S07.E01: Summer Lovin'

[evilmindatwork]

Sorry show - doesn't matter how hard you work to try to get me to root for Andy, I'm on Team Dylan. I love him as much as Phil does.

 

Loved Mitchell as Van Gogh - he just needed a visit from The Doctor.

 

And I'm hoping Alex and Sanjay can make the long-distance thing work.

I cannot stand Andy. He's just dull, annoying, and does nothing for me. Why can't we just keep Dylan? Why is the show pushing Andy so hard, ugh. 

Edited September 25, 2015 by evilmindatwork

[DrSpaceman73]

Not overly impressed with the opener

The kids school storyline was not that funny

They have already done this story with Cam and mitch, the exact same story.

Still don't care much for Haley and Andy, don't really care if they end up together. And insulting or not, I found that fat suit on Andy just distrubing and weird looking more than anything. Not funny, just creepy. I almost couldn't watch.

I don't care for Alex and Sanjay either. They don't seem to have any chemistry together, seem more like brother/sister.

it had its moments, but nothing special

I did like seeing Justin Kirk again. I wish he would become a regular and Mitch would work for him just so he could be on the show more

[Texasmom1970]

Don't think I laughed out loud once through the entire episode. Not a good sign.

[whatsatool]

It's a nice antidote to all the procedurals

[LakeLover]

Something felt off in this episode, but I can't put my finger on it. Perhaps I'm being overly critical because I spent my summer watching a few old episodes a week and am routinely amazed at the wit of the writers and the actors' performances in general.

 

I found Alex and Sanjay to be disinteresting, perhaps because there hasn't been a slow build up to their relationship and although we knew they liked each other, we haven't seen too much of them. New Joe is cute. Loved the mom/daughter haircut, too. Not a fan of the recycled plots (preschool, find a job, etc.)

 

I was pretty turned off by weight-challenged Andy - that chin! I know it's all for laughs, but meh.

 

There were a few things I liked (saving the aluminum foil to save money - Lily!) and count me in as a huge Dylan fan - love the actor. Yes, Dylan's clueless, but he's got a really great work ethic for a guy who probably didn't do too well in school, and seems to be supporting himself (unless he's still living in a storage pod with his racoon friend "Bubbles.")

[SanDiegoInExile]

Lily wanting to save the used aluminum foil?

 

It's called being thrifty. I grew up in the 70s and while not poor, my family wasn't rolling in the dough (think 1 trip to McDonalds a week for 29-cent hamburger night as the "splurge" moment).  My mom -- and pretty much every one I knew -- always saved aluminum foil.  You would wipe it down and re-use it many times.  To this day, my now 97-year-old grandfather still washes out and re-uses every zip-loc bag.  They get tossed after a year or so.  He may still be using some from the 1990s.

[Evangeline]

That I can actually believe. I recently read a great article by a legal headhunter about how difficult it is for unemployed lawyers to find jobs, regardless of whether they were fired or quit (barring some kind of extreme extenuating circumstance like illness). Mitchell is not exactly a stable employee. He quit in season 1 over his boss making him work long hours. He worked at Charlie Bingham's firm and then quit again. He moved onto Aisha Tyler's legal aid firm and was let go there. He's in his mid-40s. The time for job-hopping should have been well over. If he had been in Big Law, he should have been a partner by now. As it is, he has jumped around and has employment gaps. He's a "risky" hire in that respect.

Agreed. Plus in law firm world at least, people are rarely fired -- usually they're "counseled out."  So a prospective employer won't be able to tell whether someone quit their job because they wanted to or whether they quit because they were basically told to.

[Meraji]

I missed the first few minutes. Did they mention Alex and Claire going to Europe over the summer?

 

I totally agree about the rehashed storylines in that they were a bit tired.  I was especially surprised to see them in the premiere, when you'd think the writers would bring their A games.

