Lana Anthony Kane is a field agent at ISIS in the Archer series. She is also the love interest of Sterling Archer and the mother of Abbiejean Kane-Archer (Sterling's child), who has aspirations for advancement as a master spy and has considered positions offered by ODIN, both at their international headquarters[1] and as Regional Director for the Americas[2], although her strong leftist views often cause friction between her and her job.
She is voiced by Aisha Tyler.
Appearance
Lana is a tall and beautiful black woman who possesses a stunning appearance with dark brown hair that is tied in a back-flip hairstyle with bangs swept to the left, dark emerald green eyes, light pink lips, visible cheekbones and she appears to be as tall as Sterling Archer and is referred to be 6 feet tall at one point, but it could just be due to her high heels.
She is almost always seen wearing a Mini Sweater Dress with a wide black belt that has a circular buckle on it and black thigh high-heeled boots.
Personality
Lana is a very tough and strong-willed woman. However, she is very short-tempered, as she does not hesitate to use violence to resolve conflict situations, whether it's called for or not โ especially if Sterling Archer is involved. Lana is shown to be a control freak and the other members of ISIS remark on her love of lecturing (in "Vision Quest"). Lana is also incredibly sarcastic, usually going toe-to-toe with Archer in snide remarks to shut him up.
She is very loyal and caring towards her friends, such as Ray Gillette (and to a degree Pam), but like most of ISIS she has questionable morals, as seen when she stole Sterling Archer's sperm to get pregnant while being in a relationship with Cyril Figgis. She can also at times be a hypocrite, as when she got mad at Cyril Figgis for cheating on her, even though she also cheated on him, and as "Once Bitten", Cheryl correctly pointed out that despite her views, she continues to work for the Agency in spite of her leftist beliefs.
Lana has throughout the show exhibited leftist views โ she literally became hired by Mallory Archer while protesting the use of real fur in fashion, when Mallory held her at gunpoint as she was about to throw blood upon her new fur coat. Lana has high views of nature and wildlife, as shown in "Pipeline Fever," often causing her to be mocked primarily by the Sterlings. When Lana shows to be anti-illegal immigration, Archer is shocked and calls her a "Lorax blowing tree hugger."
Background
Lana is the daughter of Lemuel Kane (an algae researcher and biochemist) and Claudette Kane (a professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley who is focusing on feminist issues). Going by a flashback to her youth, it appears Lana was born and raised in San Francisco and Lana was highly pressured by her parents, who were both college professors, to succeed as a child. She was so nervous about going to science fairs that it led to her throwing up in the car. Lana got her job as an ISIS agent during a protest at a local furrier. She was about to throw red paint on Malory Archer's new fur coat when Malory pointed her gun at Lana's forehead. The rest of the protesters fled, including Joshua Gray, but Lana was not intimidated. Impressed by her nerve, Malory, offered Lana a job. Three weeks later, she was on her first mission in Tunisia "killing a different man," referencing Malory's comment about her own first mission in Tunisia and killing a man after she was hired by the OSS. (Due to a change in production schedule, these episodes were aired out of order, which created a disconnect in the reference.)
Lana ended a long term relationship with Sterling Archer, mostly due to him cheating on her with other women. His very demanding relationship with his mother did not help either. However, it is shown that both Sterling and Lana have lingering feelings for each other and still care for each other, although they often bicker with each other. When Archer thought he was going to die of breast cancer, he convinced Lana (out of pity) into a one night stand[3]. During the affair, he appeared to want to tell Lana his true feelings; however, that was interrupted. After a long period of time, Archer confesses to Lana he loves her, which Lana acknowledges, but does not return[4]. It is later revealed that Lana does love Archer right before she reveals his paternity of Abbiejean Kane-Archer (Lana's daughter)[5].
Lana also dated an ISIS comptroller named Cyril Figgis for a time, to the mystification of her colleagues. That relationship ended when she walked in on him cheating on her with Framboise and Lana's relationship with Cyril may have been due to the fact that he was perceived as a more stable partner compared to her earlier relationship with Sterling (or subconsciously as a means to spite Archer). She quietly admitted she was much more comfortable with him since his mother had "died in a fire." After discovering Cyril had cheated on her many times during their relationship, their relationship fell apart completely. Lana later paired with Cyril again in "Viscous Coupling", although it was more out of desperation for companionship and sexual satisfaction than any genuine attraction. This second attempt at a relationship fell apart due to Cyril's increased paranoia caused by Pam Poovey and Cheryl Tuntโs meddling and culminated in another breakup once Lana announced her pregnancy through a sperm bank, which she did without telling him prior.
