If you had informed us mere months ago that we'd actually pine for "Modern Family" during its holiday hiatus, we might have chuckled at your presumption. Yet, after an impressive streak of three spot-on episodes followed by nearly a month's worth of reruns, the show resumed its second season's latter half with such vigor that we now harbor hopes that next week, we won't feel the urge to dwell on the show's earlier uncertain stretch.
The Pritchett-Tuckers
A common thread woven through some of this season's initial episodes was how airtight many individual plots felt. While a family often serves as its own richest source of storytelling material, interactions between members of the Pritchett/Tucker/Dunphy/Delgado clan and outsiders are invariably refreshing. And increasingly, the show has been tapping into the "us-against-the-world" trope, as evidenced by Mitchell and Cameron's encounter with their new neighbor, Barry (played by James Marsden). They cross paths with him one night after catching him using their hot tub — literally, peering out of Lily's bedroom window to witness a man indulging in his ablutions. Rather than alerting the authorities, they decide to descend and strike up a conversation, intrigued not just by the oddity of a stranger using their hot tub but also by his undeniable hunkiness. Utterly preposterous, yes, but at least Cam and Mitchell aren't squabbling — oh, wait, they are squabbling, with Cam losing his heart to Barry, who moonlights as a coyote whisperer and an aspiring Reiki master. (And admittedly, this squabble was fantastic — "What about But-Yet Rachel?").
Mitch harbors mild suspicions, but Cam, as ever, believes he should be less judgmental. And lo and behold, Cam's sentiment prevails! Barry pays them a visit, administers a soothing massage, and they all exclaim "Namaste!" in unison, signaling a potential shift in dynamics — until they discover that Barry isn't renting the apartment upstairs as he had claimed but has instead established camp in the pink wooden princess castle that Cam, Mitch, and Jay constructed for Lily earlier this season. Beyond the obvious humor in this revelation, we appreciate it because it mirrors real-life construction projects that can tear families apart, with the castle swiftly falling into disuse to the extent that a grown man could set up residence there unnoticed.
The Pritchett-Delgados' Week
This week was relatively unassuming for this branch of the family. Jay indulged in a couple of crude, chuckle-worthy jokes about Gloria's allure, but mercifully, there were no odd or overused Colombian stereotypes — a minor victory indeed. Manny, inspired by a group of cool kids who cycle to school, decided to join them. However, he couldn't ride his bike without training wheels, prompting Jay to step in and offer lessons to both him and Gloria, who had never learned to ride as a child. ("My mother said, 'That's how people grab you!'" — While this could pass as an odd, tired Colombian joke, we recognize such overprotective moms in the U.S. too.) Jay imparted the fundamental rules — lace up, check the mirror, ring the bell — and Manny, clad head to toe in protective gear, embraced cycling like a seasoned pro. Gloria, however, ended up tangled in the bushes. "I need someone gentle and nurturing — like a woman," she lamented, before heading over to see if Phil was home. He was just about to step out, but Luke eagerly volunteered ("My playdate got canceled, so I'm free as a bird") and encouraged her to pedal off by soaking her with a Super-Soaker. Off she went, hair flying, wheels spinning, and grinning from ear to ear. She was doing splendidly until...
The Pritchett-Dunphys' Drama
Meanwhile, Claire appeared on the scene, knocked her off the bike, and zoomed away on it, chasing a silver sports car that had been flagrantly flouting the neighborhood speed limit. The episode actually commenced with Claire standing on the sidewalk, megaphone in hand, ready to shamelessly reprimand and jot down the license plate number of the heartless speeder who dared to endanger children, babies, and joggers. The megaphone only served to give Phil a golden opportunity for humor ("Luke, I am your father," he intoned into the device. "That's what I said when you were popping out of your mom's lady parts." Haley screamed and dived into the bushes in response.) But Claire succeeded in getting the plate number and crafted a bewildering sign ("Slow Down Your Neighbors?"). Luke, for some inexplicable reason, shared her skepticism towards law enforcement, and we couldn't help but admire the sparkle in his eyes at the promise of vigilante justice. ("What is the one thing a speeder can't outrun?" "Bullets! A laser! A laser-falcon!") Of course, there was a catch — and it was quite a doozy. The speed demon happened to be the very lady whose house Phil was desperately trying to sell to usurp Gill Thorpe as the Salesman of the Quarter. ("She wants to test me? They've been testing me my whole life. They won't find anything.") This led to a confrontation at an open house, filled with neighborly gossip and foot-in-mouth moments. We had thought that Phil had had a rough professional year, but are we to believe that his major battle here wasn't merely to stay afloat, but actually to ascend to the top spot at his company? At least the show regained its charm before dropping that little bombshell.
