Reviews : TV
'Modern Family' commentary, Part I

By Danielle St. Marie,
News Editor
December 9, 2010

This column follows the ABC show "Modern Family," which airs at 9 PDT on Wednesdays. Check here regularly for a synopsis and commentary on each episode.

After the Dec. 8 episode, "Modern Family" went on its winter hiatus. Commentaries on episodes that aired after the break are available in 'Modern Family' commentary, Part II.

'Dance Dance Revelation' (Ep. 10)
Originally aired on Dec. 8, 2010

Manny and Luke prepare for their first school dance by shopping at the mall. Manny wants a teal pocket square, while Luke is in desperate need of a new suit. Both Phil and Jay take the boys for their shopping extravaganza. As Phil is about to park the car, another driver takes the spot. Jay says that Phil should get angry and fight for the spot, but Phil explains that it is not important.

Mitchell and Cam take Lily to the park and are informed by another mother that their daughter bit her son. Both Cam and Mitchell are defensive, claiming that Lily has never bitten anyone before and that the mother is blaming them because they are gay parents.

To prepare for the school dance, the mothers volunteer and decorate the auditorium for their respective kids. Claire has been actively involved in this process ever since Haley was 12, so she feels Gloria is stealing the spot light. The other mothers like Gloria's ideas, causing Claire to become jealous.

While at the mall, Manny finds the pocket square he needs and Luke finds a suit on sale. Unfortunately for Manny, Luke had bought the same color tie as him. As the boys wait in line to pay, a man cuts in front of them, frustrating Jay.

Immediately afterward, Phil leaves to find Luke some socks. Jay then sees the guy who "stole their parking spot." Jay goes over to confront the guy, but finds out that his dog had died, causing the guy to cry in Jay's arms. While Phil is looking for socks, a salesman sprays Oasis for Men in Phil's face. This flusters Phil, causing him to go crazy and attack the man with the cologne.


Phil is arrested for spraying the salesman with Oasis for Men. Jay comes to get Phil and explains that it is his fault for putting too much pressure on him for getting upset about the parking spot. After Jay delivers his apology, he asks what Phil had done, but then is embarrassed by his son-in-law's actions.

Mitchell and Cam learn that Lily is actually biting. They blame each other because she learns from their actions. To stop her habits, Mitchell reads what other parents have done on an online forum.

The boys go to the dance wearing matching ties. While the dance is going on, Claire realizes that the dance is really about the kids, not what is happening between Gloria and herself.

Since Lily had seen her dads fighting over the online suggestions, she is now hitting people. While Mitchell is brushing Lily's teeth, Cam receives a phone call from a friend who was attacked by a man spraying cologne on him.

This episode was entertaining to watch, as it showcased everyone's quirky personalities. Phil and Claire were the highlight of the episode, displaying their personalities perfectly.

My favorite part of the episode is when Phil attacks the salesman with cologne. As always, this show makes me laugh with its quick, humorous wit that is easily relatable.





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'Mother Tucker' (Ep. 9)
Originally aired on Nov. 24, 2010

Haley is being tutored by David, whom she likes due to their make-out sessions. Claire tells Haley that if she likes David, then she needs to break up with Dylan. Phil thinks the only reason Claire wants Haley to break up with Dylan is because he is not good enough for their daughter.

Cameron's mom, Barb, comes to visit. Mitchell likes Barb, except for the fact that she touches him very inappropriately. Since Cam thinks his mom is the best mother in the world, Mitchell hesitates to complain to Cameron about her uncomfortable manners.

Jay complains about not feeling well, but Gloria says that Americans are babies. She explains how, in Colombia, people would do the toughest things to survive. In a cutscene, she demonstrates this by ramming her shoulder into the wall to set it back into place after dislocating it during ping-pong.

