The First 'Archer' Season 7 Teaser Is A Perfect 'Magnum P.I.' Parody

The beauty of Archer is that you never quite know where it's going to end up. Sterling Archer and his feckless colleagues have a way of derailing any mission they're on, whether they're traveling all over the globe, shooting off into outer space, plumbing the depths of the ocean, or even journeying through the inside of a man's body.

But the first Archer season 7 teaser should be easy enough to predict – because it's a shot-for-shot remake of the opening credits of Magnum P.I. It is a pop culture artifact of perfect beauty, and you definitely want to check it out after the jump.

First, here's the Archer Magnum PI teaser.

For comparison, here's the original Magnum P.I. title sequence.

Or just watch both of them side-by-side right here.

This isn't the first time Archer has referenced Magnum P.I., though this is a much more direct and obvious parody of the classic '80s series. So is this just a fun one-off gag, or is it a big hint about the direction of Archer's next season? After all, this is a show that spent its entire fifth season on a Miami Vice-inspired detour, during which Archer and company ditched the spy business and formed a cartel instead – all for no other reason than that the show's writers and producers got "bored." A P.I. season wouldn't be out of the question.

And the show has hinted that it might mix things up a bit in season 7. The very end of season 6 saw our ragtag gang of spies on the outs with the CIA, and wondering how to get back into the agency's good graces — or wondering whether they should bother trying to at all. When someone points out to Archer that they still need to make money somehow, he puts on a pair of Magnum-esque sunglasses and replies, "I've got some ideas about that." FX's tagline for the season, too, teases a more "private" direction: "Always ready to screw his enemies in private. He's back in business."

Whatever Archer season 7 winds up being, though, we're definitely along for the ride. Archer sparkles thanks to its hilarious dialogue, its top-notch cast, and its impeccable comedic timing, but what's kept it fresh all these years is a willingness to get weird. If that means Archer will be trading in his high-end suits for Hawaiian shirts this season, sign us up.

Archer season 7 begins March 31 on FX.