S07.E14: The Storm

[Artsda]

 

 

A huge thunder storm brings wide power outages and the whole family congregates at Jay and Gloria's to use their generator, but Jay has one foot out the door desperately trying to make it to a reunion with some old Navy buddies.

 

 

I liked all the family being in one spot for the episode again. Loved the scene of Phil giving Jay the bottle and Irish decor to make an Irish Pub.

 

Why is Alex at home doing her homework instead of at school?

 

Ugh Andy is back. Hayley was better with him gone. 

 

[VCRTracking]

Wait, is this Andy's first "talking head"?

[biakbiak]

I think he has had one or two before.

I actually really liked this episode from Claire's "I am just going to pretend that I don't know why you are including me in this conversation," Lilly finally breaking when the cool girl said Cam was lame and being just cool not a cool girl, Luke pulling one over on two smart girls, and even the resolution to Andy and Hailey's misunderstanding. Plus, Phil's storyline was also nice.

Edited February 25, 2016 by biakbiak

[whatsatool]

Lily was the star.

[Snow Apple]

I liked this episode. Not only is the entire family together but with so many story lines, nobody had much time to annoy me. My favorite is Lily finally standing up for herself which led to jumping into the pool and becoming a leader, but I also enjoyed Manny and Claire. I laughed when Luke got "smart" at the end tag, if only because it got one over on Alex.

 

Andy still creeps me out though. I agree they should slow down and get to know each other and have a first date, blah blah blah, but his communication skills turn me off. It's like he expects Haley to read his mind.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Snow Apple

[BusyOctober]

Ummm...why are a gaggle of 8 year olds allowed to go swimming in a thunder & lightening storm?  One kid was already struck(several times apparently).

 

I don't get the Haley/Andy romance.  ZERO chemistry between the two.  I like both actors on this show, but I just don't see them together.  

 

Phil is still my favorite on this show.  Ty Burrell is so good at physical comedy, he makes up for the shrewish nag role they make Claire fill week after week.

[tpel]

I was impressed with this episode. There were two Moments Of Awesome that got to me. First, Lily telling Ashley to shut up. Mitch and Cam were so busy channeling their inner 8-year-olds that the audience saw things from their perspective as they tried to fix a party gone awry. But, of course, the only one who can really put a mean-girl in her place is a peer who simply decides she's not all that. Little Lily stepped up to the plate, an the others followed. Yeah, swimming outside in a thunderstorm was a bit nuts. I hope the adults realized that and quickly summoned them back inside . . . perhaps to change into those suddenly-much-cooler princess costumes while their own clothes dry.

 

The other moment was Phil and Jay in the garage at the end. It really showed that, while Phil may be a bumbling fool a lot of the time, he can be a hero when he needs to be. 

[mwell345]

 

I liked all the family being in one spot for the episode again. Loved the scene of Phil giving Jay the bottle and Irish decor to make an Irish Pub.

 

That was the best scene in the show - maybe the best scene of this lackluster season.  I especially liked it because they didn't speak. Very well done.  

 

I also liked Lily taking over her party and jumping in the pool.

 

Haley and Andy - ugh!  I thought we were over that, but I guess the writers are determined to shove them down our throats.  With Dylan, there was chemistry - with Andy, there is none.

[Blakeston]

Thank you, Modern Family writers, for acknowledging what was already obvious - that you think of gay men as being on the mental level of 8-year-old girls.

[ari333]

Hated Ashley, but I guess she was integral to the Lily save. Love Lily anyway.

 

Is Alex in a form at school? Bc if so, I see why she is studying at home

Was Cam standing on the hose? I couldn't tell why he fell in the clown suit by the pool. I know he scared Phil, but was he on the hose or what?

[indeed]

Ummm...why are a gaggle of 8 year olds allowed to go swimming in a thunder & lightening storm?

Cam and Mitch: worst parents/guardians ever. Like all of those parents would let their kids go out in a storm like that...and then into a pool during a lightning storm?! Probably, since nobody bothered to check on their kids...free night, woo!

