BWW Recap: Dunphys Deal with an Eyesore of a Boat, & More, on MODERN FAMILY

Another week, another MODERN FAMILY recap. Before we take a small hiatus (that's right, folks -- no new episode next week or the week after!), let's delve into recapping the incredibly well-written episode of this week. Shall we?

In the Dunphy household, Claire vows to fight back against new neighbors Ronnie and Amber, for parking their boat-which she calls an "eyesore"-in their driveway. When she and Phil go to see them about the issue, and they don't back down, Phil calls his father (Fred Willard), and a few of Frank's friends, for backup. And... it backfired.

First, I have to say, though I was initially against the neighbors being introduced (see my recap of 10/22's episode), I have to say I like the way they're being utilized. Not too much (they haven't appeared since Halloween), but we know they're there, so it's not too much of a surprise when they appear again... like now. Looking back, I guess that "pilot-like" introduction episode was necessary, and though I felt it was a clunker, it pays off in the end 'cause now we can just jump into stories like this without question. The over usage was what I was afraid of ("now we have them, so let's use them as much as possible") but that doesn't seem to be an issue (Knock on wood). I'm glad we have this episode, too, as they're both given some of the season's funniest lines thus far. This far into their presence, too, much like the series' regulars, we can delve into more of their personal lives, and not dwell so much on character description, as it's already been established (i. e. we know they run a weed dispensary, so we can just dive right into the "jack-pot" and "banana bread" jokes).

Second, this plot was amusing; again, the neighbors were used the perfect amount, and I enjoyed the surprise revelation of Frank and friends joining Ronnie and Amber on the boat. The ending was freakin' funny as well, weaving all the plots together seamlessly as only the MODFAM writers can! (For spoiler purposes, I won't post it here in detail, but if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor).

In the Tucker-Pritchett household, Mitch finds out Cam's grooming Lily to become a clown. Okay, right from the start, I can tell this is gonna be the funniest plot of the night. Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays the perfect straight man to Eric Stonestreet's kooky Cam. Because of his delivery, the plain-Jane, reactive lines-"Usually when everything is normal, people don't respond in perfectly rehearsed unison"-come off just as funny as the clearly-written-to-be-hilarious "Hey! Mumbo Jumbo was like a father to me," which also was, undoubtedly, hysterical. When clowns are involved, Cam's at his best - "Let's say we're even!" is his response to taking Lily to Jr. Clown College after Mitchell takes her to the doctor for an ear infection-and throwing Lily into the mix can only make this whole thing better. (Case in point when the two begin their act - and Ferguson's back with the one-liners). But, when Cam takes Lily under her wing, he soon learns that she might be taking a little too much of an advantage over him.

This plot was pure MODFAM goodness - funny as hell, but with a message at the end that was equal parts' heartwarming, truthful, and, of course, funny. (Yes, I'm speaking of Ferguson's last confessional). I just can't get over how good this episode was! Harkening back to the old days of Season 1, it was just a perfect balance of humor and heart and I can't say enough about it.

So, let me continue. Jay/Manny/Gloria deal with potty training Joe -- it's Jay's idea because he's tired of buying diapers (and OMG that cutaway was HILARIOUS!)-and it doesn't go over so well. I mean, it sure starts out great (and seriously... kudos to the writer!), but it takes a turn (plot-wise, NOT within the critique) when it's revealed Gloria's been keeping secrets and exaggerating all of Manny's achievements as a baby. And the two almost-parallel plots interwoven into one concluded with a revelation for Jay.

This plot was also the best of what MODFAM had to offer - maybe even more so than Mitch and Cam because we've been following Jay's tribulations with Mitch/Claire vs. Manny since the beginning. As Manny said, "You've missed so many milestones in their lives....this is your second chance [to do it with Joe]." At the risk of sounding like a broken record, while being incredibly hilarious, MODFAM has the ability to also pull at our heartstrings. We're far enough into the series now that we know these characters well enough to relate to them, and understand them - and I just think Manny and Jay hit it out of the park this week on that level.

Whatever funk MODFAM was in, it's 2015, baby, and our favorite hodgepodge of a dysfunctional family is back! I couldn't be happier.

SOME FAVORITE QUOTES

- Alex: (re: rising sea level, after listening to her family) That water can't hit us soon enough.

- Gloria: (to Joe) Bravo! You ate all of your blueberries!

Manny: That gets applause? I just finished the Friday crossword puzzle and nothing. I guess everyone knows Herbert Hoover's middle name.

- Amber: (re: "climbing aboard") You can't climb aboard me. Not in the driveway anyway.

- Ronnie: (re: the boat) You spend a lot of money on something, you want people to see it.

Amber: That's why I wear low-cut tops.

- Mitchell: (to Cam) What have I said about you sneaking up on me? I could have been shaving. This could've been a SWEENEY TODD moment.

- Mitchell: Confetti. Hope Fizbo knows how to vacuum.

- Jay: You know, I raised two fully functional children.

Gloria: You have two kids that I don't know about?

- Gloria: I might have exaggerated a little bit, but I do that all the time. Colombia actually ia a very normal place.

- Mitchell: (re: Lily) Coming up with a lie like that in the moment, that girl's no clown. She's gonna be a lawyer.

STRAY OBSERVATIONS

- In the Dunphy plots, especially as the kids get older, when the plot is mainly focused on the adults, the kids become underutilized, reduced to one-line-an-episode characters. I mean, yes; everyone's gotta have their fair share, but... Just pointing it out.

- There's a new writer for this episode, Vali Chandrasekaran. He's been a co-exec producer on MODFAM this season, but not yet a writer. Bring him back often! Linguistically speaking, some of the funniest work thus far. Joke after joke after joke after joke... and that's coming from me! :-)

Photo Credit: Twitter / ABC

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