Dylan comes to the Dunphy house to get back his stuff. While Dylan is in Haley's room, Phil walks in and bonds with him. Later, Dylan and Phil go shopping for a guitar. After the shopping, both Phil and Dylan get something to eat; while Phil is away from the table, Haley sees Dylan and concludes that he is dating someone.

To get Cam to notice his mother's inappropriate actions, Mitchell attempts to have her touch him in Cam's presence. By doing this, Cam thinks Mitchell is throwing himself at Barb, when in reality Cam happens to have his back turned during the improper moments. After Cam notices Mitchell's behavior, they retreat to Lily's room to discuss it. Soon after, Barb walks in and hears the accusations.

Jay and Manny surf the Web to figure out what is wrong with him. Gloria walks in and tells Jay to deal with the pain, because he will be fine. After Gloria leaves, Jay tells Manny to give him a 15-minute head start to the hospital before he tells his mother. When Jay arrives to the hospital, the doctor informs him that he has acute appendicitis and will need emergency surgery. Gloria feels guilty that she did not believe Jay and consequently had made him suffer for two days.

Barb makes amends with Mitchell while he is in the bathroom. When all is well, she walks into the bathroom to find him sitting in the tub. While talking to him, she drops her bracelet into the tub and, without hesitation, reaches after it. Soon after, Cam walks in and explains to his mother that this is one of those moments that make Mitchell uncomfortable.

Haley is missing Dylan, because he was her first boyfriend. She is also jealous, since she thinks he is already dating someone else. Dylan comes over, and the truth is out that he had been with Phil and not with a girl. Haley wants to get back with Dylan, but he says he needs time to be with himself before he dates again. Phil comforts his daughter by saying, "I know it hurts because it was a relationship worth having."

Since last week's episode was really good, this episode was somewhat disappointing in comparison. Even though it was entertaining, the episode was pretty average.

I was sad that this episode did not revolve around Thanksgiving, because it would be entertaining to watch the large, complex family during the holiday. However, I look forward to the Christmas season and anticipate what the Pritchett clan will do.

'Manny Get Your Gun' (Ep. 8)
Originally aired on Nov. 17, 2010

The Pritchett family is celebrating Manny's birthday, but everyone except Jay, Claire and Mitchell is running late. Claire attempts to get her family moving, but fails due to both Luke and Phil not wearing shoes. As Mitchell and Cam leave the mall for the restaurant, vendors distract Cam, causing Mitchell to get frustrated.

As the Dunphys are trying to leave their house, Phil brings up family camp from the previous summer. Besides Phil, nobody liked camp. Since Phil was on the white team last year, Claire points out that he has learned nothing by wearing a shirt saying, "If you ain't white, you ain't right,-- while encountering an African American cab driver. Phil could not understand why the man was upset at him.

After the dispute about family camp, Phil and Claire fight over which route to the restaurant would be faster. To settle this, both decide to separate and take separate cars.

For his birthday Jay gives Manny a pistol BB gun. Even though the package said 16 and up, Jay tells Manny that he was born 16. This hits Manny hard, since he feels like he has missed out on his childhood. While this is occurring, Gloria is roaming around the house like a mad woman, looking for her car keys.

While Claire is driving with Luke, she explains that the system works if people drive the designated speed limit. Luke, unfortunately, thinks his parents are actually separating, but Claire clarifies and is wondering why Luke chooses Phil over her. Unlike Claire, Phil is driving crazy to prove a point to his wife and does not pay attention to the road, almost getting into an accident.

As Cam and Mitchell leave the outdoor mall, they encounter an old man trying to win back what appears to be his wife after an argument. Cam helps them and eventually learns that the woman is actually the man's mistress; both Cam and Mitchell immediately leave.

To relive his childhood, Manny makes a prank call and mixes together different sodas. Manny reveals to Jay that he needs to do all of the childish things while he still has time. While Manny is goofing around, Gloria is still looking for her keys. Jay finds Gloria's keys and puts them into her purse, to make it seem like she had found them.

