David Cross is experiencing a week filled with triumphs. The exciting news broke that he and his fellow "Arrested Development" cast members will be reprising their roles for eight fresh episodes and potentially a feature film. Additionally, just the previous evening, Cross embarked on a narrative arc in another documentary-inspired sitcom, delving into the eccentricities of a quirky family, replete with numerous double meanings and enduring jokes. Although "Modern Family" has established itself more as a mainstream staple than a cult favorite, one can only hope that Cross's edgy demeanor will help mitigate the show's more sentimental undertones. Time will undoubtedly reveal more, but it seems improbable that "Teachable Moments" will arise in the presence of the actor who portrayed TV's ultimate never-nude character.
Last night's "Life Lessons" didn't neatly tie up all its loose ends, but there was certainly some wrapping paper involved. Manny needed to sell his belongings to fund the drama club's trip to see "Les Misérables." Jay saw this fundraising endeavor as an opportunity to impart his wisdom on salesmanship to Manny, dishing out cheesy business maxims akin to those found in "Who Moved My Cheese?" Such as, "A great salesman chases Moby Dick in a rowboat, and brings the tartar sauce along for the ride." Despite Jay's attempt to inspire Manny with his motivational spiel, he couldn't help him secure any sales in the neighborhood. A defeated Manny lamented that he would never possess Jay's business prowess. Anguish abounded! However, Jay let Manny off the hook by agreeing to purchase all the wrapping paper himself. In response, Manny imparted his own business lesson: "You'll never go broke catering to a wealthy man's ego." One point for Manny, the master manipulator. You're destined for great heights in the corporate world, young man.
While Jay and Manny were engaging in their "Glengarry Glen Ross"-inspired drama, Gloria was also canvassing the neighborhood. Gloria and Stella had resumed their rivalry (that dog sure can leap!), and when Gloria banished her four-legged adversary outside for a timeout, she forgot to close the gate. Stella went missing, prompting a frantic Gloria to enlist Cam's help in finding her. Cam, donning a white undershirt and roaming the streets while shouting "STELLA! STELLA!" was an "inadvertent Stanley Kowalski," relishing his "A Streetcar Named Desire" moment, albeit his screams were more reminiscent of Vivien Leigh than Marlon Brando. They eventually discovered Stella being walked by a snooty little girl named Blanche, who refused to relinquish the dog. Silly Blanche believed that if she screamed loudly enough, Cam and Gloria would retreat, but they knew better. Cam and Gloria's over-the-top personas came in handy as they screamed back, emitting terrifying sounds that Manny described as "Coyotes must've got a cat."
Cam's antics weren't confined to the streets; he also made a mess at home. He scribbled a note on an old magazine regarding a rescheduled adoption agency home visit, but neither he nor Mitchell could decipher it ("It blends into Jennifer Aniston's hair"). Even worse, he left the kitchen in disarray after preparing crepes for breakfast. Mitchell knew that Cam hated messiness as much as he did; it's just that Cam always expected Mitchell to clean up after him. It was time for Mitchell to make a statement: When Cam returned home, he was horrified to find the kitchen still in disarray. Mitchell escalated the situation by making the house even dirtier. It all culminated in a Chekhov's gun moment—if a home visit was rescheduled at the episode's outset, then the adoption agency representative would arrive at the end when the house resembled a pigsty. Just as the representative was about to arrive, Mitchell had finished creatively spraying Cam and Lily with whipped cream ("Do you want a princess hat?").
Mitchell isn't the solitary soul in need of a touch more domestic reinforcement. At a perilously tricky crossroads, Claire narrowly avoids a collision with Phil, who was blissfully unaware as he indulged in a perilous mix: "speed-walkin' and Speedwagon." Safety-conscious Claire decides to spearhead a campaign for a stop sign, necessitating 50 signatures to present her proposal to the city's traffic committee. She's in need of assistance, but unlike the steadfastly supported protagonist from "The Blind Side," Claire finds herself without a cheering section among the Dunphys, each preoccupied with their own endeavors. Alex is entangled in homework or Skyping with her beau; Haley is engrossed in "perfecting her college essay"; and Phil and Luke are consumed with crafting the ultimate YouTube video, a project that entails a basketball, Phil's cranium, and Phil's assertion that "if Luke perceives me as one of his dim-witted buds, I've aced fatherhood." (Hint for future viral attempts, guys: capture Stella bouncing around while Gloria whips up breakfast — talented French bulldogs are YouTube's ticket to fame!)
Ty Burrell is shining brightly this season, weaving humor into even the most disposable lines, such as when Phil greets Claire with a playful "hey, gurl," exuding charm and jokeliness in one fell swoop. And Julie Bowen is in her element as the harried housewife teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Perhaps a spark of novelty could jolt her out of her rut. Enter David Cross, portraying the gleefully obnoxious head of the city's traffic committee, who holds potential as a formidable adversary for both. Last night marked a promising debut, with Claire squaring off against Cross's petulant bureaucrat, a man more captivated by his cake preferences than by Claire's plea. Her start is rocky, but the Dunphy clan rallies just in time — Haley and Alex arrive with additional signatures, while Luke and Phil present a custom-made video featuring Phil's alter ego, loverboy Clive Bixby, delivering his PSA prowess ("STOP the madness"). Yet, does the Dunphys' "Brady Bunch"-style collaboration actually make a dent? The traffic committee remains unimpressed, with Cross's character scornfully spitting out his much-talked-about cake. It seems the battle has merely commenced, and we eagerly anticipate witnessing the Dunphys' fight against City Hall — particularly against one bald, bespectacled jerk.
