It’s been another busy week for Modern Family, one full of firsts for Cameron, lasts for Luke, and a whole lot of middles for everyone else.
Cameron and Mitchell see their weekday routines shaken up when, at the end of last week’s double episode, Cameron takes a job as a middle school music teacher. This week, Cameron realizes that even treble clef sweaters and insomnia-induced piano-playing cannot prepare him for the first day of school. He undergoes the proper teacher-hazing routine, complete with sarcastic slow-claps and hostile teachers’ lounge vibes. Mitchell appears to fare better, but only because Claire came over earlier in the day to fix up the electricity, cook dinner, and work her magic. Try putting that in a binder, Mitt.
Meanwhile, Luke preoccupies himself with another sort of magic, namely of the traditional smoke-and-disappearing-rabbit variety. His hobby may not last for much longer, however, since he opens up to his parents about wanting to quit. Phil grudgingly relents with a proposition: Luke can quit if he executes the Butler’s Escape trick. Luke complies but Phil still refuses to let go, no doubt projecting his own failed magician dreams onto his son. Somewhere in the dark recesses of Phil Dunphy’s childhood lies a young Phil zealously practicing his vanishing coin routine.
Over at the Delgado-Pritchett house, Gloria is ambling along in her pregnancy. Jay and Manny, however, are a little less pleased. For Jay, the issue at hand is Gloria’s jarring snore. Pillow-muffling cannot cover up the sound and neither can coffee make up for the lost sleep. For Manny, the problem is not just the snoring, but pretty much everything. The further along Gloria is with the pregnancy, the bigger of a worrywartManny becomes.
When Jay’s tolerance for the zzz’s finally reaches a breaking point, he does what many overhopeful, undersatisfied men do: he checks into a hotel. Fear not, dear reader. This is Modern Family and not 90210. The only action Jay gets is from digesting his burger and fries while flipping through TV channels. If you thought Jay was engaged in the more standard and seedy side of hotel endeavors (Exhibit A: his son-in-law in Season 1), you are not alone. Gloria has similar doubts and catches Jay in the hotel lobby. Within a few soundbytes of Jay apologizing, explaining his actions, and apologizing again, her fury dissolves and they embrace. This scene would make for a great nose strip commercial.
Of course, Modern Family would not be Modern Family without its bubbly outro. This week’s montage features shots of the reconciled families, spreading enough warmth and cheer until next week’s installment.