Archer's eternally put-upon manservant Woodhouse was a pivotal part of the show's early seasons, but why was the beloved character killed off, and how? Frisky Dingo co-creator Adam Reed's Archer is a cult comedy that follows the exploits of the titular super spy/irresponsible drunk, Sterling Archer. An inspired mash-up of spy fiction pastiche and workplace sitcom, the H. Jon Benjamin-starring series has enjoyed both critical acclaim and fan adoration throughout its ten experimental seasons. And experimental is the word for Archer's approach to comedy, with the anarchic show constantly reinventing itself with each season.
Beginning life as a dense meta-comedy riffing on James Bond and his many rip-offs, Archer has since broadened its scope to satirize everything from Miami Vice-style cop dramas to space-set sci-fi series. Archer's eleventh season will change the show's format again, but one constant throughout the series has been its cast of ridiculous characters including fan favorite Woodhouse. The beleaguered butler of the eponymous amoral antihero was killed off by the show's eighth season, but why did such a much-loved figure need to permanently exit the series?
Sadly, the reason Woodhouse's departure from Archer is rooted in the real-life death of his actor, SNL alum George Coe. A comedy veteran with decades of screen credits to his name, Coe died in 2015 at the age of 86. Fortunately for fans of the show, the cast and crew dedicated the entirety of season eight to Coe's honor. A film noir spoof, Archer: Dreamland boldly reinvented the show, becoming one of its most inspired outings. Fittingly for such a dark and irreverent series, Woodhouse's death was explained in-universe as an overdose, the result of his longstanding heroin addiction (it's a running joke which, as fans of the show can attest, is funnier than it sounds when written down).
Of course, anyone expecting the series to avoid dwelling on wanton death and destruction for a lark in the wake of Coe's passing clearly isn't familiar with Archer's brand of dark, but deliriously original, humor. The very next episode after the show confirmed Woodhouse's death on-screen saw Archer riff on Weekend At Bernie's in a ribald and hilariously tasteless installment. Like a lot of the show's eighth season, it's a nihilistic, gross, and brutal bit of black comedy, and it's this singularly abrasive style which makes Archer: Dreamland a perfectly fitting tribute to Coe's career.
From his earliest film and television roles in the dark sci-fi satire The Stepford Wives and raucous US comedy institution Saturday Night Live through to his last appearance in the subversive sitcom Wilfred, Coe's impressive decades on screen saw the performer plumbing all sorts of dark avenues in search of laughs. No subject was too serious for mockery and no institution was too sacred to parody, making Dreamland an ideal tribute to the actor's comedic prowess. With the release date of Archer's eleventh season rapidly approaching, there's no better time to revisit one of the show's funniest and freshest seasons and appreciate its inventive tribute to a one-of-a-kind talent.
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