What I’m Watching: Modern Family

Modern Family: Season 5, Episode 7 “A Fair to Remember” (B+)

This show tends to do episodes like this that involve all or most of the family at an event together, and their shenanigans tend to be inconsistent but overall funny. In this case, Alex and Luke vying for the affection, platonic and romantic, respectively, of Sienna, was the most amusing, since Alex didn’t have any concept that Luke was into her new best friend because she was too busy trying to make sure that Sienna didn’t catch on to the fact that she wasn’t actually one of the cool kids. Sienna, by the way, was played by Madison McLaughlin, also known as Rusty’s semi-romantic friend Chris on “Major Crimes.” Haley clashing with Andy the Manny (a constant confusion, it seems) was great, and it’s a terrific way of using the trouble-making eldest Dunphy daughter. I hope they have more opportunities to interact. Jay’s forced fake cop job was mildly entertaining, as was his first interaction with his partner, but the spill on the white man-blouse was a bit overdone and too dramatic. Cam having a temper tantrum about his football team not doing well was a rather boring but harmless plotline. Phil trying to surprise Claire with an arrest and a musical performance for their anniversary was cute even if it was a failure, and Claire being outsmarted by a six-year-old was funny. Claire, for once, won the prize for the better gift this time, for getting Phil the most perfect present possible, which was also quite clever: Chinese acrobats.