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"Danger Island: Strange Pilot" is the season premiere of Season 9, and the ninety-fourth episode overall.

Plot[]

Synopsis[]

Archer inserts himself into a domestic dispute and engine troubles threaten to ruin his business.[2]

Summary[]

The season opens similar to Dreamland with Archer asleep in bed. However, this time he's a drunken seaplane pilot who sleeps with housewives. At the moment, he's rudely awakened to find himself in the company of Charlotte Stratton, the distressed newlywed he picked up in the bar of Hotel Lotus the night before, his frustrated co-pilot Pam, and Crackers the zany talking parrot.

More to come

Cast[]

Cultural References[]

  • HMS Bounty: The painting hanging lop-sided on the wall of Archer's room in the hotel ( Photo Ref ) appears to be of this famous vessel (or similar, such as HMS Providence, 1791). This may foreshadow, and be explained by, Fuchs' claim that he is a breadfruit farmer. In 1787, Captain William Bligh set off for Tahiti from England in the HMS Bounty to acquire breadfruit as a food source for the slaves of the British colonies.
  • Casablanca (1942): Capitaine Reynaud is an homage to Claude Rains character, Captain Louis Renault in the classic film. Both Reynaud and Renault are “shocked” that gambling is going on ( and are both winners of said gambling ) and demand that their respective establishments be closed down. ( Video Ref )
Adjudant Jérôme Gerber and Reynaud

Reynaud / Gerber

  • Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez (1964):
    • Capitaine Reynaud wears a gendarme's uniform, closely resembling the one worn by warrant officer Jérôme Gerber in this French classic.
    • Pastis: The alcoholic beverage offered to protagonist Cruchot as he passes a restaurant on arrival to Saint Tropez; it is also the drink offered to Reynaud by Malory, thus reinforcing the references to both films.
  • Pastis: A French liqueur (with aniseed flavor derived from the star anise) whose name alludes to 'pastiche', the art of celebrating through imitation, the art of other artists (something which Archer does a lot). The "45" refers to the alcohol content.
  • Tahiti: In French Polynesia, is mentioned with regards to Tahiti beach - a nudist beach - in Le Gendarme of Saint Tropez; it is also referred to as the nearest place to get a new passport from "the consulate in Papeete on Tahiti" thus revealing a general location of where the fictional island of Mitimotu would be located.
  • M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle: Pam arms herself with what appears to be the FN-D version which has a pistol grip and a detachable barrel with a quick change handle mounted, thereby making it visually distinct from the M1918, which had neither of these features. It was developed by the Belgian firearms manufacturer Fabrique Nationale in 1932.

Running Gags[]

  • 934TXS - In the opening credits above Chris Parnell's name, morse code can be seen. This translates to 934TXS.
  • Honeymoon Adultery - The opening scene when a guilt-ridden, red-headed Charlotte Stratton comes around to the fact she slept with Archer on the first night of her honeymoon - is a callback to Heart of Archness: Part I (s3e1), in which he discusses 'post-coital bliss' with a red-headed woman the morning after the first night of her honeymoon.
  • Wait for it... - Capitaine Reynaud forces everyone to wait while he finishes his drink, a common action of Archer.

Continuity[]

  • Reality (Non-Dream):
  • Dream / Reality Crossover:
    • (Dream) Pam can be heard off-screen in the opening scene at Archer's bedside wondering if he's dreaming, but then remembers she doesn't give a shit. / (Reality) Archer currently lies comatose in a hospital No Good Deed (s8e1).
    • (Dream) This season is set on a fictitious island in French Polynesia called Mitimotu. / (Reality) Archer "ran away" to a fictitious island in French Polynesia called Bapooni in Heart of Archness: Part I (s3e1).
    • (Dream) The name of Charlotte's husband is Whitney Stratton IV / (Reality)  Two of Archer's bullies from boarding school are called Trent Whitney and Richard Stratton IV as revealed in Deadly Prep (s7e3).
    • (Dream) Whitney Stratton threatens to give Archer "the worst beating of his life" to which Pam replies, "He's literally had the shit beat out of him, (turns to Archer) 'member?" / (Reality) Archer currently lies comatose in a hospital No Good Deed (s8e1).
    • (Dream) A drunk Charlotte mentions wanting to put her tongue in Archer's eye-hole. / (Reality) Cheryl is known for her many sexual kinks.
    • (Dream) A stuffed ocelot can be seen above the beer taps in the hotel bar. / (Reality) Babou, Cheryl's ocelot was last seen in The Limited (s3e6).
    • (Dream) Archer's plane is a Grumman G-21 Goose / (Reality) Rip Riley's Seaplane was also a Grumman G-21 Goose which was last seen in Heart of Archness: Part I (s3e1).
    • (Dream) Archer's seaplane is named "Loose Goose" and he refers to it as "Old Loosey Goosey" / (Reality) Rip Riley refers to his seaplane as "Old Loosey Goosey" in Heart of Archness: Part I (s3e1).
    • (Dream) The "Loose Goose" is unable to land on water due to its landing gear being down. / (Reality) Archer causes Rip Riley to crash his seaplane in the ocean by extending the plane's landing gear down just prior to touching down in Heart of Archness: Part I (s3e1).
    • (Dream) Archer wears an eyepatch to cover his missing left eye. / (Reality) This could be a reference to the black eye Archer received from Rip Riley in Heart of Archness: Part I (s3e1) or the eye that Rip lost in the jail in Heart of Archness: Part III (s3e3).
    • (Dream) Archer's plane malfunctions because the fuel pump fails. / (Reality) Archer's car (a Ferrari) has a fuel pump malfunction. The Figgis Agency (s7e1).
  • Dream (Non-Reality):
    • This is the first time we have seen the island of Mitimotu.
    • Archer has a blackened left eye throughout most of Season 8 after the prison fight with Pam in Jane Doe (s8e3): in this season he has lost his left eye.
    • Charlotte Stratton is née Vandertunt, which means she is the exact same dream persona as Charlotte Vandertunt in Season 8.

