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'Modern Family' season finale: Happy(?) birthday, Jay
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There were times this season where "Modern Family" had a little trouble finding the balance of sharp humor and gooey heart that has characterized the show at its peak. It didn't always hit the former -- all sitcoms, even the best ones, have off episodes -- and at times it felt like the show was forcing the latter a little.The closing episodes of the season, though, found the line and walked it expertly. Wednesday's (May 25) season finale, "The One That Got Away," kept the streak alive, giving us some great moments from various paired-off members of the ensemble and closing with a big development for Mitchell and Cam.
Like last year's "Airport 2010" and "Hawaii" two-parter, "The One That Got Away" revolves around Jay's extended family messing up his plans for a tranquil, relaxing birthday. This time all he wants is to go fishing during the day and have a nice family dinner afterward, but various minor annoyances -- from Gloria not having her phone to everyone kind of punting on their gift-giving -- keep him from having the day he wants.
He's not shy about expressing his displeasure either (nor would you be, if your family threw you a birthday like this one). But a simple, sweet gesture from Manny -- he drags Jay's boat into the pool and asks his dad to share some quiet time. The whole family soon tries to board, so the quiet part is out, but the gesture is the kind of simple, affecting thing that when "Modern Family" is on seems like just the right note. Jay laments to the camera that he might have been more of a hard case in the past, but we can tell he doesn't entirely mean it.
Had Jay's botched birthday been the only focus of the finale, though, this episode wouldn't have risen to the upper level of shows from Season 2. But the separate realizations from Cam and Mitchell about wanting another child and Phil's newfound appreciation for Claire via his former nemesis both worked within the main thread while taking familiar comedy beats and turning them just a few degrees.
Eric Stonestreet is so good at playing the drama-addict part of Cam that the ex-athlete farm-boy part of the character has been back-burnered more this season. His rough morning with Lily and later coaching of Manny through his softball date, though, makes him realize how much he enjoys doing that kind of stuff, things neither Mitchell nor Lily (so far as we can tell) care about much. And for as much as Mitchell can be at odds with Claire, their photo-re-creation fiasco reminds him how much easier growing up was with a sibling. (Also? The scene of them turning back into little kids after their dad picks them up was fantastic.)
Phil's lust for Gloria has also been a reliable source of jokes over the course of the series, as has the kind of married-for-a-while relationship he has with Claire. But when his cheer/close-up magic rival -- the guy Phil has always fumed about finishing second to -- waxes rhapsodic about Claire, of course it's going to open Phil's eyes to his wife, to the point of ignoring the, ahem, rather obvious charms of Gloria.
That sort of realization is very well-worn sitcom ground, but the way Ty Burrell sells it -- right up to his "I've got Claire!" cry -- makes up for the fact that we've seen it many times before. You could say that for a lot of "Modern Family's" best work, actually: There isn't a ton of comedy ground being broken here, but the show's style, which allows the actors to underplay jokes, and the precise execution in front of and behind the camera make familiar beats fresh again.
What did you think of the "Modern Family" finale?
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Photo/Video credit: ABC
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We love this show and it's our number one must watch show every week. It's amazing what a great balancing act they do by showing all three families, plus humor and heart, and all in half an hour.
There are very few shows like this--where writers know their cast and know how best to utilize them--that keep me invested. Too many times I begin watching a show only to see the writers lose focus, or worse force upon us, the viewer, scattershot plotting (e.g., the disaster that Glee has become). This is a wonderfully funny, clever, and heart-warming show. I watch it and am reminded how off-kilter and absurd my own family is--and how much I love them for it.
This show is so great, it leaves me wanting more. I wish it was an hour long