Archer: Into the Coldwas somewhat of a last-minute addition to theArchercanon, with producers deciding that, solid as it was, Season 14 wouldn’t be enough to really tie a bow on the series. And thank goodness they went that route because, even thoughArcherhas grown a bit stale over the years, it’s never stopped with the dense, clever scriptsand focus on character. And, naturally, the same could be said ofInto the Cold. So, now that it’s all wrapped up, where are our favorite mostly-incompetent former-ISIS employees now?
Understandably, main character Malory Archer and her husband Ron Cadillac were not subject to inclusion, as they had both already found their shared satisfying conclusion in the show. Furthermore, major recurring characters like Robert (Stephen Tobolowsky), Slater (Christian Slater), and Fabian Kingsworth (Kayvan Novak) were not subject to inclusion, though Slater does have quite a bit of screen time in the end.Archer: Into the Coldis a terrific finale that sticks the landing, managing to provoke thought and show fans some old familiar favorite characters along the way.
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8Barry Dylan
A consistent presence in the show (in various forms) from episode oneto the finale, Sterling Archer’s nemesisBarry Dylanhas gone through alotof changes over the years. Initially, he was just ODIN’s Archer, one who was dropped off the side of a building by the titular character not once but twice. Dylan ends up leading the KGB (After they turn him into a robot, one of Archer’s greatest fears), getting involved with Archer’s love, the now-also-robotic Katya Kazanova, before ultimately getting trapped on a space station. But, then, during Archer’s coma, Barry has a bit of a change of heart (if he ever had one).
Reduced Down to Software
After Archer’s coma, he and Barry team up to take on a robot factory filled with…otherBarrys. But there’s also theotherBarry within Barry who, in both Season 14 andInto the Cold,has now been reduced from human to android to, well, a toaster (then a hologram in a wedding dress, then a tiny version of his track-suited KGB-era self). And, yet, he’s a toaster with two distinct personalities, and he feels less like a looming threat against Archer and more like his brother.
As mentioned,Into the Coldputs Barry through many changes, including this tiny version of himself, but at the end of the saga he’s part of Katya, or at least her programming. After all, Sterling has to tell him to hush when he’s being intimate with Katya once again.
7Ray Gillette
ISIS' resident bomb specialistRay Gillettehas always been an intelligent, reliable field agent. And, whether it’s ISIS or The Figgis Agency or just The Agency, he’s loyal (even when appearances prove deceiving). Of course, his biggest challenge at work is dealing with insults from Archer about his homosexuality.
With His Family, and a Dart
The final scene has Ray getting a dart in his arm. So, like his losing a hand and the emotional abuse suffered by his coworkers, Ray is up to painful business as usual. But, he’s with his family, and he’s an integral part of it.
6Cheryl Tunt
Voiced by theperpetually underrated and underutilized Judy Greer, Cheryl Tunt’s often-bonkers personality is typically one of the high points of anArcherepisode. She never stops short of doing something solely to irritate another or please herself and, even through the finale, that’s pretty much where Cheryl remains. After all, she put it best when she said “Sorry, ignore me. My whole thing is I just crave attention.”
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An Eternal Werewolf on the Moon
One ofInto the Cold’s final scenes has her and Dr. Krieger at a bar where he pitches his next oddball idea: colonizing the Moon with werewolves. So, effectively, they’d always be werewolves. Cheryl jumps at the idea. It’s funny but, all in all, neither she nor Doctor Krieger have much to do throughout the episode. That said, at least Krieger got some one-on-one experimentation time with… well… whatever one might want to call Barry by this point.
5Cyril Figgis
The best of the talentedChris Parnell’s many voice acting roles, Cyril Figgis has displayed strands of confidence over the years, but he always reverts to his timid original form (and, for the most part, that’s Archer’s joyous fault). Whether he’s dating Lana Kane or just desperately hoping to be, Figgis is utterly unsure of himself, and even when he does have something he doesn’t want to lose, it’s practically guaranteed he will, especially considering the man just can’t seem to keep his pants on.
Cyril Will Always Be By Lana
Cyril gives a beautiful speech about what one’s life’s work couldtrulyamount to towards episode’s end, but outside of that, he’s been given more to do than inInto the Cold, and, really, Season 14 as a whole. After Season 7’s Figgis Agency and his stint as a jacked, number one spy (while Archer was in a coma), Cyril has shriveled back into the shadows, which seems in character. But, alas, if there’s one character whose future is a bit of a mystery towards the end of the finale, it’s Cyril. That said, the safe money is on him sticking by Lana.
4Lana Kane
Almost as important toArcheras the title character himself, former ISIS field agent (and current CEO of The Agency) Lana Kane was and remains the most proficient individual of the group. But, as far as series-wide change, her personality has remained mostly the same (but she has become a mother and, as mentioned, a boss). She had drive from the beginning, and that’s only grown stronger.
Lana Is Perfectly Placed as Leader of ISIS
Naturally, Lana’s the top dog inInto the Coldjust as she was in Season 14. There are a few moments where she seems to doubt her abilities, but for the most part, she’s settled into Malory’s shoes, and even toned down the ill-tempered ways of her and her mentor’s (not to mention the grandmother of her child) past.
3Doctor Krieger
Doctor Algernop Krieger (though that “Doctor” should be taken pretty darn loosely) is an enigma. A clone of Adolf Hitler who looks nothing like Adolf Hitler, and an experimenter who views the human body as a canvas for his insanity, he’s the type of man who will try to give himself the strength of an ant (while also being thesizeof an ant — at least, that was the goal).
Doctor Krieger Is Comfortably Odd
And that’s still who Krieger is inInto the Cold. After all, if a character’s already exactly who they should be, why fix what isn’t broken? And, as mentioned with Cheryl, one ofInto the Cold’s final scenes has him comfortably in his odd,oddelement.
2Pam Poovey
If any ISIS staff member has drastically changed from the first episode, it’s the HR representative, Pam Poovey. Once content to sit behind the desk doing busy work, Poovey has, over time, grown to have the most agency and the biggest personality out of any character (and that’s including Cheryl and Archer). Not to mention, throughout Archer’s three coma years, Pam (in various forms) held a lot of spotlight.
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Pam Is Always the Best
InArcher: Into the Cold, there are essentially two major villains, both of whom have been allies in the past: Katya and Slater. Slater ends up being the real jerk of the two, and there’s a good chance he would have started the second Cold War if Pam didn’t take it upon herself to hop on a motorcycle and go on a solo rescue mission with only her fighting skillsand love for her work familyto guide the way.
To quote Archer inInto the Cold: “God ***it Pam, why are you always the best?!” And, in the final scene, once the final mission is over, independent spy agencies have been outlawed, and Archer feels it’s time to branch off a bit… who’s the one person by his side, comfortably asking what the next adventure will be? Pam.
1Sterling Archer
In some ways, a character who has already somewhat changed (specifically, softened) via a three-year coma and the retirement of his mother (exactly how fans felt aboutthe passing of her performer, Jessica Walter), Sterling Archer is nonetheless, for the most part, an unmovable rock. A self-absorbed, booze-guzzling rock with any number of STDs and a massive kill count.
Archer Is At Peace With Himself
WhenInto the Coldwraps up, Sterling Archer finally seems as though he’s at peace with who he is in the moment. He’s spent his life filling a void with booze and prostitutes, primarily in futile search of a question regarding parentage. And, yet, when Slater (near-death) gives him the chance to learn who his father is, as long as he saves his life, Archer just kind of shrugs off the opportunity. And, while many shows can’t pull such a moment off, it feels entirely earned.
