Archer's team fights against the Vanguard while the others deal with the mundane problems of commercial airlines.
Episode Tropes:
- Almighty Janitor: The Vanguard does actually have a boss, who prefers to stay hidden while the rest make the history that they have no boss.
- Always Need What You Gave Up: It's revealed that Lana returned Robert's private jet as she refuses to lean on her ex-husband's wealth while running the Agency. But given what happens on the commercial airline, it's possible she is regretting that decision.
- Bound and Gagged: As Lana's group flies to Greece on a commercial airline, most of them eventually get restrained by duct tape because they complained about not bringing chemical bombs aboard (Krieger), made threats about killing everyone because they are clinically insane (Cheryl), and let their anxieties over the mission get the better of them and cause a public meltdown (Lana).
- Brick Joke: Krieger points out that olives are in season in Greece, where Archer's team is. While Archer and Zara fight the Vanguard, Ray and Pam eat some lasagna that were thrown at them. Ray complains why someone would add olives, to which Pam explains them being in season.
- Call-Back: Archer brings up the time when he crashed a space shuttle and left Ray paralyzed for it (Archer thought it was something he meant to do, rather than an actual accident by his stupidity).
- Call to Adventure: Impressed that Zara managed to complete the mission and the way she controlled Archer, Lana offers her a job at the Agency. Zara is quick to accept it as she was looking to leave Interpol.
- Collapsing Lair: Once the boss of the Vanguard is taken down, the HQ begins to explode, much to the annoyance of the team strapped on the chairs.
- Did Not Think This Through: Rather than use one of her private jets, Cheryl decided to buy tickets on a commercial airline for shits and giggles, only to realize how much she hates it (though she reconsiders it a bit when she learns there's "bondage" for crazy people involved).
- Forgot About His Powers: Once more, Ray forgets the fact he's a powerful cyborg when he tears out his binds very easily, which could have saved them all the stress of escaping the exploding HQ by rolling out strapped to their chairs.
- Load-Bearing Boss: Zara shooting the Vanguard leader starts a five-minute base self-destruct sequence. Pam wonders if this means they have to build a new secret base every time the leadership changes.
- Manipulative Bitch: Archer sees Zara as this when they learn that she made a contest out of killing 62 people in the Vanguard HQ because that'd be the only way to force Archer into working for the mission by stroking his ego.
- Running Gag: Krieger, Cheryl, and even Lana all fail to realize that a commercial plane works differently than a private one. Since it is more public, there are more people to consider. They all cause a disruption to the point that the stewardesses restrain each of them by the end of the trip.
- Shoe Phone: Archer reveals that he has one since he started working as a spy thanks to Krieger, and manages to use it to make a call for help. Zara manages to one-up him by revealing a shoe gun (as in a gun concealed inside a shoe).
- Skewed Priorities:
- Archer stops Pam from taking down one of the many mooks in the base because that'd ruin the contest and make a tie possible (which turns out to have been necessary because there were actually 62 enemies).
- Ray was ready to just die in the exploding HQ to stop dealing with his team, but he reconsiders when he recalls he'd miss his TV shows.
- Surrounded by Idiots: Lana deals with the incompetency of Cyril, Cheryl, and Krieger as they travel through a commercial airline: Cheryl's pettiness for getting her knives confiscated as she tries to push Cyril's seat from reclining back into her space, and Krieger sulking about not being able to bring his very lethal weaponry on the plane. Cheryl, Krieger, and then Lana herself all get wrapped up in tape when all of them get on the plane stewardesses' nerves, leaving only Cyril to enjoy himself.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Aside from getting kicked from behind by Cheryl, Cyril manages to enjoy his flight to Greece and is the only one of the group that does not get duct-taped.
