After a fortnight-long journey uncovering the marvels of Other People, the majority of the Pritchett-Tucker-Delgado-Dunphy brood has returned, grappling anew with, and gaping at, their own kind—and oh, how they are indeed wrestling and staring in awe.
The Pritchett-Tuckers, weary of their sole dining option within walking distance (apartment? Last week left us equally puzzled), Shawarma City, a vaguely Middle Eastern eatery whose menu seemingly comprised solely of "chicken" and "meat," with minimal English comprehension, rejoiced at the opening of Amelia’s. However, their elation dimmed when securing a reservation at a decent hour proved elusive. But wasn't this precisely the reason they adopted a child? To wield her undeniable charm as a passkey to the heart of the owner, whose son, Jackson, shared preschool camaraderie with Lily?
Armed with their daughter, they trotted over to bond with Jackson (deemed a dullard but truthfully exuding more zest for life than Lily) and cozy up to his mom, portrayed by Rachael Harris. She exuded a cool vibe, yet Harris's filmography hinted at a sharp, malevolent facet to her character. They exchanged witty banter about mid-century furniture, Yorkshire terriers, and loveless unions, until a chilling revelation struck as they overheard her phone conversation, threats aimed at a contractor. This ominous undercurrent grew more personal when she entrusted them with the kids to dash to her restaurant, leading to Cam's accidental juice-box爆破 on her pristine, $50,000 white rug—a piece Cam recognized from the pages of Architectural Digest, mistakingly attributed first to Diane Keaton, then to Anjelica Huston. ("I saw it in Architectural Digest—it costs $50,000! It was in Diane Keaton’s house. No, wait, it was in… what's her name's house? Uh, from Prizzi’s Honor. Yes, her! Oh, she was in The Addams Family, you know, she—" "Anjelica Huston!")
Occasionally, we fret that these two characters might be overly indulging in Über-gay stereotypes—their fascination with Hollywood divas, their musical-theater obsessions. Yet, we cherish moments when these traits feel genuine facets of their personalities, rather than narrowly imposed, cliché labels. This particular joke landed well: Cam and Mitch's debate over whose Grande Dame's rug it might be, skillfully interspersed with the high-drama of carpet-staining, which was humorous precisely because it underscored how trivial the stakes had been to begin with. Subsequently, perhaps offering further testament to their aversion to all children save their own (recall Bobby, the falsely accused biter), they attempted to pin the spill on uninteresting Jackson, sparking an allergy scare, an Epi-Pen wielding, followed by a nervous confession and a lifelong banishment to Shawarma Palace. Oh well, their No. 19 special did look mighty tempting.
In the absence of Manny this week, who's off with his dad—Benjamin Bratt's somewhat eerie character we haven't laid eyes on since last season—Gloria and Jay are jetting off to Vegas for a weekend getaway. Jay quips, "Come on, let's go! We'll need a bit more time at airport security; I'm certain they'll want to give you a thorough pat-down," leaving one to wonder, oh my goodness, is he for real? Just two seconds into the episode? This has got to be a new speed record for Jay to make a blatantly lustful remark about his wife's physique, especially commendable since he refrained from doing so throughout last week's entire episode. And this time, it was particularly special, imagining a total stranger potentially breaching national security protocols just to get a feel of her.
Before Gloria dashes off to endure a husband-approved grope by a sexually frustrated TSA agent tempted by all that X-ray nudity, she needs to shoot an email to Claire, backing out of the school bake sale. Their little weepfest in the bathroom at the middle-school dance evidently didn't stick, and now they're back to squabbling and outdoing each other on PTA committees. Agitated, she dictates her fiery criticism of Claire's bossiness to Jay, who promises to tone it down into something polite. However, as a prank, he writes exactly what she said, and Gloria accidentally sends the message as is. Enter an astonishing, precise, and poignant technological fiasco: "Oy, oy, what's that whoosh? Where's the email? It's sent! Make it come back!" Jay dismisses her worries (because, let's face it, he didn't marry her to nurture her feelings) and they head towards the airport, but Gloria insists on calling Claire during the ride. Phil answers, sounding anxious, and Claire oddly refuses to come to the phone, leading Gloria to assume the worst and forcing Jay to make a detour to the Dunphy's place.
At the Dunphy residence, the true scene unfolding is a celebration of Claire and Phil's anniversary. However, shopping for them is no mean feat, as their children humorously acknowledge ("We think it's hard; we've never really tried," Haley remarks, her absence notably missed). Determined to surprise their beloved parents, the kids decide to serve them breakfast in bed. Clutching trays, they creep towards the master bedroom, swing open the door, and are met with an unexpected sight of their parents in a compromising position. Sheets are hastily pulled up, intimate moments are abruptly halted, scrambled eggs are accidentally tossed aside, and eyes are hastily averted. In such situations, it's challenging to discern who is more flustered – the parents or the children.
Upstairs, Phil and Claire attempt to compose themselves and devise a strategy to navigate this awkward situation. Phil proposes a joke to lighten the mood: "Just brainstorming here, but what if I say, 'Knock knock'? They reply, 'Who's there?' And I respond, 'Someone who doesn't want to see their parents at it – that's why we knocked!'" On the other hand, Claire recalls an incident where she walked in on her own parents and is determined to turn this into a more educational moment for her family than she ever had.
Meanwhile, downstairs, the kids react as if they've witnessed a crime: Alex vigorously scrubs her eyes at the sink, Haley paces nervously, and Luke struggles to process what he's just seen: "What were they doing? Whatever it was, it looked like Dad was winning." The parents' solution is to talk to their children, while the kids' solution is a swift exit. Just as they're slipping out the door, Jay and Gloria arrive to apologize for the bake-sale mix-up, causing a chaotic and bewildering "Who's on first?"-style confusion. Gloria empathizes with Claire, sharing, "It happened to me before with another woman, and I was the one receiving it – and it hurt. Maybe if you let go a little and taste my cupcakes, I'll join you." Phil nearly faints at this remark, a reaction that his actor Ty Burrell portrays with remarkable talent. Should there be an Emmy for excellence in turning pale from sexual innuendo overload?
In the end, everything is mostly resolved. The kids return home, the Family Sex Talk ensues, and life resumes its normal course. We can't help but wonder how Manny would have reacted to the entire ordeal. Nevertheless, kudos to the show for addressing the issue of parental sex and demonstrating how, rather than distressing children, it can be framed as a positive and wonderful aspect of life. So, when will the gay couple get their turn?
