Modern Family: The Closet Case (7x03)

There were four plot threads in this episode, and I really enjoyed three of them. Let's get to it.

Cons:

The one plot thread that I didn't enjoy very much was the Alex, Luke, and Manny plot thread. Alex Skypes Luke to talk about her relationship with Sanjay. Luke notices a hot girl changing in the background, and encourages Alex to keep talking so he can watch her undress. Luke is then inspired to go visit Alex at college, and brings Manny along. The two of them hang out with two college girls, who give them their consent to kiss them. Luke goes back to Alex's room to get some gum, but finds Alex in distress. Sanjay has broken up with her. Luke decides to stay with his sister instead of going back to the girls, but Manny stays with the hot girls. Okay... is it just me, or was Luke totally pervy in this episode? I mean, he was trying to see a girl undressing without her consent. I didn't feel like there was any good addressing of that really gross behavior.

Also, why did Sanjay and Alex break up so quickly? What was the point of having them try to work it out if it was going to end so soon? I don't know... maybe we'll get more with Sanjay later, but it seemed really strange to do all that stuff with Sanjay in the premiere, and then just cast it aside now.

There was another moment, in Gloria and Cam's plot thread, that I didn't like. Each football player is assigned a cheerleader to decorate his locker and dote on him. Manny's cheerleader refuses to participate. Gloria yells at her, and then suddenly she agrees. I liked what this plot thread was trying to do, and I'll talk in a second about its positive aspects. But I felt like there wasn't very much payoff here. I wish the cheerleader character could have had more of a role. She could have led the other cheerleaders against the sexist tradition or something. This was a missed opportunity, I felt.

Pros:

However, I did love the punch-line with the cheerleader plot thread. Cam decorates Manny's locker for him, and then reveals that he's decorated several of the other lockers too. This tradition is dying out fast! That was pretty funny.

Also, in the pervy Luke plot thread, I do admit I thought it was sweet that Luke stayed to support Alex. But still. Gross, Luke. Don't watch women when they're undressing!

Mitchell and Jay's plot thread was pretty fantastic. Mitchell gets some temporary work, but there's a big problem: it's working for Jay's rival - Closets, Closets, Closets, Closets. Uh oh! Mitchell tries to bury the hatchet, but the rivalry between Jay and Earl Chambers runs too deep. It all culminates in Mitchell and Jay sneaking in to Earl's office to plot revenge. Earl comes in and interrupts, and Mitchell manages to make it out of the office with the old rolodex, which Earl stole, starting the feud in the first place. I liked the whole part about calling their genitals their "deal." Mitchell was like - why have I never heard of this? It was hilarious. Also, the name of the company Closets, Closets, Closets, Closets is so funny. I don't know what it is, but every time somebody says it, I start giggling.

The winning plot thread of the night goes to Claire, Phil, Haley and Dylan. Haley and Dylan ask if Dylan can move in with them, and Phil says yes, as long as Claire says it's okay. Phil thinks it will be fine, but then he's totally disturbed by the intimacy of Haley and Dylan's new living situation. Claire refuses to be the "uncool" parent and kick Dylan out. She keeps egging Phil on, forcing him to do it. But Phil doesn't - he tells Dylan he has to sleep in Alex's room, and then sneak behind Phil's back! Claire says no, and tries to boot Dylan out. This plot thread was full of good laughs. Dylan is such an endearing doofus. I loved how comfortable Haley and Dylan were around Phil, even though Phil was having a really hard time with it. And Claire trying to make Phil be the strict parent was funny, as it always is.

I guess that's all I've got. Two solid plot threads, one so-so, and one that was a bit hard for me to like. This isn't one of those memorable episodes that will go down in history, but it was certainly entertaining!

7.5/10