Archer: 10 Things Only True Fans Know About Sterling

Sterling Archer is the world’s greatest secret agent. Despite being an international man of mystery, he is also terrible at keeping the details of his life hidden. From his real identity to his womanizing, Archer is known the world over.

However, even a secret agent of his renown must keep some things secret. He is a complex person, not to mention a master of deception, lying to everyone (even himself). This can make the small details of his life difficult to learn. Here are ten things about Sterling Archer that only true fans know.

10 He’s Well Read

Sterling Archer drops various references throughout the show, but he makes a surprisingly large amount of literary references. At different points, he cites post-modern authors, early modern romance novels, and pulpy spy thrillers, among other literary works.

Even in the three seasons that take place inside Sterling’s imagination, there is no shortage of literary references. This suggests that Sterling may be one of the most well-read characters currently on TV.

9 He Loves Animals

In the various first episode, Sterling berates a woman he brought home for having a dog. As such, it might surprise fans to know Archer is a total softie when it comes to animals.

From tigers to ocelots, he just cannot get enough time with cute furry animals, even the sorts that want to eat his face or soil nice furniture. For a an as hard as Sterling, it is nice to see him care about something.

8 …Except Dogs, Alligators, & Crocodiles

Some animals are apparently more welcome than others, as far as Sterling is concerned. As stated before, he really does not like dogs (though there is one major exception to that rule).

But there are two animals he really hates. In fact, alligators and crocodiles are two of his three worst fears. They can strike almost anywhere, no matter how far removed from their native habitat. As for his third greatest fear…

7 Cyborgs

…Okay, technically, Archer’s third greatest fear is aneurysms, but over the course of the series, he spends a lot more time voicing his fear of cyborgs. This might be surprising, since his friend and coworker Ray is a cyborg, as is the woman he loved, Katya.

Then again, Archer’s greatest nemesis, Barry, is also a cyborg, whose cybernetic body has proven nigh indestructible. Of course, maybe none of these examples are all that relevant to his phobia, as the fear predated his first encounter with an actual real-life cyborg.

6 Comics

Archer is a huge comics nerd. He makes casual references to different characters through the series, mostly Marvel characters, and of these, he seems to namedrop X-Men characters the most.

Wolverine and Nightcrawler seem to be two of his favorite superheroes. However, at one point in the eighth season, he referenced the DC Comics crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths.

5 Heteroflexible

In true James Bond fashion, Archer is a ladies man. In fact, his womanizing has resulted in STDs, unwanted pregnancies, trouble with a violent pimp, and quite a few embarrassing hookups, such as the time his mother walked in on him seeking additional lube mid-threesome with a pair of women who were either still in high school or (half-)dressed as the part.

He also has regularly made homophobic remarks. Despite this, Archer is less heteronormative than he would like to think. He has clear romantic attachments to the Cuban spy Ramone, whom he made out with. At least one of his threesomes involved “another dude.” His bromance with his best friend Lucas Troy turned sexual (though in this case he was not fully aware). He also has drunkenly hit on a man at a party.

4 Bigoted

It is difficult to imagine a group that Sterling Archer has not insulted. The mother of his child, Lana Kane, is black, but he has used racially regressive terms to describe her. When meeting a yakuza boss, he invoked offensive Japanese stereotypes. His descriptions of women and their anatomy embody the worst of toxic masculinity.

In fact, just in the course of his dealings with his coworkers, he has directed homophobic remarks at his gay coworker Ray, used fatphobic language when speaking with Pam, and is directly responsible for killing Agents Hector Ruiz, Pak, and Mgumbe by blowing the cover of all three non-white agents.

3 Neurodivergent

There are several times throughout the series that it is strongly implied that Sterling may be on the autism spectrum. In fact, during the episode “Coyote Lovely,” he admits it is a possibility, given his attention to very specific details like his ability to count how many bullets have been fired.

Combined with his strong emotional reactions to minor triggers, struggles with executive functioning, and awkward social skills, it is a safe bet to say that Archer is neurodivergent.

2 Perfect Situational Awareness

Situational awareness is the sensory perception of spacial relations and actions going on around a person. Basically, just being aware of what is happening in a situation.

Archer claims to have perfect situational awareness–something (he claims) is impossible to teach. While he definitely has an attention to detail that is uncanny at times, this claim is almost certainly exaggerated.

1 Oedipal Complex

At the time of writing this, there are ten seasons of Archer out. In both the first and last, Sterling has demonstrated that he has some degree of an Oedipal Complex. When in bed with Lana, he insisted he could perform while on the phone with his mother.

When his mother was held at gunpoint in the pilot, he became “excited.” When she confronted him about this, he said he was only half-excited, and the “other half would really miss her.” In the final episode of the show (as it currently stands), his mother described their relationship in romantic terms, suggesting its mutual.

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