Lana also has a strong desire to have a baby. In "Blood Test," she propositions both Sterling and Ray Gillette to have a child (albeit while drunk). In "The Honeymooners," while climbing a skyscraper, she seriously considered the notion of having a baby with Archer (partially to annoy him and partially because the two of them would produce a beautiful child), but quickly disregarded the idea and instead decided on Cyril. That decision was quickly overturned because of underlying trust issues between the two of them. In "Sea Tunt: Part II," Lana tells everyone she is pregnant and confirms Cyril is not the father, much to his chagrin. She later revealed that the father was a sperm donor, which has been used as a point of ridicule against her ever since. In "Archer Vice: Arrival/Departure", Lana gives birth to a girl, which she reveals to Sterling Archer that he is the father by using his frozen sperm. Despite her problems with Archer in the past, she appears to genuinely care about him and she peacefully introduces him to their daughter. This appears to be her attempt at trying what Archer suggested earlier in the season: starting a family so that her daughter can have a father in her life.
Despite Lana's undeniable good looks, she is also very insecure about her appearance when it's called into question. She brags about her shaven vulva in "Skytanic" and insists that her breasts haven't started to sag, even demanding that her colleagues take notice of this in the middle of a firefight on a space station in "Space Race: Part II". She also seems to have a great deal of difficulty with relationships, declaring she had gone on "tons of dates" when in reality she had not had sex in the last fourteen months. She claims her trouble with relationships stemmed from her time dating Archer, which resulted in a number of severe trust issues. She is often teased for having such enormous and muscular hands.
Relationships
Sterling Archer
Despite having a great disdain for Archer, Lana shares the closest connection with him of all the characters. They're frequently partnered together on missions, and despite all the stuff he put her through, she still considers him a friend ("Heart of Archness: Part III"). However, it is obvious to any Archer addict that Archer and Lana care for each other deeply.
During a firefight, both Archer and Lana reveal they are each other's beneficiaries should they die. Lana stated she was going to change that, but it's unknown if she did (Skorpio). Lana showed great concern for Archer when he was diagnosed with breast cancer ("Stage Two") and spent the night with him out of pity (he originally believed they had sex, but they did not). After Archer found out his cancer medication was fake, Lana begrudgingly accompanied him in his "rampage," serving as his cameraman and chauffeuse ("Placebo Effect").
When Archer's car gets stolen, Lana, along with Cyril Figgis and Pam Poovey, aids him in getting it back from the Yakuza, whom they believed to have been the thieves. After a chase, it's revealed that Malory stole the car to teach Sterling a lesson about taking care of his things, similar to her taking his bike as a child. But, it turns out she never gave the bike back, rendering the lesson pointless and Lana shocked ("Drift Problem"). Archer and Lana help Malory dispose of the body of the Italian prime minister after she called them. Despite constantly disagreeing, they initially agreed that making it look like self-defense was her best option. They instead partake in a dinner party charade when an NYPD detective comes to look around. After the detective has left, Lana makes Archer realise that Malory's story is a lie and that Malory had killed the prime minister. Archer is shocked but still finds himself craving Italian food. He invites Lana out for a slice ("Lo Scandalo").
Lana began contemplating on having a baby in Season 4. After Archer saves her from falling to her death when she slips off a building, she decides to ask him to be the sperm donor, but she changes her mind once he begins acting like his typical self ("The Honeymooners"). During a mission to stop a radical environmentalist marine biologist from blowing up Sealab, Lana discloses that she is pregnant, angering Cyril because he isn't the father and prompting Archer to sacrifice his scuba gear and drown so that they could escape. He tells her he loves her before he passes out, and she replies "I know." Lana rushes to get him to the surface and is ecstatic when he starts breathing again ("Sea Tunt: Part II").
When ISIS is disavowed and the group turns to selling cocaine, Lana is still pregnant. Archer reads extensively on the complications of pregnancy, showing that he is concerned for her. As Agent Holly sweeps the mansion for illegal activity, Lana contemplates going into Witness Protection, but Archer reveals that once the baby is born it will be taken away, causing her to start crying. He tells her to run, but she tells him she can't leave him, hugging him ("House Call"). Archer goes to great lengths to get Kenny Loggins to perform at Lana's baby shower, but in the end, she reveals that she isn't really familiar with him. Woodhouse then covers for Archer and presents her with Archer's old crib, making it look as if it were his idea. Lana starts crying and states that it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her (Baby Shower).
