Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’d say we’re about due to check back in on the Forger family, after a two episode arc that saw Loid and Frost competing in the most high-stakes and dangerous of semi-professional tennis tournaments. Their participation in the Campbellian offered an opportunity for both Wit and Cloverworks’ animators to really flex their muscles, while also reveling in the sincere spy drama trickery Tatsuya Endo clearly loves.
Of course, focusing so completely on a “Spy” escapade has left this production’s “x Family” element by the wayside, so I’m looking forward to a return to our heroes’ fraught domestic life. I am happy to admit I’m an easy mark when it comes to found family drama, and the gradual transformation of each of our leads as they come to trust and rely on each other never fails to warm my heart. Loid has come to care for and even take pride in his daughter’s accomplishments, Yor is gaining greater confidence in her worthiness as a partner and mother, and Anya is beginning to believe that her parents really are her stalwart protectors, spy mission or not. It’s always a pleasure seeing lonely people find their missing pieces in each other, and Spy x Family’s eminently likable crew are seeming more unified and whole by the episode. Let’s get to it!
Episode 24
We open on a dead-eyed Yor wandering the streets and bumping into a pole. Excellent slow build of this gag as the pole just ominously floats in from stage left
“Am I going to be tossed aside?” Right, she’s still in a state over Loid and Frost’s tennis adventures. Damnit Yor, I was just talking about how you were gaining more confidence in your position in the family!
She’s definitely still the weakest of the leads, and having her recent development focus largely on a romantic rival isn’t really helping. I feel like it wouldn’t be hard to improve this, either – perhaps if we learned more about how she ended up being her brother’s sole caretaker, how her parents exited her life, we’d have more context for understanding her fear of abandonment
“Is Yor concerned about Nightfall?” Thankfully Loid overhears the neighbors gossiping about Yor’s dejected appearance. Even if it’s for the mission, hopefully him reassuring her of her worthiness will put these Frost anxieties to bed
“The Role of a Mother and Wife”
Franky complains about being exploited as a babysitter, but he’s clearly a natural. He’s got a cape for his King Scruff persona and everything
And so Loid takes Yor out for drinks to clear things up
“This was always a marriage of convenience. I have no right to say anything about Loid’s personal life.” It’s true that they haven’t really been acting like equal partners – Loid is the one who set up this whole arrangement, meaning it’s understandable that Yor might fear he could take it away just as easily. And she’s the type of person to both stew over exaggerated worries and never bring up her fears directly – that’s the same instinct that informed her cooking saga, when she found it easier to impose on her coworkers than talk to Loid directly
“My throat keeps closing up, and the words won’t come out.” Normally, she just lets her anxieties fester silently. Given that, a stark challenge like this might actually be what’s best for her – she can’t confidently assure herself that she cares about this family and feels she belongs here, but when push comes to shove, her natural instincts refuse to let her abandon Loid and Anya
And thus she reaches for some liquid courage
“Wait, does Yor actually have romantic feelings for me?” Excellent flourish of Loid’s internal atomic clocks syncing him into Romantic Twilight Mode in a mere tenth of a second
“Somehow, being with Yor always throws me off my pace.” Yor is so far behind in terms of social and domestic competency, and so insecure about that fact, that Loid’s usual forms of flattery only terrify her. And so she reverts to her one sphere of confidence, accidentally entering Attack Mode
On the edge of sleep, Loid recognizes a lullaby his mother used to sing to him, now sung by Yor as she watches over him. Excellent – a moment of genuine intimate connection between the two of them, drawing on his own memories of being protected as a child, and thereby tethering Yor’s presence to the hope and security he wishes to preserve for the next generation. A relationship is not just a mutual feeling, it is a collection of shared moments, and this feels like a crucial one
