Ever since Archer first aired in 2010, the show has seen quite a few dramatic changes, so it should be no surprise that for the eighth season the team is going in a new direction again.
Archer Dreamland is heading into the past, specifically to 1947. The series will air on FXX — the FX sister channel home to some of the network’s comedies — and will incorporate themes of Hollywood’s film noir era. Think films like The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity and The Maltese Falcon , featuring private eyes, plainclothes cops and femme fatales. If any of those sound familiar it’s probably because Archer has tackled the subject matter in some way over the course of its eight seasons. We’ve seen the spy retire from a life of international espionage and become a cocaine trafficker and, most recently, a private investigator.
Last season, the team headed to Los Angeles to set up a private investigation office. The season ended with Archer floating face-down in a Hollywood star’s swimming pool. It’s an important moment to remember considering the name of the new season is Archer Dreamland. Will the season take place in Archer’s mind while he lies unconscious? Will the entire season be set in what many would refer to as Hollywood’s golden moment? Or will the ‘40s setting last just a couple of episodes before returning to modern-day Los Angeles?
According to a press release from FX, the season will focus on Archer trying to find his partner’s killer.
The case proves to be more difficult than expected after Archer quickly gets mixed up in a deadly game of tug of war between Los Angeles' most powerful crime bosses. Every clue leads Archer further away from his goal and deeper into a mystery involving kidnapping, prostitution and drug addiction.
Archer Dreamland will premiere on FXX this spring.