REVIEW: ‘Spy x Family’ Season 2 Episode 4 – “The Pastry of Knowledge/The Informant’s Great Romance Plan II”

While last week’s episode focused on fun and games for its youngest protagonist, this week sees Anya (Atsumi Tanezaki) once more struggling to get the grades she needs to reach her goal of becoming an Imperial Scholar. But when she learns of a legendary pastry that is said to transform kids into geniuses, she and Becky (Emiri Kato) strike out to acquire the rare treat. However, Damian (Natsumi Fujiwara, Insomniacs After School) and his friends are also after these curious confections and there isn’t enough for everyone. Plus, Yor (Saori Hayami) helps Frankie (Hiroyuki Yoshino, My Hero Academia) find a lost cat in Spy x Family Season 2 Episode 4, “The Pastry of Knowledge/The Informant’s Great Romance Plan II.”

This episode opens with a brief introduction to the fabled pastry of knowledge. Made by a mysterious chef who shows up out of the blue, selling the tantalizing treats, anyone who eats them is said to become an Imperial Scholar. While this introductory sequence is kind of fun at first, it’s soon made superfluous when the viewer gets the story again minutes later. Since Anya first hears of the snacks in the episode, we have to sit through the whole thing twice. This repetitive delivery makes the introduction feel like it was inserted simply to fill time.

The best part about Anya’s urgency to claim one of these mind-altering treats is that it doesn’t completely stem from her need to aid Operation Strix. While that is a consideration, moments before hearing that the desserts have once more appeared in the school, Becky informs Anya that next semester students will be grouped by grade quality. This means that if Anya doesn’t improve, she and Becky will be in different classes.

The panic of being separated from a close friend in school is imparted brilliantly in Spy x Family Season 2 Episode 4. The always visually expressive Anya displays the sheer horror the proposition of losing her only friend brings, launching the duo into a frenzy to acquire their sweet objective.

But they aren’t the only ones barreling headlong towards the cafeteria to gain this rare snack. They run into Damian and his friends and soon, see all five jockeying for position on their way to the finish line. The manic energy that is delivered during this mad dash has all the hallmarks of the series’ visual humor. Everything from the sense of speed to the urgency of the characters is exaggerated with skill, making the spectacle far more fun than it should be.

Alas, all of the struggle is for naught as Georgie (Shun Horie, Fire Emblem: Three Houses) calmly grabs the last five pastries. But as he still owes some favors due to his near expulsion from Eden Academy, he is pressured into sharing his four extra sweets with the others. With only four snacks and five kids, it comes down to a game of Old Maid to determine who will have the treats.

Spy x Family Season 2 Episode 4 plays out its card game well, as Anya once more struggles to hide her telepathic powers from those around her. This was a fun callback to early in the series, as we haven’t seen this particular concept play out recently. How Anya ends up throwing herself under the bus to hide her secret is handled with the character’s trademark melodramatic flair.

In an excellent narrative twist to the moment, however, the real star of the sequence ends up being Damian. With he and Anya being the last two left in the game and the loser missing out on the snack, Damian seems like a sure-fire winner given Anya’s inability to hide her emotions. But when Damian sees the heartbroken look on his opponent’s face as he is about to win the game, he cannot take the win, knowing how desperately Anya needs hope that she will be able to continue at Eden Academy. He purposely picks the wrong card, letting Anya claim the last treat.

The sweetness of the moment is amplified further when Anya offers to share her snack with her eternal rival. Once more the episode allows the moment to play out in a way that feels authentic to childhood, as Damian stomps off, declaring he doesn’t need any stupid snack to become an imperial scholar.

Spy x Family Season 2 Episode 4 backup story follows Frankie as he desperately searches for a cat that has been lost by a barista he knows. Hoping to impress the woman, Frankie uses all of his contacts to narrow down the location of the lost feline. Once he has a rough idea, he strikes out for the cat’s last known location near city hall.

Once he arrives there, he comes across Yor, who is about to go on her lunch break. Hearing about the situation, however, Yor happily volunteers her time to aid him in his search. Through a series of high-tech devices concocted by Frankie, the duo is eventually able to draw the cat to them, though catching a cat that doesn’t want to be caught is always a tricky endeavor. Well, unless you are Yor. Given the feats of physical prowess the Forger family’s resident assassin has showcased in the past, it will come as no surprise that she can get the feline to Frankie. That she chooses the funniest way possible is also par for the course.

Spy x Family Season 2 Episode 4 brings a pair of fun stories to fans. The charm and comedy the series has become known for are present in both as we see more of the antics of this world’s characters.

Spy x Family Season 2 is available now on Crunchyroll.