Trivia[]

  • Title Explained: The title is less of a reference and more of a pun. The initial test episode or the first episode of a new series is referred to as a "pilot." Here it's an allusion both to the start of a new dream-state season and a nod to the lead character.
  • Siegbert Fuchs, last name means “Fox” in German. His name might be inspired by the German physicist Klaus Fuchs, who was a Soviet agent within the Manhattan Project during WWII.
  • Capitaine Reynaud's name is similar to that of the French fairy tale character of Reynard the Fox.
  • Archer is wearing or using various items of US military issued gear - he's shooting an M1911 .45 caliber service pistol, his underwear are regulation issue cotton drawers in olive drab, there's an army visor cap on the bedpost, and he's wearing an Army or Navy flight jacket. His khaki cap, however, isn't US military issue, since ther'’s no grommet to affix any insignia to it.
  • Siegbert Fuchs recites the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer (der Vaterunser) in German as he buckles on his parachute - "Vater unser im Himmel, geheiligt werde dein Name..."
  • Pam wears a baseball cap with a cartoon goat head on it.
  • When Lanaluakalani greets Reynaud she asks him why they are speaking French. He replies because it is the official language of Mitimotu, something which she would surely know. She retorts "oui, en ce moment-ci", which translates as, "yes, at this precise moment."  This alludes to the subtext that she wants German assistance to rid her country of colonial rule by the French, as a pre-condition to assisting Fuchs' endeavors on the island (s9e3).

Enhanced[]

For dialog translations, fictional product placement and interpretations see:

Locations[]

First Appearances[]

(in order of appearance)

Quotes[]

Reynaud: "Everyone one out!  This hotel is closed until further notice!"
Malory: "How can you close me up? On what grounds?"
Reynaud: "I am shocked, shocked to find out that gambling is going on in here."
Malory: "Oh for…"
Whitney: "Ah-hah! Not to mention adultery. (points at Archer) He seduced my wife. Arrest him!"
Reynaud: "Monsieur, this is French territory: of course adultery is not illegal."
Archer: "What about consensual buggery?"
Whitney: (sharp inhalation of breath)
Archer: "Ahem...asking for a buddy…"

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Charlotte: "You destroyed my marriage!"
Archer: "Hey, it takes 2 to tango."
Pam: "And obviously you guys already had some problems, so…."
Charlotte: "You wanna talk problems?!" (drinks deeply from decanter)
Reynaud: "Zut alors!"
Charlotte: "My marriage is ruined. When my family find our why, they will disown me, as will all of New York society. I have no money, no job, no skills and no prospects, and it's all your fault! And so right now the only thing I want in this world, besides for you to die of some heretofore unknown form of eye-hole cancer is to get off this god-forsaken island!!!"

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Pam: "Ow my twat!"

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Archer: "Good luck. Except for you Fuchs - I hope you end up as an entrée."

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Archer: "Hey, we don't have all day here. Once we get below a thousand feet those shoots are basically just laundry."

Gallery of Images[]

There are 29 screenshots and images from "Strange Pilot" on this Wiki, visit the category page for a complete gallery.

External links[]

References[]

  1. Archer Season 9 Ratings on tvseriesfinale.com
  2. Danger Island - Strange Pilot. on TVMaze.com

Navigation[]

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