Modern Family: Weathering Heights (8x04)

Nathan Fillion... why. Why did you play this character. I'm a little grossed out right now, to be honest.

Cons:

Phil gets to do a quick segment on the news about real estate, and he meets Rainer Shine, his favorite weatherman. They strike up a friendship, but then Haley and Rainer start going out, and Phil is horrified. However, in the end he accepts Haley's decision and he and Rainer patch up their friendship.

Honestly, there were a few laughs here, and Nathan Fillion is a joyous wonder to behold, no matter the part he's playing. But... um... did anybody else notice that this plot thread was all about how Phil was feeling, rather than about Haley? The age difference thing already freaks me out, but I could have set that aside if we could have had some real insights into what Haley was thinking about. Phil and Rainer talking about Haley as if her input didn't matter really, really threw me for a loop. Not to mention that politically, at this exact moment, an older man being a pickup artist with younger women is... suggestive of a certain somebody that I'd rather not have to think about.

Pros:

That being said, I did love the humorous name "Rainer Shine," and Phil's hero worship. It's kind of cool that Phil got to be friends with a personal hero of his. Claire treating the whole thing like it was no big deal was also funny. If it weren't for the ick factor of Haley/Rainer, I would have really enjoyed Haley's parts of this episode as well. She helps her dad put makeup on for the news, revealing that she has quite the talent for it. Phil thinks it might be a good job for her. I do like the idea of seeing Haley come in to her own, either as a club promoter or a makeup artist. Either one would seem to encapsulate who Haley is as a person, while still giving her an opportunity to push herself.

Alex struggles with being sick. She thinks her intelligence is dropping, and this impression is only confirmed when Claire helps Luke cheat at scrabble to knock her down a few pegs. Alex gets upset, wondering who she's supposed to be if she's not the smart girl. That's how she defines herself. Claire feels bad and reveals the truth, and Alex gets right back to bragging about her intelligence.

While I think this plot thread could have pushed itself a teeny tiny bit further, I did enjoy the fact that Alex had something to do. She really does place a lot of importance on her intelligence. If she's not the smart one, then who is she in this family? I'd love to explore that more.

Lily tries to sabotage Dwight by placing empty liquor bottles under his bed. She doesn't like sharing her food, her home, and her dads with this new interloper. Finally, in a moment of anger, she declares that her parents don't love her anymore. Mitchell and Cam comfort her, and offer to do whatever she wants. She forces her dads and Dwight to have a tea party with her, dress-up included!

Dwight continues to be hilarious. I love how affable he is. He starts to bond with Mitchell, watching movies and going shopping, while he continues to have his football connection with Cam. It makes sense that Lily would chafe under this home invasion, and I like the devious yet ultimately fruitless way she tries to handle it. The payoff may have been a bit weak, but I think we'll probably get more fun interaction between Lily and Dwight as we move forward.

The best plot thread was Manny's, to my complete shock. He's working on his video application to Juilliard. Everything he comes up with seems pretentious. Jay says that he should lean in to his "rough childhood" and talk about living on the streets. In the end, Manny writes about how he comes from two worlds. He's the son of an immigrant single mother who had a rough time, and he's the step-son of a rich white businessman who allows him to live a life of privilege.

I loved every second of this. It was a wonderful way for Manny to come to grips with himself. He has been influenced by Gloria and Jay in good measure, and telling the truth is always better than trying to put a spin on it. As cliche as it might be, everybody is special. Everybody is unique. You've just got to find that truth and express it.

I guess that's where I'll stop. I really wish that Nathan Fillion hadn't shown up to be a love interest for Haley, but other than that, I was pretty pleased with the episode!

8/10