"Trendy" Wen Dee Reviews Archer Season 14, Episode 6 "Face Off"

Warning: Spoilers are kept to a minimum. I don't go into great detail, that way you can have that joy all to yourself. But yeah. This is a review. So, you've been warned.

FX's Archer is one of my favorite TV series in late night comedy history. It's a fun adult spy story that doesn't take itself too seriously. A trait I can both respect and appreciate.

The story: Archer is a spy. No. Scratch that. He's "the world's greatest spy," according to himself. With his smart mouthed crew by his side, he tackles missions in his signature turtleneck--the "tactalneck." And thwarts the baddies, as long as it doesn't get in the way of his personal time. He's smooth, conceited, and a real bad egg to his pals. But they follow him to the ends of the earth, just to make sure he doesn't blow it up.

Episode 6: El Cambiante (The Changing), a drug kingpin, is undergoing plastic surgery at a medical spa in Costa Rica. The Agency must pose as patients and find him before his face changes, again. That is, if it doesn't get in the way of their spa vacation.

Moving forward. This review comes in (3) winks and (3) blinks. Winks mean that the series deserves some extra love for that bit, while blinks mean, "What did I just watch?"

The (3) Winks

1. Blackmail Bribe Day. This proves that Mallory Archer (voiced by the late Jessica Walter; rest in paradise, ma'am) knew her spy spit. The callback to The Agency's former boss is sweet. And in this one episode we now know how Mallory, from behind the scenes, made sure New York City didn't fall.
2. Gary. As Ray says, "All roads lead to Gary." He's smart, confident, and knows how to talk business and bribes. He even comes prepared with his own homemade bomber vest, so it cuts down on time and talk. Oh! And bonus winks go to Ray for recognizing all this and wondering if Gary's single. Bravo, Ray.
3. Tiny fan. When Archer's in the hospital (for an injury, not plastic surgery), Cyril wants to buy him flowers, but decides on something different. "So... tiny fan," as he says. The nifty nicknack helps Archer beat the baddies in a steamy sauna. And because of this, Archer is nice to Cyril and even thanks him, too. Aww. Bromance!

The (3) Blinks

1. Archer and the blahs. Dr. Spencer's medical recommendations put Archer's vacation in the pits. His usual confident smile and suave personality are swapped out for a frown and a cane. Seriously. So rude! This is not how I want to see Archer. Ever!
2. A-hole sloth. So, this sloth attacks Archer, causes him to fall 50 feet, bites him, and then pees on him, too. Ouch! I guess I can't add this guy to Archer's animal pal's list.
3. Dr. Spencer? After what she says to Archer, this next move sounds more like karma. She becomes a literal monster. Think: John Carpenter's "The Thing." So, I guess Dr. Krieger wasn't really making friends with her after all. (Callback to Season 13's finale when he promises his best friend Colt that he'd do some "messed up science!")

Overall rating: 4.0 out of 5.0.

In all honesty, this is a fun episode. It does, however, play like another vacation mission. But that's okay. Also, we learn some new information about the inner workings of The Agency. So, a vacation, mission, and some knowledge. Cool.

On Wednesday, October 11, 2023, FX will show Archer's series finale. If you have cable, you can watch this tonight. However, if you have Hulu or Amazon Prime (like me), you will see the episode either Thursday or Friday.

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Disclaimer: This is meant to be satire. My opinions are my own as a viewer. And no, I am not affiliated with any of these shows or their production companies. ?2023 Wen Dee.