Hey folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I thought we’d take another look in on the Spy x Family, who recently celebrated their newfound unity with a group outing. After the first episode secured Loid a child and the second gained him a wife, episode three offered our first glimpse at their overall family dynamic, with the madness that is the Forger clan operating in full swing. Museums were visited, thieves were apprehended, and our trio began to resemble a functioning family, more or less.
That thief apprehension was Spy x Family’s most rewarding sequence so far, as all three of the Forgers got to show off their talents in pursuit of a common goal. But with so much deception baked into their relationships, I’m curious to see how often this story will allow them to be on the same page like that. What I’d most like to see is more tending to our cast’s fledgling points of connection – how Loid’s childhood makes him particularly sympathetic to Anya, how Yor’s sacrifices make Loid seem like a kindred spirit, etcetera. Close personal connections are generally built on vulnerability and honesty, and with Spy x Family’s premise almost necessarily forbidding such gestures, I’m extremely curious to see how it actually brings this trio closer. Let’s find out!
Episode 4
“The Prestigious School’s Interview.” Ah, of course. An event that’s likely to reward one of Spy x Family’s richest veins of comedy: applying the serious tone and meticulous strategizing of spy drama to completely mundane conflicts
Comedy is in large part the art of humorous betrayals of expectations – a story or situation leads you towards one assumption, only to surprise you with a different answer. But for expectations to be betrayed, they must exist in the first place – meaning a great number of comedies are essentially founded on “what if this conventional scenario, but then THIS happens” (a dog is on the team? An alien joins the family?). For that sort of comedy, rather than the more character-based ones, the variability of how you can illustrate that intrusion on normality essentially dictates how much gas is in the vehicle – and “what if family, but spies” seems like a particularly fertile vein
Incidentally, that was my greatest frustration with One Punch Man – “what if superhero, but always wins with one punch” just didn’t strike me as a concept with much room for iteration, and the show failed to convince me otherwise
Man, this OP song still isn’t very good, huh? The drummer’s going crazy back there, but the vocal melody is just totally lacking in hooks
The trio prepare for battle, with Loid and Yor each treating this sequence with deathly seriousness. Their equal commitment to professionalism in managing their public personas is both a fun joke (to map it to that earlier model: “what if conventional outing prep, but life-or-death attitude”), and also a genuine point of emotional understanding between the two of them
I also love their family photo, where only Loid is managing a straight face
The show almost feels like it’s cheating a bit with Yor’s “Queen of Thorns” persona. By partitioning her assassin identity like that, they allow her to be an implausibly goofy airhead in her personal life. It’s a very different setup than Loid, who is always Loid regardless of whether he’s on or off duty
Both Loid and Yor realize they’re already being observed and evaluated even as they approach the school buildings
The “Housemaster” has a truly impressive mustache, so much so that it actually becomes two mini-beards
“Elegance creates tradition.” He should at least appreciate Loid and Yor, then
“How very elegant!” Yep, Loid’s got this part in the bag. A refined poise and telling your target precisely what they want to hear are fundamentals of spy training
“I need to pick my nose.” “Absolutely not.” Yeah, Anya’s gonna be the real problem here
As the Forgers come upon a decoy boy stuck in a sewer grate, I see now that this school is just as absurd as our lead family, offering a fine opportunity to test their skills in a battle of wits
“Curse you and your cunning, Loid Forger.” With Anya in on the game, it falls to the Housemaster to offer our “whaaaa???” reactions to the Forgers’ insanity, a role he is attacking with relish
“The animals have escaped the farmhouse!” Oh my god, this fucking school
“The mass panic must have hit her. The test is the last thing I need to worry about now!” Aw Loid. His genuine loyalty to Anya, even at the cost of his mission, is so far the emotional heart of this series. We already know the moral significance of his mission, as well as what it means to him personally, and thus every time he chooses Anya over the cause feels like an affirmation that they are truly family. I really hope the story finds ways to similarly illustrate Yor’s loyalty to the family
I say that, and then of course Yor immediately dispatches this rampaging herd of cows. Definitely appreciated, but I meant more in a way that might actually cost her – not just displaying her talents, but jeopardizing her mission for the sake of the others
And then the Housemaster just entirely loses his shit at the elegance of it all. They are having too much animating this dude, and his design is perfect for it – he’s a beanpole with spindly limbs and a preposterously extended mustache, meaning he can basically cavort around like one of those wacky waving inflatable tube men
“This isn’t about elegance anymore! These people are just scary!”
“I’ve been a spy for ten years, and for the first time, I’m actually nervous.” Yeah, Loid’s getting basically all the strong emotional material – his internal voice is our most consistent companion, and every admission like this serves as another affirmation of how much he cares about Anya
“The fear of letting someone else decide my success or failure…” Well, I suppose there’s also that
“I met my wife at the tailor shop that handles this school’s uniforms, and I was in awe of her grace.” None of this is actually untrue, which is actually pretty important when fabricating elements of your identity. Gotta keep the actual lies in order, and every piece of untrue information is another opportunity to stumble in your delivery, so it’s best to lean on as much of the truth as is possible
Yor’s answers are less specific, which is presumably what they practiced. Let the professional liar handle the actual lies
Spy x Family’s humor is often found in the disconnect between Loid’s seriousness and a given situation’s frivolity, but frankly, this interview actually just scans as traditionally satisfying spy drama. I appreciate that the show can earnestly lean into the genres it’s generally riffing on, understanding and embracing what makes spy drama interesting. There’s little more tedious than a genre sendup that doesn’t possess genuine understanding of the genre it’s aping
When asked why he applied to this school, Loid states that “your instructors are second to none,” wisely flattering the judges specifically rather than praising their institution more generally
“I would say Anya’s main shortcoming is that she’s a picky eater.” A softball response, falling close to that “my weakness is that I get too focused and can’t stop working” category of bullshit
“Why are you getting irritated, Twilight? She’s not even your real wife.” Alright, now we’re starting to get some of the same protective instincts he feels towards Anya aimed at Yor as well
Anya’s declaration of a “100 point score” for both her parents earns a little look of shock from both of them. That seems like a particularly fertile line of attack for bringing this family together – Yor and Loid are both accustomed to impersonal relationships due to their work, so Anya’s declarations of genuine love and appreciation likely hit them particularly hard
“If making light of a child’s feelings is part of your establishment’s educational policies, then I’m afraid we have chosen the wrong school.” Ah, so satisfying to see them both rally for Anya. In this moment, the mission could not be less important
And of course, Loid’s answer turned out to be even better than obsequiousness would have been – not only did he embody the school’s true values, he actually demanded the school better itself to meet his standard
As Loid falls into despair, the other two assure him that it will all be okay. The flip side of being forced to rely on other people: when you’re not in it alone, you have people to support you when you fall
“Spies don’t believe in anyone but themselves. But… Maybe just a little bit…” YEAH LOID WHOOO
And Done
Don’t worry Forgers, you’ll make it through this yet! As for this episode, we received plenty more of what Spy x Family does best, with the exam offering a pleasing balance of spy-versus-mundane lunacy, engaging battles of wits, and more warm moments of Loid and Yor revealing their genuine affection and sense of responsibility towards Anya. The humor was strong throughout, meaning my only real quibble is that Yor continues to lack much interiority or individual conflicts relative to the other two. As such, what I’m most hoping for is an episode that largely sticks to Yor’s internal voice, and gives her a chance to really express herself. Either way, Spy x Family continues to be a delightful ride, so I’m eager to see whatever’s next.
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