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S07.E21: Crazy Train

Artsda

By Artsda
in Modern Family [V]

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Artsda

Artsda

(edited)
Quote

Dede's getting remarried, and Manny persuades everyone to take the train to the wedding. During the trip, Claire and Mitchell try to come up with a toast; Phil and Cameron are beyond thrilled that a beloved writer is also a passenger; Luke and Manny look for pretty girls; and Alex gets lost in the romance of riding the rails.

 

I always likes family vacation episodes, so loved seeing them all together on the train. 

Alex's Titanic like experience in the coach area was cute. That guy playing her love interest is the lead on ABC Family's Shadowhunters.

Love the pair up of Phil and Cam. 

Edited by Artsda
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Latverian Diplomat

Latverian Diplomat

22 minutes ago, Trichromatic said:

I don't know if it's normal but I really wish they would stop trying to make Manny/ Lily a thing. It's just weird.

FWIW, the Westermark Effect should be operating for both Manny and Lily wrt each other. Manny crushing on Alex is all too plausible, unfortunately.

If that's the Amtrak Coast Starlight they're taking to Portland, it doesn't have a First Class. They did a pilot of a Business Class in summer 2015 but I don't know if they still have it. Trains, details, irony, etc. 

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CleoCaesar

CleoCaesar

I liked this one for the most part. But I too have a thing for trains.

Phil and Cam are a great pair. You know who's not a great pair? Luke and Manny. It's like a humor-free zone with them, all due to the inept acting. I get the sense they're just rattling off lines with no thought to timing or breath control or anything. They weren't great when they were little, but they seemed more natural and less self-conscious.

Loved Alex's Titanic storyline, with the partying in coach and the hand-on-the-window parody.

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AriAu

AriAu

Quote

Loved Alex's Titanic storyline, with the partying in coach and the hand-on-the-window parody.

I thought the parody from the drawing to the bad dancing to the steamed up window and even the hat, were clever and well done. I love that they used Alex rather than Haley for that role. The rest of the episode was meh, but that was well done.

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readster

readster

I know it was established a while ago, but you would think even with Mitch being a lawyer that the entire alimony thing between Jay and Shelly would have ended years ago. As crazy as she is (why the had Jay paying her so long). She has been seeping Jay for money for over 20 years while their kids have moved on, gotten married, had families of their own, who are in college and so forth. I didn't find it funny, its one of those TV troupes where the ex (usually the ex-wife) is able to get an ungodly amount of alimony from their ex and be able to have them keep paying into it well after that would or should end. The rest of the episode was funny, even Luke getting doped that it was a tutoring session than a hook up. 

 While I did crack up at Gloria, there is no way, that she would have been left to coach like that by a conductor. He would have then also asked to see her coach ticket. You don't just sit on a train without a ticket. He had no idea if she was coach, VIP or 1st class he just assumed and I saw a lot of other attractive women on the 1st class car. That guy would have been out of a job. So, the story falls apart fast even if the way it was portrayed  was funny. As for Manny, could they have just left him at the last stop and had him use his pompous whit to get himself home. He dragged it down faster than Luke, at least his story was funny. Always love Phil and Cam and Phil and Mitch and Mitch and Claire. 

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Eolivet

Eolivet

I don't know, guys. When the show resorts to incestual (even pseudo-incestual) humor, I think they're running out of gas. All of the kid stories were actually insanely predictable, and that's sad. The parent stories continue to work for me -- likely because the parent actors are just better.

Haley was good, but I wish they'd left all the kids at home and made it a parents-only train trip. The gap between the acting/timing/comedic skills of the two groups is widening...by a large margin.

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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

I laughed at the whole Titanic thing with Alex, and I really liked her hat! Looked like a nice Kentucky Derby hat, more than a train hat. 

Too bad Haley didn't read Anna Karinana. Despite the length, she probably would have liked it. Lots of parties and pretty clothes and romance and relationship drama. 

I love when Cam and Phil are paired up in a subplot. They're intense enthusiasm for whatever is going on is always fantastic.

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kat165

kat165

Cam is my least favorite character, but I liked him and Phil paired up here. First time in ages that Cam hasn't annoyed the crap out of me. I was glad to see Lily again. She's really grown on me. She has the voice of a 30 yr old and I'm always startled to hear it come out of her little girl face. I'm glad that Alex had a somewhat decent storyline for a change. Haley was more obnoxious than usual. While I can appreciate this show, at least in its earlier seasons, it continues to baffle me how well this series has done historically over the Big Bang.

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TattleTeeny

TattleTeeny

Quote

You don't just sit on a train without a ticket. He had no idea if she was coach, VIP or 1st class he just assumed and I saw a lot of other attractive women on the 1st class car. That guy would have been out of a job. So, the story falls apart fast even if the way it was portrayed  was funny.

I used to travel by train a lot for my job, and I can't even count how many times no one ever came to look at my ticket or those of my coworkers!

