Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, I’m continuing my look at Modern Family (2009-2020, ABC), which is currently available on DVD/Blu-Ray and streaming!
Modern Family stars ED O’NEILL as Jay, SOFIA VERGARA as Gloria, JULIE BOWEN as Claire, TY BURRELL as Phil, JESSE TYLER FERGUSON as Mitch, ERIC STONESTREET as Cam, SARAH HYLAND as Haley, ARIEL WINTER as Alex, NOLAN GOULD as Luke, RICO RODRIGUEZ as Manny, and AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS as Lily.
Now would be a good time to reiterate that when I refer to Modern Family as a solid, consistent show, that’s because you can trust that it will seldom be bad. At least, not during the first half of its run. This is a testament to its baseline compared to others in the genre. However, I don’t mean that it’s solid or consistent in terms of every season being equal. No, every season after the novelty-laden first has shed some series-specific originality, and this year sees another drop. What’s that mean? Well, despite well-defined characters, the stories are just getting more familiar and less exciting as the years progress, capitalizing less and less on the most unique aspects of the situation — those non-traditional family set-ups within the premise. In their place are ideas more common within the family subgenre. Notions that, frankly, other sitcoms could do. For instance, Season Four boasts an arc where Gloria is pregnant. Oh, it’s not a terrible thought, as it’s another wrinkle to the status quo that emphasizes Jay and Gloria’s “non-traditional” dynamic (second marriage, age gap, culture clash), and it’s therefore one of the things that could highlight Modern Family’s individuality in weekly sitcommery. Unfortunately, this season isn’t thinking that way; it’s ultimately just adding a baby, delivering much of the same stuff we’ve seen before on other family shows. That’s because everything about this family is becoming more “normal”; so, even with clear and funny characters, the storytelling is becoming more normal too — less personal, less special… At the same time, I’d still say the series is nevertheless consistent. Four is a comedown from Three, but it operates at its own solid quality. And in the grand scheme of the sitcom as an art form — not to mention what’s coming after the show’s midpoint — these comic characters and this low-concept structural design remain uplifting. In fact, most sitcoms wish they were ever as good as Modern Family still is here in Season Four.
01) Episode 73: “Bringing Up Baby” (Aired: 09/26/12)
Gloria worries about how to tell Jay that she’s pregnant.
Written by Paul Corrigan & Brad Walsh | Directed by Steven Levitan
Season Four’s premiere has the straightforward objective of revealing Gloria’s cliffhanger pregnancy to the entire family. It also has to move the series beyond last year’s Cam and Mitch adoption arc — utilizing their recent disappointment as an excuse to hold off on pursuing it again as a major source of plot. That turn is tough because the expansion of their family has become an implied condition of their happy ending, which means the prolonging of it, even after a setback, feels contrived — stalling just to stall, with everything in the meantime less relevant. And since there are going to be fewer ideas that explicitly acknowledge the “non-traditionality” of their family dynamic after next year’s wedding arc, it’s going to be more and more disappointing for this to be tabled, as it’s going to look like situation comedy is deliberately being avoided. To that point, this entry works because its A-story’s angst is all about familial tension as a result of something new — a baby — which also calls attention to the unique setup between Jay and Gloria (and Manny), the other major premised construct that makes Modern Family an individualized example within this domestic subgenre. Accordingly, by letting this episode be about the arc itself, we see the notion’s intrinsic value… and how it could be used for situation comedy. Unfortunately, those rewards will be more imagined than actualized.
02) Episode 74: “Schooled” (Aired: 10/10/12)
Claire and Phil drop Haley off at college, while Gloria and Jay take a parenting class.
Written by Steven Levitan & Dan O’Shannon | Directed by Jeff Melman
One of the funniest half hours from this season, “Schooled” doesn’t bother to connect its subplots narratively, but they all work comedically, and they’re somewhat united under the thematic umbrella of school. The A-story has Claire and Phil embarrassing Haley as they drop her off in her college dorm — a sign of her growing up that also plays upon them being embarrassing goofs. There’s also some fun for Jay and Gloria when they attend a class for new parents — it’s a familiar sitcom setup that isn’t original from the jump. But they display their personalities well and earn some laughs. Speaking of laughs, the real highlight of this outing is the subplot where Mitch and Cam attempt to befriend the only other gay parents at Lily’s school… a pair of lesbians with whom they confess to being naturally opposed. It’s hilarious — Wendi McLendon-Covey, later of another ABC family sitcom, The Goldbergs, guests alongside Michaela Watkins — and it’s inherently predicated on Cam and Mitch being a gay couple raising a kid in suburbia, the primary part of Modern Family’s situation that makes it unique. As such, this is the kind of idea that only works because of their sheer presence on this series in the first place. And in Season Four, that allows it to be a clear standout.
03) Episode 77: “Open House Of Horrors” (Aired: 10/24/12)
Claire hopes to scare Phil on Halloween while Lily has become obsessed with princesses.
