WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Archer Season 11, which aired on FX.
With the Season 11 of Archer in the books, Sterling Archer has been through a fair share of life experiences in his time. He saw his friends grow into better people, the love of his life move on without him, his daughter become a toddler and even his mortal enemy turn into an ally. With all these changes, Season 12 of the FX series is set to be jam-packed, with plenty of avenues for the show to explore.
In Season 11's finale, "Cold Fusion," some new storylines began to form, including one focused on the mental health of the members of the Agency. During the first few episodes of the season, the audience sees a much more efficient Agency, dealing more in secrecy rather than their usual approach of going in guns blazing and dealing with the consequences as they come. However, as soon as Sterling returned, the Agency went back to its old ways, messing up halfway through a mission that ultimately ended up successful.
So, by the time "Cold Fusion" came around, everyone in the Agency reverted back to who they were prior to the coma, which led Archer to blame them for using him as a scapegoat for their terrible behavior. This led everyone to realize the severity of their actions, and with this epiphany, Season 12 could start off with everyone dealing with their issues, diving deep into why they feed off of Archer's negative energy. Alternatively, this could also lead Archer himself to look for some mental health help, which is a whole other issue entirely.
Near the end of the finale, Sterling's mind "glitches," showing him images of his life in the coma, including seeing a henchman as Dreamland Barry, despite becoming friends with the cyborg earlier in the season. This could be an indication that Archer is suffering from PTSD due to his time spent in a coma. While the Agency is dealing with their own mental health issues, Season 12 could still see Sterling undergo therapy in order to resolve these problems.
Season 11 also laid the groundwork for storylines that could return down the line, including the rocky relationship between Lana and Robert that was shaken in Episode 6, where it's revealed that Robert is on his fourth marriage with Lana. While this angered Lana that he kept this fact hidden from her, she forgave him -- at least until she saw Robert and Malory and started doubting the inevitability of her marriage.
This season also saw Abbiejean meeting Archer for the first time as a toddler. It's clear that A.J. has some of Sterling's mannerisms as she drank her milk while giving Archer a "wait" motion, a trademark of the titular character. Season 12 could explore Sterling getting closer to his daughter, providing fans with a more caring Archer, something that was teased in "Caught Napping". Truth be told, the fact that Sterling grew up without a father should give him that extra incentive to be there for his child.
The next outing could even bring back Hands from Season 11's "Helping Hands," especially since her story ended abruptly. Hands and Sterling bonded over their disabilities, so having her return could give Archer a better way to handle his issue. Perhaps Hands could even gift him with a version of her exo-suit. With so many plot threads to explore in Season 12, fans can rest easy knowing Sterling Archer isn't going anywhere.
Starring the voices of H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash, Lucky Yates and Jessica Walter, the 11th season of Archer airs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FXX.