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readster

readster

7 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

I used to travel by train a lot for my job, and I can't even count how many times no one ever came to look at my ticket or those of my coworkers!

Yet in Illinois they check us like no tomorrow. I even got hit once because my ticket was one way when the person had screwed up to give me a one day pass. 

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AbsoluteShower

AbsoluteShower

I really enjoyed The Neighbors so it was nice to see Simon Templeman again (that's twice in a couple of weeks now with his Odd Couple appearance).'

That was a LARGE copy of Jane Eyre Alex was reading. Was it the big print edition?

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fishcakes

fishcakes

A couple of weeks ago, Claire had a line about how the guy sitting next to her on the plane was using a typewriter, then in this episode, the mystery writer was also using a typewriter. I don't think we were supposed to think it was the same guy (unless there was some reference to it in the first couple of minutes, which I missed); the person who wrote the episodes probably just really likes how annoying that must be. Personally, I would go insane if I were trapped on a plane or a train and some poser was clacking away next to me.

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AbsoluteShower

AbsoluteShower

5 hours ago, Eolivet said:

I don't know, guys. When the show resorts to incestual (even pseudo-incestual) humor, I think they're running out of gas. All of the kid stories were actually insanely predictable, and that's sad. The parent stories continue to work for me -- likely because the parent actors are just better.

Haley was good, but I wish they'd left all the kids at home and made it a parents-only train trip. The gap between the acting/timing/comedic skills of the two groups is widening...by a large margin.

What they need is another no-kids trip to Vegas, and the return of Stephen Merchant.

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mansonlamps

mansonlamps

It technically isn't incest since Manny isn't blood related to either Lily or Alex.  It's stupid, though, for sure.  I totally agree that both Luke and Manny are horrible actors.  I think the girls are all fine, though.

I liked the episode overall, though I'm a sucker for a good train mystery story.

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possibilities

possibilities

While I can appreciate this show, at least in its earlier seasons, it continues to baffle me how well this series has done historically over the Big Bang.

I thought BBT gets roughtly twice the ratings of MFamily.

I wish someone would send Luke to speech therapy.

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Squirrely

Squirrely

We already had Manny's creepy crush on Hailey in the earlier seasons ("You can change in my room!"). I remember Jay spraying him with a water bottle! lol 

I loved that Phil and Cameron were actually helpful. I was afraid it was going to be one of those times they were obliviously annoying and pushy and that the author was going to be brought to jumping off the moving train to escape or something along that line. Instead, it was the highlight of the episode.

I wish Alex didn't have to get shit on all the flipping time. The storyline was cute til the end. Do the writers hate her or what? 

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mojito

mojito

Quote

I wish Alex didn't have to get shit on all the flipping time. The storyline was cute til the end. Do the writers hate her or what? 

I'm fine with Alex taking all the hits. First, because she can take them. Usually, the stupidity of her family just makes her roll her eyes in frustration. She has enough self esteem to handle the hits, and the smarts to realize that she's the normal one (I don't think Marilyn Munster was as secure as Alex.) Second, because she will be successful in life. She knows it. We know it. It's refreshing, too, to see a child be the brunt of the jokes. 

I think this show could easily "Chuck Cunningham" Luke. He contributes less and less to the comedy. 

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Everleigh

Everleigh

On 5/12/2016 at 0:52 AM, Artsda said:

Alex's Titanic like experience in the coach area was cute. That guy playing her love interest is the lead on ABC Family's Shadowhunters.

Love the pair up of Phil and Cam. 

He's also Sarah Hyland's boyfriend. Cute guy. 

17 hours ago, Mrs OldManBalls said:

Is having a crush on a cousin a normal thing that happens? I can honestly say I've never heard of that. 

I don't think it's all that normal in real life but I've seen it played for laughs on a few sitcoms, which I never understood because it's not funny. There's a Friends episode where Ross has a crush on his "hot cousin" played by Denise Richards, and there was a running gag on George Lopez where the son Max had a crush on the cousin they brought in to replace the sister. I think it was also done on The Big Bang Theory with Howard having lost his virginity to his cousin. One of those weird sitcom tropes that I'll never understand. Not because it doesn't happen ever, because it apparently does... I saw a very disturbing episode of MTV's TrueLife called "I'm Marrying My Cousin" that followed two pairs of first cousins who were dating/married... but there was nothing funny about it, it was actually kind of sad because none of the people involved seemed quite right. 

3 hours ago, Squirrely said:

 

I wish Alex didn't have to get shit on all the flipping time. The storyline was cute til the end. Do the writers hate her or what? 

I didn't have a problem with this particular storyline because it was cute and funny at least, but I do wish they would stop acting like Alex is some social reject no normal boy would ever be interested in. I really thought we'd see her find her people at college and sort of have her moment, but instead they had her get treated badly by Sanjay and then weirdly date a nerdy high school boy. 

