‘Spy x Family Episode 8’ Review: The Forgers Are Victim Of A Counter-Intelligence Operation
Another week and another brand-new development occur in the life of the Forger family. In this opportunity, the family will have to face one of the most dangerous issues any family has to face. Other family members. We always have to deal with other members of the family, they are a constant, be it uncles, cousins, or in this case brothers. Yuri, Yor’s young brother, is introduced in this week’s episode and the character makes for some truly great comedy.
However, the character also represents one of the biggest dangers for Operation Strix. You see, Yuri is a diplomat, but that is only a cover for his real job. He actually belongs to the secret police of the country. His job and to look for spies and then root them out of society in the name of national security. The secret police are willing to do everything, killing, and torture, nothing is too far for them if they see it as a method that will help them keep their nation safe.
Before meeting Yuri, we have a series of small scenes. We go to Anya in school, where she is trying her best to be a good student. However, while in math class, it is clear she doesn’t really know how to do math or doesn’t understand what she is being taught during class. Her answers are always wrong. Later, we see that when she connects her classes with her favorite comics and TV shows, things seem to be easier for her.
Loid on the other hand is also under a lot of pressure, his handler asks how Anya is doing at school, she must receive the eight stars in less than four months. Loid trembles, as he knows that is absolutely impossible. Anya has the will, but she isn’t very academic.
Meanwhile, Yor has her own scene at work. Her boss is captured by the secret police under suspicion of being a spy, and it is clear this is a very dangerous country to live in. Her friends also find it strange that she never told Yuri about being married. It is here where she receives the news that Yuri will visit them that night.
The rest of the episode is dedicated to the reunion between Loid, Yor, and Yuri. The reunion is played in the way of a mind game where Loid, and Yuri try to outmatch each other during the conversations. The series goes into exploring the way people are always hiding their true selves from others, and how we hide behind fake smiles and small talk when trying to hide our weaknesses from others. It is a very truthful and complex topic. The series doesn’t go beyond that, but it feels nice that takes it into consideration.
During the conversation, Yuri is introduced as a charming guy on the outside, but inside he is a very scary person. Yuri feels an extreme love for his sister, a kind of love that might even be considered weird and twisted. It makes for some very uncomfortable moments. Yuri doesn’t like Loid at all and tries to find something, anything, that can tell him Loid is a bad man that doesn’t deserve Yor. The problem is that he can’t find anything, Loid seems perfect behind his mask.
We are also told the backstory of Yuri and why he loves his sister so much. It seems that both Yor and Yuri were orphans, and they lived alone for a long time. It was at this time that Yor became an assassin in order to win money so that she and Yuri could live in the best way possible. Yuri only saw Yor coming every night with blood on her clothes, he knows nothing about Yor’s assassin life. But that sacrifice of Yor to him, makes Yuri have extreme loyalty towards his sister.
Loid also discovers that Yuri is not just a simple diplomat. When he uncovers that one of the stories, Yuri tells them is just a verbatim copy of one of the cover stories that secret operatives are told in order to make it as if they have been abroad. This detail shows just how prepared Loid is when facing spy work. He might have a hard time with Yor and Anya with family stuff, but on the spy field, he has no parallel.
Towards the end of the episode, Loid and Yor are faced with the ultimate challenge. Yuri is unconvinced they are married, and so she dares them to kiss each other. They are shaken in the face of the challenge but Loid goes for it, it is quite funny because Yor is totally freaking out. It is evident both of them like each other, but no one really has made a move because they are really shy and when it comes to these things. Now that they are being forced to do it, it might just have been the push they need it.
The episode ends before we can see if they kiss or not, but whatever happens, it will change the relationship between Yor and Loid, forever. It is pretty exciting. The show is increasing the stakes in every episode and the mission is becoming more and more complex. Let’s hope our favorite family is up to the task.