REVIEW: ‘Spy x Family’ Season 3 Episode 5 — “The Mommy-Friends Scheme”

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 5, “The Mommy-Friends Scheme,” focuses on Yor (Saori Hayami, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles) for the first time this season. As she runs out to do some shopping, she has a chance encounter that leads her to discovering a mom’s social group. Through this chance meeting, she makes some important discoveries. 

Yor has always existed in an odd space in the series’ narrative. With little direct role in Operation Stryx aside from simply being a mom to Anya (Atsumi Tanezaki, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Knapsack Kid), the character frequently finds herself with little to no screen time. This is unfortunate, as Yor is arguably the most charming character in the cast. This all seems set to change in Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 5. 

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 5 opens with Yor departing from her home to do some shopping. Tasked by Anya with getting “those crunchy tea snacks,” the Headmaster gave her, the oft-concerned and flustered mom heads out with little direction and a deep fear that admitting she doesn’t know something to someone will end up getting her reported. 

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 5 puts the spotlight on Yor, offering new insight into an oft-neglected character.

At this point, Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 5 feels like it’s going to quickly take shape, forming into a familiar misadventure for the nervous character. However, things change when the agile assassin manages to save a random woman from a nasty fall. Impressed by Yor’s athleticism and kindness, the woman, who we learn is Melinda, invites Yor to accompany her to a get-together she has with some of her friends. 

Through her participation in activities like volleyball and post-match snacks, Yor finds a group of friends that welcomes her with open arms. The general warmth and acceptance Yor find makes the moment lovely, but an additional lesson she garners makes the scene transcend into something special. 

As the women chat, Yor timidly reveals that she frequently feels lost about what to do regarding her duties as a wife and mother. To her shock, this leads to a chorus of similar feelings from the other moms. A couple even make it a point of acknowledging that Yor must have it even tougher than they do. They are the biological mothers of their children, after all. Having to learn to function in the role with a child already growing could only be more difficult. 

Through Yor and Melinda’s meeting, we are reminded that everyone is pretty much winging it in life.

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 5 uses the moment to remind us of an important truth that is easy to forget: none of us knows what we are doing. It is easy to walk by strangers and feel like they clearly have their stuff together, while we limp along like walking dumpster fires, hoping no one realizes we don’t have a clue about how to be a “real adult.”

Yor’s discovery of this important fact seems to visually lift a weight from her shoulders. As the other women laugh about the chaos in their lives, the visual presentation does a great job of imbuing the moment with the warmth and acceptance that Yor feels. 

Adding an extra layer of plot significance to the moment is the reveal that Melinda is actually Damian’s mother. This causes some brief panic for Yor, given how Damian and Anya have gotten along at times. Luckily, Melinda seems unconcerned about such childhood squabbles, allowing Yor to relax and join the circle of friends. 

Poor Damian doesn’t fare well this episode, with Anya’s plots going horribly awry.

While Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 5 largely focuses on the wholesome, there is great humor to be found here as well. Yor’s time playing volleyball with her new friends plays out precisely how you would imagine, but the best laughs come as the episode wraps up. 

Learning about her mom’s new friend, and psychically “over-hearing” Loid consider it another backup plan for moving Operation Stryx forward, Anya decides that time is of the essence if she wants to remain useful. Turning to her friend Becky (Emiri Kato, Granblue Fantasy: Relink) for advice, she is given a “sure-fire” way to make Damian fall for her. One that could only be concocted by a romance story addict like Becky. 

Becky assures Anya that, if she turns a corner and runs into Damian with bread in her mouth, they are guaranteed to fall in love. Not settling for bread, though, Anya tries to plow into Damian with an entire sandwich hanging from her mouth. When her plan fails, Damian’s scorn soon leads him to wear the sandwich on his head, with the buns creating a hysterical facsimile of Anya’s trademark headwear. 

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 5 not only maintains the warmth and humor of the series, but hopefully sets up the third Forger to have more reason to share in the limelight. It would do the show a lot of good if at least one character could see some forward momentum in their story this season. 

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 5 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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