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Dreamland is a high society, 1940's-inspired Los Angeles nightclub which exists only as a dream establishment in the comatose mind of Sterling Archer.

The nightclub also serves as a front and base of operations for the notorious L.A. crime boss, Mother. It is a prominent setting in the dream Archer experiences as he lies in a coma throughout Season 8 of Archer.

Season 8[]

Sterling Archer in a comatose state, envisions himself and all his friends, relations, and associates as dream personas/characters in a film noir-esque Los Angeles setting. The Dreamland is a swanky nightclub with a well-stocked bar, comfortable seating area, and large stage occupied by the Dreamland House Band. Additionally, the venue has a second-floor office with a large window so the owner can keep an eye on the main space, and a very large basement accessible via a trap door behind the bar.

In the season premiere episode No Good Deed, Private Investigator Sterling Archer, after trying to shake down bartender Krieger for information regarding the murder of Woodhouse, is beaten up and carried into Dreamland by Mr. Zirk. When he comes to he finds himself in the office of Mother who offers him a job in exchange for possible assistance solving the murder. Archer intends to pass until he sees Lana Kane and is spellbound by her beauty. He introduces himself to her at the bar, but his advance prove futile. Later, Mother telephones Archer at his office saying she knows about the debacle at the port, and that now he owes her big time.

In the episode Berenice, Detectives Figgis and Poovey head to the Dreamland to question Mother, but she's opaque. Archer shows up with Charlotte Vandertunt for similar reasons, but the end result is the same. Archer once again meets Lana Kane, but is humiliated after Charlotte attempts to "help."

In Jane Doe, Archer, Charlotte, and the members of the band find themselves in jail leaving the Dreamland with no entertainment. Lana takes Mother's musing that the place should have a comedy night and runs with it as she does 30 minutes worth of mediocre stand up (all of it about syphilis) to the audience's displeasure. Later, everyone winds up in Mother's office for a severe dressing down.

Rooms / Area's within Dreamland[]

Dreamland Employees[]

Cultural References[]

Psychology[]

As we have entered into a dreamland, it is not surprising that there will be numerous references drawn from the psychological literature on dreams and dreaming, in particular from the founding fathers of psychoanalysis:

  • Siegmund Freud / Mother: for Freud, many psychological issues can be traced to our relationship with our mother.  Archer is no different, with his Oedipal complex being oft-noted and talked about in the real world, where Malory is a domineering matriarch, with little to no sensitivity to Archer's needs.
    • In the dream world, Malory is transformed into a character called 'Mother' - an 'evil matriarch' - who is not actually Archer's mother but is equally as domineering and manipulative.  Mother is more overtly sinister as she is a crime boss, and, being a dream, the pretense is lost.
  • Carl Jung/ Dream house:  for Jung, the dreamhouse [1] was a symbol of his psyche, and, to the extent that it holds you, and provides refuge and warmth, also acts a symbol of the mother.
    • As revealed in Sleeper's Wake (s8e5), The Nightclub has a secret "Nazi-robot farm" in the basement, (accessible via trap door behind the bar).  This could represent the deepest level of Archer's subconscious, and the pathological fear of robots he has had since his childhood sexual encounters with an Electrolux hoover, as suggested in Skin Game (s3e11).

Art History[]

The Dreamland club is based on a combination of cinematic and artistic themes, ranging from film-noir to cubism and art deco. The psychoanalytic schools which strongly influenced 20th-century western culture, along with the idea of the unconscious mind,  are also suggested.

Cinema[]

  • Film-noir - the style of Dreamland is an homage to this period of cinema (1940-50s).  Numerous references to the era include:
    • TBA

Abstract Art[]

  • A cubist rendering of Malory's real-world dog 'Duchess' appears in
    At detail kandinsky and duchess

    Duchess/ Kandinsky

    the opening exchanges between Archer and Mother.
  • Kandinsky (1866-1944): credited with painting one of the first recognized purely abstract works, a painting in the style of Kandinsky appears on the opposing side of a shot of Duchess.

Art Deco[]

  • The style of visual arts, architecture, and design which began in France prior to World War I, known as Art Deco is referenced in the visual stylings of the Dreamland club.

Trivia[]

  • An exterior silhouette of the Dreamland building appears in the Season 8 version of the title sequence.
  • Early designs of Dreamland had it a single story building and only half the width of its finished design. [2]

Appearances[]

Full List of Appearances for Dreamland (Nightclub)
Listed in chronological order :

Gallery of Images[]

There are 31 images of Dreamland (Nightclub) on this Wiki, visit the Dreamland (Nightclub) gallery to view all the images and screenshots.
Small sample of episode screenshots found in the gallery :

Small sample of Concept / Design Art found in gallery :

References[]

Navigation[]

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