Jay tells his wife to look in her purse. When she finds her keys, she is upset that he put them in there. While the dispute is taking place, Manny is in the pool explaining that he no longer wants to go out for his party. Gloria is furious and says no while shooting his inflatable lounger. Manny and Jay both freak out, not realizing that Gloria has a deadly shot. To get her family moving, Gloria says that Jay is a boy who does not want to admit that he is wrong and Manny is an old man.

After Cam and Mitchell depart from the old couple, they get into an argument about being spontaneous. While they discuss this, a flash mob occurs in the middle of the mall and Mitchell jumps in. Mitchell had known about the flash mob from a coworker and had learned the dance, but Cam is upset that Mitchell jumped in without him.

Claire asks Luke why he would want to live with Phil instead of her. Luke's response is that his dad is a lot more fun than his mom. Claire tells Luke that today he will have two fun parents and speeds off. Everyone in the Prichett clan is speeding off toward the restaurant and almost gets into one giant accident.

While at dinner, Manny says that he has plenty of time to act like a kid, since everyone else is still a kid. After Manny gives his speech, the family forgives their partner for whatever they had been fighting about before. Later, Jay once again finds Gloria's keys and attempts to put them into an icebox, but Gloria shoots off the lid with the BB gun, causing Jay to retreat with his hands up.

This episode was by far one of my favorites this season, surpassing the Halloween episode. I personally enjoyed the flash mob, because it brought back entertaining memories of a flash mob which occurred at our school last year.

In addition, I thought Gloria was hilarious with her deadly shot. She is someone who I would not suspect to have an accurate shot, so this side of her makes her very intimidating. I really enjoyed this episode and look forward to next week.

'Chirp' (Ep. 7)
Originally aired on Nov. 3, 2010

At the Dunphy house, a chirping smoke alarm is causing Phil to go on a rampage to find which alarm needs a new battery. As Phil is running around the house, Claire informs him that she is sick but does not have time to recover. Phil tells her to stay home and that he will take care of everything.

Haley's boyfriend, Dylan, comes to pick her up for school. Claire thinks that Haley should date other guys and explore her options instead of settling for Dylan. Over at the young Pritchetts' house, Cam tries to get Lily an audition for a local commercial, but Mitchell wants her to have a normal childhood.

Gloria celebrates all "major" milestones in her relationship with Jay, but Jay does not remember every event. For lunch, Gloria and Manny come to pick up Jay; however, while there, Manny drives a forklift through a wall. Since Manny had gotten hurt, Jay fires the guy responsible for letting a child ride dangerous machinery. Manny wants to give the guy another chance, but Jay immediately says that it is his business and he will run it how he wants to.

In addition to Claire, Haley develops a cold, causing her to stay home with her mother and watch soap operas. While sick, Dylan calls Haley, firing up Claire's emotions about her daughter's choice in men. While fixing the fire detectors, Phil calls a client to inform them that a house price has dropped. After Phil ends his phone call, Luke walks in wearing an astronaut's helmet to prevent himself from getting sick.

Claire makes references from the soap opera to Haley to imply how she should date other guys. Haley thinks that her mom is referring to her relationship with Phil, causing Haley to worry that her parents are not in a strong relationship.

Mitchell finds out that Cam got Lily the part in the commercial and is upset that he went behind his back. While there, Mitchell realizes that, not only is Cam living through his daughter, but the commercial stereotypes Asians. Soon after, Cam comes to understand what Mitchell means and pulls his daughter out of the commercial.

Jay has no idea where he is meeting Gloria for dinner, so he attempts to get the information from both Gloria and Manny. Manny initially refuses to tell Jay where dinner is. But before Jay leaves, he calls Manny his own kid, causing Manny to break down and reveal where Jay should meet Gloria.

