Modern Family Recap: Episode 6

On this episode of Masterpiece Theater Presents: Modern Family, we got to see a little more sweetness from all the families involved. Let’s dive right in and get to recapping.

Manny started the 5th grade and decided to wear a traditional Colombian poncho (or, as Jay described it “a little Christmas tree skirt”) on his first day of school. He wants his classmates to know he’s proud of his heritage. Manny! You little LatIcon! *snuggle.*

Baby Lily also appeared in a traditional costume (from the Republic of Disco), although she seemed a smidge less enthused about it than Manny:

Mitchell, ever the hip cat (”I am loose! I am fun. Remember, breakfast for dinner last week? That was my idea.”)  took some time away from child proofing the coffee table with cardboard to dance with his daughter… and to accidentally bash her head against the ceiling. There goes the Ivy League.

Cool Dad dispensed some time-honored marriage advice: Learn to read between the lines. If, for example, your wife tells you to move your car because there’s not enough space for both us, she might really be telling you, “Hey! Gets a sports car!” Right?

He challenged his wife (Seriously: When do any of these people work?!) to a run-off after she insinuated - or, you know, told him straight up - that is fancy little doctor-designed club foot shoes wouldn’t be enough to keep up with her on her daily run.

Gloria and Jay shared a cute moment where he asked her to say “Reuben” because he likes it when she rolls her r’s. But then they got into a fight after Gloria discovered Manny’s wee poncho in the back of Jay’s car. Drama! It enshrouds them like a doom poncho.

Jay explained that he didn’t make fun of Manny’s poncho, he just learned from raising Mitchell that, you know, it’s not always the best idea to stand up back and let your child wear, say, a jaunty scarf to school. ‘Specially if you look like this:

Oh Mitchell. (He was practically a jock, you know.)

Gloria explained that she didn’t appreciate Jay trying to deter Manny from being who he is and pointed out that no one picks on Batman for wearing a cape. And a poncho is just a cape that “goes all the way around.” True.

There was a rather interesting (well, to us, because we live for shit like this) White Problem™ moment when, upon visiting an Asian doctor to make sure Lily wasn’t injured by her head bump, Cameron mentioned that he and Mitchell were committed to making sure Lily was raised aware of her “Asian roots,” and that, when she would finally be able to eat solid foods, they would take her to a “really good phở place around the corner.” He then asked the doctor if he pronounced that correctly, to which she replied, “I don’t know. I’m from Denver. We don’t have a lot of phở there.” ChopSTICK it to them! That’s racist.

Jay and Gloria returned Manny’s poncho (after another joke about Colombians and drugs) and Manny announced he was going to play the pan flute for his classmates. Oh God. Those pan flute players in Times Square and the subway are seriously one of the worst parts of living in NY. The sound. It stays with you for YEARS. 

Gloria agreed and, worried her son would die a virgin, asked Jay to break Manny’s flute. AND HIS HEART.

And then… oh God. The single most hilarious moment on this show: Mitchell and Cameron locked Lily into the car immediately after they finished congratulating one another on their stellar parenting skills. Mitchell called for helped, explaining, “We locked our baby in the car and people are judging us!” as Cameron ran over with a garbage bin in an attempt to smash the car window open. Reminds us of our parents, kinda.

Upon hearing Cameron’s high-pitched squeals, the operator advised Mitchell to “tell your wife to calm down.”

Then Claire allowed Cool Dad to win the race because… we don’t know… something about family and love and allowing your loved ones to be obnoxious fools or whatever. 

All in all, this was our favorite episode yet. We still wish the show was just Cameron, Mitchell and Manny, though. What’d you lot think?