‘Spy x Family’ season 2 premiere review: Anya becomes the spy in “Let’s Follow Mama and Papa”

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Yor in action as the Thorn Princess, so I’m glad Spy x Family Season 2 starts with her in the middle of an assassination. She takes out almost all of the members of Red Circus but one of them manages to shoot her while she’s distracted by a phone call. 

We’re twenty-six episodes into Spy x Family and everyone’s secret identities remain intact, though Anya, of course, knows all. But Yor’s injury causes a conundrum for her — wanting to live up to being a good wife to Loid, Yor agrees to go out on a date with him. Loid, in turn, wants to make sure Yor is in a good mood so she will continue to serve as cover by being his wife and mother to Anya. The continued miscommunication and misinterpretations between the characters remains the funniest part of Spy x Family. “Follow Mama and Papa” makes the most out of this particular set up. 

The episode also continues to bring Loid and Yor closer to each other. When Fiona Frost appeared at the end of Season 1, there was plenty of jealousy and insecurities happening on both sides of this fake marriage that brought the two’s feelings into question. Whether or not Yor and Loid ever fall for each other, their dedication to their respective missions and doing right by Anya is the foundation of this partnership. Just imagine how powerful they would be if they ever get on the same page!

Meanwhile, Anya practices the spying skills she learned from Bondman and decides to track her parents while they are on their date, with Franky tagging along as her babysitter. Loid immediately clocks their presence but lets it slide in order to keep his own cover. 

Anya remains the heart of this show. Her mind reading skills could easily have been a cheap gimmick that erases any tension in the drama, but her age works in that gimmick’s favor. Though she’s practically all knowing, Anya’s interpretation of scenarios and dynamics still lead with naiveté. When she realizes that her mother was shot but that Yor also taking care of the injury, Anya believes that even guns can’t stop her mother. This makes sense, because all kids believe their parents to be invincible. 

However, this doesn’t stop Anya from trying to save her parents when the lone survivor of the Red Circus runs into Yor and Loid at a fine dining establishment. Then again, Anya’s fear, like her parent’s fears, are rooted in the breaking of their family dynamic, despite its shallow foundation. Still, she adopts her own assassin persona and threatens the Red Circus member into being a good person. How Franky didn’t notice her transformation into a would-be assassin is beyond me. 

The date night finishes at a carnival, which Anya breaks her spying cover for in order to join her parents. “Follow Mama and Papa” is a great start to this new season of Spy x Family that re-establishes our characters and their particular situation while also potentially moving them forward into something more real, as Loid and Yor agree to trying to go on more dates. Though they each believe this is for the sake of their missions, there’s no denying they both enjoyed themselves. A new opening sequence of lighter, pastel colors and happier family dynamics speaks to a more unified Forger family, even if secret identities are still everyone’s main priority. We’ll surely see how many secrets everyone can keep as this season proceeds.

Spy x Family Season 2 drops new episodes on Crunchyroll and Hulu every Saturday.

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Featured image ©Tatsuya Endo/Shueisha, SPY x FAMILY Project