What I’m Watching: Modern Family

Modern Family: Season 3, Episode 6 “Go Bullfrogs!” (B+)

It was only a matter of time before the kids on this show had to start growing up, and having Phil be the one to take Haley to visit colleges provides a somewhat more gradual start to the transition. Eating chicken wings rather messily was a good father-daughter bonding activity, and his enthusiasm for his alma matter created the perfect situation for him to offhandedly led her go off and have fun at a frat house, only to discover that she was actually just hanging out with a high school friend of hers and his parents. Phil tracking Haley’s location on his phone was funny, and I enjoyed Claire’s constant confusion of the Bulldogs with the Bullfrogs, which managed to get Phil so turned around that he started cheering, literally, for the Bullfrogs. Claire having a night at home to herself predictably went less smoothly than expected as she wanted to have some crazy fun with Cameron and Mitchell, only to be left with their friend Julian who, as it turned out, wasn’t gay. It was inevitable that she would have to tell the women how “Gone with the Wind” ended, revealing her lie and then some. Mitchell and Cameron getting the wrong car led to some humorous comments. Jay’s quickly-established affection for the Colombian soap opera was amusing, especially since Gloria was concerned with completely separate drama. Manny trying to stretch himself so that he can get taller is one of the most normal things he’s done so far, and it’s nice to see him act like a kid for once.