Written by Elaine Ko | Directed by James Bagdonas
This year’s Halloween excursion is another solid addition to the show’s well-liked subcategory, building upon Season Two’s entree into the spooky season via an even narrower focus on Claire’s interest in scaring Phil. Their competitive rapport, along with their obsession with the holiday, are well-established, and so the series gets to have fun marrying the two here. Once again, I don’t think anything offered is remarkably original or unique to the series — we’ve seen lots of Halloween stuff in the family subgenre — but it’s thematically clarifying and stems from something that Modern Family itself wants to make part of its identity. Meanwhile, there’s some actually satisfying material in the subplot, where Mitch and Cam learn that Lily’s current obsession with princesses is the result of Mitch telling her that her mother was a princess — an awkward untruth that accentuates their special family dynamic and is therefore explicitly dependent on a precise aspect of the series’ situation, making it well-earned sitcommery.
04) Episode 78: “Yard Sale” (Aired: 10/31/12)
Jay and Gloria hold a yard sale to raise money for Luke and Manny’s school.
Written by Abraham Higginbotham | Directed by Gail Mancuso
Modern Family is best when it can get all parts of the whole together, and since most episodes of this series have lots of story threads — toiling to justify their coexistence within a single half hour — we welcome some kind of unity, via either narrative, theme, and/or proximity. Here, the show takes advantage of proximity, as most of “Yard Sale” is set at Jay and Gloria’s yard sale. Again, this isn’t an exceptional sample of the series, even by the standards of this list, but I prefer it to several of Four’s other locationally-connected entries — e.g., New Year’s in Palm Springs, or an outing at a skating rink. That’s because it’s more rooted in the regular world of the series. For instance, the whole notion of Claire trying to get Cam and Mitch to break the news to Alex that her boyfriend is gay is perfect, for it only works due to the premised fact that they are a gay couple. It’s personalized situation comedy. What’s more, I appreciate the series’ boldness with regard to Gloria and her puppet — it’s broad humor, but I love that Modern Family is always willing to temper its family-genre sweetness with moments of comic audacity.
05) Episode 79: “Arrested” (Aired: 11/07/12)
Claire and Phil call Mitch for help when Haley is arrested for underage drinking.
Written by Becky Mann & Audra Sielaff | Directed by Gail Mancuso
Mitch’s career as a lawyer proves to be a helpful excuse to rope him into a variety of subplots, as members of the family routinely need his expertise. This week, he’s called in by Phil and Claire after Haley is arrested for underage drinking — an act that also gets her expelled from the school. It’s a comic idea that not only works given what we know of her characterization (and indeed this is one of her finest showings thus far in the series), but it also nets those extra points for smartly taking advantage of Mitch, and in a way that doesn’t feel forced or overly convenient. Meanwhile, Shelley Long returns in her recurring role as Jay’s ex-wife, whose realization that Gloria is pregnant leads to the two women commiserating about Jay. Frankly, it’s a predictable sitcom idea, and it’s naturally not as fun or fresh as DeDe’s first (or even second) appearance, but because it inherently acknowledges Jay and Gloria’s unique family dynamic, it’s a more desirable story for Modern Family than most of what this season has to offer.
06) Episode 80: “Mistery Date” (Aired: 11/14/12)
Phil invites over a guy from Cam and Mitch’s gym when Claire attends Alex’s decathlon.
Written by Jeffrey Richman | Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller
Matthew Broderick notably guest stars in this installment as a friend from Cam and Mitch’s gym that Phil invites over to hang out while Claire is out of town for Alex’s academic decathlon. Naturally, Broderick’s character is gay, so there’s a misunderstanding about Phil’s intention. It’s easy comedy — a reversal of last year, when Claire wrongly thought she was befriending one of her brother’s gay pals. But since the whole plot implicitly plays upon Cam and Mitch’s situation-individualizing presence on the series, this funny idea is appropriate for Modern Family in a way that also feels tailored to it. Similarly, there’s fun with Cam and Mitch as they attempt to distract Gloria and Jay, respectively, so they can surprise them with a mural in the nursery. This is another chance to pair Mitch and Jay — who have a somewhat tense dynamic because of, well, what’s premised — for some heartwarming exchanges, while Cam and Gloria deliver pure laughs, as they both have flamboyant personas that compound when together. It’s nothing exceptional, but it’s the kind of reliable, consistent storytelling that showcases these characters.
07) Episode 84: “Party Crasher” (Aired: 01/16/13)
Gloria tries to delay her labor so that it doesn’t fall on Manny’s birthday.
Written by Danny Zuker & Christopher Lloyd | Directed by Fred Savage
This is a Big Event show that, I admit, doesn’t really add anything new to the sitcom genre’s well-worn “birth of the baby” subcategory. Even its central idea — of Gloria trying to delay her labor — is something we’ve seen before. (I’m thinking, specifically, of The Office, which did a similar story just a few years prior.) However, Gloria’s reason for wanting to keep the baby from being born on this particular day is unique to her and the series, for it’s Manny’s birthday and she doesn’t want him to feel replaced. I appreciate this because it engages dramatic tension as a result of this wrinkle to their already non-traditional family dynamic — a premised part of Modern Family’s identity that helps it stand out within the subgenre and is thus ideal for it to emphasize. Additionally, the subplots are comedically additive here, helped by the fact that this is, again, a Big Event that forces the whole cast to be together. So, this is an entry that also plays to the series’ strengths, climaxing an arc that represents this season.