 

About the preschool plot, I get that these "good" preschools are hard to get into last minute, but I find it hard to believe that Gloria and Jay wouldn't have known that (from Mitch and Cam or from another source) and applied when they needed to, a year ago. Blech, lazy plot device.

 

Also can't stand Andy, the character or the actor. His face and delivery are the worst. I don't know if I care about Haley enough to say she can do better or different than Andy, but I just wish the character had been dropped by now.

[Shermie]

The whole notion of families waiting for years to get into good preschools seems like a business opportunity to me. It's been such a "thing" for so long, why wouldn't more people start quality preschools? Supply and demand, basic economics. Find a need and fill it. Yes, it's a lot of work, but so is starting any business, but people do it all the time.

As for Mitchell's unemployment and the family's increasingly dire (dire in TV land, that is) financial circumstances, he could just get a job. Any job to contribute to the family finances, instead of wasting money on hobby supplies while his husband works two jobs.

[indeed]

It's called being thrifty.

I know. That's why Lily said it and why I tossed it out there as a suggestion. i was trying to remember something "clever" from the episode (other than supposedly the whole Van Gogh thing).

I missed the first few minutes. Did they mention Alex and Claire going to Europe over the summer?

I don't remember anything. Maybe they postponed it so Alex could spend time with her new boyfriend she only planned to date until college started and so Claire could comfort/reconnect with broken-hearted Haley. Or I missed it. Or they did that in non-referenced August.

About the preschool plot, I get that these "good" preschools are hard to get into last minute, but I find it hard to believe that Gloria and Jay wouldn't have known that (from Mitch and Cam or from another source) and applied when they needed to, a year ago. Blech, lazy plot device.

They should have known. Mitch and/or Cam should have said something. Claire could have mentioned it, along with Andy, the super-efficient nanny, and Manny, the worries about almost everything big brother. But I guess, while they see each other constantly, nobody talks to each other on this show when there's a plot to reuse. Edited September 25, 2015 by indeed

[ari333]

"Imma need that foil back..."

Great little dry Lily Love her delivery!

 

I did not know we had a new Joe til I read it here.

[Snow Apple]

I don't need Hailey to end up with Dylan, but please get rid of Andy. I *get* what they trying to have the character be, but the actor can't pull it off and ends up looking skeevy and fake (he just creeps me out). Another actor might have pulled it off but this one is not working so please put us all out of our misery. I'm just afraid TPTB will stubbornly refuse to admit their mistake and keep forcing it. Poor Hailey (and Sarah). You deserve better.

[cardigirl]

I really enjoy the Haley and Andy story, I think the show has done a really good job of showing Haley realizing she's attracted to a guy who is quite different from the usual guys she's been attracted to.  

 

They did an episode where she had to take over for her dad's master of ceremonies at a real estate convention, and she was great.  I love it when the show does a slight twist on a character and you see more than the 2-dimensions they had been given previously.

 

I do like Dylan, but I definitely want to see the Andy-Haley story play out.  

 

One of my favorite shows, and I really did enjoy this first episode, although, I felt bad for the chicken. 

[mansonlamps]

One of my favorite shows, and I really did enjoy this first episode, although, I felt bad for the chicken.

Thank you! Chicken death by toddler, no bueno. And no I'm not a vegetarian so, yes, that makes me a hypocrite.

[LucyEth]

For me the episode has it's good and bad, the Joe pre-school stuff was not funny.  On the fence about Haley and Andy.  The fat suit was just stupid, it was all face and no body.  Overall I liked it.  Waiting to see where it goes from here.

