What I’m Watching: Modern Family

Modern Family: Season 7, Episode 7 “Phil’s Sexy, Sexy House” (C)

To enjoy this episode, and most episodes of this series over the past few years, you have to get past an obnoxious choreography and the suspension of much disbelief when it comes to characters not being self-aware or able to perceive things around them. Everyone coming to the house Phil was trying to sell for some alone time was the episode’s big premise, and them all showing up at exactly the same time was the gimmick that didn’t work as well. Some of it was forced, while other things, like Mitchell’s pole-dancing, were just random and felt out of character. Phil and Claire misreading their marital moments was among the more disappointing and unfulfilling plotlines, whereas Luke’s defense for showing up with his friends and a lot of alcohol was simpler and funnier. I did like Haley and Andy running into each other, being the only ones not to get caught, and then separating for a moment before Haley ran back in and jumped up into Andy’s arms, totally ready for a major makeout. I’m excited to see where that goes. Gloria’s family coming to visit after she spent the entire episode pickpocketing her family members to get their driver’s licenses is a less positive twist, and just goes to show that surprises aren’t always the best thing, especially when it comes to bringing all members of a large family to a foreign country with only one or a few people being fully aware of the plan ahead of time. I would have much preferred to see the whole family go down to Colombia (I think).