 Archie in 1998 | |
 Archie in 2005 | |
| Archie Tanner | |
| Portrayed by | Andrew Michaelson (1998) Jesse Head (2005) |
| Episode | Revenge |
| Status | Arrested |
Archie was the 13 year old son of Rudy Tanner and Sandra Riley and unknowingly, a victim as well. While it appeared to his mother and others, Archie seemed like a happy teenage boy, but what no one knew was that for the past years, Archie was being molested by his own father and most likely photographed for his porn site. Due to his mother's neglectfulness, Rudy had brainwashed his son into believing that his abuse was affection. His father called him his "star"; just like he called his mother before he was born. However, Rudy, like most other criminals, tired of his son because he outgrew his preference. And began looking for a new victim.
One day, his dad came home with a new boy named "Parker". Parker was really Kyle Bream, a boy who had been kidnapped by his uncle for money. When his uncle couldn't get the money, Rudy "bought" him and brought him home. Archie had been too groomed to see what his father was doing. Soon, Rudy, pushed his son aside and gave Kyle his room and everything he wanted. Unfortunately, it also meant Kyle was facing the same abuse that Archie had been through. Although Kyle didn't know what was really going on, he was very uncomfortable with Rudy and clearly wanted to go home.
Archie, felt extremely neglected, (not knowing the difference) even asked his father "why don't you like me anymore?". Rudy didn't answer his son's question. Rudy would get a surprise when Kyle's uncle came back and wanted to take hime back home. Rudy however persuaded him with drug money and got him to leave. Whether afraid he'd come back or that the authorities would soon catch up, Rudy didn't want to give up his "star" and decided to leave the country and take Kyle. Rudy had no intention of taking his son.
Archie overheard the conversations and his father's plan to leave to either Europe or Canada. Even though Archie still had no idea what his father was or even realize how he and Kyle had been sexually abused by him, he didn't want to lose his dad. Archie saw this as a last desperate chance to keep his dad and went to Kyle in the night. He told him that his parents never left and that they were looking for him. Eventually, he took him to the harbor and told him he had to swim across it home.
Kyle afraid, asked Archie to go with him. Still in denial, Archie told Kyle no and that "this is my home", to which Kyle stated that his dad doesn't even like him. Archie quickly convinced Kyle to swim in the harbor and told him, he could make it. But Kyle couldn't and he drowned in the harbor. Archie would get another shock soon when his father would later be killed, unknowingly shot by Kyle's vengeful father, Ken Bream for hurting Kyle.
Archie would get a job with medical services, hinting, with an ambulance crew. He's shown to have bitter feelings toward his mother and believes she neglected him and worked her jobs avoid him. Through adulthood, Archie was in complete denial about his father's abuse. Even when Scotty and Vera interviewed him and tried to get him to see that his father used him. Archie only stated "he loved me", to which Scotty corrected him "That's not love".
Eventually, Lily and the other detectives found out that Kyle was still in Rudy's custody and confronted him. He then confessed how he got Kyle out and convinced him to swim into the harbor. He was most likely arrested for Kyle's death. He was last seen being hugged by his regretful mother.