Quick Take: Modern Family, “Go Bullfrogs!”
“Go, I can handle it. You’re not the first girl to leave me at this table with a plate full of chicken wings. I’m kidding! I wish I was kidding. You weren’t supposed to hear that, have fun.” – Phil to Hayley
Review: Modern Family, “Go Bullfrogs!”
(S0306) I guess it has never really crossed my mind, but Modern Family set itself up for some big changes next season with Hayley going off to college. It’s been a running gag to poke fun at her for possibly not graduating, but just in case she probably does, Hayley accompanies Phil to his alma mater for a taste of the college life. With Phil and Hayley out of town, and Alex and Luke at sleepovers, Claire takes the opportunity to have a gay night out, blowing off her fellow mothers to go out on the town.
Claire enlists the company of Cam and Mitch, who scamper from the scene early, leaving her with a French masseur/athletic trainer who everyone thinks is gay (but really isn’t). Claire gets caught in her ruse when Luke forgets his retainer and she has to take it to the house where the other parents are enjoying wine and Gone With the Wind. Sometimes, being stuck in the house is for the best.
Cam and Mitch learn that lesson the hard way, too. After leaving Claire for their potpies, they realize that the valet gave them someone else’s car. Before returning it, however, Cam and Mitchell snoop through the glove-box, fearing that they might be stuck in a rut when they find artefacts of excitement – and a baby seat – that make them feel boring. When they’re greeted by an angry wife with a baseball bat, they hurry home, reassured of their choice to generally stay in on Fridays. I don’t even think they got their potpies.
At least Jay, Gloria, and Manny are reasonable enough to stay in this week. Then again, maybe they’re the ones who really need to get out. Jay finally decides to sit down with Gloria to watch a Colombian soap opera, and gets way too into it. Gloria, however, can’t appreciate his new enthusiasm, as she’s distracted by a mysterious package that Manny brought up to his room. Fearing that her little boy has started to accumulate a porn stash (literally, a collection of porn, not a moustache – he’s way too young for that) Gloria slowly works herself into hysterics, nearly going off of the deep end when Manny urgently calls for help. As it turns out, Manny’s new crush at school inspired him to try and force a growth spurt, aided by a weighted helmet which he wore while hanging upside down.
So what’s going to happen if and when Hayley goes off to college next fall? Well, Phil will probably freak out, by his own admission. After he lets Hayley go off with some new acquaintances, he tracks her down via GPS to a frat house where he assumes the worst. The inevitable, embarrassing confrontation finally gets smoothed over, and Phil makes amends with Hayley, finally getting to finish their bonding over lunch-tray sledding. If Hayley does decide to follow in Phil’s footsteps, she’ll at least have inside info for cheerleader tryouts.
Fellow ABC comedy Cougar Town went through a similar-ish transition with Travis heading off to school, and think they handled it pretty well.