Episode 'Modern Family' Season 2, Episode 18 - 'Boys' Night' Recap

"People can surprise you," muses Mitchell at the close of this marvelous episode of "Modern Family." Why? Because this ep is about about trying new things, as introduced by Manny's refusal to eat scrambled eggs.

It starts out with the Dunphys trying out a game of wiffle ball, but quickly giving up when they hit the ball into their neighbor Walt's yard. Nobody wants to go get it because Walt is...well, as Claire puts it, "If Hannibal Lecter and Freddie Krueger had a love child, he would be afraid of our neighbor."

Meanwhile, Mitchell and Cameron are trying to mix it up by hanging out with some gay friends for a change, which leaves them with the grounded Haley to (music sting please) babysit Lily. "Oh, sure, if something goes wrong we can just pop over to the Orient and grab another one!" quips Cameron.

In fact, Haley's ineptitude leads Luke to leave the house and wander over to Walt's house to get the wiffle ball. Luke "stupids" his way inside (to coin a new verb) and the two become unlikely friends.

Jay, being Jay, is the only one who seems incapable of trying something new: when the Delgado-Pritchetts go to see a performance of "The Four Seasons" by Vivaldi (Jay thought they were seeing Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons), he turns tail and heads to the bar...which turns out to be the same bar at which Cameron and Mitchell are having their boys' night out.

Mitchell is hesitant at first to invite his father over to the table, but it turns out that Jay gets along with the group swimmingly, especially with an older member of the group by the name of Pepper (played by guest star Nathan Lane). After plenty of Absinthe-tinis and some renditions of Frankie Valli songs, the night concludes...but not before Cameron spots a man walking though the living room on the spy camera he set up. Haley is totally busted.

Phil and Claire, meanwhile, head over to Walt's house to ask him about his friendship with Luke, which they find a little strange. After a scene proving once again why Ty Burrell is one of the funniest actors alive, they leave having only upset Walt.

The next morning brings a hangover for Jay, and the realization that he made a date with Pepper. He begs Gloria to help him get out of it, but she exacts her revenge for the previous night and sends him off to try something new. Meanwhile, Phil and Claire make amends with Walt and allow Luke to spend time with him. And they get a few onions out of the deal.

A lovely episode with a little more Luke than we usually get and a very touching strengthening of the relationship between Jay and Mitchell, this one is packed with some great quips from the boys' night and some really great Phil moments.