Heading into this week's installment of "Modern Family," anticipation was sky-high: the eagerly awaited return of Claire and Mitchell's eccentric mother, DeDe, portrayed by the hilarious Shelley Long! Adding to the excitement was Matt Dillon's guest appearance as Claire's high-school sweetheart, and, most significantly, the grand celebration of Lily's birthday! Perhaps due to its ambitious scope, however, the episode fell somewhat short, with each storyline struggling to receive the attention it deserved.
The Pritchett-Delgado Saga
At the outset, it seemed Jay and Gloria's subplot would revolve around Gloria's still-shaky command of the English language, poised to resurface as a humorous device. Gloria embarked on a birthday shopping spree for Lily and came back with an interactive children's book that allowed long-distance relatives or absent parents to record themselves reading it, for the child to listen to as they turned the pages. Manny yearned for a cashmere throw, while Jay harbored doubts about the idea. He recalled the answering machine fiasco, prompting a flashback to their contentious debate on when and how to say "beep." (Considering her hilarious reaction to a misdirected email a few weeks prior, it seemed evident that an entire episode dedicated to Gloria's frustrating encounters with household gadgets was long overdue.) Despite their reservations, the family gathered on the couch, Jay clutching his drink, to stumble through "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." The scene was awkward: Jay's failing eyesight, Manny's over-concern for his performance, Gloria's exaggerated pronunciation of every word, and intermittent sniping among them all led to a stagnation in momentum. Midway through the episode, Gloria revealed her nervousness about attending Lily's birthday party because Jay's ex-wife, none other than Mitchell and Claire's mom DeDe, would be present. Jay cunningly used his wife's apprehension as leverage to backtrack on committing to his friend's daughter's upcoming baptism. However, Gloria summoned her courage at the eleventh hour: "We cannot let other people make us miss important family events," she declared firmly. "Am I going to miss Alex's graduation and all of Haley's weddings just because of DeDe?"
The Pritchett-Dunphy Drama
It had been nearly a season and a half since DeDe Pritchett's last appearance, when she returned to make amends after her embarrassing antics at Jay and Gloria's wedding. She was remembered as a slightly crazy, New Age-inclined grandmother, her defensiveness somewhat justified by her ex-husband's recent remarriage to a younger woman. Despite her erratic behavior, she was somewhat endearing, even when she attempted to choke Gloria. Upon her return, she remained her undermining self, causing Claire to gulp down white wine.
In the past, she was emotionally raw, shaken, and seemingly uncertain about all the life choices she had made. In this episode, however, she came across as unnecessarily bitchy. The family employed various strategies to navigate this treacherous terrain: Alex resigned herself to cello practice (with the "Jaws" theme cleverly accompanying grandma's grand entrance), and Luke embarked on a cuteness campaign. But DeDe outdid them all by bringing Claire's high-school beau Robbie (played by a restrained Matt Dillon), now a sleazy professional limo driver. ("Whoa, you came here in a limo? Are you rich?" "Luke, that's not polite. Maybe Robbie isn't rich, but he needs a limo because he has a lot of DUIs.") Briefly, it seemed as if DeDe had brought him to force him onto Claire, but no! We thought DeDe had happily retired to Canada with some equally eccentric new spouse, but it turned out she and Robbie were acting on a bizarre, long-dormant mutual crush. No amount of Chardonnay could soothe Claire, who eventually erupted at Lily's birthday party. DeDe was spared her daughter's wrath by Jay, who pulled her aside. She began a confession that initially hinted at granting her some much-needed sympathy: "I divorced you because I was looking for something else, and I haven't found it. But when I come back here, I feel like I have to prove something." However, Gloria, still under the influence of her chosen coping mechanism, stumbled into the picture, and DeDe seized the opportunity, leading to an unnecessary catfight.
The Pritchett-Tuckers: A Tale of Recycled Plots and Underdeveloped Characters
Despite the plethora of recycled plot devices, we found ourselves somewhat dissatisfied with the portrayal of Lily in the episode. This was a domain where we expected more nuance and depth — after all, how could one resist a character as adorable as Lily, who promises fascinating storylines (such as her princess-themed birthday party, organized by her gay dads!) and then fall short of delivering on that promise?
The interactions among the adult characters were, admittedly, delightful. Cameron was determined to revive his old Fizbo the Clown routine for the party. So much so that when Mitch reminded him of the princess theme, Cameron adapted the character introduction into a chilling, Dickensian fever dream, transforming the court jester into a terrifying figure. The showdown between Cam and the hired princess impersonator was equally entertaining, as Cam provoked her into breaking character and then scolded her in front of all the children. And who could forget the heartwarming moment when Mitch finally gave in and allowed Cam to bring out Fizbo? This sequence revealed another layer of their relationship, blending sweetness with warmth.
However, there's one character we still know very little about: Lily, who received a mere 45 seconds of screen time during her own birthday party episode. Sure, she's still tiny and it might be unreasonable to expect too much from such a young actor. Yet, it feels like the perfect time to develop her character beyond that of a mere prop. Perhaps our disappointment stems from our fondness for the first-season episode about Luke's birthday party — we craved a similar experience, even though consecutive seasons focusing on children's parties might seem excessive.
Then again, the showrunners have shown no qualms about involving their female characters in petty catfights. So, there's still a glimmer of hope that Lily's character might receive the attention and development she deserves.
