On October 16 and 23, “Modern Family’s” fifth and sixth episodes premiered. Although this season is consistently humorous, the episodes lack overall plot development. In other words, the characters seem to be running around aimlessly. “Late Show” follows the adults of “Modern Family,” and their dramatic trek to a swanky restaurant. Jay, who set the reservation, is eager to arrive early. He grows frustrated, for Gloria is making them late, as she is known to do. After Jay and Gloria get into an argument about how long Gloria takes to get ready, they arrive at the restaurant and are the first to arrive. At the same time, Claire is reluctant to let Luke stay home alone. She worries he will not know what to do in case of an emergency due to his lack of common sense, but when Claire returns to check on him, she is assaulted by Luke with a paintball gun. Needless to say, Luke was more than prepared to stay home. Finally, Mitch and Cam get into a fight over their attire. When Cam finds Mitch wearing almost exactly the same outfit as him, he picks out the tiny differences and accuses him of having no fashion sense. As all debacles, the two resolve their issue by the end of the episode, but Cam accuses Mitch of sabotaging Cam’s outfit so that he could wear it instead. As noted, the episode consisted of a weak plot line – namely the families struggle to arrive on time. Although entertaining, it was hard to truly enjoy a half hour focused solely on three couples’ arrivals – in which they end up losing their reservation at the restaurant. Although the families have fun at a nearby taco stand, it is still disappointing the main goal of the episode is foiled. A key contributor to “Modern Family’s” success is definitely its relatability. The struggle to get out of the house on time is something almost all households can relate to. Despite “Late Show” lacking a significant plot, its relatability to everyday households keeps the episode humorous and entertaining.
October 23’s “The Help” was equally entertaining, and it developed Mitch and Cam’s wedding plans as well. Gloria and Jay cannot agree on a nanny for their son Joe. Gloria keeps firing her nannys, for she finds them to be a distraction for Manny. Gloria finds a male nanny – Andy the “Manny” – who can care for Joe as well as help to improve the family’s health. Predictably, Jay does not react to this nanny very well, but eventually he learns to accept him after the “manny” helps Gloria realize that sometimes she needs to listen to what Jay and Manny are saying to her. Mitch and Cam hire their friend Pepper to help plan their wedding. However, they decide against his help after hearing his overly-elaborate ideas. When Pepper suggests Mitch and Cam enter on a unicorn, they draw the line. Needless to say, Mitch and Cam decide to hire Ronaldo, Pepper’s protégé, who helps plan a dream wedding for Mitch and Cam. Phil’s father Frank is also staying with them, creating tension between Alex and Haley – who now have to share a room. By the end of the episode, Frank is back on his feet again. “The Help” was able to provide the usual doses of humor while contributing to the general plot as well. It will be interesting to see if the “manny” Andy will play a large role in the cast in the future. The next new episode of “Modern Family” will air on Wednesday, November 23 at 9pm on ABC.
