History TearJerker / Archer

* Lana is forced to betray her principles when realizes that she has to maintain the bribes and blackmail Malory used to prevent the city from descending into anarchy.

[[folder: Season 13]]

[[/folder]]

** Archer’s voice clearly starts to crack as he approaches the end of the letter. It's honestly hard to tell if it's Archer or H. Jon Benjamin tearing up.

* Archer's final speech to Woodhouse (and in a meta sense, George Coe) at Woodhouse's grave:

* Meta: The "we don't do that anymore" RunningGag about certain traits the characters have given up are a reminder that even if they're back to be spies like before season 5, things will never be the same.
** Jossed in the sense that at least Cheryl back to normal by the second ep.

* Archer's childhood was disappointment after disappointment, and was scarring enough to make him the person he is today. Most of the flashbacks to his past we see are quite sad. For example, when he talks about how his boarding school/lacrosse buddies were like the family he never had, and then it [[spoiler:cuts to him as a child, sitting alone on the bench with his net]], and when he did get attention from other boys, it was vicious emotional and physical bullying, so bad that at one point it even put him in the hospital. When Malory finally showed up in his life after being completely absent for his first 5 years, he claimed he didn't have a mother, and if he did, he would hate her. Oh, and not to mention, he went through statutory rape ala his nanny when he was 12. Jesus.

** [[spoiler: Knowing that Archer ''does'' survive and wake up from the coma that is caused by his attempted assassination doesn't make this scene any less heartbreaking.]]

** [[spoiler: It turns out Archer's not dead, but has been in a coma ever since Veronica Deane tried to kill him, which by "No Good Deed" was three months ago. It's implied Malory has been by Archer's side for most of that time, refusing to leave because she wants to be there when he wakes up despite the slim chance of it ever happening. There's no absolutely no humor between Malory and Lana as they discuss Woodhouse's passing and Archer's comatose state, with Lana showing concern for Malory's well-being and Malory telling her she's fine. Lana then says she'll bring A.J. with her to say Archer the following day... or later in the week, implying Lana's having difficulty with showing A.J. what's happened to her father.]]

** Something to take note of is how Archer tells Pam how seven gunshot wounds to the gut are unsurvivable, "even in a ''parallel universe!''", and how Archer's last words to Woodhouse are how he will be seeing Woodhouse in a week or so, or how he'll "play it by ear." Given that Woodhouse is dead, and ''Archer himself'' is in a coma due to several gunshots to the gut...its some pretty unhealthy implications that, even subconsciously, Archer isn't putting any bets on his own survival. [[spoiler: Later seasons will show he does eventually wake up, but]] its pretty sobering that Archer, who not even an episode or so before being shot said that [[TemptingFate he doesn't believe that "[he] personally can die"]] is now unconsciously expecting (and [[DeathSeeker possibly even welcoming]]) his own death.

* Lana is mortified to learn that [[spoiler:Robert plans on gaining custody of AJ. Even more so, Lana knows his case is very strong, as her status as a secret agent was the reason AJ was captured]].

** Which is then followed by a black screen reading “[[InMemoriam In Loving Memory]] of Creator/JessicaWalter”, who passed away before the season’s end, hence this ending.

** Archer’s voice clearly starts to crack as he approaches the end of the letter. Given the circumstances, one wonders if H. Jon Benjamin is not so much acting as [[EnforcedMethodActing getting legitimately emotional over Walters' death]].

** Malory's wailing cries for her son as she collapses to her knees with Lana holding her through her sobs is the gutting clincher. It's very jarring to see [[EvilMatriarch Malory]], actually [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness give a care for her own son]]. Then again, seeing the possible corpse of your child [[AdultFear is a nightmare no parent would want to live through]].

[[AC:Mission Difficult]]

* After all their efforts to take down IIA, Archer and friends learn that Robert sold the company to a venture capitalist firm... which turns out to be owned by Fabian Kngsworth, meaning that he now owns them. Worse, Malory had all of Archer's possessions named as company assets for tax purposes, meaning that he's lost almost everything he owns.

* Archer's PreMortemOneLiner to his old flame Reiko, a.k.a. the Dingo, after shooting her when she tried to use a [[DeadlyHug Deadly Kiss]] with pretenses of them running away together on him: "I really wish you hadn't have done that...Who knows what could have happenned?" While the line itself is pretty badass, Archer sounds genuinely ''sad'' to say it, and his pained expression is clearly not from just the stab wound in his side. While he was prepared to take the Dingo down, there's the very heavy implication that part of him was genuinely hoping they could be together again.

** Archer’s voice clearly starts to crack as he approaches the end of the letter. Given the context, one wonders if it's not so much acting as H. Jon Benjamin [[EnforcedMethodActing getting legitimately upset]].

** Archer’s voice clearly starts to crack as he approaches the end of the letter. As a result of the above, it’s difficult to tell if it’s Archer, H. Jon Benjamin or both who are at the verge of tears.

** Which is then followed by a black screen reading “[[InMemoriam In Loving Memory]] of Creator/JessicaWalter, who passed away before the season’s end, hence this ending.

** RealLifeWritesThePlot, as Malory's character is retired due to Jessica Walter's death.

* Lana returns home from Singapore to find out that Robert has been carrying on an affair, because he assumes that she's been cheating on him.

[[folder:Season 11]]

** Doubles as [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Heartwarming]], but Pam legimately being happy that Archer's back and even slips him a flask of alcohol and saying she missed the shit out of him. The Tearjerker is that by Archer's reaction, she's the only one who outright said it.

* Abbiejean doesn't even know that Archer is her dad. She calls Lana's new husband "daddy" and happily runs into his arms...right in front of Archer. That is just brutal. It cuts even deeper in retrospect when you consider that, throughout the episode, Archer didn't really contribute much to Abbiejean's rescue, especially towards the end.

* Abbiejean doesn't even know that Archer is her dad. She calls Lana's new husband "daddy" and happily runs into his arms...right in front of Archer. That is just brutal.

* The death of Jessica Walter, the main voice of Mallory, nothing more.