Modern Family comes back from a too-long hiatus with one of the season's strongest episodes.
Different Levels of Intimacy
Phil (Ty Burrell) is so obsessed with landing a client, Tad (Greg Kinnear), that he doesn't notice that the recently-divorced single dad is totally hitting on Claire (Julie Bowen), even when he's repeatedly kissing her goodbye on the lips. But then it turns out that he kisses pretty much everyone and Claire relaxes. But when Phil realizes that Claire laughs at Tad's jokes, he gets exceedingly jealous, to Claire's delight.
Enforced Closeness Goes Wrong
Cam (Eric Stonestreet), Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) are staying with Jay (Ed O'Neill) and Gloria (Sofia Vergara) while their house is being fumigated. Tensions erupt almost immediately between Cam and Gloria, each of whom feels the other is encroaching on their turf. I'm with Gloria on this one, though. You just don't reorganize someone's kitchen.
Misreading The Situation
Jay and Mitchell's schism comes when Jay muscles in on Mitchell's meeting with former L.A. disc jockey Booker Bell (Phil Hendrie), Jay's old radio idol. When an abashed Mitchell runs Jay off, the previously affable Booker dresses him down both severely and entirely justifiably. Later, Mitchell and Jay have a heart-to-heart talk capped by one of Booker's trademark prank calls.
The Kids Are Perhaps Not All Right
When Haley (Sarah Hyland) becomes a Big Sister to help her college applications, Alex (Ariel Winter) gets jealous of Haley's bond with her new charge. But then the two sisters re-establish their closeness by tormenting baby brother Luke (Nolan Gould) As the younger brother of two sisters, this hit home, though luckily I was never dressed in drag and referred to as "Betty Luke."
What did your older siblings do to torment you? Does your father respect your work? Do you like it when your spouse gets jealous?
Best Lines:
"It's a progressive culture. Most of them travel by zip line."
--Phil's only knowledge of Costa Rica apparently comes from The Amazing Race.
"Kind of like The Help, only Delia was whilt, and was herself quite the racist."
--Cam explains the relationship between his grandmother and her nanny.
"She threw it in the garbage! Right after she wrote 'Mrs. Haley Jonas Brothers' on the back like 30 times."
--Alex is still peeved that Haley didn't like the drawing she made for her years ago.
"I get the sense I'm losing you. Could I talk to Grandma Groovy?"
--Mitchell tries to re-connect with his disc jockey client.
"I will burn this house down!"
--Luke doesn't want to be Alex and Haley's dress-up toy "Betty Luke."
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