TV in Review: Modern Family, “Bringing Up Baby”
October 2, 2012 2 Comments
I didn’t realize that Modern Family was even back on the air, until I was texting with T. and she mentioned watching it with her parents. It seems like just yesterday that Gloria discovered her pregnancy. And according to “Bringing Up Baby,” it was just yesterday.
And away we go (with some spoilers)…
The set-up comes very quickly. It’s Jay’s sixty-fifth birthday. He doesn’t want surprises. Gloria is pregnant. Instant comedy…just not very good comedy, yet…
MANNY: I don’t blame you, Jay. You’ve had enough excitement in one lifetime. The dawn of flight, printed books, agriculture.
That’s right, Manny is learning insult comedy from Dean Martin. There’s definitely a missed opportunity to have him dress up like Deano, in full tuxedo.
The action starts to get rolling when Phil and friends arrive to kidnap Jay.
SHORTY: Should we put him in the trunk?
PHIL: Why would we put him in the trunk?
SHORTY: You said there were no bad ideas.
And the counterpoint to Gloria’s pregnancy is that Mitch and Cam have to break it to Lily that they aren’t pregnant. The one laugh-out-loud moment for me was when they are trying to return baby gifts and wind up with the 800 pound gorilla and the elephant going at it atop the Mitchmobile.
But overall, I found the season premiere a lackluster event. Julie Bowen gave a good facial reaction when Alex calls her out for giving Hayley an unnecessarily vile drink…
ALEX: That’s a hangover cure?
CLAIRE: No.
And Alex is also humorous when telling Haley that her boyfriend (and my favorite) Dylan is not going to be allowed to lodge with the Dunphys, despite Claire’s sarcastic approval.
ALEX: She’s being facetious.
[Pause.]
Sarcastic.
[Pause.]
Dylan no stay.
But that was kind of it, for me. Usually, I feel that I have a plethora of comic moments from which to choose when recapping the show, but this time I can fit them all into a relatively short post. I’m hoping it’s just a slow start and that season four will start to pick up with the next episode, “Schooled,” which will air on Wednesday the 10th.
ABC first broadcast Season 4, Episode 1 of Modern Family on September 26, 2012.
SEE ALSO
Polentical: TV in Review: Modern Family, “Baby on Board” (Season 3, Episode 24)
About Matthew
It was a slow start. But I would also add Luke’s line about tossing a grenade and walking away.
Great point about a missed opportunity with Manny in a tuxedo.
True, I did like that line by Luke! It’ll be fun to see how he continues to be mischievous as he grows older. I don’t know about the character, but the actor is a teenager now.