History TearJerker / Archer

* Even though Barry is a massive asshole and no one would sad to see him go, the fact is he has completely lost his mind after being made into a cyborg and Katya dumping him for Boris.

* Even though Barry is a massive asshole and no one would sad to see him go, the fact is he has completely lost his mind after being made into a cyborg and Katya dumps him for Boris.

* Even though Barry is a massive asshole and no one would sad to see him go, the fact is he has completely lost his mind after being made into a cyborg and his fiancee leaving him.

* In "The Holdout", the season opener, Archer finds an elderly Japanese WW2 soldier who's under the impression that the war isn't over. As funny as the running gag of Archer explaining to him what he's missed [[ShoutOut (including how]] Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan [[ShoutOut had this same plot)]] it turns to sorrow when [[spoiler:the soldier learns about the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan and thinks his wife and child were among the casualties. Happily, the episode ends on a more heartwarming note when Archer uses his iPhone to track down and call the soldier's wife and helps create their reunion.]]

* "Skin Game" isn't much better: [[spoiler:Although Archer and Katya are reunited through Kreiger's [[{{Cyborg}} secret project]], she eventually runs away with Barry due to the physical differences between her and Archer.]]

* In "White Elephant", Lana tells Archer she'd rather ''lose her unborn child'' than marry him. Even ''she'' seems to realise she went too far.
* [[spoiler:Ramon]]'s death in "A Kiss While Dying", and [[spoiler:Archer kissing him to fulfil his dying wish. Even though Ramon, Charles and Rudy faked the whole thing, we didn't know that at the time, and it was still a touching moment.]]

* In "The Holdout", the season opener, Archer finds an elderly Japanese WW2 solider who's under the impression that the war isn't over. As funny as the running gag of Archer explaining to him what he's missed [[ShoutOut (including how]] Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan [[ShoutOut had this same plot)]] it turns to sorrow when [[spoiler:the solider learns about the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan and thinks his wife and child were among the casualties. Happily, the episode ends on a more heartwarming note when Archer uses his iPhone to track down and call the solider's wife and helps create their reunion.]]

[[AC:In General]]

[[AC:Season 2]]
* The DownerEnding of Season 2's [[spoiler:"Double Trouble"]] is this, '''''big time'''''. [[spoiler:Thanks to his meaningful relationship with Katya, Archer has become a much better person, and the two are about to finally get married atop Archer's roof when Barry, now a {{cyborg}}, bursts in and grabs Archer in a choke-hold and dangles him off the roof. Malory unsuccesfully tries to stop him, and as a last-ditch effort, Katya grabs Barry and [[TakingYouWithMe dives off the roof into the street below]], saving Archer's life but [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing her own]]. The episode ends with Archer sobbing and screaming out her name over the balcony as Barry boasts from the streets.]] It's certainly an uncharacteristically saddening and serious moment for the show, and is all the more effective for it.

[[AC:Season 3]]

[[AC:Season 4]]

[[AC:Season 5]]
* In "White Elephant", Lana tells Archer [[spoiler:she'd rather ''lose her unborn child'' than marry him]]. Even ''she'' seems to realise she went too far.

* In "House Call", Lana bursting into tears upon learning that if she were to be sent to jail, [[spoiler:her baby would be taken from her the moment it was born.]]

[[AC:Season 6]]
* In the season opener, Archer finds an elderly Japanese WW2 solider who's under the impression that the war isn't over. As funny as the running gag of Archer explaining to him what he's missed [[ShoutOut (including how the]] SixMillionDollarMan [[ShoutOut had this same plot)]] it turns to sorrow when [[spoiler:The solider learns about the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan and thinks his wife and child were among the casualties]]. [[spoiler:It turns to happy again when Archer uses his iphone to track down and call the solider's wife and helps create their reunion]].

* In the season opener, Archer finds an elderly Japanese WW2 solider who's under the impression that the war isn't over. As funny as the running gag of Archer explaining to him what he's missed [[ShoutOut (including how the SixMillionDollarMan had this same plot)]] it turns to sorrow when [[spoiler:The solider learns about the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan and thinks his wife and child were among the casualties]]. [[spoiler:It turns to happy again when Archer uses his iphone to track down and call the solider's wife and helps create their reunion]].

* In "Smuggler's Blues", Malory breaking down and pleading to Lana to get Sterling back when she believes he's in danger.