It looks like Luke stepped on a rake or something and got hit by the pole, so just the one earlier time with lightning (ouch). Didn't they say he was also dropped when a baby? There could be a few reasons for the Luke we have (ha).

Edited February 25, 2016 by indeed

[designing1]

The scene with Phil and Jay in the garage left me with a lump in my throat. Having recently lost my own father, and having many senior neighbors who often say "everybody's gone", Jay's reason for being so determined to get together with the guys really got to me. Phil's response was classic Phil; yes, he's a clown, but everything he does comes from the heart.

 

I adore Ty Burrell and the superb job he does as Phil, but I must say I think Ed O'Neill is equally superb in a much more nuanced role.

[AriAu]

It was a nice episode, with limited schreeching from Gloria and no nastiness from any of the characters. it told an ok/nice story with a few touching moments and nothing too stupid or unrealistic (other than kids jumping in the pool in a lightning storm). The characters were pretty true to who they are and yes, Ty Burrell is an excellent physical comedian.

Problem is that it just was not all that funny or even that clever. I can not think of one funny line or scene.

[Kiddvideo]

Terrible episode, I thought. I don't like Lily or Fizbo, so all of that could've gone away. Swimming in a flooded pool during a lightning storm was writers' idiocy. Claire could've been more mature about Manny's robe opening. She's a mom and has seen it (as well as "it") before. Manny would've been embarrassed regardless, but she made it seem shameful and compounded the situation. Don't care that Luke is dumb (but maybe he's not?). Don't care about Alex being smart or being a nerd or being pretty or not pretty or fitting in. Just don't care. Joe's what's-his-name-manny-slash-Phil's-trainee is tedious and not funny and not a good actor, and I want him to stop talking and being passive aggressive and go away. He and Hayley can get married and go live somewhere young couples just starting out can afford to live.

 

/rant over. it's a tv show. I just hate seeing it be so stupid.

[Latverian Diplomat]

 There could be a few reasons for the Luke we have )ha).

 

Just being a teenage boy is reason enough. No extraordinary explanation required.

[partofme]

The Haley/Andy crap ruined this episode for me.  I was hoping he was gone.

[readster]

The Haley/Andy crap ruined this episode for me.  I was hoping he was gone.

After they had so few episodes even dealing with. Also, the writers think we love it when Cam has to be Fizbo, the worst clown ever. I have no problems when there is a small knod to Cam's former clown life, but come one now. He is a championship winning football coach, a full time teacher on top of that. OF course, his office is also the janitor's closet, because its FUNNY! HAHA! Get it?

[MaryMitch]

 Claire could've been more mature about Manny's robe opening. She's a mom and has seen it (as well as "it") before. Manny would've been embarrassed regardless, but she made it seem shameful and compounded the situation.

I don't think Clair was making it shameful. They were both embarrassed, that's all. And I don't blame them; she probably was embarrassed FOR him; I know if I saw one of my teenage nephews like that, I would be embarrassed too. Not shocked; embarrassed.

[peeayebee]

I was impressed with this episode. There were two Moments Of Awesome that got to me. First, Lily telling Ashley to shut up. Mitch and Cam were so busy channeling their inner 8-year-olds that the audience saw things from their perspective as they tried to fix a party gone awry. But, of course, the only one who can really put a mean-girl in her place is a peer who simply decides she's not all that. Little Lily stepped up to the plate, an the others followed. Yeah, swimming outside in a thunderstorm was a bit nuts. I hope the adults realized that and quickly summoned them back inside . . . perhaps to change into those suddenly-much-cooler princess costumes while their own clothes dry.

 

The other moment was Phil and Jay in the garage at the end. It really showed that, while Phil may be a bumbling fool a lot of the time, he can be a hero when he needs to be. 

Yup. Those are my two favorite moments too. Lilly yelling at Ashley was probably my favorite Lily moment of all time.

 

I don't have much to say about the rest of the ep. 

[rallymantis]

The other moment was Phil and Jay in the garage at the end. It really showed that, while Phil may be a bumbling fool a lot of the time, he can be a hero when he needs to be. 

