Archer, "Un Chien Tangerine"

I'll be honest with you, I barely paid attention to the story in this particular episode. (Although it was pretty great, and featured an admirably streamlined storytelling style compared to some of the more recent episodes.) In addition to some truly incredible dog-related animation work, this episode also continues the Archer tradition of featuring beautiful background art. Here taken to the pinnacle in the Morocco scenes with their lush backgrounds and intricate patterns and textures. Every scene provides a wealth of detail.

I paused the video at one point (pictured above) to examine Lana and Archer's hotel room. Behind Lana stands a large cabinet or armoire with carved inlays and gold trim, which has been distressed from age just so. The wall between Lana and Archer has the same duality going, with an upper half of textured, crumbling plaster and a lower half of intricate Moroccan tile. On the wall hang three large plates, each of which features its own delicately detailed pattern and color scheme.

As the eye moves from left to right across the scene, it finally encounters the window behind Archer, which is slightly ajar. The eye drifts out the window, to a hazy background, a dense cityscape of rooftops in the unforgiving Moroccan sunlight.

Just contemplate this scene for a few moments. Imagine the insane amount of work that went into this one single background image. Now switch over to an episode of (say) Family Guy or The Simpsons. The contrast is jarring. The richness of detail - in the artwork, the characters and the storylines - is what makes Archer so unique and compelling.

Aside from the gorgeous artwork and animation, I love LOVE the idea of Pam becoming a bad-ass ISIS agent, and I made a mental note of Krieger's "Smoke bomb!" exit in order to totally steal that joke for myself at the first possible opportunity.

Images copyright Archer/FX Networks