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"'''White Nights'''" is the twelfth episode of the [[season 2|second season]] of ''[[Archer]]''.
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"'''White Nights'''" is the twelfth episode of the [[season 2|second season]] of ''[[Archer (TV series)|Archer]]''.
   
 
==Plot==
 
==Plot==
 
[[Sterling|Archer]] searches for his father's identity behind the Iron Curtain, where he falls in love and runs into trouble, requiring the rescue efforts of [[ODIN]] agent [[Barry|Barry Dylan]].
 
[[Sterling|Archer]] searches for his father's identity behind the Iron Curtain, where he falls in love and runs into trouble, requiring the rescue efforts of [[ODIN]] agent [[Barry|Barry Dylan]].
  +
  +
== Synopsis ==
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[[Ray Gillette|Ray]] is being sent by cargo plane on a mission to kill to kill a Finnish Double Agent. He talks with one of the crew members explaining that [[Archer]] wanted to go on the mission, but [[Malory]] gave Ray the mission, causing him to believe Archer only wanted the mission as an excuse to go to Russian and see if [[Nikolai Jakov]] is really his father. Surprisingly, Archer is disguised as one of the crew members Ray was talking to and knocks him out. Archer pays the rest of the hush money for this, and jumps off the plane to confront Jakov. Unfortunately Archer missed the drop off point and landed at a Red Army camp where he's then captured.
  +
  +
Back at ISIS, Ray, injured with a broken Zygomatic bone, tells Malory and [[Lana]] what happened. Malory believes Archer could be going off to see Jakov, which Lana reveals that she and everybody (mostly the core group according to [[Cheryl Tunt|Cheryl]]) knows about her affair with Jakov thanks to [[Pam]] who saw them one night during a phone sex session much to her shock. [[Cyril]] gives Malory a message from the KGB radio's that Archer is captured and detained in Vyborg. Malory says they need to rescue Archer, but unfortunately for her, Ray and Lana state they can't do the mission, the former's injury requiring medical notes, and the later stating her racial background would be too obvious for an undercover assignemnt. With no other options, Malory recruits [[Barry]] to save her son, which he reluctantly agree's to on the condition that he and Lana have sex, much to her disgust.
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  +
Barry manages to find Archer in Moscow thank's to ODIN's intel, and they disguise themselves as KGB soldiers. Archer still wants to talk to Jakov, but see's him arguing with Malory over him. Jakov reveals that he used some of Archer's hair to do a dna test to see if he's really the father, but the chances might be slim. Archer and Barry leave the KGB office, while the rest of ISIS hears the call, and worry over Archer's fate.
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  +
Archer and Barry are stopped at a KGB checkpoint, which Barry kills the guards, but are stooped by a spike trap, breaking their tires. A KGB squad finds them and opens fire at them, while the two run off. Malory begs Jakov to cease fire, but he reveals that the DNA test was inconclusive from tampering by Boris, and even if Archer's his son, he caused to agents death which he can't look away from. Archer and Barry move up to a fire escape, but find the door is locked, and with the squad moving closer, they jump to the next grating only for Archer to grab the ledge, while Barry is cling onto Archer's boots.
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  +
Archer now decides that he needs to leave Russia now, and suggests to a fearful Barry that they split up. Barry however, slips off Archer's boots, and falls into the dumpster, while a now bare-footed Archer enters the apartment building getting glass in his feat. Archer manages to outrun the hit squad, taking several soldiers out, before he's cornered by the squad in an elevator ready to shoot. Malory is saddened that her son is heavily injured, but realizes that he's still alive when Jakov mentions "he" lost a leg, which is actually Barry, heavily injured from the fall, and lost his right leg.
  +
  +
Archer meanwhile accepts his fate, but is saved by a KGB agent, [[Katya Kazanova]]. Katya then asks if she could come back to America with him, which Archer happily accepts.
   