Back at the Dunphy house, Claire and Haley talk about guys, and Haley tells her mom that she needs to stick to her commitment. This causes a red flag with Claire; but, before she could say anything, Phil goes crazy and breaks the fire alarms off the wall. Claire goes to Phil and tells him that she knows that this month has been stressful for him, wanting him to lean on her more for help. Haley sees her parents "make up" and thinks that she fixed her parents. Phil eventually realizes that it is the fire alarm in the attic that is chirping.

This episode was not extremely funny like that of the previous week, but it was still entertaining. I found the situation of the chirping fire alarm to be humorous, as I can relate to the difficulty of finding an alarm in need of new batteries.

Another element I thought was good was the miscommunication between Claire and Haley, because when people try to be discreet about things it is very easy for them to be misinterpreted. The other aspects of the episode were entertaining but were not highlights for me. As always, I look forward to next week's episode.

'Halloween' (Ep. 6)
Originally aired on Oct. 27, 2010

As Halloween is around the corner, members of the Dunphy family play practical jokes on each other. Since Mitchell had recently changed his job, he does his best to not be the new guy. He overhears some co-workers who are dressing up, and decides that he will take part in their fun.

To prepare for Halloween, the Dunphys decorate their house as the "House of Horrors." Alex has no idea what she will be for Halloween, but Haley dresses as a black cat. This risque costume causes Claire to lash out at her daughter, forcing her to find new attire.

While the chaos is occurring at the Dunphys', Claire is on the phone with Jay asking if they have their costumes. To answer his daughter, Jay asks Gloria about the costumes, but he cannot understand what she is saying through her accent.

Mitchell goes to work dressed up as Spiderman, but immediately realizes that only two guys are dressed up. He freaks out because he is the new guy, and he does not want to be associated with the "dorks."

To save himself from embarrassment, Mitchell wears a suit over his Spiderman costume; he is grateful that he had left the dry-cleaning in the car. With every step, Mitchell makes noticeable noise, which annoys his boss at the firm. His co-workers notice that Mitchell has been working out, since they can see his "muscles."

Mitchell goes into the bathroom to change out of his Spiderman costume. However, he drops some clothes in the toilet, and the janitor walks out with his shirt. Mitchell calls Cam for help, but then realizes that, being Spiderman, he can scale the building to get to his car. Much to his chagrin, he sets off the car alarms, eliciting attention from the entire office.

Haley presents her new costume by dressing as Mother Teresa ("when she was hot"). Claire is not OK with her daughter's outfit, and covers her up.

The entire clan is gathered at the Dunphy house to scare children. Claire and Phil are a dead bride and groom, Jay is a gargoyle, Mitchell is a scarecrow and Gloria is a "bruja" (witch). To the surprise of everyone else, Gloria speaks with an American accent, as a result of Jay's criticism.

As kids walk through the house, all of Claire's plans go awry. Claire gets upset because Halloween is her only holiday, since everyone else in the family takes charge of the other holidays. As Phil calms Claire down, the family runs the -House of Horrors-- correctly, pleasing Claire.

Shortly after, the family once again pokes fun at Gloria for pronouncing words wrong. At first Gloria finds it funny; but it goes too far, so she kicks everyone out of her house.

This episode is by far the best this season. I love the practical Halloween jokes that the family plays on each other. The embarrassment Mitchell faces is hilarious, since Halloween can present some awkward moments.

Even though Haley had attempted to dress inappropriately, I was glad to see Claire object to her daughter's costume choice. Although this episode involves Halloween, the theme is presented very well. As I was entertained throughout this entire episode, I am eagerly anticipating the next.

'Unplugged' (Ep. 5)
Originally aired on Oct. 20, 2010

During the night, a neighborhood dog sporadically barks, preventing Manny from sleeping. Jay makes a joke about the situation, explaining that Gloria can sleep through it because she is Colombian. This bothers Gloria, but she moves on and knows it is just Jay.

Mitchell discovers that Lily's friends are no longer available for play dates due to their enrollment in preschool. Both Cam and Mitchell freak out, feeling that they have missed the opportunity, and that she will forever be behind the other kids.