Loid is not used to being this unguarded, and hops up the moment he regains full consciousness. But this is precisely the sort of thing he needs to do to establish genuine trust with Yor and Anya – if he is comfortable being vulnerable with them, they might start feeling comfortable being vulnerable as well. As of now, all three are too fearful of being discovered or discarded to share their full weaknesses with each other – and if anyone is going to initiate that process, it will likely have to be Loid, whose confidence guides the other two
“How long was I out?” Yep, Loid is profoundly uncomfortable with the idea of being unguarded, even for a moment
“When I was little… though I can’t really remember her face anymore, I loved being in my mother’s arms.” But seeing how anxious his perpetually guarded nature has made Yor, he at last offers an honest secret, a part of himself he’s kept hidden from everyone
“My mother was strong. Anya tells me all the time that, even if she’s in danger, her Mama will come save her, so she’ll be okay.” He’s even specifically assuaging Yor’s fears that her physically imposing nature makes her unsuitable for this role. Her strength is a source of comfort to those who rely on her, not something to be ashamed of
And it’s not just a speech. Reflecting on how Yor has brought a sense of safety to Anya’s life, he acknowledges that she’s accomplished his own most treasured goal
“I have absolutely no intention of replacing you in the role of her mother.” What a romantic
“Have more confidence in yourself. I would love for you to continue being Anya’s mother.” That’s better. And seriously Yor, you gotta believe in yourself a little bit
“Mama and Papa are late. They must be shacking up somewhere.” I don’t know about that Becky girl’s influence on Anya
Nice quiet beat of Bond’s precognition informing him of when Loid and Yor are about to get home
“Back then, I couldn’t imagine getting attached to anything aside from my brother. But now, I really can’t let this place go.” That’s right, Yor! Assert your needs!
Our B part opens with the announcement of the academy’s first parental meetup, wherein the guardians of Stella-rich students meet and mingle. At last, Loid’s goal is in sight!
“Anya has sort of given up on getting eight stars”
In order to attract Damien’s attention, Becky decides to take Anya clothes shopping
Anya states that Loid had an emergency at work, leading me to briefly suspect this chauffeur was actually Loid in disguise, but apparently not
“Lots of cold, hard cash.” I appreciate how Anya’s dialect flips from childlike speech to random phrases she picked up from either Bondman or Becky. Yotsuba is similarly good at capturing how kids pick up strange fragments of phrasing from the world around them
“I wanted to enjoy shopping with you, so I rented out this whole apartment store.” Jeez, I knew Becky came from an important family, but this is something else
Of course, this whole chapter is just an excuse to put Anya in a bunch of goofy outfits, complete with a perky insert song
“As the daughter of a top conglomerate, you must only wear the finest things.” Becky’s struggle is precisely what you’d expect: wealth has isolated her from friendship and everyday experience, as she is expected to act as an extension of her father’s power. Much like Damien, and frankly a lot of characters in this show – they’re all too wedded to various social performances to embrace vulnerability and earnestly engage with each other
“If you were to ignore your friend’s generosity, you would be tarnishing the Blackbell name. I’m sure that’s what your father would say.” Martha offers the push Becky needs
“My lady, you mustn’t think you know all there is to know about everything and everyone. Once you can stop doing that, you’ll be on your way to becoming a proper adult.” A lesson too many people never learn, unfortunately
And Done
And as hoped, we’re right back into the family drama. In fact, this episode’s A section proved the most intimate, earnest exchange between Loid and Yor so far, with Loid revealing aspects of his past he’d kept closely guarded, and Yor coming to understand that this family is genuinely important to her not just as a convenient shield, but as companions she values in the same way she cares for her brother. The more they share about themselves, the more they realize they have in common: as it turns out, Loid’s grand goal of securing a peaceful future for the next generation has actually been the story of Yor’s life, just on a more intimate, individual level. I can only hope their confessions here have genuinely bolstered Yor’s confidence, as I’m eagerly awaiting the moment she feels assured enough to state that this is her family, and no force on earth will take it away from her.
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