Lana's water breaks after she, Archer and Cherlene are captured by rebel forces fighting Gustavo Calderon (the rebels are revealed to be Agent Holly and the CIA). She's initially enraged with Archer when Holly says that Archer knew all about the scheme. Archer denies knowing and attempts to act as a doula before Malory arrives and ejects him from the room. Lana gives birth to a daughter named Abbiejean Kane-Archer. In a heart-to-heart conversation, Lana tells him she still loves him and reveals that she had stolen the sperm he stored during his cancer scare and used it to become pregnant, making Archer the father of her daughter ("Arrival/Departure").
Following Archer's initial joy at being a father, his feelings quickly turn to fear, resulting in him yet again running away from home, and going on a bender of cobra venom and lady-boys hookers. Although Archer returned home eventually, Lana was not pleased with how quickly he ran away from his responsibility as a father, stating that if Archer wished to be part of their daughter's life, ground rules would need to be placed. Archer reminded her that such rules would eventually be broken by him, making it pointless ("The Holdout"). Archer showed great concern for their daughter's future, when he began to question what would happen to Abbiejean Kane-Archer should they both die while on a mission and suggested Malory Archer and Woodhouse. Oddly, Lana actively tried to avoid the conversation, though she made it clear that his choices were not acceptable. At last, she explained that should anything happen to her (and ONLY her), custody of their daughter would go first to her parents, and then to her sister. She avoided the topic for fear of hurting Archer's feelings that neither he nor anyone in his family would be allowed custody of Abbiejean. Archer, most likely to mask his disappointment, proceeded to ask if Lana's sister was younger. She proceeded to crush her large hands into the bloody bullet wounds in his back, which he attained during a mission. ("Three To Tango").
Lana brings Archer to visit her parents Lemuel Kane and Claudette Kane in San Francisco. It doesn't go well initially after Archer misinterprets Lemuel and Claudette joining him in the hot tub as wanting to engage in a threesome. Soon men break into the home and steal Lemuel's work on using algae as an alternative to burning fossil fuels. In a car chase, Lana reveals her professional to her father and that she hated pursing science as a child. The theft was discovered to be a CIA operation, and Slater pays Lemuel off. Lana thanks Archer on the flight back to New York and states he is part of her family. ("The Kanes").
During a ruse to steal the Durhani prince's identifying marks, Lana and Archer engage in a heated argument after both are led to believe they're attracted to the prince and queen respectively (Cyril set it up so he could try to win Lana back). They end up kissing passionately and having sex in one of the bathrooms, rekindling their romance ("Pocket Listing"). Their renewed romance puts off the rest of the office, and they arrange to break the couple up by having Archer's former fiancรฉe Katya Kazanova try and seduce him. However, he declines her, stating he is devoted to Lana and their child. Katya leaves before Lana arrives. However, Katya left her metal vagina in the bathroom sink, which Lana discovers to her anger. ("Reignition Sequence"). Archer drugs Lana and flies her off to Wales in an attempt to diffuse the rift. The "romantic getaway" he initially promised is revealed as a mission for the CIA, further angering Lana. She kisses Lloyd Llewellyn, a member of the Free Wales Army, to get back at Archer after she overhears that he kissed Katya Kazanova goodbye. He manages to convince her that nothing sexual happened with Katya Kazanova. ("Achub Y Morfilod").
After the CIA disavows the group, they relocate to Los Angeles and start a private detective agency. Lana and Archer are still a couple. However a recurrent issue during their assignments is Archer's crush on the actress Veronica Deane. During a run-in with Slater who hired them, Lana's annoyance with Archer's crush prompts her to declare their relationship as being "on a break". ("Liquid Lunch"). After the murder of Ellis Crane, everyone including Dean and her attorney Alan Shapiro are considered suspects. Lana insists she didn't kill him as she was fighting with Archer. Despite knowing this, Archer doesn't vouch for her, resulting in Lana's arrest. She and the others are cleared of wrongdoing. After initially thinking Archer is dead, he emerges from the bushes and kneels down to propose to Lana. However, it was Archer's cyborg duplicate, revealing Human Archer is indeed in the pool, his fate uncertain. ("Deadly Velvet: Part II").
In "No Good Deed", Archer was revealed to have survive his gunshots but is now in a coma. During his coma, he would dream about meeting Lana in many personas and he would always fall in love with her at first sight or have a past relationship with her. These dreams made him realize his feelings for Lana and how much she really means to him.
