Tight ropes and juice fasts on ‘Modern Family’
Though not as funny as last week’s, the season’s third episode of Modern Family, “Phil On Wire,” still had me laughing out loud at its high points. My favourite part was watching Cam and Mitch bawl their eyes out whilst hugging in the ocean and subsequently being knocked over by a wave. But let’s back up a second.
Cam decided it was time for a juice fast, and rather than taking the blame when this plan would inevitably fail, Mitch decided to join in. Then we got to experience six of the seven stages of dietary grief from Cam. After the first stage (a clean sweep of any unhealthy food) and the second (attack Mitchell), came my personal favourite, Stage 3: “Soap actress.” Then Cam moved on to the “rush of epiphanies” stage and the regular standbys, “despair” and “rage.”
Mitch, surprisingly, was the one to bring the unexpected final stage to life beautifully at his boss’s benefit party during the telling of a sad tale of a drowning seal due to pollution. Cue Mitch’s uncontrollable and inconsolable hysterics. His wails that could go head-to-head with an Italian widow’s had me in tears of a whole other kind, especially when Cam moved him to the beach where they had it out and made up with the gentle hand of the ocean waves. Classic.
While Gloria furiously fought Jay on his inability to discipline their dog, Stella, who was eating her best shoes, Phil donned his jazz shoes (or “wire walkers” as he called them) in an attempt to fulfill his lifelong dream of walking a tightrope. Who knew? In typical Phil fashion, he failed miserably at first, but with Luke’s suggestion to raise the stakes (and the wire to 7 feet above the ground), his goal was realized.
Last, but not least, Haley reached a whole new level of brainless when we learned that Alex was moved up a math level into her sister’s class (because obviously Haley is way behind her peers). Not to worry Haley, as mom said, “Well hang in there. In a couple more years, you’ll have [the school] all to yourself again.”
Gotta love brutally honest parents.
Modern Family airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Citytv/ABC.
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