At the Dunphy house, nobody is talking to each other because they are all on electronics. This frustrates Claire, so she tells everyone to put down their devices. While Claire is dealing with her family, Mitchell calls; he is upset that Lily is not in preschool, and asks Claire to set up a meeting with the preschool her kids went to. Mitchell explains that Lily should attend the expensive private school, Billingsley Academy, but Claire says it is unnecessary.

Gloria and Jay talk to the neighbor about his dog and ask why he barks a lot, causing a fight. Tthe neighbor lashes back, explaining how he never complains about their parrot. The Pritchetts do not own a parrot, however; the neighbor was referring to Gloria.

Both Claire and Phil make a house rule that everyone in the family will give up electronics. Alex is upset because she has a paper to write and cannot use the Internet, but has to write the old-fashioned way. To make it interesting, Phil says that whoever can last the longest without using electronics will get whatever they want: Alex, a new computer; Luke, chicken pot pie; and Haley, a new car. Phil makes the promise to all of the kids, and Claire is upset because she has no faith that her husband will outlast their kids.

Mitchell and Cameron have an interview at Wagon Wheel preschool for Lily. The secretary says to them that they are a shoe-in at any preschool because they are a gay couple with a minority child. Schools like to brag about diversity, so she feels that any school would love to have them.

The neighbor accuses Gloria for taking his dog, because the dog is no longer in the backyard. Jay is worried that Gloria had killed the dog, remembering how she once brutally killed a rat with a shovel.

Alex is upset because she received a B on her paper. Her father is happy for her, but she explains how awful it is and how her information was outdated, due to the lack of Internet use. Alex quits the no-electronics policy along with Luke, who wants to watch videos on YouTube. Haley asks for a bar of soap and a black marker for an "art project."

Since Mitchell and Cameron are in "high demand," they schedule an interview at Billingsley. Even though Wagon Wheel wants them, Mitchell takes a chance for this school.

Jay and Manny go into the garage and check on Gloria's shovel. Gloria catches them and is upset that they do not trust her. Gloria explains to Jay that the dog is in a better place. Immediately after, Gloria shows Jay photos of the dog at its new home on a farm. Jay explains that it is not OK to steal and plays the Colombian card, causing Gloria to get upset. Later, Jay buys tickets to Colombia, so he can learn and experience her culture.

Mitchell and Cam interview at Billingsley, saying that it is the "Hogwarts of preschools." When Cam asks Mitchell if he thinks they will get accepted, his response is "We're queer, we're here." Immediately afterward, the guys see a disabled interracial lesbian couple with an African child. This causes Cam to tell the admissions officer that he has Cherokee in him, so they blow the interview.

Both Claire and Phil hear Haley talking on the cell phone, and catch her "texting." Therefore Phil thinks he won, and uses the Internet. However, Haley had fooled them with her black soap "cell phone." Haley is upset when her parents inform her that she will no longer receive a car.

The highlight of the episode is the Dunphys' competition with electronics. It amazes me that Haley wins, since teenagers are so dependent on electronic devices.

Like always, the jokes Jay makes toward Gloria are funny, even though some viewers may take offense to them. This episode provided a lot of lighthearted comedy, which constantly elicited laughs from me. I look forward to next week's episode.

'Strangers on a Treadmill' (Ep. 4)
Originally aired on Oct. 13, 2010

Phil is attending a banquet for his real estate business, and prepares his speech by writing jokes on index cards. Luke thinks his father is hilarious, but Claire says Phil is just not funny.

When Jay is invited to a co-worker's daughter's quinceañera, he does not want to go, thinking that it would cross the employee-boss barrier. However, Gloria makes him feel guilty, so he decides to go.

Cam is working out again, which does not bother Mitchell -- except for the fact that Cam wears bicycle shorts. This irritates Mitchell because the bicycle shorts are unflattering; as a joke, the front side of Cam's shorts is blurred during the episode. However, Mitchell does not mention anything about his appearance because Cam is sensitive about his physique.

