BWW Recap: Jay Goes Gay and Mitch & Gloria Are Old on MODERN FAMILY

Hey, y'all! Welcome back! Spring has officially sprung, and we're in the home stretch! The final batch of episodes will hopefully tie up all the season-long storylines we've come to enjoy throughout the months (Goodbye Alex; Hello Andy!). To start us off, this week's episode found Jay and Cam pairing together for a bowling tournament, Gloria and Mitch kicking up their heels for a night on the town, and Phil and Claire enduring the return of neighbors Ronnie and Amber (guest stars Steve Zahn and Andrea Anders). Here's a full run-down of what specifically went on this week:

Jay fills in for an injured player on Cam's bowling team for the league finals. Thing is... it's an all-gay league. Of course, Jay is totally against the whole thing... until he catches Cam's rival Martin Sherman (GUYS AND DOLLS's Oliver Platt). Then, he's all in. But Martin totally sees through him and threatens to disqualify Cam. To save himself and the team, Cam tells Martin that Jay's being awkward (or, not "flouncy enough") because he's into him. And after hearing this, Jay wants to back out again. Predictable? Oh, yeah. But it's a really interesting twist (and not the one in his beer) that it's Martin who gives the old man his confidence and "game" back, which ultimately scores them the winning point. Of course, this is because Martin's taken a liking to Jay, but Jay knowing that he doesn't want to end up with Martin, but talks to him anyway, and then receiving that compliment,

which spurs his whole attitude through the rest of the story, is really sweet. Sure, it backfires on him in the end, but it's nice that for that one moment Jay allows himself to open up and be affected by other people. We all know how "out of his comfort zone" that must be for the ol' curmudgeon, so it's a real testament to the character (and the writers and O'Neill) to show such growth. I'm proud of you, Jay. :-)

And speaking of growing up and stepping out of one's comfort zone...

While their spouses are out, Mitch and Gloria hit the clubs with Haley (of course!). Or at least they try to. Turns out a night with Haley really brings out how old they really are, or feel. And that's pretty much it. The whole rest of the plot is essentially Gloria and Mitch complaining that they're old, attempting to make it for the remainder of the night, but giving up. Though some jokes did make me chuckle, I think this plot was one of the weakest, and I think it fails because it lacks follow-through.

We literally never see them in the party space; in fact, they leave before they get in. And yes, I understand that's the whole point of the plot line, but these are two of the most hilarious cast members (especially together!) and I don't think this story was utilized the best that it could have been. That said, with so many episodes about Phil feeling older when hanging with Luke, and Jay feeling older when raising Joe, it's great to see a fresh storyline with the otherwise younger, vibrant characters - who make fun of feeling their age. And fun that they paired them with Haley - someone who wouldn't necessarily be paired with them otherwise... and who's become quite the party girl in the more recent seasons. Just wish it had better follow through.

And then there's Phil and Claire.

After bonding over their similar feelings about the ghastly pornographic statue THE NEIGHBORS have put up across the street, Phil and Claire regrettably agree to join Ronnie and Amber (hey, they're back!) for what is sure to be a slightly-more-than-awkward dinner.

Turns out the dinner actually goes along quite nicely, and the Dunphys admit to having underestimated their neighbors. But, in an effort to make this story not just another tired "oh, we underestimated you" sitcom plot, the conversation turns to how to handle the aforementioned statue, and the couples are split once again when Phil and Claire disagree on Ronnie and Amber's immature, and frankly, illegal idea. Determined to keep up their good rapport with the neighbors, however, Claire changes her stance mid-storyline, and the three of them (yes, it's minus Phil, who's still erring on the side of caution) set out to destroy the statue, with hilarious results. One of the better, if not the best plot, of the evening, if only because it showed new development in the relationship between the Dunphys and their neighbors (side note: seriously where have they been all this time?)

While I do think this show is at its best when they deal solely with the family relationships and characters (some of which were glaringly omitted from this episode), THE NEIGHBORS are a nice addition, and their introduction has allowed for exploration of new relationships and storylines that allow us to see a different side of the Dunphys I don't think we've necessarily seen in seasons 1-5. That said - and this is an idea that I thought up while typing this out - it would be awesome if they had interaction with the other family members. That would really add fresh blood to the otherwise semi-stale "Cam is gay, Jay is old, Mitch is tired; Gloria is pretty, but also tired" plots we've gotten as well.

And after such a fantastic Alex-centric she's-got-thoughts-about-college episode previously, Alex is crammed into about five minutes of the episode talking nothing about her college experience. Here's hoping we get back to that... and soon! Her graduation is upon us!

And what about that Andy fellow? ;p (Kinda kidding. There's no way we wouldn't get back to him eventually!)

A solid outing tonight, with some plots significantly better than others. 'Til next time....

SOME FAVORITE QUOTES

- Jay: (re: Costco card) I have half a mind to cut this up and never go back there again.

Gloria: Maybe you can use one of the scissors from the eight-pack that we bought.

- Cam: (while Mitch and Gloria are dancing) Yes, you're very hip. That's the theme song to the ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

- Luke: (re: the statue) I'm not gonna lie. It makes me feel bad about my body.

- Jay: (to Cam, on acting gay) What happens if somebody I know comes in here, and thinks I'm living a secret life?

Cam: Jay, trust me. if someone you know comes in here tonight, they're living a secret life.

- Mitch: (on partying) All right, let's get crazy! I'll uncover the cheese.

- Haley: (to Mitch and Gloria) I hope I can be as cool as you guys in 30 years.

Gloria: Does she think we're 50?

Mitch: No, she's just really bad at math.

- Jay: (to Cam, re: Martin) Why is that guy being so nice to me?

Cam: Well, there's been a new, little twist in the evening...

Jay: And now there's one in my beer. What's up?!

- Mitch: (to Gloria) Stay up all night! It's in your blood! You come from the land of coffee and cocaine.

Gloria: You too. Nobody likes to dance more than the gays. Pretend you're on a float.

- Claire: (re: stealing the statue) Ronnie, we live in a civilized society. We're not those kinds of people.

Ronnie: Says the lady who paired my cabernet with fish.

- Phil: (re: Claire) When it comes to wine, this woman doesn't see color. She'll drink whatever's put in front of her.

STRAY OBSERVATIONS

- Maybe this episode suffered from not enough Haley, only one scene with Alex and Luke, and no Lily or Manny. Get the kids involved!!

Photo Credit: Twitter / ABC

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