08) Episode 85: “Fulgencio” (Aired: 01/23/13)
Gloria’s family comes to town for the baby’s christening.
Written by Bill Wrubel | Directed by Lev L. Spiro
My choice for this year’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “Fulgencio” is an atypical showing, especially because it engages a type of humor that Modern Family generally avoids: outright parody. That is, there’s a deliberate homage to The Godfather that hinges its comedy on our awareness of another piece of culture beyond this series. A lot of sitcoms were doing things like this in the 2010s — see: Community. But Modern Family has always been more traditional — less winking, more earnest — so this lampoon certainly stands out. However, it’s also an example of this series’ prioritization of comedy, which renders this the kind of bold swing that’s vital to make any sample competitive. More than that though, I appreciate this outing because of how it plays to the situation with Gloria and her visiting family. Their sheer presence emphasizes her differences from Jay, which are premised and therefore a unique representation of the series. What’s more, the theme of parenting runs through this half hour — ideal for any family show, but especially one that seeks to distinguish itself while also normalizing the elements inside it. In particular, there’s a funny subplot about an overly sarcastic Lily — who, incidentally, is now a full speaking role. This is the start of her becoming a character, with a communicable perspective that can sometimes spark comedic stories. (In fact, she’s the only kid on this show who’s more helpful in the back half of the run than she was in the first.) As such, we can see Modern Family’s general excellence with regard to character on display in this, Season Four’s most memorable and satisfying selection. (Elizabeth Peña and Stephanie Beatriz guest.)
09) Episode 91: “The Future Dunphys” (Aired: 04/03/13)
Phil and Claire worry about their kids’ future, while Cam and Mitch seek Gloria’s help with Lily.
Written by Elaine Ko | Directed by Ryan Case
Although my MVE pick this year was fairly certain, I must admit that this underrated installment has everything that I’d be looking to single out this year, with a good grasp on character and even premise. And it’s all evidenced through amusing stories that represent this season and series as better than its average baseline. Specifically, I love the A-story about Phil and Claire seeing a family that reminds them of their kids and who they could possibly grow up to be. That comedic tension sits entirely on each of the children having unique personalities (even the vaguest, Luke, has shape in contrast to his sisters), and it’s thus a credit to Modern Family’s foundational merits. Meanwhile, what I most enjoy about this offering is the subplot where Cam and Mitch seek Gloria’s help in answering “girly” questions — a logline that finds explicit conflict in their “non-traditional family” dynamic, a key premised tenet of the series that sets up fresh situation comedy when it’s explored, like here. It’s also very funny, culminating in a restaurant scene that delights in some cringe comedy, as onlookers repeatedly hear portions of their conversation out of context. I consider this among the most laugh-filled scenes of the season, and a credit to the series’ sense of humor. (Justine Bateman appears.)
10) Episode 96: “Goodnight Gracie” (Aired: 05/22/13)
The family goes to Florida for Phil’s mom’s funeral.
Written by Steven Levitan & Jeffrey Richman | Directed by Steven Levitan
Season Four ends with a heartwarming half hour that nevertheless finds time for comedy as well, aided by the unifying narrative gimmick of taking the entire family down to Florida for Phil’s mom’s funeral. Naturally, we learn more about Phil in the process — and we’re granted cameos from a lot of seasoned comic actors. Not just the recurring Fred Willard, but also Anita Gillette and former Frasier alum Millicent Martin, who plays Jay’s first lover. Additionally, the subplots also prioritize laughs, as Mitch’s lawyering career comes in handy when he must defend Gloria in court, and Cam bonds with all the old ladies playing mahjong. I think there were probably funnier options that I could have highlighted on this list instead, but the tonality of this outing embodies the general ethos of Modern Family in this season. And with a memorable on-location setup that is simultaneously more valuable for character than any of the replacement options below, I’d simply miss this entry if it wasn’t here.
Other notable episodes that merit mention include: the two aforementioned on-location shows that are solid if only so-so relative to the selections above, “New Year’s Eve,” where the adults go to Palm Springs (with guest appearances by Billy Dee Williams and Lainie Kazan), and “My Hero,” which largely takes place in the skating rink. Two other outings I also considered were “A Slight At The Opera,” which I like because it plays with Jay/Mitch’s father-son dynamic with support from Phil and Pepper, and “The Wow Factor,” where disconnected subplots at least boast moments of real comedy (and perhaps some character-based value as well). There were lots of others I could have given a brief shout out to here also — say, “Best Men” and “Games People Play” — but I wasn’t really taking anything else seriously as list-fodder.
*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Four of Modern Family goes to…
“Fulgencio”
Come back next week for Season Five! And stay tuned tomorrow for a new Wildcard!