What I’m Watching: Modern Family

Modern Family: Season 6, Episode 2 “Do Not Push” (C+)

I remember watching this show’s pilot and being genuinely surprised by the fact that it was fresh and not formulaic. The characters were all rich and full of personality, and the dynamics were terrific. I’m not sure what’s changed, and maybe it’s just the sign of an aging show, six seasons and over 100 episodes in, but something just doesn’t feel right anymore. None of these plotlines were a home run, and there wasn’t much about them that didn’t feel forced. I feel like I’ve been saying the same thing over and over about this show for a while now, but it just doesn’t cut it anymore. I wouldn’t want to stop watching this show since it’s still relatively enjoyable, but I’m holding it up to what it used to be. Lily not smiling attractively was by far the weakest of the storylines, and I think it’s important to give that family unit something to do other than be at home and think about family. Gloria was very quick to smash what Jay made for her in an overly comic way that didn’t seem believable since we’ve seen her learn to appreciate more than just the material things in life. Alex flirting with a kid from Boston on her college tour was somewhat fun, though Claire hopelessly trying to push Alex to stick around was irritating. There’s something charming about the trio of Phil, Luke, and Haley, but they’ve also had stronger moments than reacting to a predictably non-existent experiment.