Both Claire and Mitchell work out at the gym and discuss how their partners are causing anxiety. Mitchell distracts Claire by doing "troga" -- treadmill yoga -- instead of typical running. Claire and Mitchell make a pact to tell each other's partner what each is doing wrong.

Alex is doing errands for a popular girl named Mackenzie, but Haley explains that if Alex wants to be popular, she needs to be rude and not be a push-over. Alex starts off well on the phone by explaining that she is busy, then blows it by saying she is doing homework. This causes Alex and Haley to freak out.

Claire is over at Cameron's house, preparing to explain that he looks unappealing in his shorts. While Claire is talking, Cam decides that he wants to take Lily to the park in his bike shorts. However, Claire is uncomfortable, and she immediately explains that what he is wearing is inappropriate. Cam takes the criticism and goes to his room to cry.

At the Dunphy house, Phil is presenting his comedy to Mitchell, but Mitchell does not show interest in Phil's jokes. This causes Phil to get defensive, so Mitchell claims that he just now got the joke.

Later, Mitchell is on the phone with Claire, getting upset at her for telling off Cam, who is listening to the conversation. On the other end, Claire is mad at Mitchell for being a chicken. As soon as Cameron leaves the room, Mitchell explains that he just does not have the heart to tell Cam that he looks ridiculous. Cameron overhears and gets upset, and runs to his room and cries -- again.

After the blowup on the phone with Claire, Mitchell and Cam fight about what they dislike in the other. Cam blurts out that he hates Mitchell's beard, so Mitchell marches into the bathroom to shave it off. Mitchell shaves off part of his beard, but Cam quickly stops him. To move past this, Cam asks Mitchell to do his shoulders; Mitchell thinks he wants him to shave them, but Cam actually had requested a massage.

Jay attends the quinceañera and yells out "Carlos!" However, only one guy turns around. Gloria learns that they are at the wrong party -- not a quinceañera but an engagement party.

The Dunphys attend the banquet for Phil's job, but Claire is nervous that her husband will make a fool out of himself. To Claire's surprise, Phil hit a homerun with his humorous speech.

As the Dunphys walk into their house, Phil says that he forgives Claire for taking his index cards. Claire's job is to pick up her family when they fall. This is proved when Claire and Phil find Alex upset, exclaiming that she has no friends; to comfort her daughter, Claire sits down with her and gives her advice.

This was a better episode than most of the shows this season. The conflict between Mitchell and Cameron was the highlight for me. I though Cam's shorts were the best, because nobody looks good in them -- especially guys.

Besides Cam and Mitchell, I though Jay was funny at the quinceañera because he had no idea what the hosts were saying. This is very relatable for anyone who has been around someone who speaks a different language.

'Earthquake' (Ep. 3)
Originally aired on Oct. 6, 2010

Haley fights with her mother because she wants to attend a party, when she should be studying for the SAT. Haley complains and tells Claire that she needs fun because she doesn't want to be nerdy like her sister Alex. To try to get someone on her side, Haley asks Phil to join in but he responds by saying, "We are not playing good cop, Mom."

A constant joke with Phil is that he lacks the ability to repair anything. Claire contacts a plumber to fix the pipe in the bathroom, since Phil has failed to fix it. But Phil defends his mechanical skills by explaining how he fixed the step on the stairs. (This has been a reoccurring theme since the first season.)

Cameron and Mitchell's gay friend Pepper, who once dated Cam, invites them to a brunch that requires opera attire. Cam and Mitchell do not want to go because they find Pepper to be a lot of work.

Over at Jay's house, Manny and Gloria prepare to attend church; but Jay refuses to go because he would rather golf. While Jay and Gloria dispute over whether he will go to church, an earthquake occurs that shakes up the entire Pritchett clan.

