Modern Family: Grab It (8x06)

Eh... well, I didn't hate that, but I also forgot virtually everything that happened the second it happened, so that doesn't bode well. It's also possible that I have other, much bigger, stuff on my mind and am too upset to look on the bright side. Whatever.

Cons:

So, Jay's plot involved Phil wanting to become a member of his club. Jay agrees to sponsor Phil, thinking that Phil will fall on his face and that the guys will never accept him. Instead, Phil is a total hit. In the end, Jay admits that the club is his one place to be alone and away from the pressures of the rest of his life, and he's jealous of Phil's ability to fit in anywhere. This plot thread annoyed me because it was about a straight rich white guy feeling like his space was being invaded. I mean come on. Pulease. Oh, and also, apparently Luke has a job at the club and he's doing really well, which just kind of confuses me. Are we supposed to think of him as competent now?

Gloria's plot thread was really forgettable. She planned on having a relaxing night to herself, since Manny was going to a party, and she planned on putting Joe to bed early. But the party ends up going poorly for Manny, and so he comes home early, and Joe drinks espresso and gets all wired, so Gloria's night is ruined. This plot thread wasn't bad or anything, it was just so bland that I hardly remembered it even as I was watching it.

Pros:

Mitchell and Cam's plot, while nothing to write home about, did have a decent amount of laughs. It was about an audience participation theatre piece, and it was awful. When Mitchell gets pulled up on the stage to be "Vlad," one of the characters, he is furious. He ends up ruining Cam's surprise ending by co-opting it, since he heard Cam practice. I'm usually annoyed with plots in sitcoms about bad modern art, because it feels so disdainful towards free expression. But I actually loved how Mitchell and various other spouses were furious with their partners for bringing them to an audience participation show. My mother would be livid if someone tricked her into something like that.

Also, even if I thought Jay and Phil's plot was rather uninspired, I did love one moment, when Jay tried to make Phil look like an idiot by asking him to do a magic trick. Phil messes up a simple trick with a coin, but ends up accidentally pulling a tablecloth out underneath a bunch of dishes, which he then passes off as the intended trick. That was pretty darn funny.

The only winner thread of the night goes to Alex and Claire, which is surprising, to say the least. I guess this show finally woke up and remembered that it should probably do something about Alex's character. She gets inspired by a successful female CEO. She reads her book and goes to a book signing with Claire. Claire thinks that Alex is inspired by her own success in the business world, but then gets discouraged when she realizes that Alex is hero-worshipping this other woman, and not her. By the end of the episode, however, Alex has realized that she doesn't want to be taking business classes. She wants to get out there and get some life experience, so she gets a job working as a barista. This echos Claire's advice to her earlier in the episode. Even if Alex won't say it, it's clear that she is inspired by her mother.

There was actually a lot of emotional depth in this plot thread, what with Alex struggling to figure out who she is, and Claire trying to find a place in her adult daughter's world. I could have done with a lot more of this, and a lot less of Jay complaining about Phil cramping his style.

So... that's it. This episode just sort of passed me by. Oh, and also, if you're in as rotten a mood as I am, go look up #Iamholdingyourhand on twitter. Might make you feel better.

7/10