* The DownerEnding of Season 2's [[spoiler:"Double Trouble"]] is this, '''''big time'''''. [[spoiler:Thanks to his meaningful relationship with Katya, Archer has become a much better person, and the two are about to finally get married atop Archer's roof when Barry, now a {{cyborg}}, bursts in and grabs Archer in a choke-hold and dangles him off the roof. Malory unsuccesfully tries to stop him, and as a last-ditch effort, Katya grabs Barry and [[TakingYouWithMe dives off the roof into the street below]], saving Archer's life but [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing her own]]. The episode ends with Archer sobbing and screaming out her name over the balcony as Barry boasts from the streets.]] It's certainly an uncharacteristically saddening and serious moment for the show, and is all the more effective for it.
* In "Crossing Over", [[spoiler:Archer finally starts to bond with Nikolai Jakov, his possible father. Barry, now the head of the KGB in Jakov's place, travels to New York, manipulates Cheryl into taking him to the ISIS safehouse, and tells Jakov that he will kill him. Jakov seems content to die, as long as Archer will be able to go through with the test to see if Jakov is his real father. This isn't enough for Barry, and he sets up a fork enclosed in ice in the microwave, and creates a gas leak, so that the entire building will explode and Jakov's corpse will be too disfigured to test on. Jakov tells his remaining secrets to the debriefing camera in case it survives the explosion, but is notably upset that Archer will never find out if Jakov is really his father of not.]]
* "Skin Game" isn't much better: [[spoiler:Although Archer and Katya are reunited through Kreiger's [[{{Cyborg}} secret project]], she eventually runs away with Barry due to the physical differences between her and Archer.]]

* The moments when we see a young Archer looking sad because Malory has disappointed him in some way.

* In "White Elephant", when Lana tells Archer she'd rather [[spoiler:lose her baby]] than marry him. Even ''she'' seems to realize she went a bit too far.
* On a similar note, in "Southbound and Down", when Malory says that Archer was a terrible field agent and is a worse drug smuggler. Then it turns out that Cyril had the radio switched on. Archer's stunned attempt to shrug off how little his mother thinks of him is actually pretty tragic. Made worse by the fact that this is probably a glimpse at feelings he's dealing with a lot but never really mentions.
* [[spoiler: Ramon]]'s death in "A Kiss While Dying." Even if [[spoiler: they faked the whole thing]].
* Lana bursting into tears when Archer tells her that if she were in jail, [[spoiler:her baby would be taken from her the moment it's born.]]
* Malory [[spoiler:breaking down and pleading to Lana to get Sterling back when she believes he's in danger.]]

* In "Sea Tunt, Part 2", [[spoiler:Archer's HeroicSacrifice to save a pregnant Lana and subsequent death via drowning is extremely sad, especially Archer's last words as the water fills his lungs]]:

* In "Crossing Over", [[spoiler:Barry kills Jakov and deliberately sets up the circumstances to be as heartwrenching as possible. Especially with how Jakov seems to accept his fate calmly, but is still upset that Archer will never know the truth about if Jakov is his dad or not]]. You weren't expecting this trope to come up in ''this'' show, now were you?
* Archer and Katya's relationship. [[spoiler: First she dies. Then she comes back as a cyborg, only to run off with Barry "just because".]] The one woman Archer could have formed a long-term relationship with and she couldn't give herself completely to him due to physical differences.

* Malory [[spoiler:breaking down and pleading to Lana to get Sterling back when she believes he's in danger.]]
* The hint at the end of Archer Vice that [[spoiler: the entirety of Season 5 was AllJustADream, with Archer being in a coma.]] That just turn out to be him in shock at the reveal of who lana baby father is. it's him btw.

* The hint at the end of Archer Vice that [[spoiler: the entirety of Season 5 was AllJustADream, with Archer being in a coma.]]

* The hint at the end of Archer Vice that [[spoiler: the entirety of Season 5 was all JustADream, with Archer being in a coma.]]

* Malory [[spoiler:breaking down and pleading to Lana to get Sterling back when she believes he's in danger.]]

* In "Crossing Over", [[spoiler:Barry kills Jakov and deliberately sets up the circumstances to be as heartwrenching as possible. Especially with how Jakov seems to accept his fate calmly, but is still upset that Archer will never know the truth about if Jaokv is his dad or not]]. You weren't expecting this trope to come up in ''this'' show, now were you?

* Malory [[spoiler:breaking down and pleading Lana to get Sterling back when she believes he's in danger.]]

* Mallory [[spoiler:breaking down and begging Lana to get Sterling back when she believes he's in danger.]]

* Lana bursting into tears when Archer tells her that if she were in jail, [[spoiler:her baby would be taken from her the moment it's born.]]

* [[spoiler: Ramon]]'s death in "A Kiss While Dying." Even if [[spoiler: they faked the whole thing]].

* In "Crossing Over", [[spoiler:Barry kills Jakov and deliberately sets up the circumstances to be as heartwrenching as possible]]. You weren't expecting this trope to come up in ''this'' show, now were you?

* [[spoiler: Ramon]]'s death in "A Kiss While Dying." Even is [[spoiler: they faked the whole thing]].

* [[spoiler: Ramon]]'s death in "A Kiss While Dying."

* In "White Elephant", when Lana tells Archer she'd rather [[spoiler:lose her baby]] than marry him. Even ''she'' seems to realize she went a bit too far.