After spending three years in a coma, Archer finally wakes up. Archer met Lana again at a art gallery show ("The Orpheus Gambit") and tries to tell her his true feelings for her and possibly propose to her, but than he discovery's that she got married to an older billionaire man named Robert, much to his surprise and dismay. Though he somewhat returns to old habits, he clearly had issues with her moving on. Though despite his immaturity about her marriage to Robert, the two had somewhat began to repair their friendship. It is clear from ("The Double Date") that Archer still harbors feelings for Lana.
As Lana began to confide to Archer about her relationship with Robert or its struggles. Archer himself, began to feel guilty when he believed his bad behavior had affected their marriage. And when things hit rock bottom for Lana, for she discovers Robert had cheated on her. The place she goes to vent out her broken-heart is Archer's apartment. To which, he doesn't mock or take joy, but simply goes to Lana's side and holds her hand in silence as she cries. Showing after everything they've been through, Archer is the one person Lana trust the most.
In a Top Gun homage trailer for the fifth season, Archer and Lana assumed the roles of Maverick and Charlie, respectively. In the film, they are love interests.
Cyril Figgis
Lana began dating Cyril shortly after ending her first relationship with Archer. She chose Cyril based off him being a stark contrast to Archer's personality. However, Lana displays hesitance to call Cyril her boyfriend initially.
The two demonstrate an inability to trust one another, with Lana slipping a tracking device into Cyril to track him ("Training Day") and Cyril repeatedly following Lana on her missions thinking she and Archer are getting back together ("Skytanic", "Job Offer").
Cyril planned on proposing to Lana. However, the ring he bought was needed to power a makeshift computer, and when the ring was mentioned while Lana was on the phone, she sounded worried ("The Rock").
Cyril once again follows Lana, this time to France as she visits ODIN to inquire into a job offer Barry Dylan made. Cyril winds up having sex with Framboise. Lana sees this, and ends their relationship ("Job Offer"). To exact revenge on him, Lana makes men pay her to say they had sex with her and rub it in to Cyril ("Dial M For Mother").
Despite how Cyril was always wanted to marry her and was obsessed over Lana and her relationship with Archer, it is noted that he didn't seem to mind when Lana got married to Robert.
Dream Personas
After the events at the end of season 7, seasons 8, 9 and 10, see Lana take the form of a dream persona:
- Season 8 - Lana Kane (Dreamland)
- Season 9 - Princess Lanaluakalani (Danger Island)
- Season 10 - Lana Kane MVS (1999)
Etymology
- The name Lana means "little rock" in Gaelic ailin.
- Lana's name is a play on Lanacane (a trade name of benzocaine), a brand of oral local anesthetic that is often used as a numbing agent for anal sex.
- Lana's middle name, Anthony, means "Highly praiseworthy" in English.
- In the 17th century, the spelling Anthony was associated with the Greek anthos, which means "flower".
- Lana's surname Kane means "warlike" and/or "battle" in Irish.
- In Norway, Kane is used as a noble name.
Trivia
- Out of all the main female characters (Lana Kane, Malory Archer, Pam Poovey and Cheryl Tunt), Lana is the only one who does not have blue eyes as she has dark-green eyes.
- Kynyetta Lester served as the body model for Lana when Aisha Tyler was too busy.
- Lana frequently wears a mini sweater dress, large silver hoop earrings, a wide black belt with a circular buckle and a pair of tall, thigh high-heeled black boots.
- Lana is known to have rather large hands, causing much ridicule from her co-workers, often referring to her as Johnny Bench.
- Although Lana the "Monster Hand" is a running gag, it's probably only because her hands are considered too big and strong for a woman. Compared to male characters' hands as shown on their character models, her hands seem to be normal-sized at best.
- Lana was formerly a radical environmentalist ("Pipeline Fever"), although she still expresses many left-wing opinions, which often cause her to be excluded from missions, albeit questionable ones such as blowing up an oil pipeline. Despite this, Lana is openly anti-immigration, at least towards illegal immigrants; Archer, bewildered by this, refers to as a "Lorax-blowing treehugger" for her leftist views.
- When Lana started to work at ISIS, she had an afro, which is large enough for Joshua Gray to pull a joint and a pencil out of. Sterling Archer said that it made her look like the love child of Angela Davis and "Sweet" Lou Dunbar.
- In "Jeu Monรฉgasque", Lana has $420,675 in her ISIS 401(k).