Back at the Dunphy house, a cabinet detaches from the wall and almost crushes Luke, but he dodges it with his quick reflexes. Phil quickly runs after Luke to see if he is OK, but when Luke turns around to escape the -danger zone,-- he runs into the wall and hurts himself. While all of this is taking place, Claire is trapped in the bathroom with the plumber due to a jammed door; Phil leaves her there until he remounts the cabinet.

The entire family calls each other to make sure they are safe. Due to switching from one family member to another, confusion strikes, and Gloria thinks Phil had died. Immediately after Gloria gets off the phone with Mitchell, Phil calls and Gloria is relieved to hear he is alive.

Mitchell concludes that the earthquake would be a good excuse for them to not attend Pepper's party. Cam calls Pepper but lies excessively, so Pepper heads over to help with clean up. When Pepper arrives, Mitchell flat out tells him that they do not want to attend because he is afraid that there are still feelings between Pepper and Cam (which is not true). He understands and does not want to cause conflict between Cam and Mitchell.

Despite the earthquake, Jay goes golfing; Manny says he wants to go just this once. While golfing, Manny asks Jay if he believes in heaven and asks what it's like. Jay is unsure if he believes in heaven, and this causes Manny to fear for Jay's soul. When Manny gets home, he asks his mom what is in heaven, and her response is that there are rainbows and butterflies. Manny freaks out due to his fear of butterflies.

The plumber helps Claire get out of the bathroom the same moment that Phil finishes mounting the cabinet. On her way down the stairs, Claire trips on the step and gets upset that Phil had not helped her get out of the bathroom. Alex speaks up and says he was running around the house, turning off the gas and sweeping up glass, giving Phil a free pass.

The final line of the episode comes from Jay: -There is nothing mystical about earthquakes -- pressure builds and releases. Just hope there is not too much damage. But it makes you realize what really matters, and for me that's my family and golf.--

Although it is not overly funny, this episode is entertaining because it shows how the Pritchett family reacts in a time of crisis. Phil does a good job of being his normal goofy, spastic self, but the other family members are just average. Typically, Cameron is hilarious, but in this episode he is only moderately funny.

Even though this episode was not particularly funny, I still cannot wait for next week.

'The Kiss' (Ep. 2)
Originally aired on Sept. 29, 2010

While cleaning her daughter's room, Claire reads Alex's text messages and finds that she has been flirting with a boy (Jeremy) over the phone. To seek help, Claire asks Haley to get information on the subject.

Cameron goes shopping with Mitchell for some shirts, but as Cameron attempts to make a public display of affection, Mitchell freaks out. Cameron explains how Mitchell has issues with affection; in public he high fives, but, in Cameron's words, "Gay guys don't high five."

At the Pritchett house, Gloria goes back to her roots by making Colombian food and believing that her great grandmother's spirit is still with them. Jay makes fun of Gloria's culture, which causes her to make up false traditions to get back at Jay. Soon after this, Jay calls Phil for his help with the printer. Manny and Luke walk into the office when Phil is working in the attic, so the kids immediately think there is a spirit and act frantically.

After explaining to her sister the situation with Jeremy, Alex confronts him and asks if they could kiss. Jeremy fully opens his front door to reveal the entire soccer team, who hears the whole conversation. Embarrassed, Alex quickly runs from Jeremy's house to her own.

As the family gathers for dinner, Cam once again tries to kiss Mitchell. Gloria comes to the conclusion that Mitchell does not show affection because Jay is not emotionally open. To appease his family, Jay kisses Mitchell on the check and praises Phil for fixing the printer.

The kids find out about Claire's unpleasant teenage years when Jay reveals that she had been arrested for swimming in someone else's pool without a swimsuit. Back at home, Alex gets out of the car to find Jeremy in the driveway; the two decide to take their relationship slowly.

