Modern Family: Manny Get Your Gun - Season 2 Episode 9 Recap

This week’s Modern Family sees the entire extended family trying desperately to get to Manny’s birthday party on time.  However, each family faces some unique challenges in getting there.

Phil and Claire decide to take separate cars and race to see who can get to the restaurant first.  Luke walks into the room late and misses the idea of the race.  All he hears from Claire is, “Luke, your Dad and I are splitting up”, making him think that his parents are divorcing.  He makes the decision to go with his Dad. When Claire realizes Luke’s mistake, she sets him straight but then wonders why he wanted to go with his father instead of her.  Claire believes it’s because she isn’t enough fun.  Luke eventually admits that he wanted to go with his Dad because he thought his Dad would need him more.  Claire still decides to show Luke that she can be fun too, by racing as fast as she can to beat Phil.

Meanwhile Phil, who is driving the girls, drives recklessly in a bid to win the race and ends up popping a hubcap.  During the repair he reveals to Alex and Hailey that he has signed them all up for “family camp” again next summer.  When the girls reveal that they have no interest in going, Phil becomes distraught over the fact that he’s “losing his little girls”.  The girls encourage him to return to the race and try to beat Claire, as a way to make him feel better.

At Jay and Gloria’s house, Jay gives Manny a BB gun for his birthday.  Jay allays Manny’s fears that he may not be old enough for such a gift, by telling him that he was “born 16”.  This upsets Manny and makes him realize he’s “forgotten to have a childhood”.  Meanwhile, Gloria has misplaced her keys and Jay is hassling her about it.  When Jay finds the keys in his coat pocket, he plants them in her purse.  Gloria figures out what happened and is furious at Jay.  They leave the house in an angry huff with Gloria driving recklessly to the restaurant.

Cam and Mitchell have yet to get Manny a present.  As a result, they’re walking around the mall at the last minute trying to find one.  Cam feels that Mitchell is too uptight and focused on getting places on time.  He encourages Mitchell to be more spontaneous and enjoy his surroundings.  They eventually come across a “flash mob” (a group of people who perform a spontaneous dance in public as way of expressing joy).  Mitchell shocks Cam by joining in and afterward reveals to him that this was the real reason he was rushing through the mall; so that he could reach the “flash mob” in time.  He’d been rehearsing with a man at work in order to surprise Cam.  Mitchell expects Cam to be happy, but instead Cam feels betrayed that Mitchell was dancing without him.  They argue about it as they drive to the restaurant and end up not paying attention to the road.

As a result of all four drivers being distracted or driving recklessly, the family cars nearly end up in a four-way car accident as they each rush into the parking lot.

When the whole family is eventually sitting down to dinner Manny realizes that if all the adults can still act like children, he has lots of time left to enjoy himself.  The adults admit that they may have been acting a bit childish.

As always Modern Family pops with humour and crackles with realistic, hilarious dialogue.  Catch next week’s episode at 9/8 C on ABC and Yidio the day after!