I'm liking the lack of moral-wrapping voice-overs at the end of each episode. It lets the viewer take what they will from the stories. From a writing standpoint, sure, maybe it lets the writers off on making sure the stories always match up correctly in the end, but moral-wrapping has never really been one of my favorite aspects of Modern Family.
I do like, however, the show finally addressing the economy, albeit without ever saying "recession" or "bad house market." Phil has always been a little left of manly, so an episode like this to explore his feelings on that topic was great. We've seen self-unaware Phil, techno-fetishist Phil, and even sweet Phil, but we don't often see insecure Phil, and it was nice to see that he is somewhat self-aware. Not enough to know that Claire's workout buddy was unaware of his existence, however.
When Phil first gave his little speech on how the chirping was calling him out on failing at man school, I thought that it more says you're incompetent more than unmanly, but in the context of the house market, it all makes sense. I completely understand what he feels about the future and his realty business. We've seen a few serious moments on Modern Family before, but few of them involved Phil. I really appreciate that the dullard got another dimension added this week. So did the organ-selling little dullard, Luke. That helmet!
Claire may have been sick, but she certainly didn't let that keep her from getting things done. After hearing Dylan's disturbing dream, Claire decides to try to convince Haley to break it off with the John Meyer wananbe. Miscommunication ensues, typically, and Haley thinks that the "doofus the poor girl married too young" was Phil, but fortunately, since it was put in the hands of such skilled writers and actors, it was pretty hilarious. Having a busty Haley tell off the cute pizza boy was worth it.
It feels like the show is having less and less faith in Mitch and Cam, since, for the third week in a row, we got a weak outing for the duo. I completely believe that Cam would be a stage dad, and it did touch on Mitch's need to be the final say in all things Lily, but nothing was really accomplished. Sure, maybe Cam will look into future gigs to make sure they aren't stereotype-enforcing Godzilla send-offs, but otherwise everyone's favorite gay daddies didn't do much of importance this week.
On the other hand, Jay and Gloria have been an absolute riot this season, and keep it going by throwing Manny a bone. Manny became indignant when Jay fired a fun but careless worker after a forklift accident. Watching little Manny try to act like an adult in that situation was brilliant, which, of course, is one of his best characteristics. And like his mother, he's sentimental, so all allegiances to poor Jackson went out the window when he heard Jay utter the two works "my kid." Sure, it's not celebrating the anniversary of their fight over a different anniversary, but it's all Manny needed to hear.
Ed O'Neill was on fire again, as the old crank who treats sentimental moments like a chore. After rewatching a few episodes of Married....With Children recently, I can see shades of Al Bundy in Jay, but unlike Al, Jay is more willing to open up, and it honestly works better for me than Al ever did. And since my father is pretty much Al Bundy, that's saying a lot.
Moments of Note:
- I hate smoke detectors. My old apartment had an overactive one. It always went off whenever I used my oven. It didn't say "beep, beep, you're not a man" so much as it said "beep, beep, do you eat anything thats not processed and bakeable?!"
-Seriously Dylan, it was bad enough you told Haley about that dream, did you really need to tell Claire herself?
-"I've seen you kiss a pigeon on the mouth..."
-"I just want her to have a normal childhood." "I think that gay cruise has already sailed..."
-I've had many conversations over things that may be racist or satire, and that commercial was just lazy and stupid.
-"Okay, so really hang up this time, okay? On one...two...three!....hello? Oh my god, I can't believe he hung up on me! I'm gonna call him back!" Teenage girls...
-How dare Jackson take Manny's joke! He should've been fired for that alone.
-"It's like a Christian Silence Reading Room!"
-Manny texted Mitch for legal representation! Only he would go to that avenue! And only he would be derailed by a knock-knock joke.
-Jay trying to get Gloria to finish his sentences with answers was clever, and all the sweeter when she didn't catch on.
-Phil's action-movie quips while combating the smoke detectors were gut-busting; "I just detected your ass getting kicked!"
GRADE: B
Mitch and Cam need to start doing a bit better, they keep these episodes from reaching levels of brilliance. Nonetheless, Phil and Manny were great this week and are getting some much needed development, if nothing else to catch up with everyone else's development. Let's let the gays get their turn next time, no?
MVP Ty Burrell, for showing a new side to Phil, one that I so sorely needed to see to keep him from sinking to Michael Scott's awkward levels.
Runner Up Rico Rodriguez, for reminding us that no matter how great the Dunphy kids get, he's the best.
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