  • Dr. Krieger does not appear.

Locations[]

  • Train in New York State

Quotes[]

Bilko: "So why don't ya do yourself a pretty smart-guy favor and just let me go?"
Cyril: "Uh, because Ms. Archer would kill me?"
Bilko: "Well what do ya think's gonna happen when my boys storm this train?"
Cyril: "Oh, I'm not too worried about that."
Bilko: "You should be. My boys are badass."
Cyril: "Well, so am... Lana."

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Lana: "Archer, at any time in the next twelve hours this train could be attacked by radical Nova Scotian separatists."
Archer: "Armed with what? Pamphlets about Canada's responsible gun control laws?"

─────────────────────────

Malory: "Er, two sleeping cars? Do you think there might be room for--"
Ray: "Nope. It's already cramped back there, what with that piss-reeking ocelot."
Cheryl: "Plus, George says you stiffed him."
Malory: "Wh-? No, I didn't, I gave him a tip!"
George: "A stick of gum?"
Malory: "Well?"
Pam: "Really?"
Ray: "Did you not have a button?"

─────────────────────────

Mountie: "Great, good, we're all Mounties, so no need for a Mexican standoff, eh?"
Archer: "Ooh, yeah! Hoo's aboot you co-opt some moore American stoof there, eh, Canada?"
Lana: "Stuff like 'Mexican standoff?'"

─────────────────────────

Archer: "Umm A, they're all incapacitated. And B, I got to blow up a train."
Lana: "Well thanks, Gomez."

─────────────────────────

Archer: "Everybody okay?"
Pam: "Yeah, I think so."
Ray: "Yeah. Paralyzed, but other than that, fine."

─────────────────────────

Archer: "You hear that? They called you exotic."
Babou: "RAAWWWRR!"
Archer: "Which is just people talk for 'awesome', which is what you are, which is why I was happy to save your life, buddy!"
Babou: "RROWRRR!"
Archer: "Oh, don't worry about it. Probably just thousands of dollars in fines. Maybe a little jail time. Hopefully, just probationary."
(Babou proceeds to spray Archer with urine.)
Archer: "Totally worth it."
Babou: "MMMMRRRAWWR?"
Archer: "No, Babou, that was all sarcasm."
Babou: "RAAWWWRRRR?"
Archer: "YES! ALL OF IT! YOU FOX-EARED ASSHOLE!!"

Transcript[]

The Limited/Transcript

Gallery of Images[]

There are 20 screenshots and images from "The Limited" on this Wiki, visit the category page for a complete gallery.

Here is a sample of images from the gallery:

References[]


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