I have to be honest that it’s been a while since I fully enjoyed a Modern Family episode, and this one certainly broke the ‘non-comic’ hiatus. In a nutshell, this episode is about how Lily’s first day at kindergarten is spoiled by a scuffle with a little boy, which resulted in a tense confrontation between Mitchell & Cameron and the boy’s lesbian parents; Phil and Claire’s humiliating antics as they drop off Haley at her college dormitory; and Jay and Gloria taking a class to prepare for their new baby upon Manny’s request.
The Mitchell & Cameron vs. the lesbian parents “face-off” was epic. The lesbians’ sheer masculinity accentuated Cameron’s overly-feminine motherly instincts. Ironically, Lily befriends the little boy (though they started off on the wrong foot), but their respective parents remained true to the “Venn Diagram of Gays and Lesbians” and realized that their viewpoints will never compromise.
On the other hand, any scene with hot Latina momma Gloria never fails to make anyone smile (or laugh). Her thick Latin accent is just priceless, not to mention how sexy she still is despite her pregnancy. That, combined with Jay’s humorous sarcasm and Manny’s witty remarks makes this family one of the more interesting ones in the show.
Last but not the least, Phil and Claire do not disappoint in fulfilling the ultimate American cliché: embarrassing their daughter on her first day at the college dormitory. From Claire buying Haley a box of 24 condoms (“just in case,” which scatter across the floor much to Haley’s roommate and her roommate’s dad’s dismay), to the Haley Dunphy Moving Co. personalized t-shirt, to Phil accidentally grabbing Haley’s roommate’s butt thinking it was Claire—one cannot help but laugh at this family’s crazy but highly relatable antics. I was quite moved by how towards the end of the episode, Haley calls her parents to tell them how much she missed them, despite the fact that she kicked them out of her dorm because they embarrassed the living hell out of her. I suppose that on this front, Modern Family successfully tugged at the heartstrings of its viewers.
What I especially loved about this episode was the introduction of Phil’s “Phil’s-osophy,” a compilation of life lessons penned by Phil which he gave to Haley as she entered college, and essentially, adulthood. At this point, I really wish Phil’s-osophywill make it to bookstores much like The Bro Code and The Playbook from How I Met Your Mother. Where else can you get dorky inspirational wisdom such as “When life gives you lemonade, make lemons. Life will be all like WHAAAAT?”
Conclusion
This episode cleverly combined aspects of humor, drama and life lessons into one of the best 20 minutes in Modern Family history. Two thumbs up!
AKDS Rating
A
I'm so happy you reviewed this episode because I too thought it was BRILLIANT. Although the premiere was sort of disappointing, and the third episode was a tad weak, this hour was just phenomenal!
On the comedic side, the battle between the gay parents was indeed epic and finally gave Cam & Mitch something fun to do. Vergara was of course hilarious as usual as she slammed the doll baby down proclaiming she won, and of course the Dunphy family antics were awesome. On the emotional side, I loved Haley's goodbye call. It was extremely touching and it further cemented the show as really fantastic when everything is on point!
Oh, and if Phil's book comes out in bookstores (which is what I'm hoping for too), consider me first in line to buy ten copies 🙂
Good review, AKDS. What does these letters stand for?
My favorite comedy scene was the wardrobe malfunctions suffered by Sofia. hahaha.
I agree with the serious segment with Haley's video calls; especially those with Alex.
It was truly touching for this sisters to discuss things they couldn't openly discuss with their parents. Julie Bowen's facial expressions on this scene is what made her the best actress that she is.
Hi PlatinumRosebud, those are actually my initials. 🙂
I heard the 2nd and 3rd episodes were aired consecutively, but I've only seen the 2nd one so far. I'm looking forward to watching the 3rd!