While no generally sane person would ever refer to Archer as a romantic comedy, the central quasi-romance of Sterling Archer and Lana Kane has given viewers one of TV’s best and most dysfunctional couples for years now. While recently speaking with Lana’s voice actress Aisha Tyler concerning the Blu-ray release of Archer Season 6, I asked if she wanted the two former spies to end up together if and when the FX series ever ends.
I don’t know. That’s a really good question. I kind of like how they are. Like, right now, we’re kind of together. We’re kind of not together. They have this kid together… I do like them together, and I don’t know that I think they should be married like an old married couple. That seems pretty boring. But they have this crazy dynamism. They understand each other…They’re probably the only two people who can bear to be together for any certain degree of time. Maybe they cohabitate. They spend their summers in Paris and their winters in Gstaad. And they have separate bedrooms. And an open relationship.
Not even the simplest branch of mathematics has an answer that’s as perfect as Aisha Tyler’s response. It’s both funny and well thought-out for a question about the fate of fictional illustrations, and it is absolutely the most feasible future for Archer and Lana to have, honestly. Well, assuming their job doesn’t change once again, taking them from private investigations to something that separates the core characters for the rest of time. But that wouldn’t be a very good plotline for creator Adam Reed to adhere to.
Like Tyler, I don’t see Archer and Lana championing monogamy and holy matrimony at any point in their lives, regardless of how many wedlock-born children they create together. There’s just too much alcohol in the world for Archer to be expected to remain knowingly faithful, and there’s too much sense in Lana’s brain for her to accept his philandering as part of any permanent solution. Plus, who would be the best man and maid of honor in that wedding? Cyril and Pam? Scary.
As one of the most attractive TV characters of either the animated or live-action variety, as well as one of the smartest and most badass, Lana can easily take on any relationship she wants to, and yet she sticks with her swilling co-worker. Because as Tyler also said, there are quite a few moments on Archer, particularly in the first episode of Season 7, when you can tell that the guy truly does care for Lana. Just…in that Sterling Archer kind of way that makes you suspicious. He did meet her parents last season, though, so that’s something.
Archer airs Thursday nights on FX. While you’re waiting for new episodes, head over to Amazon to pick up a copy of Archer Season 6 on Blu-ray. And when that’s done, check out Aisha Tyler’s soon-to-be-ending Kickstarter campaign for her feature directorial debut Axis, a drama that takes place entirely inside of a car, which she will also star in alongside Arrow’s Emily Bett Rickards and Entourage’s Jerry Ferrara.
