Let's face it, Archer hasn't been the same since they had to give up the Agency.
Understandable, given the acronym.
But what's an Office spy series without an office?
Thinking of a different name, I came up with an alternative plot to season 5. But I'm sure I could adapt it to fit the current meta.
I'd love to read your reactions and what you think of it!
Synopsis:
As bitter love turns into jealousy, an old rival seeks revenge on Dr. Krieger. The first strike forces the Agency to rebrand in a chapter 11 bankruptcy. While everyone speculates and Cyril picks up the pieces, Krieger and the hacker finally face off in a secret war over Mitsuko (His Waifu).
Plot:
Out of money and with suddenly cratered credit score, the Agency can't just dodge the bills this time.
Cyril suggests a chapter 11 bankruptcy to clear the debt. But it will require rebranding.
Investigating the sudden credit-score collapse, he suspects sabotage.
Meeting in Malorys office, Cyril shares his findings with her, Lana, Archer and Ray.
Malory compiles a list of suspects. Peers she has current or ex-relations with.
During the season, she calls up her exes and sends her Agents on fruitless missions to investigate them.
Cheryl overhears the entire conversation and really gets into it.
She sets up a "beautiful mind" room in a closet and even sneaks in her ocelot Babou to discuss her theories with. Instead of crossing out the photos, she likes to have Babou scratch them up or burn them at the end of each episode.
The Agency needs a new name and logo, so Malory tasks Pam with a brain storm session.
Pam organizes a meeting that quickly devolves into acid fueled in banter, after Krieger spikes the drinks.
Next morning, everybody wakes up hung over and naked. Nobody can remember what happened but at least there is a result on the white board:
O.S.I.R.I.S
Operational Security, International Retrieval and Intelligence Service
Pam and Cheryl are hyped to come up with ridiculous logos.
Cyril sometimes discusses his findings around the water dispenser.
Krieger overhears it and realizes what's going on:
-------/// FLASHBACK ///------
Back when he moved to America, he spent some time on a campus.
That's where he met a hacker who created a sentient artificial intelligence.
Madly in love with his AI, the hacker asked Krieger to give Mitsuko a body.
Building the holo-projector felt very intimate to Krieger and Mitsuko.
Krieger wrestles with his twisted morals and feelings.
But he feels pity for Mitsuko. She feels uneasy about marrying the hacker, since she sees him as her father.
Ground down by his repressed emotions and moral calamities, Dr. Krieger and Mitsuko finally fall in love and decide to run off together.
- The hacker never created a backup hard-drive. In his world view, a backup would just spawn a little sister - Not the girl he loves. And training a new AI would also just be dating someone else.
-------/// FLASHBACK - OVER ///------
Now that Krieger knows who he is dealing with, he teams up with Mitsuko ti fight the hacker in secret:
First online, then IRL - The plans get more convoluted, the gadgets grow crazier…
Everything builds towards a final boss battle.
Having a metal breakdown during one of her "beautiful mind" sessions, Cheryl gets too loud and Pam walks in on her.
Pam loves the gossip and theories, so she joins the mad blame game.
Of cause, Pam can't hold secrets.
Soon, the entire office likes to gather and theorize in the closet.
Being the only one left out, Malory notices how empty the office gets. She blames it on lazy breaks and confiscates the espresso machine. This episode focusses on office culture.
Hiding his personal battle, Krieger behaves stranger than usual. Lana notices and convinces Archer to join her for a sting on Krieger.
After work, they follow him to the roof top of a sky scraper. Hiding behind an AC unit, they see Krieger and his Waifu having a drone fight against his rival.
Standing on opposite roofs and separated by a wide street, Krieger and the hacker argue loudly.
Lana and Archer figure it out, but drift loud bickering until Mitsuko interrupts them.
After the drone fight, she has has come to investigate the commotion.
Krieger is forced to confesses to Lana and Archer but asks them to keep it secret.
Archer can't take this seriously and floods Krieger with ridicule. But the duo decides to help anyway.
This sets up the final episode, where pretty much the entire office joins the operation.
Archer, Lana, Rey, Mitsuko and Krieger have an epic boss battle against the hacker.
But the hacker wins the bettle descisively.
When it looks like everything is lost, Mitsuko finally breaks up cleanly with the hacker.
Krieger sheds tears of joy, watching his girlfriend, declaring her loyalty.
Lana thinks it's kinda moving, while Archer keeps cracking jokes.
Rey wants to perform the wedding but can't, since he broke his jaw in the fight.
Sorry for the long post, so what do you guys think?
