Archer Season 12 Proves He's No Longer The Most Selfish In The Group
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Archer season 12, episode 5.
Archer season 12 saw the gang embark on a bar crawl (a.k.a."pampage") and, in the process, prove that Sterling Archer is no longer their most selfish member. Since the show's inception, the H. Jon Benjamin-voiced secret agent has been characterized by his self-centered egotism. No matter the situation, he could often be relied upon to pursue his desires and vices above all else. The ending of Archer season 11 saw Sterling called out on it, with the team citing his influence as the cause for their own negative behaviors. In Archer season 12 episode 5, "Shots," however, he appeared to turn a corner and even elevated himself above the others.
Across the past Archer seasons, Sterling hasn't been without his selfless moments. Ordinarily, though, they were localized around Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler), with Archer occasionally sacrificing himself for her. Regardless, it was never in a day-to-day sense and nor was it ever extended to the rest of the group. That changed after Sandra (guest star Pamela Adlon) suggested she and the team all go out for drinks in Archer season 12, episode 5, "Shots." Things inevitably devolved into chaos as the night turned into a "pampage" — with Lana, Pam (Amber Nash), Cheryl (Judy Greer), and Krieger (Lucky Yates) indulging their vices and seeking escapism from their problems. Archer, meanwhile, went in the opposite direction. Becoming increasingly aware of a problem he'd directly caused, he went out of his way to try and fix it.
The problem in question was the steady decline of Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell). In recent episodes, Cyril had increasingly reverted from the peak field agent he'd become to the neurotic mess that he used to be. After a brief attempt at denial, Archer accepted his hand in Cyril's fall from grace since Archer season 10 ended the coma trilogy. Surprisingly, Archer extended an olive branch and took it upon himself to rebuild Cyril's confidence. As such, while the rest of the group indulged in drugs and debauchery, Archer accompanied Cyril to the planetarium and various gaming events — cheering Cyril on to some sorely needed victories and refusing to let him speak ill of himself. It was a far cry from the Archer of old, with no trace of FOMO over having missed the action-packed festivities akin to his many rampages over the years.
The move even elevated Archer above the likes of Lana, who still dislikes her husband. As Archer embraced a more selfless evening, Lana pursued the same kinds of drinking and sexual adventures she would often scorn him for. Of course, it wasn't without a few blips along the way as Archer fell back into old habits. Still, even in those cases, Archer caught himself and it only highlighted all the more his sincerity in making amends. It marked a huge leap forward in terms of growth, with Archer supporting Cyril in both words and actions — even going as far as to admit that he believes Cyril to be a special person in his life. All in all, it served to emphasize that Sterling is increasingly a changed character, evolving as much emotionally as he has been forced to in terms of physicality.
Archer season 12's "Shots" went even deeper into the cyclical nature of life and human connections. Where Archer's putdowns and ridicule left Cyril a broken shell of what he'd made of himself, the confidence boost paid dividends in the episode's closing act. As the gang was set upon with a bomb of nerve gas, Cyril channeled enough of his former glory to leap into action and save all of their lives. Though Cyril succumbed to injury straight after, it nonetheless showed Archer that supporting and uplifting a teammate can only benefit oneself and the whole team. And far more so than belittling them in an effort to remain the top dog. Equally, alongside referencing hilarious Archer spinoff ideas, Sterling Archer's increasing growth lent to the notion that Archer season 12 may be definitively wrapping things up.