Modern Family: Written in the Stars (9x14)

Yeah, this was a good episode. Maybe even great!

Cons:

There was the plot thread where Joe has a crush on Claire. And look, I get it, he's a little boy, but Claire is actually his sister, so... maybe can we not? Despite the weirdness factor, there's also the fact that the Joe material actually wasn't that funny or inspired. It was very cliche kid-in-a-sitcom stuff, and I've come to expect a bit more out of Joe lately.

Pros:

The Joe story did have a cute resolution, however, where Phil asks Joe if he could back off of Claire because he knows he can't compete, and he doesn't know what he'd do without Claire in his life. Claire is of course listening right outside the door, and this scene perfectly showcased how sweet Phil is as a husband and as an uncle talking to his young nephew. Very sweet. Phil and Claire are both wacky and they are quite different from each other, but episodes like this showcase the fact that they genuinely love each other and are passionate about that love. So often in sitcoms with married couples, there's such a terrible amount of animosity between husband and wife. I like that Claire and Phil defy that trope.

Cam and Mitchell, who have been in a weird place for quite some time now, actually have a very romantic plot thread of their own. They go out for dinner, but find Luke is sitting at a table nearby, by himself. His date stood him up, and they later realize why: Cam and Mitchell were badmouthing Luke while waiting to be seated, and Luke's date heard all of this bad stuff about him. When Cam and Mitchell go to help Luke make up with this girl, Mitchell's talk of romance and a long future charms the young woman, but sends Luke running for the hills.

Luke is... disgusting, which would normally annoy me but I like the fact that Cam and Mitchell point out that he's disgusting. I also like the fact that Mitchell ends up making a romantic speech about Cam while trying to convince this girl to give Luke another chance. These two have had kind of a rocky time of it lately, and it was nice to see such a sweet moment between them.

Haley goes on a date with Arvin, Alex's hot professor. Haley is embarrassed by her lack of accomplishments and tries to run off, but later finds her way back by mistake. The two have a frank discussion about how they're both dating out of their comfort zone here, but that they really like each other. Meanwhile, Alex misinterprets a phone call from Arvin asking for advice about Haley, and she turns up to be with him, only to find him and Haley kissing. I like this professor guy - he's just weird enough to avoid being too perfect. It could be interesting to explore Haley and Alex's relationship through this competitive and kind of heartbreaking lens. Sure, it could be a bit of a cliche, but I actually think it might work quite well. It was also lovely to bring up Haley's insecurities about her lack of accomplishments. I hope this actually leads to some forward motion for her character.

Lastly, Jay and Gloria take a page from Phil and Claire's book and decide to try role playing to spice things up for Valentine's Day. Jay is worried about disappointing Gloria, but things go too far when Gloria's act is too convincing and the hotel kicks her out for prostitution. In the end, they also get a sweet resolution where they affirm their love, and then Jay messes it up by breaking a family heirloom. Typical hijinks, but pretty sweet all the same.

So, yeah. With the exception of a misstep with Joe's character, I really enjoyed this episode quite a bit. I hope the back half of the season continues in the same strong vein!

8.5/10