Modern Family Season 2 (2010)
Modern Family Season 2 Review
The second season of Modern Family is pretty good with some really great episodes, but it’s still certainly inferior to the previous one.
The Old Wagon is overall a very good episode and a great opening for the season with the Dunphy family being the standout. Their nostalgic subplot is so beautiful while also being funny and adventurous. This is one of the greatest and sweetest episodes concerning just their family.
The Kiss is an excellent episode. It is admittedly too convenient in regards to Mitchell’s fear of showing affection in public, but they still incorporated that pretty well with Jay’s personality and Gloria’s making fun of him is very funny here. And the episode culminates in a wonderful heartwarming scene in a typical Modern Family fashion.
Earthquake has an admittedly weaker Jay and Manny subplot, but Phil is expectedly hilarious in this one and I just loved Cam and Mitch’s storyline which benefits from an absolutely magnificent guest turn from Nathan Lane who is one of the most memorable supporting characters in the show.
Strangers on a Treadmill just might be my favorite second season episode. Everything here works and it is frequently hilarious. Jay and Gloria’s subplot could have been better, but Cameron is absolutely hilarious here. Phil and Claire share some truly beautiful moments here that are one of the most romantic so far. However, Alex and Haley are surprisingly great as well as their dynamic is so funny and they really should put the two of them together on screen more often.
Mitchell and Cam start to get a bit annoying with their obsession with their kid, but the commentary on political correctness is really funny in Unplugged plus Cam posing as a Native American is absolutely hysterical. However, the Dunphy family steals the show once again as their competition is so entertaining and Haley’s surprisingly smart turn here is really interesting.
Halloween should have been better given its themes. Only Mitchell’s plot is really fun here as others are quite disappointing in my opinion. Chirp is another forgettable episode that has some quite funny scenes, but is mostly subpar.
Manny Get Your Gun is a wonderfully old-fashioned MF episode that culminates in a great family gathering and benefits from all three of the subplots being pretty good. I also loved the exploration of Manny’s ridiculous lack of childlike sense in his personality. Mother Tucker has a great use of Phil, but the appearance of Cameron’s mother brings a lot of the crazy humor to the table too.
Dance Dance Revelation is nothing spectacular as all the stories here are solid, but forgettable. Slow Down Your Neighbors is the finest episode in a while with the mysterious neighbor subplot being so entertaining and Claire being so fantastic here. Our Children, Ourselves has a very funny Mitch subplot with a hilarious twist ending, but the Dunphy bunch again steals the show with an absolutely hilarious visit to the movies. I just loved the two of them here.
Caught in the Act has a fine, but frankly clichéd use of the gay dads, but everyone else here is magnificent. Jay and Gloria are so funny and they are wonderfully incorporated into the Dunphy plot which is again the highlight. The kids catch them having sex and the kid’s reactions in particular are so funny. And it all ends with a clever, very satisfying finale.
Bixby’s Back is pretty good, but definitely too similar to its prequel episode in the previous season. However, it is still funny and all characters are great here. Princess Party benefits from a once again terrific turn from DeDe, but the episode still needed some work. Regrets Only is very good with Phil being as great as always and I loved that he and Gloria shared some time together.
Two Monkeys and a Panda benefits from a great exploration of the issue of adoption in a heartwarming Mitch and Cam’s storyline, but Phil again steals the show with his absolutely hilarious visit to the spa. Boys’ Night is another great part with such a good new character in Mr. Kleezak who is perfect for Luke. And the titular night is immensely funny with Jay being so good here.
I loved Jay’s brother in The Musical Man. His relationship with Jay is fantastic and they are so realistic together. But the misunderstanding that is caused by Phil’s real estate advertisement is done to hysterical results. Someone to Watch Over Lily is one of this season’s highlights due to again great use of Haley and Alex and I loved how they finally explore Alex and Luke’s flaws. But when Mitch and Cam decide to find a guardian for Lily if something happens to them, that brings a lot of hilarity to the table and it ends on a perfectly funny note.
Mother’s Day has a not so funny plot with the two women, but the critique of Gloria and Manny’s relationship is on point. Phil and Jay are finally together here and both are great and of course the two dads are most certainly the highlights with a fantastic, hilarious commentary on Cam’s feminine behavior. Good Cop Bad Dog is one of the best parts of the season with all of the three subplots working amazing. Jay is phenomenal, Mitchell is also great and Claire is terrific, if stereotypical. Phil takes the bad cop approach with the girls for once and the results are absolutely hilarious. It is one of the funniest episodes of the season.
Yes, See You Next Fall should have been the season finale as it is so beautiful. Cameron is so amusing, Jay is also funny and Phil’s lines bring a lot of laughter, but it is the heartwarming feel that Alex’s graduation brings that is the highlight here. It is one of the most emotional Modern Family excursions and one of their most relatable. The One That Got Away could have had some better subplots, but Phil is again fantastic and it is nice to see Claire and Mitchell together for once as their sibling relationship is unfortunately rarely used in this series.