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
*The episode title, "White Nights," is a reference to the 1985 motion picture "[[Wikipedia:White Nights (1985 film)|White Nights]]",<ref>{{Imdb|White Nights (1985)|http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090319/}}</ref> starring Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov. This can also be a reference to White Nights - phenomenon when during northern summer evening twilight is followed by morning twilight and full darkness never happens. Although such thing does not happen in Moscow, but widely associated with St. Petersburg.  It could also be a reference to a short love story by Fyodor Dostoevsky. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Nights_(book) White Nights] is also the name of  [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menachem_Begin Menachem Begin]'s memoir of his year in a Soviet prison camp after being arrested by the NKVD in Lithunia while fleeing the Nazi invasion of Poland. Given Adam Reed's frequent literature references, Dostoevsky's short story seems right, but Archer's brief stint/torture in KGB custody links to Begin's memoir. Given how tightly Archer is written and produced, it wouldn't be surprising if the title references both.
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*'''Title Explained:''' The episode title, "White Nights," is a reference to the 1985 motion picture "[[Wikipedia:White Nights (1985 film)|White Nights]]",<ref>{{Imdb|White Nights (1985)|http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090319/}}</ref> starring Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov. This can also be a reference to White Nights - phenomenon when during northern summer evening twilight is followed by morning twilight and full darkness never happens. Although such thing does not happen in Moscow, but widely associated with St. Petersburg.  It could also be a reference to a short love story by Fyodor Dostoevsky. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Nights_(book) White Nights] is also the name of  [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menachem_Begin Menachem Begin]'s memoir of his year in a Soviet prison camp after being arrested by the NKVD in Lithunia while fleeing the Nazi invasion of Poland. Given Adam Reed's frequent literature references, Dostoevsky's short story seems right, but Archer's brief stint/torture in KGB custody links to Begin's memoir. Given how tightly Archer is written and produced, it wouldn't be surprising if the title references both.
 
*The submachinegun [[Katya Kazanova]] uses is a PPSh-41, a World War II-era Soviet weapon, almost universally considered one of the best submachineguns designs of the war period and widely distributed to Soviet-aided insurgents and revolutionaries during the Cold War. The sound effect used, however, is inaccurate, as one of the most recognizable traits of the '41 is its fairly high rate of fire, about 900 rounds per minute.
 
*The submachinegun [[Katya Kazanova]] uses is a PPSh-41, a World War II-era Soviet weapon, almost universally considered one of the best submachineguns designs of the war period and widely distributed to Soviet-aided insurgents and revolutionaries during the Cold War. The sound effect used, however, is inaccurate, as one of the most recognizable traits of the '41 is its fairly high rate of fire, about 900 rounds per minute.
 
* Moscow skyline is pictured incorrectly, showing St Basil church from a place where it can't be seen and overcrowding skyline with churches and spires, most likely as a parody of practice of using well-known landmarks to establish locations.
 
* Moscow skyline is pictured incorrectly, showing St Basil church from a place where it can't be seen and overcrowding skyline with churches and spires, most likely as a parody of practice of using well-known landmarks to establish locations.
 
* Before jumping from the C-130 Hercules, the map on the back of the dossier Archer looks over is of New Orleans, possibly connecting this episode to "[http://archer.wikia.com/wiki/Pipeline_Fever Pipeline Fever] ."
 
* Before jumping from the C-130 Hercules, the map on the back of the dossier Archer looks over is of New Orleans, possibly connecting this episode to "[http://archer.wikia.com/wiki/Pipeline_Fever Pipeline Fever] ."
* Word "Директор" on Jakov's door means "Director", but KGB chiefs are actually called "Chairmen"
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* Word "Директор" on Jakov's door means "Director", but KGB chiefs are actually called "Chairmen", which would be written "Председатель"
 
* Archer's interrogation by the [[KGB]] is nearly identical to the torture training exercise administered by [[Crenshaw]] in "[[Mole Hunt]]," which Archer ridiculed at the time. During this episode, he wishes he had taken it more seriously.
 
* Archer's interrogation by the [[KGB]] is nearly identical to the torture training exercise administered by [[Crenshaw]] in "[[Mole Hunt]]," which Archer ridiculed at the time. During this episode, he wishes he had taken it more seriously.
  +
* Archer walking around with glass in his feet is likley a reference to the 1988 movie "[[Wikipedia: Die Hard|Die Hard]]".
  +
* As Archer lands after jumping with a parachute, he clears his throat and speaks finnish, saying: "Hei, jätkät! Tämä on suomalainen laskuvarjoklubi?", which translates to "Hey, guys! This is a Finnish skydiving club?", as he states right after.
   
 
==Gallery of Images==
 
==Gallery of Images==

Revision as of 14:43, 28 July 2015

Template:Episode infobox

"White Nights" is the twelfth episode of the second season of Archer.

Plot

Archer searches for his father's identity behind the Iron Curtain, where he falls in love and runs into trouble, requiring the rescue efforts of ODIN agent Barry Dylan.

Synopsis

Ray is being sent by cargo plane on a mission to kill to kill a Finnish Double Agent. He talks with one of the crew members explaining that Archer wanted to go on the mission, but Malory gave Ray the mission, causing him to believe Archer only wanted the mission as an excuse to go to Russian and see if Nikolai Jakov is really his father. Surprisingly, Archer is disguised as one of the crew members Ray was talking to and knocks him out. Archer pays the rest of the hush money for this, and jumps off the plane to confront Jakov. Unfortunately Archer missed the drop off point and landed at a Red Army camp where he's then captured.

