REVIEW: ‘Spy x Family’ Season 3 Episode 12 – “Battle to the Death in the Sewers”

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 12, “Battle to the Death in the Sewers,” sees the situation turn to chaos as State Security pursues Loid (Takuya Eguchi, Raven of the Inner Palace) and WISE runs down Wheeler. But as opponents clash, loyalties will be tested, and some will have to consider what’s most important to them. 

With his cover blown, Loid must make a daring escape from State Security before slipping away into the sewers. Loid’s escape showcases a number of his highly honed secret agent skills, reminding the audience of why Twilight is so infamous within State Security. However, Loid’s intricate costumes almost end up being his undoing, as his latest disguise betrays him, tipping Yuri (Kenshô Ono, Summer Time Rendering) off to his escape route. 

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 12 delivers a pivotal moment for Loid when Yuri catches up to him. When the pair face off, Loid quickly establishes that he is the more skilled fighter. As he repeatedly knocks Yuri down, only to see the determined officer rise again, he is flabbergasted by his opponent’s tolerance for pain, wondering whether it isn’t due to being raised by Yor. 

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 12 is the best episode to date.

While the fight is the hardest-hitting of the series, the major element of the confrontation comes only after Yuri is finally brought low for the last time. His foe unconscious, Loid considers finishing him off, but finds himself unable to do so. While it’s never explicitly said, a convenient cut to Yor as she accidentally breaks a plate back at home speaks to what stays Loid’s hand: He cannot hurt Yor by killing her brother. 

This is a huge moment for Loid’s character. With the early portion of this season focused on revealing his origins, it was made clear why his mission means so much to him. That Yor’s happiness is of such paramount importance to him that he would even risk compromising a mission for her speaks volumes to how much she has grown on him. It feels less and less like a fake relationship and more like a genuine marriage with each passing episode.

While Loid’s commitment to the mission is tested, Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 12 also showcases that Fiona’s (Ayane Sakura, Arknights: Rise from Embers) commitment to him is as unwavering as ever. When her pursuit of the rogue agent Wheeler takes her into the sewers, the two pursuits collide. Already injured from his fight with Yuri, Wheeler gets the better of Loid. When Fiona arrives, she finds her mentor and love interest used as a human shield against her. 

Fiona finally sees some redemption this season, with her skill on display.

Fiona has been in a tough spot for most of this series. Playing second fiddle to Yor, she often feels like a joke, as she is outshone by her rival at every meeting. However, while she falls short of the physical power of Yor, that doesn’t mean she should be taken lightly. She is focused, skilled, and more than willing to do whatever has to be done. Especially, if it is for Loid. 

How Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 12 delivers Wheeler’s realization of this truth is pure comedic gold. Seeing the emotionally enraged Fiona lunge at him blindly, he initially thinks the fight is already won. Until he realizes that it doesn’t matter if he knows what Fiona is going to do, if there’s nothing he can do about it. 

The emotions run high, and the visuals come to match the energy.

The visuals utilized to drive home Fiona’s onslaught are perfect. Despite Wheeler’s block catching her strike, the force that she exerts upon her foe crumples him anyway. Simple but clear visual cues tell the viewer that her punch packs a hard impact. Not only does it send Wheeler spiraling through the air, but it also systematically breaks her wrist, elbow, and shoulder due to the immense force she imparts with her strike.

Truly, the limiters were off for that shot. Ending Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 12 are shots of Fiona’s mangled arm hanging with an unnatural twist, and a close-up of her deranged eye, still wild with the rage that drove her to ruin herself for Loid.

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 12 delivers one of the best episodes of the season. It moves fast, hits hard, and delivers major moments that continue to shape the beloved cast of characters. 

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 12 is streaming now on Crunchyroll. 

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