This was a simple, trifling episode of Spy x Family, no doubt.  Still, I probably enjoyed it more than this season’s first three.  The most obvious explanation is that it wasn’t a moeblob overload, and yes – that helps.  I really think that this is S x F’s natural state though.  Endou-sensei (ironically, I suppose) seems more comfortable in this mode than when he tries to go serious.  I don’t think it’s so much that he’s uncomfortable with serious material – moments do stand out (like Sylvia’s speech).  Rather, I don’t think he’s found a comfort level doing serious material with this premise.

In a family full of secrets, Yor’s inability to cook non-lethal dishes is openly acknowledged.  There was a cute little misdirect about what she was up to, and it’s effective because Yor’s real occupation is the elephant in the room with S x F – I mean, she’s a murderer.  Is that OK?  In truth she’s taking cooking lessons from Camilla (I still can’t get over how much Shouji Umeka sounds like Sawashiro Miyuki).  Camilla initially turns up her nose at this, but Dominic basically decides for her, which is kind of a douchey move but hey, it’s pretty obvious these two are inevitably going to be an official couple.  They certainly look like one.

Dominic’s act of genius was inviting Yuri along as official taster.  I still find him pretty annoying but if I were Dom or Camilla I certainly wouldn’t want to put that shizzle anywhere near my gullet.  I suppose it’s testament to just how clueless Yor is that she thinks cactus is an ingredient for minestrone, but the way she makes it, it could only help.  Camilla is fully tsundere but given that Yor and Yuri grew up orphans, she has a certain sympathy.  Eventually she hits on the idea of having Yor make one of her mom’s dishes – I’m pretty sure it’s fiaker goulash, which is the Viennese version (which fits with “Southern region” – if this is Berlin).  Success – except that it’s the only non-lethal dish Yor can make…

Next up, a rare Frankie story.  He’s got the hots for the chick at the cigar shop (chicks with cigars are hot).  But Frankie – who couldn’t be more Peter Lorre if he tried – apparently has zero experience in this area.  So he bribes (after blackmailing and begging failed) Loid to help him out.  The problem is Loid’s idea of “help” is a flow chart only he could understand.  Eventually he settles on role-play, which he’s a natural for – whether it helped or not is anyone’s guess, but the result is still predictable.  It was nice of Loid to ditch the fam and help out a bro in despair, but seriously – Macallan 18 should not be ordered on the rocks.

This was all quite pleasant, but as Snowball said last week – more Damian, please.  It might sound like a contradiction to say Spy x Family needs more school time when Anya moe pandering is one of its trip wires, but the Eden stuff just works – it’s less about Anya being cute than all of the kids being funny.  And this show needs as much Damian (and Becky too,) as possible.  Fortunately judging by the preview it looks like we’re going to get something more than a cameo next week, at the very least.