Sterling Malory Archer is probably one of the biggest assholes in history. He is an alcoholic-womanizer who doesn’t seem to care too much about those around him. He abuses Woodhouse and completely ignores the fact Woodhouse is probably the closest he’ll ever get to a father. He only thinks about himself and is incredibly irresponsible. In reality, if Sterling Mallory Archer was a real person we would probably all hate him.
So if Archer is such a horrible person, then why do we like him so much? Is it his irrational fear of crocodiles or the simple fact that he reminds us that we’re all human and not perfect? Or maybe it’s his love for black turtle necks and the way he still manages to be a badass despite his crappy childhood experiences. Either way, Sterling Malory Archer is definitely the character we all cannot stop rooting for because he is just so darn likable.
1. His irrational fear of alligators, crocodiles and brain aneurysms.
Archer is the deadliest spy in the world. He has lived through some of the most dangerous missions and despite all the irresponsible decisions he has made during these missions, he always somehow finds a way to survive and stay alive. He is brave and deadly. Yet, in season two we discover the three fears of Sterling Archer: alligators, crocodiles and brain aneurysms. I suppose the brain aneurysms are justified since "they can happen anywhere" but let's be honest here -- how can we not laugh our asses off when we realize these are the three things this badass spy is afraid of.
2. His love for alcohol speaks to all of us.
When is Archer not drinking? He could be in the middle of getting shot at and we can find Archer just being worried about his beloved drinks. It is as if his whole life revolves around alcohol. Probably not the best example to follow, but to a certain degree we can relate. Who hasn't woken up once and thought to themselves "All I've had today is like six gummy bears and some scotch?" I would hope not to the same extend as Archer, but at some point in all of our lives we have all wanted to get the party started as early as 9 a.m.
3. His sarcasm always makes us laugh.
The beauty of sarcasm is the fact that we can use it to insult without really insulting. Archer is probably the master of sarcasm and primarily uses this gift to either annoy Lana Kane or make Cyril Figgis feel even worse about himself. Archer’s sarcasm is definitely one of his main attributes that leads us to conclude he is a total asshole; however, we love him for that. We live through Archer’s action because let’s be honest here, we all kind of envy him. We are jealous of the fact we can’t be sarcastic assholes to the people who annoy us at the workplace.
How can we not love Archer after learning all of this about him? Archer's irrational fears simply remind us that he is only human and it is okay to be afraid. His love for alcohol remind us that even the world's deadliest spy can break under pressure and needs a couple drinks, Archer also uses sarcasm to help him deal with the people he works with. This just proves how brave he is and we could all probably learn from him. Don’t be afraid to admit your fears, it's OK to treat yourself with a drink (as long as it is legal and responsibly) and last but not least, use sarcasm. It will keep the idiots away from you.
