Modern Family: Ringmaster Keifth (8x10)

Back from hiatus, Modern Family delivers a modestly successful episode. Nothing to write home about, but enough to write about here. Let's take a look.

Cons:

It's New Years, and the family is all over at Jay and Gloria's place for a party. All of our characters are undergoing separate story lines, and most of them are successes. However, I'm disappointed that we didn't get more of an ensemble feel from this setup. This show often soars the highest when it finds creative reasons to bring all of the characters together, and in this particular installment it didn't even really matter that they were all at the same house. It felt like there may have been some missed opportunities floating around.

One of the plot threads packed less of a punch than I think it was meant to: Gloria and Jay decide to write a will, just in case something happens to them. They spend the episode debating who should take care of Joe if they die. Also, Gloria is horrified to realize that she's lost her "disappear bag," containing $40,000. Turns out, Haley and Alex had brought it to a '90's music festival. Scared, they rush home with the large sum of cash. I'm putting this plot thread in the "cons" section because I felt that it didn't capitalize on its presence whatsoever. The idea of Gloria having a getaway plan is hilarious, but they didn't really do much with it. And Haley and Alex having that much money on them? That could have been so funny! But instead, they just freaked out and came home, and nothing bad happened. I don't know... didn't anybody else want to see the two of them get into shenanigans while trying to hide the absurd amount of cash they had hidden in Haley's purse? That would have been hilarious!

Pros:

That being said, the resolution to Gloria and Jay's plot thread was quite lovely, as Manny comes forward and says that he'll be raising Joe if something happens to his parents. He's actually thought quite a bit about how he would do it, which throws Jay for a loop. But it was sweet to think that Manny wanted the responsibility, and the payoff was worth it.

Meanwhile, Cam is in danger of ruining yet another holiday meal when the fire goes out in the pit where he's roasting a pig. Mitchell uses his Christmas present from his dad to save the day by calling a concierge service that can run errands for you. Turns out, the man on the other end of the phone is none other than Keifth, Cam's ex-boyfriend who left him in the middle of the night without a word. Cam is anxious about seeing him again, but actually ends up getting closure, as the two part with fondness.

This was a great little plot thread not only in terms of the comedy, but in terms of the dramatic payoff as well. Kelsey Grammer was great as Keifth. He's got such a distinct and hilarious voice, and it worked really well. I just loved the totally matter-of-fact way he handled Mitchell's weird request to swap out a fully roasted pig while hiding it from the rest of the family. He even brought a peacock to serve as a distraction. I also liked how Cam successfully got one over on his old flame by acting aloof when first seeing him. Later, however, the two actually have an honest conversation about their past. Mitchell orchestrated this, hoping that it might help Cam get over his abandonment issues, but he gets a little testy when the two start reminiscing about their past together. This was funny as well as being a little poignant. I think a lot of people can identify with that wistful feeling you get when you talk with somebody who used to be such a big part of your life.

Phil's New Year's resolution is to be more daring, but his resolve is tested when his father shows up to see him with his new girlfriend: Phil's former babysitter and first crush. Phil is unnerved, but Claire forces him to confront his father. Phil lets his father know that he wants him to be happy, and Phil's father proposes to his girlfriend. Phil then decides to take a risk and go on a scary ride with Claire, something he was unable to do at the start of the episode.

I didn't feel much of a connection to Phil's father or his girlfriend, but that's alright: this story is meant to be about Phil's emotional journey. I liked the fact that he found a way to connect with his father, even though the guy wasn't exactly open to an emotional conversation. I also found Phil dancing around his former crush on his babysitter to be quite amusing, as was the fact that Claire figured it out right away!

Joke shout-out of the week: The episode ends with Cam proudly serving his roasted pig. Somebody asks what the nutty flavor is, and Alex says that Cam would never put nuts in it, because he knows she's allergic. Mitchell wordlessly hands over his concierge card so that Cam can call to have an EpiPen delivered posthaste. I just loved the wordless comedy here. So fun.

That's all I've got. I have a feeling that a truly great episode of Modern Family was hiding in here somewhere, waiting to come out. What we got was a perfectly good episode, though, so I'm not complaining!

8/10