Modern Family: Queer Eyes, Full Hearts (6x07)

Three plots. I'm gonna go fast.

Firstly, we've got Gloria, Jay, and Manny's plot. Gloria hires Diego, a Spanish tutor, to help Manny learn the language. Manny is uninterested, and wants to learn French instead. Diego is a very attractive young man, and Jay gets jealous, watching Gloria and Diego chatter away in Spanish, so he signs a slip of paper that gives Manny permission to switch over to French. Gloria is upset - she says that she's tired of not being able to speak her own language in her own home. Jay then hires Diego back, but not for Manny - for himself. Gloria is touched that Jay wants to learn Spanish.

This was very cute. In sitcoms, I always love it when we can put a serious theme or idea into a comedic premise in a way that feels respectful. Here, we see Jay being jealous of this young hot Spanish guy, but throughout the comedy of that, we still get the more serious angle: Gloria feels lonely when she can't speak Spanish with her loved ones! Her son's rejection of his heritage hurts her. I liked what Gloria said about how smart she is in Spanish. That was a good point, and one that I had never considered before. (Also, of course, this episode contained a few hilarious lines of dialogue including: "What could be more natural than a mother's tongue in your year?" That was great.)

Phil and Claire are worried about their children - Phil thinks that Alex is studying too hard, and Claire worries that Haley isn't going anywhere in life. Andy keeps coming over to the house so that he and Haley can help each other find jobs, but Haley lies and says that she and Andy are having sex, so that she can get her mom off her back. Haley ends up having a job interview with Gavin Sinclair (a fashion guru). While at first she chickens out, she later goes in and manages to impress him, landing the job. Andy meanwhile lands a gig as Phil's assistant, since he thinks he might want to go into real-estate. Claire is a bit disappointed that there's nothing really going on between Andy and Haley, since it looks like Andy is a stabilizing influence on Haley. Also, turns out Phil was right about Alex - she works herself into a zombie-like state, constantly glued to her textbook, until eventually she breaks down and asks her mommy for help reading.

Another great plot thread! Haley is a really well-written character. She could have been so boring and vapid and one-note, but instead we're seeing how these things, such as her love of fashion, are being put to use in a really meaningful way. She's actually making something of herself! Also, I still really like Andy and Haley as a slow-burn couple. I want them to draw this out as long as possible, but I also can't wait until they become a couple officially! Really funny stuff with Haley and Gavin Sinclair, and there was a great moment when Phil victoriously declared that Claire was wrong about everything - she had been worried about Haley when she didn't have to be, and she hadn't been worrying about Alex, when she should have been. Score one for Phil! Also, it should be fun to see Phil and Andy work together in the future.

Then there's the plot thread that inspired the title. Mitch and Cam meet a local news reporter. Mitch tries to tell her about the case he's working on, hoping to get some media coverage, but Cam swoops in and steals his thunder. The reporter is really interested in Cam, an openly gay high school football coach. Mitch tries to be supportive of Cam, but Cam continually makes everything about him, until finally Mitch gets fed up. Cam goes to see Mitch in court, because he feels bad about neglecting him. Later, after the football team wins, Cam uses the opportunity to talk about Mitch, instead of about his team's win.

I didn't like this plot thread as much as I liked the other two, but it was still very nice. Cam often gets caught up in his own life and forgets to be there for Mitch, so I liked that this episode dealt with Cam noticing this about himself, and working to get better. I could have done without some things, though. For example, using the word "queer" in the title is a bit complicated. I know many people who use that word to describe themselves and their community, but would prefer that others not use it. That word was used as a slur, after all. I did like that Cam went to see Mitch's court case, and that for the first time we got to see Mitch doing his job without the whole thing falling to pieces. It's nice to be reminded that he's actually competent.

Okay, I'll leave it right there. This episode was a success!

9/10