Minor issues, if left unchecked, can balloon into monstrous proportions. Initially, they might seem insignificant, but with a sprinkle of neglect and a hint of passive aggression, even petty matters—such as tensions, disputes, or secrets—can fester and grow toxic. This principle applies equally to the characters in sitcoms, who, much like real individuals, often sidestep significant queries to preserve harmony. Last night’s episode of ‘Modern Family’ presented several profound dilemmas, only to gloss over them subsequently. Though it wasn’t the funniest installment lately, its tempered humor surpassed some of the season’s earlier, clumsier attempts. And while consistent laughter was somewhat lacking, we were compensated with vital character development.
The Pritchett-Dunphys
The episode commenced at a leisurely pace but gained momentum as Claire and Phil’s narrative concluded. Truthfully, their story wasn’t vastly different from the colossal squabble in the previous episode, and we couldn’t help but wish they had toned it down a bit. Alex and Haley resumed their fierce bickering, albeit their current spat paled in comparison to Alex’s attempt to expose Haley’s fake job from last week or Haley’s barb about Alex’s “lesbian sandals” earlier this season. Alex borrowed Haley’s newest beloved sweater, prompting Haley to retaliate, “Fine, I’ll just put on your favorite T-shirt—the one with the guy from ‘Back to the Future’ on it.” “That’s Albert Einstein! And it’s not nerdy,” Alex shot back. They both turned to Claire for solace. Claire conceded that the T-shirt was indeed nerdy but persuaded Haley to let Alex wear the sweater anyway. She suddenly became overly enthusiastic about fostering a sisterly bond where they could “do each other’s hair, share clothes, and gossip about boys, just like [she] used to do with Mitchell.” Needless to say, Claire’s scheme fell apart when Alex tore Haley’s sweater.
Embarking on a wild goose chase through the L.A. suburbs, Claire scoured for a replacement. Upon finding one and bringing it home, she discovered it still had a security tag attached. She broke the tag, got ink all over the new sweater, and handed it to Alex just as Haley walked in, promptly accusing her dear sister of the deed.
Meanwhile, Phil discovered a pair of soon-to-expire spa passes he and Claire had bought at a silent auction. He used them when he couldn’t find anyone else to give them to (despite trying: “I’ll give them to Florence Gunderman at work—her hands have looked gross ever since she took up the banjo”). After a season and a half of jokes about his lackluster masculinity, it took a trip to the spa for Phil to truly embody the alpha male. He ended up receiving a lesson in communication, empathy, and manipulating his wife’s irrational demands for his own benefit from a gaggle of sassy women also indulging in manicures. They informed him that his mistake was offering logical, reasonable responses to his wife’s endless complaints; instead, he should offer mindless empathy, regardless of the situation. It’s uncertain what’s sadder: that this approach worked on Claire or that it took Phil over seventeen years to figure it out.
The Pritchett-Tuckers... Or perhaps, simply the Tuckers? This moniker change stems from a revealing insight into Mitchell's mindset before he and Cameron officially welcomed Lily into their lives. Amid Cameron's anxiety-ridden anticipation of fatherhood, to the point where Mitchell feared Cameron might bolt, he subtly omitted their daughter's hyphenated surname on her adoption papers.
Cameron stumbles upon this revelation amidst his adoption advocacy campaign, where he's determined to destigmatize the word 'adoption' by clapping and cheering every time it's mentioned in Lily's presence. (Imagine him exclaiming, "What did Oprah do now?" only to respond, "She featured a 16-year-old who discovered her adoption, felt betrayed, ran away, and ended up as an airport stripper—not the heart-of-gold kind, mind you.") Cameron, engrossed in creating a scrapbook celebrating Lily's adoption and planning a book about two monkeys adopting a baby panda (to which Mitchell lies reassuringly, "I think this is a great project, and you'll finish it!"), is wearing an endearingly tiny rice paddy hat when he spots the birth certificate, realizing 'Tucker' is merely Lily's middle name.
Instantly, Cameron blames Mitchell for the omission, a seemingly harsh accusation until the truth unfolds—Mitchell did indeed leave it out. While Mitchell offers an apology, it lacks the depth required for such a sensitive matter. How could he have doubted Cameron's commitment so profoundly that he deliberately altered a legal document? This revelation uncovers an unexplored layer of mistrust in their relationship. Cameron retreats to Lily's nursery to ponder, but Mitchell soon follows with a heartfelt apology and, surprisingly, a first draft of 'Two Monkeys and a Panda!'—a genuinely charming gesture that reminds us Cam has always been the more enthusiastic parent, whereas Mitchell has often been petrified since adopting Lily.
Thumbs up for shedding this awkward yet illuminating light on their dynamics, provided they continue to delve deeper.
As for the Pritchett-Delgados, we've often grumbled about the show's relentless string of 'hot wife' jokes aimed at Jay this season. Beneath these jokes, we sensed a darker, sadder undertone—despite her looks, she's significantly younger, and surely Jay has contemplated the inevitable: his earlier demise compared to her youthful vitality. Would the show ever tackle this elephant in the room? After glossing over it during the Jay-and-Manny religion chat and ignoring Jay's appendicitis scare, we feared the answer was no. Yet, here it comes, unexpectedly and seemingly unrelated to past events, teeming with potential.
Jay has just attended a friend's funeral, which has sparked his desire to organize his affairs for the end of his life. Dragging Gloria along, he heads to the local mausoleum to consult with those offering plots for sale. Upon reaching their designated spot in the lengthy marble hallway, Jay宣布道, "Ta-da!" "Ta-da? What on earth is ta-da?" Gloria complains. "That's something you say when pulling off a trick or when a magician slices a lovely lady in half, not when you're presenting someone with a final resting place for their dead body," she remarks, clearly unconvinced. She insists on being buried in the earth. ("We don't want our bodies entombed here where God can't find us!" "These aren't like our drawers at home—people can find things in these," Jay counters.) The conversation begins to drag until they meet the Rutledges, another couple who are eager to know all about their "neighbors" (those whose corpses will rest beside theirs) and are so enthusiastic about their posthumous arrangements that they refer to it as "moving in." Upon seeing Gloria, they voice their concerns: she's much younger than Jay, so she might remarry, meaning they'd share eternal tomb space with a stranger.
This gives Jay plenty to ponder—whether Gloria will tie the knot again, how he'll measure up to the new guy, and how little time he has left with her. He has an insightful chat at the mini-bar with Manny (playing the role of a sympathetic bartender), who reveals just how many men tried to court his mother before she met Jay. Manny then passes along some personal information Gloria has never shared with Jay herself: "Of all the people out there, my mom fell in love with you. She said she fell for you during your first fight. She finally met her match." Cheered by this revelation, Jay knows exactly what to do: he gives Gloria an old coffee can and tells her she can have him cremated, place his ashes inside, and do whatever she wishes with it, because he doesn't care where he ends up, as long as it's with her. It's an odd, sweet, and somewhat melancholy moment, and one of Jay's finest—especially when it cuts to a couch interview where he's chuckling about haunting Gloria's next husband with his coffee-can presence on the mantle. And this marks the second week in a row we've concluded a recap with a mention of Jay's eventual demise. We'll wait until next season to start a betting pool on the exact timing.