- Lana's sidearm of choice is a fully automatic TEC-9 guns, of which she carries two. She has a reputation of firing at full automatic without taking the time to aim, which earned her the nickname "Spray and pray" during basic training. She is also known to questionably carry only two spare magazines of ammunition.
- Lana often uses the word "Yup!" with a hearty, back-of-the-throat emphasis on the "u", and "Nope!" with a similar emphasis on the "o."
- Lana is often seen drinking a bottled orange soda from the ISIS vending machines which she can open without a bottle opener, despite them not being twist-offs. ("Drift Problem").
- Lana's blood type is A-negative.
- Sterling Archer is the reason for Lana getting crabs twice, although the second time was because of a prison cell, not Archer directly. ("Heart of Archness: Part II")
- In "Archer Vice: Arrival/Departure", Lana gave birth to Abbiejean Kane-Archer (Archer's daughter) through artificial insemination.
- Until Season 6, there was never any mention of Lana's family. However, in "Three to Tango", it's revealed that not only are both of Lana's parents (Lemuel and Claudette) are still alive, but that Lana also has a sister (who has yet to be seen or named and it's also never confirmed if she's older or younger than Lana).
- Archer also eventually learns that if anything were to happen to Lana (and only Lana) during the course of her duties, custody of their daughter, Abbiejean, would go to either Lana's parents or Lana's sister rather than Archer and/or his mother, Malory. Archer's initially against this, but after thinking it over, he accepts the arrangement, acknowledging that it's probably what's best for their daughter.
- In "The Kanes", it is revealed that Lana's middle name is Anthony after Susan B. Anthony.
- Lana's purple car is an Aston Martin V8 Vantage ca. 1978.
- She is the Archer counterpart of:
- Marge Simpson (The Simpsons)
- Ardeth Sherman (The Critic)
- Peggy Hill (King of the Hill)
- Muriel Stubbs (The PJs)
- Lois Griffin (Family Guy)
- Carol Miller (Futurama)
- Francine Smith (American Dad)
- Agnes Littejunk (Sit Down, Shut Up)
- Donna Tubbs-Brown (The Cleveland Show)
- Linda Belcher (Bob's Burgers)
- Jeremy De Longpre (Allen Gregory)
- Grandma Dynamite (Napoleon Dynamite)
- Cookie Falcone (Fugget About It)
- Ethel Anderson (Brickleberry)
- Hotwire Awesome (The Awesomes)
- Carole Beekler (Golan the Insatiable)
- Crisco (Chozen)
- Janice Buckwald (Bordertown)
- Maria Gonzalez (Bordertown)
- Edie (Son of Zorn)
- Gina Jabowski (Paradise PD)
- Jenny Hart (Bless the Harts)
- Annie Harris (Duncanville)
- Korvo (Solar Opposites)
- Paige Tillerman (Central Park)
- Doreen (Crossing Swords)
- Emma Bowers (Dicktown)
- Crystal Atkins (Hoops)
- Honeybee Shaw (The Great North)
- Jodie Tarleton (M.O.D.O.K.)
- Nancy (Housebroken)
- Haruka (Hit-Monkey)
- Catherine Middleton (The Prince)
- Flammy (Farzar)
- Laura Feinberg (Little Demon)
- Vicky Williams (Koala Man)
- White St. Barts (Praise Petey)
- Deliria (Krapopolis)
Quotes
- "Nooope!"
- "Yup!"
- "What the shit?!"
- "Hey, Jane. You gettinโ a tampon?"
- "You wanna see crazy?!"
- "Archer, you are so STUPID!"
- "So don't speak to me, Ever! And while you're not speaking to me, jump up your own ass and die!" (To Sterling Archer in "Mole Hunt")
- "...Or ass level, which in your case would also take off your head." (To Cyril Figgis in "El Contador")
- "Thanks, no, I'm allergic to cat piss. Go away." (To Uta in "Killing Utne")
- "I am literally wet with jealousy" (In "El Secuestro")
- "It might sound like I'm hanging up, butโฆ"
- "They look exactly! Nothing! Alike!" (On Archer's confusion of smoke grenades and deadlier explosives in "Placebo Effect")
- "God damn it, will you calm the shit down!...My baby's not gonna grow up to be a coke addict."
- โMy vulva is smoother than a veal cutlet!โ
- "You little- you sack of shit, I dumped you because you're dragging around a 35 year old umbilical cord!" (To Sterling Archer in "Mole Hunt")
Appearances
Appearances for Lana Kane |
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Gallery of Images
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