In this poignant episode of "Modern Family," nestled beneath a veneer of humor, lay profound family matters. Haley's casual, preface remark about a job that gives a real sense of worth — prefaced with "no offense, mom" — was neither malicious nor lingered over, yet an undercurrent of poignancy lingered in the air. Halfway through the half-hour episode, the veil was lifted to reveal that Claire, the diligent homemaker, community activist, and projectinitiator, had faced repeated rejection from five job applications in recent weeks. She was in a tailspin, grappling with the reality of being a financial bystander in her single-income family with three children."I attended college, you know? I yearn to contribute to my kids' education and to surprise my husband with a gift bought with my own earnings," she lamented. The poignancy deepened, and the narrative felt all the more authentic, as Claire's job hunt had been neither a focal storyline nor a hinted-at subplot until now. She felt awkward, possibly ashamed, confronting the truth that her role as a stay-at-home mom no longer fulfilled her. She was unfulfilled, as I mentioned: a dark, realistic portrayal.
Claire's subsequent comment about also coveting a pair of must-have boots might initially strike as slightly materialistic and superficial, but let's not overlook the nuance. Claire can be both selfish and an unwaveringly altruistic parent and wife. People are multifaceted; they often possess several layers.
One of the series' greatest strengths is its depiction of children maturing while adults remain ensnared somewhere between adolescence and full adulthood. Phil's fortune-cookie wisdom for Haley on her maiden workday sounded like a parent's hastily jotted notes after a Google search for parental advice: "Work hard; keep your eyes on the prize; stay focused." It promises an intriguing evolution as Haley and her parents draw closer, approaching a dynamic of equals. They can't indefinitely sustain the traditional parent-teen dynamic.
Mitchell's hates, succinctly enumerated, encompassed Farm, Fizbo, and the amalgamation of the two, Farmbo. The aversion to Farm is particularly heart-wrenching, given Cam's inexhaustible tales of farm life. Tonight, Cam's ghost of memories bore the full moniker of Billy-Bob Sheinberg. — two syllables, a hyphen, followed by one syllable — and a two-syllable surname.)
Curiously, do Luke and Claire share much screen time, engaging in meaningful conversations? Has anyone recently recalled a Claire-and-Luke tête-à-tête? Their couch scene felt oddly disconnected.
Gloria has been engaging her unborn child in captivating conversations through a microphone and belly suction cups, taking the fetus on a virtual tour of their abode, undoubtedly showcasing an impressive array of footwear. Meanwhile, Jay persists in his quaint ritual of affirming the baby's femininity by addressing it as a boy, uttering his hermit-like mantra with a twist of irony: "Ah, you'll do as you please; why bother with predictions?" Manny, ever the comical retorter,模仿着Jay那副万事皆通的口吻 to his soon-to-be sibling-in-utero, quipped, "Get accustomed to that. Sometimes, you just let go – until a scoop of sorbet lulls you into slumber."
The banter between the sensitive Manny and the sporty Luke, always a solid duo, explodes with dynamism in this scene. "Keep your eyes peeled!" Manny urges. "It's not natural to have a ball flying towards your face!" Luke counters, to which Manny replies, "Will you choke up a bit?" Luke, with a wink, responds, "Probably when they play the national anthem," and promptly beans Manny with the ball – twice, for good measure.
The conversation pivots to the notion of purchasing and flipping a house. Phil's emotional blame routine is nothing short of brilliant; it's slapstick comedy played out through the nuances of family dynamics, sans pies in the face. We find ourselves spiraling into a maelstrom of blackmail, dream-cheerleading, and fiscal honesty clashing in humorous disarray. And who could resist chuckling at Mitchell's peculiar running gait?
Mitchell, framed like a sinister Bond villain adorned in somber hues, with Larry the albino villain-cat perched on his lap, squares off against Phil "Chicken's My Secret Alias" Dunphy. Phil dramatically ensconces himself on the piano, and suddenly, we're amidst a genre parody – a passive-aggressive thriller where the suspense arises from the latent resentment mines buried beneath every interaction.
Gloria's baby is bound for an emotional release, judging by Vulture's supercut of Gloria's vociferous outbursts. Jay, ever the pragmatic traditionalist, dismisses the idea of raining on Gloria's singing parade with a dry wit, saying, "That's akin to bathing with a toaster." He's learning to keep his outdated, questionable sentiments to himself…or perhaps, to himself and the camera crew. Jay grabbing the mic and attempting, albeit ironically, to bond with the child is invaluable. He's hamming it up to distract Gloria, but secretly, he's reveling in every moment.
"Tough womb" stands out as the episode's sharpest witticism, yet it's embedded within a minefield of swift, wit-laden remarks that might escape the casual viewer – "you're just preaching to the choir's conductor," "blue yarn to complement your eyes, but I should've opted for black, to mirror your heart," "you actually unearthed a gem in the rough," "Studies? You're 13, go grab a comic book." Witnessing Claire and Cam pull off something extraordinary is thrilling, yet even more gratifying is how their triumph serves as a poignant lesson to their significant others: doubting and condescending to loved ones is far from ideal. The couples reconcile, Claire and Cam's prowess established, and everyone concurs to embark on the house-flipping adventure. It's heartening to see Claire, and to a lesser degree Cameron, assume the role of the sympathetic figures for a change.
Enter Jay, the quintessential skeptical patriarch. He voices the Raw, gut-wrenching thoughts that have been brewing within Mitch and Phil throughout the episode – their ignorance of construction, among other things. Then, he strikes gold with an observation that none had the time to ponder, one that's not easily brushed aside: family and business don't blend seamlessly. But hey, the show craves a fresh narrative catalyst, hence, "we bought a house!" Jay and Phil share the night's most insightful narrative moment (Phil offers some relatable wisdom: "That's the irony of marriage: you fall in love with an extraordinary person who, over time, starts to seem ordinary"). Gloria seems poised for her redeeming moment, stepping up to sing the national anthem that Manny was already set to get misty-eyed over. She nails the "ohh-ohh say can you," but struggles mightily with the "see" and subsequent words, rolling her R's grandeurly in "THE RRRRRROCKETS RRRRED GLARRRRE!" It becomes evident that Jay isn't just sensitively confiding in the camera for his confessional; he's subtly addressing his baby. See? He does cherish it.
P.S.: Alex is absent this week. Why doesn't the show address the whereabouts of its characters when they're MIA? Would it seem forced to insert a line about Alex attending a debate club meeting or something? It's peculiar for a child to be completely excluded from the family narrative for a week.
And so concludes ModFam's journey in 2012. Until we meet again on Jan. 9.
