What I’m Watching: Modern Family

Modern Family: Season 7, Episode 4 “She Crazy” (C+)

This episode wasn’t insufferable; it was just so familiarly formulaic that it wasn’t funny. What annoyed me most was the storyline with Mitchell and Luke that involved Mitchell thinking every question and statement Luke uttered about driving was metaphorical, not looking up once to acknowledge that he was actually talking about driving. It might have been amusing at first, but following that scene for nearly the entire course of the episode was unnecessary. Cameron putting on another personality for his frat brothers was slightly more entertaining, highlighted by his posing as a pizza delivery man who made his way into the enemy house, but it didn’t go far from there. Gloria being unable to speak and appear like a coherent and sane human being upon encountering her favorite soap star wasn’t much to write home about, since her knowledge of where the actress was staying under a fake name made her out to be far too eccentric from the start. There’s not much to say about Manny and Chelsea since the man-in-a-boy’s-body has faced much flirtation adversity in his history on this show. Claire trying to pitch a bunch of new closets only to have them shut down for being old ideas was unspectacular, and having birds attack her during a meeting wasn’t terrific either. Phil’s enthusiasm for ducks was typical, and roping Lily in to coming with him, prompting her to spell “Help” in rocks at the store was a mild saving grace. The best line of the episode was Phil acknowledging that “Phil, duck food” was almost his name.