Here I am on board with the majority.  I was really struggling to pay attention in this ep -- probably because I've been watching back-to-back-to-back-to-back reruns on USA, and there hasn't been an off-show.  This season...eh.

But then Lily returned to form (remember when she kicked Dylan out of the house?), and this last between Phil and Jay...I almost bawled.  I especially liked it when Phil turned to go, and give Jay his privacy, until Jay called him back.

Damn.

[Eolivet]

I'll stand alone and say I like Haley and Andy. I wish it wasn't so haphazard (likely due to Devine's work schedule), but I like seeing Haley really caring about someone and fighting for a relationship. My favorite part, more than the cheesy rain kiss, was Haley admitting she was into Andy before they started hooking up. I think that shows maturity for her character. Again...completely unpopular opinion.

 

This was a cute episode -- I love it when the family is together, as well as "unusual pairings." Although the show's "Frasier" is showing in the scene with Claire and Manny with the bed and the wine.

[CleoCaesar]

This was actually a pretty funny episode. Despite the bad (Fizbo, the return of Andy), there was a lot of good.

 

“I mean, a pat on the shoulder? What are we, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer? …Those are people, right?”

 

Joe is adorable. How is he one of the better child actors on the show?

 

Phil and Jay and their improvised Irish bar was one of my favorite scenes with just them.

Edited February 26, 2016 by CleoCaesar

[peeayebee]

Although the show's "Frasier" is showing in the scene with Claire and Manny with the bed and the wine.

And the show did the same gag in the ep where Andy and Haley are at Phil's real estate listing house.

[indeed]

Just being a teenage boy is reason enough. No extraordinary explanation required.

Luke was a bit "different" long before he became a teenager.

[mansonlamps]

Thank you, Modern Family writers, for acknowledging what was already obvious - that you think of gay men as being on the mental level of 8-year-old girls.

This seems a little unfair, it's a portrayal of two gay characters created out of the imagination of some comedy writers for a comedy series. It hardly is indicative of how they feel about all gay men any more than Gloria is an indication that they think all Latina's are shrieking bombshells or that Claire's portrayal means they think all housewives are anorexic control freaks.

I love the characters of Cam and Mitch, but that doesn't mean I think that they represent the gay population at large.

[DrSpaceman73]

Even with his excuse of wanting to get to know Haley better, ANdy could have just said that pretty quickly, there was no need to drag that story out so long. Still don't like them as a couple

Best part of the episode by far was Phil and Jay in the garage at the end. Was done so perfectly.......EXCEPT, did no one else notice NBC put their little promo in the corner for The Real Oneal's show during that scene? Seriously, you take a serious, well done scene like that and throw in a cheap promo during the show?

Glad Lilly told off the girl. Agree though not wise to swim during a thunderstorm.

[ButterQueen]

Although I LOVE when the entire family is together, I thought this was a weak episode.

** the girls swimming during a storm

** the whole Claire/Manny thing

** Hayley seducing Andy at her grandfather's house...full of family

** Andy showing up period

** anytime Luke spoke. He needs some sort of enunciation therapy.

But the whole thing was saved by the silent moment at the end between Phil & Jay. Such a touching scene.

[snorca]

I know this is small and not a big deal but it completely took me out of the episode. Before the generator kicked in and they were without any power...Manny opens the refrigerator and the light came on! I don't know why but I struggled to get past that. Sigh.

[VCRTracking]

I'm bothered by lack of continuity  because they said they celebrated Cam's birthday last year when it's been established it falls on a Leap Day(February 29) which is this year.

[biakbiak]

People who have a leap year birthday still have birthday parties so that isn't a continuity error and they have already done a leap year birthday episode.

[Cherry Cola]

I love the cast of this show. I just hate when the writers go for cheap laughs, making people clumsy, knocking everything over. Hate it!

The best part was Like at the end.

[jhlipton]

Thank you, Modern Family writers, for acknowledging what was already obvious - that you think of gay men as being on the mental level of 8-year-old girls.

 

 

They weren't -- that was the problem.  They thought they knew what 8-yeaqr-old girls wanted and were completely wrong.