What I’m Watching: Modern Family

Modern Family: Season 2, Episode 18 “Boys’ Night” (B+)

In the tight-knit world of this extended family, it’s often easy to forget that there are in fact other people that exist. In this episode, we got a glimpse at the grumpiest Dunphy neighborhood resident since “Slow Down Your Neighbors.” Philip Baker Hall, who has done a great job playing lonely old men in “Magnolia” and the small independent film “Duck,” was a fun choice to play Walt, and I, like many others whose reviews I’ve glanced at, enjoyed the spotlight on Luke and his hilarious dialogue. It makes sense that the often awkward Phil and Claire wouldn’t be keen on talking to their frightening neighbor, and it was a blast to see them try and fail so miserably by walking into his house uninvited and then thinking that he was dead. Seeing Haley try so desperately to squirm out of her grounded state was amusing, and it’s no surprise both that she had Dylan come over and that he would manage to get them caught by doing something as idiotic as leaving without his shoes. The final exchange between Cameron and Haley was predictable but well-executed. Jay’s desire not to try new things is nothing surprising, and Gloria’s revenge was perfect. It’s a nice thing that Nathan Lane is able to stop by so frequently to play Pepper, and the show has done a good job thus far of not overstating his presence and letting him dominate the episodes entirely. This episode’s dramatic current definitely came from Mitchell’s joy at being able to bond with his dad in a way he never had before.