Archer Season 12 Bids Farewell To Jessica Walter In Finale Episode Tribute

On the Archer season 12 finale Wednesday night, the animated spy series honored its late star Jessica Walter. Influenced greatly by the James Bond franchise, Archer first premiered on FX in 2009 before moving to FXX in 2017. H. Jon Benjamin stars as Sterling Archer, the terminal bachelor and spy who leads a dysfunctional intelligence agency. Jessica Walter voices the character Malory Archer, Archer’s mother, known for her acerbic delivery and fondness for a stiff drink.

In addition to H. Jon Benjamin and Jessica Walter, the spy team voice cast is rounded out by Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Amber Nash, Adam Reed, Lucky Yates, and Judy Greer. Season 12 sees Archer and company face off against IIA, the International Intelligence Agency, as the fledgling team of spies holds on to relevancy. Archer is known for reinventing itself nearly every season, riffing on Miami Vice, 1940s noir Los Angeles, and sci-fi set in space. In recent seasons, however, Archer has returned to its spy parody roots, with season 12 being no exception.

Now, speaking to TVLine, the Archer producers reveal how they approached the emotional task of saying goodbye to Malory. Much of the finale goes down in typical Archer fashion (read: chaotically), but Malory is largely absent from the episode, apparently too “distraught” by her son’s kidnapping, but ultimately exits in a moving speech via a letter to Archer. In the end, the final shot of season 12 features Malory and Ron Cadillac on a remote beach at sunset. The screen then fades to black and a title card appears that reads “In Loving Memory of Jessica Walter.” Though Walter recorded nearly all of her Archer season 12 lines before passing away in March, the producers were able to cull together additional dialogue by revisiting the Archer archives. Read an explanation from executive producer Casey Willis below.

“We collected Jessica and Ron’s lines from every season of Archer and combed through them, selecting those we thought would foster the feeling we were trying to evoke. Alongside [series creator] Adam Reed, we worked to create a tribute to our beloved ‘Malory.’”

Malory’s letter to Archer is just as moving as her final sendoff. It reads, in part: “I thought it was time to make my own exit. I’ve decided it’s time to pass the torch. Try not to burn yourself with it. And I know my decision may seem abrupt, but we don’t always get to choose the perfect moment. From wherever I am, I will be watching over you.” “Wherever” turns out to be a tropical beach alongside Ron Cadillac, voiced by Walter’s husband, Ron Leibman, who passed away in 2019. Walter’s illustrious career included a starring role in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut Play Misty For Me in 1971, as well as her endlessly quotable portrayal of Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development. Walter passed away on March 24^th at the age of 80. Her role as Malory earned the actress a posthumous Emmy nomination this year.

In September, FXX announced that the network would be renewing Archer for a 13^th season. Given the show’s chameleonic nature, the writers will surely cook up some unique yet poignant plot lines in Walter’s absence. The 8-episode Archer season 13  will premiere in 2022.

Source: TVLine / Archer