Before the show ends, Gloria reveals the message of the episode. She says that in Colombia, people use kisses for everything: to mark the start of something new, to say "I love you," and for anything romantic or worth waiting for.

This episode was a lot funnier than the season opener last week. The situation between Alex and Jeremy is hilarious because many people can relate to it. As we grow up and begin to have crushes, embarrassing moments frequently occur due to a lack of maturity in relationships.

When Manny and Luke encounter what they believe is a ghost, I am reminded of my childhood, when I would get scared easily. I immediately laughed, reminiscing in my memories relating to Manny and Luke.

'The Old Wagon' (Ep. 1)
Originally aired on Sept. 22, 2010

In the season opener of "Modern Family," Phil and Claire dispute the old station wagon that has been sitting in the garage for 10 years. Claire deems the car unsafe and says it needs to be sold, even though she doubts Phil's ability to sell the car.

While the Dunphys debate the future of the family's old car, Mitchell and Cameron decide to build Lily a princess castle in the backyard. Cameron is terrified of doing any construction with Mitchell due to his inability to safely use power tools. (In past construction projects, Mitchell has caused near-death experiences among his family members.)

Over in the Pritchett household, Manny Delgado likes Kelly, a girl in his class, causing his mother Gloria to go insane and be overprotective of her son. Back at the Dunphys' house, the family cleans out the old wagon, reliving their past through memorabilia; now Claire no longer wants to sell the car.

During Cameron and Mitchell's construction project, Mitchell dangerously walks around with a mini power saw in his hands, cutting roses around him. Jay and Cameron discreetly ask Mitchell to leave and let them finish the princess castle. Later, Mitchell tries to finish the castle, but gets locked inside -- proving Cameron's accusations of his utter inability to complete any construction project.

To satisfy Claire, Phil gathers the kids to take one last trip in the station wagon before the car is sold. The Dunphys quickly get out of the car when Luke shows signs of illness, allowing the car to roll down a hill. Phil tries to save the car, but Claire tells her husband that it is time to let the wagon go.

Even though Manny had been fascinated with Kelly, the crush does not last long. Instead, he moves on to another girl, Alesha. Gloria goes ballistic, shouting about how all men are animals and about how that is not the way to treat women.

Before the episode concludes, Phil explains: "Nobody loves change, but part of life is to let things go." Even though this is a television show, the statement applies to everyday life.

This episode was decent for a season opener, but was not the best in terms of comedy. It still contained typical "Modern Family" humor on life and bashing other characters in the form of some entertaining jokes.

Nonetheless, I look forward to this upcoming season of "Modern Family" and the hilarious jokes to be performed by all of the lovable characters.

Season One

Last year was the first season for the instant-hit comedy, "Modern Family." The show is presented in a mockumentary style, following the daily life of the Pritchett clan in Los Angeles. Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill) is the head of the Pritchett family; his son, Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), and daughter, Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen), each have their own families.

Jay remarried to Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (Sofía Vergara), who is Colombian and around the same age as his daughter, Claire. Together Jay and Gloria raise Gloria's pre-teen son, Manny Delgado (Rico Rodriguez). The issue of Jay remarrying a younger woman does cause conflict between the family, but has eased up toward the end of the season.

Even though Gloria creates conflict for Claire, she has her own family to focus on. Claire married Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell), and the two have three kids: Haley (Sarah Hyland), Alex (Ariel Winter) and Luke Dunphy (Nolan Gould), from eldest to youngest. The Dunphy family revolves not only around the Pritchett family but also their clan.

Besides Claire's family, her brother Mitchell and his partner Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) have an adopted Vietnamese baby, Lily (Ella and Jaden Hiller) to start their own family. The two men frequently flaunt their feminine mannerisms, adding a unique humor to the show.

The tag-line for "Modern Family" is "One big (straight, gay, multi-cultural, traditional) happy family," referring to all the lovable characteristics of the Pritchett clan. "Modern Family" airs on ABC on Wednesday nights at 9 PDT.