Back at ISIS, Ray, injured with a broken Zygomatic bone, tells Malory and Lana what happened. Malory believes Archer could be going off to see Jakov, which Lana reveals that she and everybody (mostly the core group according to Cheryl) knows about her affair with Jakov thanks to Pam who saw them one night during a phone sex session much to her shock. Cyril gives Malory a message from the KGB radio's that Archer is captured and detained in Vyborg. Malory says they need to rescue Archer, but unfortunately for her, Ray and Lana state they can't do the mission, the former's injury requiring medical notes, and the later stating her racial background would be too obvious for an undercover assignemnt. With no other options, Malory recruits Barry to save her son, which he reluctantly agree's to on the condition that he and Lana have sex, much to her disgust.

Barry manages to find Archer in Moscow thank's to ODIN's intel, and they disguise themselves as KGB soldiers. Archer still wants to talk to Jakov, but see's him arguing with Malory over him. Jakov reveals that he used some of Archer's hair to do a dna test to see if he's really the father, but the chances might be slim. Archer and Barry leave the KGB office, while the rest of ISIS hears the call, and worry over Archer's fate.

Archer and Barry are stopped at a KGB checkpoint, which Barry kills the guards, but are stooped by a spike trap, breaking their tires. A KGB squad finds them and opens fire at them, while the two run off. Malory begs Jakov to cease fire, but he reveals that the DNA test was inconclusive from tampering by Boris, and even if Archer's his son, he caused to agents death which he can't look away from. Archer and Barry move up to a fire escape, but find the door is locked, and with the squad moving closer, they jump to the next grating only for Archer to grab the ledge, while Barry is cling onto Archer's boots.

Archer now decides that he needs to leave Russia now, and suggests to a fearful Barry that they split up. Barry however, slips off Archer's boots, and falls into the dumpster, while a now bare-footed Archer enters the apartment building getting glass in his feat. Archer manages to outrun the hit squad, taking several soldiers out, before he's cornered by the squad in an elevator ready to shoot. Malory is saddened that her son is heavily injured, but realizes that he's still alive when Jakov mentions "he" lost a leg, which is actually Barry, heavily injured from the fall, and lost his right leg.

Archer meanwhile accepts his fate, but is saved by a KGB agent, Katya Kazanova. Katya then asks if she could come back to America with him, which Archer happily accepts.

Trivia

  • Title Explained: The episode title, "White Nights," is a reference to the 1985 motion picture "White Nights",[1] starring Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov. This can also be a reference to White Nights - phenomenon when during northern summer evening twilight is followed by morning twilight and full darkness never happens. Although such thing does not happen in Moscow, but widely associated with St. Petersburg.  It could also be a reference to a short love story by Fyodor Dostoevsky. White Nights is also the name of  Menachem Begin's memoir of his year in a Soviet prison camp after being arrested by the NKVD in Lithunia while fleeing the Nazi invasion of Poland. Given Adam Reed's frequent literature references, Dostoevsky's short story seems right, but Archer's brief stint/torture in KGB custody links to Begin's memoir. Given how tightly Archer is written and produced, it wouldn't be surprising if the title references both.
  • The submachinegun Katya Kazanova uses is a PPSh-41, a World War II-era Soviet weapon, almost universally considered one of the best submachineguns designs of the war period and widely distributed to Soviet-aided insurgents and revolutionaries during the Cold War. The sound effect used, however, is inaccurate, as one of the most recognizable traits of the '41 is its fairly high rate of fire, about 900 rounds per minute.
  • Moscow skyline is pictured incorrectly, showing St Basil church from a place where it can't be seen and overcrowding skyline with churches and spires, most likely as a parody of practice of using well-known landmarks to establish locations.
  • Before jumping from the C-130 Hercules, the map on the back of the dossier Archer looks over is of New Orleans, possibly connecting this episode to "Pipeline Fever ."
  • Word "Директор" on Jakov's door means "Director", but KGB chiefs are actually called "Chairmen", which would be written "Председатель"
  • Archer's interrogation by the KGB is nearly identical to the torture training exercise administered by Crenshaw in "Mole Hunt," which Archer ridiculed at the time. During this episode, he wishes he had taken it more seriously.
  • Archer walking around with glass in his feet is likley a reference to the 1988 movie "Die Hard".
  • As Archer lands after jumping with a parachute, he clears his throat and speaks finnish, saying: "Hei, jätkät! Tämä on suomalainen laskuvarjoklubi?", which translates to "Hey, guys! This is a Finnish skydiving club?", as he states right after.

Gallery of Images

There are 31 screenshots and images from "White Nights" on this Wiki, visit the category page for a complete gallery.

Here is a sample of four images from the gallery:

References