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needschocolate

needschocolate

On 5/12/2016 at 7:30 AM, readster said:

I know it was established a while ago, but you would think even with Mitch being a lawyer that the entire alimony thing between Jay and Shelly would have ended years ago. As crazy as she is (why the had Jay paying her so long). She has been seeping Jay for money for over 20 years while their kids have moved on, gotten married, had families of their own, who are in college and so forth. I didn't find it funny, its one of those TV troupes where the ex (usually the ex-wife) is able to get an ungodly amount of alimony from their ex and be able to have them keep paying into it well after that would or should end. The rest of the episode was funny, even Luke getting doped that it was a tutoring session than a hook up. 

I think Jay and DeeDee were together when he started his closet business and the business was successful by the time they divorced, so, unless they had some sort of pre-nup, which is unlikely, DeeDee should have gotten the half of the business - well, he should have paid her what half the business was worth.  Therefore, she should have had plenty of money and not needed alimony.  

I think the writers got a bit lazy and threw in the alimony comments because they couldn't think of another reason why Jay would care about DeeDee getting remarried and would be willing to go to the ceremony.  

 

21 hours ago, Squirrely said:

We already had Manny's creepy crush on Hailey in the earlier seasons ("You can change in my room!"). I remember Jay spraying him with a water bottle! lol 

I loved that Phil and Cameron were actually helpful. I was afraid it was going to be one of those times they were obliviously annoying and pushy and that the author was going to be brought to jumping off the moving train to escape or something along that line. Instead, it was the highlight of the episode.

I wish Alex didn't have to get shit on all the flipping time. The storyline was cute til the end. Do the writers hate her or what? 

Regarding Manny's crush on Haley - at least back then he was new to the family and he hadn't grown up with these people.  Lily has always known Manny as her uncle and she is old enough to understand that you do't marry family members, so it is just weird.  Plus, we haven't been shown anything that woudl have her crush make sense - Manny hasn't been especially nice to her tat we have seen.  

Regarding Alex's story - normally, I would agree that Alex never getting a win is annoying, but after the way she treated the guy who asked her to prom last week, I am okay with it.  

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DrSpaceman73

DrSpaceman73

10% of marriages worldwide are consanguineous, between second cousins or closer.  Less so in this country than elsewhere, but the "attractive cousin" trope isn't that crazy.  Plus they aren't blood relatives, as mentioned.  

I thought Alex's story was funny and well done.  

The LONG train trip to go to a wedding, by the whole family, PLUS the grooms family also on the train, ON TOP OF the guy writing his story on a typewriter, all seems very out of date and hard to believe.  

I liked Phil and Cam together though.  Anyone paired with Phil just seems to be fine.  

Once again, a big family event, wedding of her grandma, and Andy is not there to be with Haley?  

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SanDiegoInExile

SanDiegoInExile

On 5/12/2016 at 6:20 AM, Latverian Diplomat said:

.. the Amtrak Coast Starlight they're taking to Portland, it doesn't have a First Class. They did a pilot of a Business Class in summer 2015 but I don't know if they still have it. Trains, details, irony, etc. 

The Amtrak Coast Starlight website indicates that they still have Business Class.

In Business Class, you'll enjoy a fully refundable ticket if canceled prior to departure, 25% point bonus for Amtrak Guest Rewards members, seating in a dedicated car, an invitation to the wine & cheese party in Pacific Parlour Car, free AmtrakConnect Wi-Fi, two bottles of water, a $6 onboard food coupon and access to the Metropolitan Lounge in Los Angeles and Portland.

It wouldn't surprise me that the kids would just call it First Class. I suppose that sounds better than just Business Class.  The larger roomettes appear to be in the $600-900 range for the entire 30-hour trip from LA to PDX.

Over a decade ago, I rode it from LA Union Station to Emeryville (Oakland), which was all during daylight hours. The scenery for half the way was great, the other half, not so much. Plus, you have to be on the correct side of the train to see anything unless you wander the train and camp out in common areas. My brother and his two young children had booked one of the cabins and rode all the way to Portland.  

I live about a mile from the tracks and often hear the (southbound) Coast blast its horn at 345AM most days. Oddly, I rarely hear the 155AM northbound trek.

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TigerLily20

TigerLily20

As weird as the cousin thing is, I remember when my mom got remarried and I got a step brother, my cousin (who was now his cousin by marriage) had quite the crush on him for a year almost (and they were around 14/15 yrs old).  I do admit though the fact that Lily is older and he is considered her Uncle makes it seem squicky, maybe if Lily was closer to 4 and he was the cool Uncle who played with her at family outings I could see, but I thought I remember Manny and Luke not liking Lily (something about her being the baby of the family?).

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Indy

Indy

On 5/12/2016 at 2:57 PM, sharkfan said:

I really enjoyed The Neighbors so it was nice to see Simon Templeman again (that's twice in a couple of weeks now with his Odd Couple appearance).'

I liked this episode in general but the appearance of Larry Herbert Walker Bird, author extraordinaire, really hit it home for me.  I missed hearing his voice on my TV.  Plus that story line with him, Cam, and Phil was amusing.  

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