With the Agency a part of the IIA, Fabian sends them to a big spy convention to spread the word.
Episode Tropes:
- Evolving Credits: As to be expected with her passing, Jessica Walter is removed from the cast list in the opening credits. In her place are more silhouettes of the credited gang in a collage format.
- Faked Kidnapping: Fabian fakes his kidnapping as a way to hype up The Agency at Clandesti-Con.
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: Played out at least twice in this episode
- Cheryl summed up a very valid and reasonable explanation to the why of kidnapping Fabian. By having their own boss be kidnapped and killed at a public event would destroy IIA's reputation and credibility. Subverted due to being a staged kidnapping.
- Archer actually gives Lana GOOD advice how to "talk" to AJ without having backfire due to the standard parent/child angst.
Archer: It helps that I never moved out of emotional adolescence. - The Informant: It turns out Ray has been taking notes on everything the Agency has done, mostly stuff that could get one fired in the real world, and Fabian decides to promote him to the leader of the Agency so he could keep everyone in line.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Robert thinking of taking custody of A.J. may be a dick move for Lana, but he's not wrong in stating her resume as a government agent wouldn't help her case, especially when A.J. was abducted.
- The Leader: Part of the B-story is the gang trying to become the new head of the Agency with Mallory's departure. At the end of the episode, Fabian decides to make Ray the leader.
- Offscreen Breakup: Lana and Robert have broken up by the beginning of this episode. It comes to no surprise as they ended up cheating on each other last season.
- Save the Villain: The Agency HAS to try to save Fabian after he is captured by enemy agents, despite him being a Mean Boss and Big Bad Wannabe… because then they will be out of work. It was later revealed that he was banking on this.
- Taking the Kids: Robert express interest in taking full custody of A.J., citing Lana's espionage life as too dangerous for her daughter. Lana is of course angry by this and even wants Archer to be more present in his daughter's life so she can gain custody.
- Xanatos Gambit: It doesn't matter if the Agency would please him at the convention or if they were split up. He would still come out on top since the rest of IIA would continue.
