"Space Race" is the two-part season finale of the third season of the animated comedy series Archer. It consists of the twelfth and thirteenth episodes of the season, which were initially broadcast in the United States on FX on March 15 and March 22, 2012, respectively. In the installment, Commander Anthony Drake (Bryan Cranston) urges the field agents of ISIS to travel onto the spacecraft Horizon to aid in ceasing any attacks. After entering and defeating the resistant "mutineers", the field agents are eventually kidnapped by Drake and his aggregation, whose real objective is to colonize and populate the humans on Mars. "Space Race", which was written and directed by series creator Adam Reed, is a parody of the 1979 spy film Moonraker, the eleventh film of the James Bond cinema franchise. Additionally, the episode is instilled with multiple references to science fiction cinema, including the popular films Aliens, The Right Stuff, and Star Wars Episode IV, as well as political events such as the Cold War's space exploration competition between the Soviet Union and the United States. Cranston guest starred in the program, alongside actor Dave Willis, who reprised his role as recurring antagonist Barry Dylan. "Space Race: Part I" received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, who praised the episode's humor and character developments. Although it acquired positive critiques from commentators, the humor and general execution of "Space Race: Part II" was deemed inferior to its predecessor. "Space Race: Part I" garnered 1.157 million viewers during its initial airing, while "Space Race: Part II" attained 1.33 million viewers upon airing, consequently becoming the most viewed episode of Archer third season. Plot Part I The international space station Horizon sends a distress signal to the ISIS agency, stating that the spaceship has been under attack. Anthony Drake (Bryan Cranston), the commander of the station, has urged ISIS to assist the crew in controlling the situation. A reluctant Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler) is the first one to voice concern over the issue, as none of them have undergone training in preparation for a flight. Despite these concerns, Malory Archer (Jessica Walter) is quick to take the job for financial gain. The field agents of ISIS—except Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin), who is being evaluated by Doctor Algernop Krieger (Lucky Yates) for medical purposes—are subjected to basic astronaut regimens in anticipation for the flight, including a flight simulator (which Archer makes Cyril