Archer's mental health is in danger, and he needs help to save it.
Tropes:
- Berserk Button: Archer snaps like a twig when one of the assassins calls him by his first name.
- Big Brother Is Watching: Fabian reveals that he's had the IIA's agencies wired to keep an eye on thousands of agents. Naturally, the gang aren't happy about this breach of privacy and has Kreiger flip this around so they can keep tabs on IIA agents, including the ones after Archer's therapist.
- By "No", I Mean "Yes": Cyril says that the intervention isn't about Archer's drinking, before saying that it is about the thing that's causing him to drink so much.
- Call-Back: The head of Switzerland's Invisible Hand group is seen in Pam's hideout. It seems they are having a fling after last episode.
- In the same place, Pam's vintage motorcycle has the word "Pampage" on a sign, and there is a photo of when she took the crew to her favorite club while wearing her Pampage t-shirts.
- The walls leading to her bedroom door have posters for Rona Thorne's movies.
- While Lana acknowledges it with "one crisis at a time" during Archer's intervention, Pam brings up getting Cheryl back after the latter quit the Agency.
- Crazy Enough to Work: Cyril comes up with a plan to dress everyone up like Dr. Lacania as a way to throw off the IIA assassins. It actually works incredibly well though the assassins are able to turn this around to set a trap.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Fabian approves of Archer seeking a therapist to deal with his mental health. Oddly enough, he does not approve of out-of-network associates (doctors, dentists, etc) due to a possible security risk and plans to execute Dr. Lacania rather than just replace her with an IIA-sanctioned therapist.
- First-Name Basis: Lana is surprised by the fact that Dr. Lacania calls Archer by his first name.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus:
- In the scene where Fabian appears on Pam's monitor, you can see Pam has been searching for couple retreats and nude photos of Alessia of the Invisible Hand.
- Pam's apartment also features tons of mementos referencing events from previous seasons, including a flyer for the Figgis Agency, a wall hanging of Cheryl as Cherlene, movie posters for both Rona Thorne and Veronica Deane, among others.
- I Choose to Stay: Dr. Lacania gives Archer the opportunity to leave with her and start anew, but he chooses to stay due to obligations with the Agency (as well as AJ).
- Jerkass Has a Point: Archer points out that Cyril needs more therapy than anyone else in the Agency, including himself. Considering the crap and abuse he goes through on a daily basis, he's not wrong.
- Meaningful Name: Dr. Lacania's last name is an allusion to Jacques Lacan
, a controversial French psychologist who attempted to revive and modernize Freudian theory just as it was becoming increasingly discredited, alluding to Archer's Oedipal relationship with her. Meanwhile her first name is Mallory. - Not What It Looks Like: Lana and Pam catch Dr. Lacania straddling Archer and come to the obvious conclusion that he's sleeping with his therapist. In actuality, although the two are attracted to one another, they use this as a chance to work through some of Archer's problems so that he can practice setting boundaries.
- Parental Incest: Archer has very confused feelings upon seeing Dr. Lacania dressed in his mother's clothes, which he and others lampshade.Archer: Stop. This is already a very confusing moment for me.
Lana: Why? Because your forbidden crush is wearing the dress of the mother who kept you in a state of child-like emotional dependence your whole life? - Pet the Dog: Fabian actually approves of Archer seeing a therapist and even somewhat praises him for looking after his own mental health.
- She Knows Too Much: The reason why IIA wants Archer's therapist killed is because she's out of their network and possesses a risk learning confidential stuff from the company, even if she doesn't know anything.
- Staging an Intervention: The rest of the Agency (minus Cheryl) do this for Archer, as his drinking has gotten worse and they're worried it'll get him (and maybe the rest of them) killed. Surprisingly, Archer says that he is already (legitimately) seeing a therapist, rendering the intervention moot.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Although Ray has been discharged from the hospital, he mentions that he still has a bit of face paralysis from the venom he got from their jungle mission.
