Quick Take: Modern Family, “Treehouse”
“Well, sometimes life gets in the way... Did I say 'wife gets in the way?' I do that sometimes.” - Phil
Review: Modern Family, “Treehouse”
(S0307) Are the TV gods real and actually listening to me? First, a limited revival of Arrested Development, and now, an episode of Modern Family with four tremendous guest stars! This leaves me with a real dilemma: do I use my third wish on a Dark Tower fast-track, or do I throw all my chips in and continue to dream for more Firefly? Ah well, for now I’ll just knock on wood and get to the rundown.
Phil and Luke have been doing some major father-son bonding so far this season: they conquered the tightrope, they made a viral video, and now they’re building a treehouse. Well, Phil is building a treehouse; Luke is growing more and more terrified of his father’s choice of tools. Even though Luke eventually bails, Phil trudges on, eventually meeting his neighbour of eight years for the first time. It looks like Phil has finally met a friend in the physician Andre (guest-star Kevin Hart).
Cam makes a new friend of his own when he takes a bet too far. Trying to prove to Mitchell that straight women find him attractive, Cam attempts to pick up the sexy barfly Katie (guest-star Leslie Mann). After both fumbling over a few lies, Cam gets her number, but doesn’t have the heart to admit that he’s gay, thinking that she’s really into him. He invites her over, having to remove all trace of Mitch from the house while he prepares to let her down softly.
Jay’s pal Shorty and his girlfriend Darlene (guest-stars Chazz Palminteri and Jennifer Tilly) invite Jay and Gloria to go salsa-dancing with them – but come on. We all know Jay Pritchett: big tough guy, struggles with homophobia, couldn’t dance to save his manhood. He tries taking lessons from Manny, but Mitchell, who’s making himself scarce, slips him a little colored pill, “just in case.”
In the last subplot – and strangely coincidental to a similar storyline in this week’s Last Man Standing – Hayley struggles with her college application essays, unable to think of an obstacle she’s had to overcome. She blames her lack of a troubled childhood on Claire, who tells Hayley that it’s time that she learned the truth about herself. They drive out of town, where Claire pulls over to a lone tree, and tells Hayley to go read it; as soon as she gets out, however, Claire pulls out, leaving Hayley with the obstacle of walking home without money or a cell-phone. How’s that for a comfortable upbringing?
Even though Mitchell only gives Jay a baby aspirin, and even though Cam’s cute new gal-pal is completely aware that he’s gay (imagine that), everyone just goes with it. Jay surprises Gloria just as she’s about to leave, and even though he never learned to salsa, manages to let loose with Mitch’s “dance drug” placebo, even managing to keep up with Shorty and Darlene. Mitchell, meanwhile, returns home just as Cam and Katie finally come clean to each other – Cam admits that he’s feeling vulnerable over the bet, while Katie admits that all she really wanted was a stereotypical gay friend. She and Cam make a huge scene when Mitch gets home, intimately embracing before Katie storms off, flashing Cam a quick “call me.” Cam, for everyone’s sake, please call her.
One of my all-time fave lines comes from Chazz in A Bronx Tale: now youse can't leave...