REVIEW: ‘Spy x Family’ Season 3 Episode 13 – “A World Where We Cannot Survive”

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 13, “A World Where We Cannot Survive” sees the fight in the sewers draw to a close and the aftermath play out as Loid (Takuya Eguchi, Raven of the Inner Palace) recovers from his injuries and returns home to patch things up with Yor (Saori Hayami, Delicious in Dungeon). But he is beginning to wonder if he may be losing his touch where spy-craft is concerned. 

Picking up immediately after the events of Episode 12, we see the closing moments of Fiona’s (Ayane Sakura, Arknights: Rise from Embers) bout with Wheeler. While the double agent thinks he has the upper hand, given the tremendous damage Fiona inflicted on herself with her initial attack, he is quickly disarmed as her assault continues. 

Seeing anime characters push through pain to win a fight is nothing new, but the lengths Fiona goes to here leaves the line between tough and self-destructive far behind. Seeing her use her dislocated arm like a whip to beat her foe with is nothing short of terrifying, once more cementing how much she cares about Loid and their mission. Topped off by a dramatic speech about the importance of trust and faith, Fiona leaves a final, indelible mark on this season. 

Wheeler underestimates Fiona’s determination and suffers from it. 

Once the fight is over, Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 13 follows Loid home as he braces for what may await him there. Still concerned about what Yor was upset about, he expects another battle, only to find a cheerful welcome, followed by a thorough explanation of what Yor was going on about that morning. 

While Loid’s relief at knowing things are fine is clear, little else about his state is delved into. Is he happy simply because he doesn’t have another thing to deal with after the fight with State Security? Is he thankful that Yor’s mood won’t threaten the ongoing progress of Operation Strys? Or is he perhaps grateful that his wife wasn’t actually angry with him at all, and their relationship can continue to grow?

Where his relief comes from is left completely unclear, leaving a bit of cloudiness surrounding the narrative’s wrap-up. It would be nice to get at least some hint of where he is as the episode closes.

Spy x Family carves out time for comfort following Fiona’s fight. 

Before our final minutes with the Forgers play out, Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 13 takes a brief detour to Fiona’s hospital room, where she is recovering from her, essentially, self-inflicted injuries. The scene sees Handler (Yûko Kaida, The Grimm Variations) visit the agent to commend her on a job well done. 

This moment of warmth feels special, as Fiona gets the praise we frequently see only Twilight receive. Letting Handler go out of her way, even to the point of disguising herself as a nurse, just to let Fiona know how good a job she did, reinforces the kind of boss she is and why Fiona and Loid trust her so completely. No one who cares that much about her people would throw their lives away needlessly. 

The final minutes of the episode are shared by Yor, Anya (Atsumi Tanezaki, Zenless Zone Zero), and Bond while Loid rests. The trio enjoys a relaxing afternoon of play and talk, as Anya catches her mom up on her trip to the zoo. This leads the duo to try to make Bond look like various zoo animals, with adorable results. 

The series breaks the tension by allowing Loid, Anya, and Yor some bonding time. 

Once again, this series shows that it knows how to break the tension. We didn’t get a ton of interactions between these characters this season, so wrapping up the run with a delightful sequence with the family at play is a wonderful send-off for the show.

Allowing these characters time together ensures that the finale projects each of the series’ core elements. This is important, as it sums up everything the show strives to be. 

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 13 brings the current run to a close in the perfect manner for its narrative. A bit of action, a sprinkling of humor, and a whole truckload of heart deliver what have come to be the show’s calling cards with skillful efficiency. 

Spy x Family Season 3 Episode 13 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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