[needschocolate]

As far as I remember, this show has never done fat jokes, despite having two characters who are carrying some extra pounds.  I have always appreciated that - fat jokes, bald jokes, or any other jokes based solely on appearance are cheap laughs, IMO, and this show is too good for that sort of thing (although, I do think they go for the "men doing something 'feminine' " joke too often).  But the Andy storyline felt on the verge of a fat joke - it wasn't blatant, like having Andy get stuck in a chair, but where was the humor in Andy gaining weight?  Haha,look how fat Andy has gotten, haha

 

Besides, it would difficult for Andy to gain that much weight in that short amount of time, unless he only gained it in his face - which apparently he did, based on how the rest of him looked. Why do all fake fat characters on TV look like Jabba the Hut, with such blubbery necks?  I will give the make-up people credit for how well Andy's fake face moved compared to other fake fat faces I have seen on other shows, where only the mouth moves, but it was still a fail. A fail as a make-up job, and a fail of a storyline.    

[cardigirl]

I dunno, I don't think Andy gaining weight was supposed to be funny, per se, but just a way of showing that he was not happy in his current relationship.  Sometimes people do gain weight because they are unhappy. It was supposed to be a sign that maybe she should have stopped him from proposing. 

 

I rarely get offended by comedy shows.  I find it surprising how often that seems to happen, especially with a show like Modern Family that is so popular.

I think the writers for network comedy shows write for pretty broad audiences.  Cable comedy is a different matter.

Edited September 26, 2015 by cardigirl

[peeayebee]

Yeah, didn't Andy first say he didn't want a cupcake so he could fit into his tux? So now, eating all those cupcakes and whatever else has definitely removed him from fitting into his tux. 

 

I know there was humor in seeing him fat, and it didn't bother me. It wasn't like some random fat person walked into the house and was mocked and gawked at. It was an indication that Andy had changed in an unhealthy way. Seeing any character look so different, whether by weight, hairstyle, allergic reaction, or whatever, has inherent humor in it.

[biakbiak]

I read this thread before I saw the show so was surprised that he did have a significant belly and they even did a side shot emphasizing how big it was.

[DrSpaceman73]

I don't think the fat suit was funny at all, just creepy and weird.

And the more I think about this, Andy kind of brought this on himself. He is not married, he is engaged, and he just got engaged shortly before he overheard how Haley felt. Its a difficult but fixable or amendable situation at that point. He could have a conversation with his girlfriend that he is having second thoughts, he isnt ready for this comittment. ANd have a conversation with Haley about how she feels. MANY people end engagements. The longer it goes on, the harder it becomes.

In fact I stand up comedy does a bit about exactly this situation, basically saying the longer an engagement goes on, the harder it is to end and the bigger the consequences. He found out right after the engagement. He's an adult.

Plus I would think his fiance should be able to figure out something is up seeing him gain a ton of weight after they are engaged.

[biakbiak]

I don't think the fat suit was funny at all, just creepy and weird.

And the more I think about this, Andy kind of brought this on himself. He is not married, he is engaged, and he just got engaged shortly before he overheard how Haley felt. Its a difficult but fixable or amendable situation at that point. He could have a conversation with his girlfriend that he is having second thoughts, he isnt ready for this comittment. ANd have a conversation with Haley about how she feels. MANY people end engagements. The longer it goes on, the harder it becomes.

In fact I stand up comedy does a bit about exactly this situation, basically saying the longer an engagement goes on, the harder it is to end and the bigger the consequences. He found out right after the engagement. He's an adult.

Plus I would think his fiance should be able to figure out something is up seeing him gain a ton of weight after they are engaged.

He found out a few months after the engagement, the episode spanned a few months, and after he thought Hayley and Dylan had gotten together and they were having a very short engagement.

[romantic idiot]

I don't think Andy in the fat suit was supposed to be funny.

[DarkRaichu]

Likes:

- I liked how Alex and Sanjay realized they broke up based on statistics and that they decided to stay together because they were the top 1%.  I agreed there was no chemistry between the 2 actors, well unless they were going for Frasier + Lilith type of pair (which I highly duobted).

- "I thought I was done with that one"

- Phil loved Dylan callbacks

 

Neutral:

- Meddling / not meddling thing

- Damn Luke grew up and he worked out ;)

 

Negative:

- Where the heck was Manny???

- Haley works best as individual looking for her identity rather than part of a pair.  Let the early 20s girl grows up to be a woman !!! I do not care for either Dylan or Andy

- The other plot points were re-hashed, boring!!

[Eolivet]

I'm a little surprised they're going full throttle with Andy/Haley, as "family sitcom" and "love triangle" are two things that generally don't go well together. Aww, kind of like Andy and Haley themselves. I'll show myself out.

 

Manny's voice has certainly changed, wow.

 

This show still makes me laugh, the actors have great delivery and the plays on words are incredibly clever. As long as the show keeps giving me those things, I'll be a fan until every couple on this show has another baby (because you know that's coming).

[WhosThatGirl]

I agree with above, it's a sitcom and it makes me laugh. There are some scenes and moments and episodes that aren't my favorites but I enjoy the show for the most part. I have no idea what they are doing with the show now that they have brought Dylan into the mix. It's an odd situation for a sitcom, I also agree because I don't know what guy the show wants us to root for. They know us viewers know Dylan, it isn't some random guy that they have just thrown into the mix; it's Dylan, Haley's old boyfriend who viewers know and like and there's Andy who viewers might not like too. This isn't a situation like Friends where it was Rachel/Ross/Julie or Rachel/Ross/Emily or even Chandler/Monica/Richard because by that time, Everyone wanted Monica and Chandler together, here, I honestly don't know what they are doing. 

[Eolivet]

I think they're ultimately pushing Andy/Haley, because they've been given the emotional beats, whereas Dylan and Haley's relationship has always been played for comedy. I actually think the actor who plays Dylan is a better comedic actor than the one who plays Andy, and why waste a good comedian on a pedestrian love story? Andy can do the "young person angst" and longing necessary for this kind of plot. But for a show that thrives on comedic timing and line delivery, Dylan is far too valuable to waste on a serious story.

 

I'm also remembering these writers are alumnis of Frasier, and that show ended up riding out its last few years on the back of a will they/won't they love story (Niles/Daphne). I think Andy/Haley is going to play out more like that. The timing will be all wrong, all wrong, all wrong, until one day...it isn't. I also don't think it will eat the show (like Niles/Daphne -- unlike Ross/Rachel) -- I think they save it for special occasions, like they do holiday/vacation plots.

[Shermie]

I sure hope every couple on this show doesn't have another baby, as speculated above. Ugh. Phil and Claire's kids are practically grown, why would they want to start over? I know it's a common TV trope, but I don't know anyone in real life who intentionally had another kid once the youngest was 15 or 16.

Plus, most couples know they don't want more kids and get a vasectomy to prevent the surprise baby. I know Phil and Claire talked about it a couple years ago and decided not to do the big V, but I found that silly and unrealistic too. You're 40-ish, you raised three kids, you're looking forward to travel and freedom and whatnot. You might hold a baby and think awwww, but most women don't actually want to get pregnant again. Yet, TV hits us over the head with that tired cliche again and again. And yes, I'm afraid MF will go there, as much as I hate it.

[indeed]

Cam and Mitch might adopt and older child, but I doubt any of the other couples will. The show might end its run with Claire and Phil becoming grandparents, though.

The lighting on Ed O'Neill in the opening credits is not flattering IMO. That family looks like it's wearing him out.

[Chas411]

It's finally back in the UK. I liked this episode though I agree with everyone that there's definetly been better and a lot of stuff was repeated. I like Haley/Andy better then Dylan/Andy but they're way too angsty and drawn out. They need to be funnier. I assume they're as drawn out as they are as they can't lock Adam Devine down for more episodes due to his other commitments?

[mansonlamps]

 

I like Haley/Andy better then Dylan/Andy but they're way too angsty and drawn out. They need to be funnier.

 

 LOL I assume you mean Dylan/Haley.  Even if the show decided to go in that direction, Dylan/Andy would be the worst couple ever!

[Chas411]

Haha yes I meant Dylan/Andy...