S08.E04: Weathering Heights

[Kiddvideo]

Phil is thrilled when he's asked to appear in a real-estate story on a local newscast, and he's even more excited to meet his favorite weatherman, but he may come to regret introducing him to Haley. Meanwhile, Lily tires of her parents' houseguest; and Jay injects some of his personality into Manny's video interview for a college application.

[Kiddvideo]

(Sorry, I clicked the box under the episode title but I think I did something wrong.)

The episode? We get it: teenage boys have big appetites. Lily starving wasn't funny the first time, and still isn't funny tonight. Nothing else really caught my attention.

[Artsda]

Lily used to be funny, getting the liquor bottles and not caring the kid was being arrested just makes her look horrible not amusing.

I loved Manny's real story at the end with how he is who is because of equally Jay/Gloria molding him. Jay's been his real dad.

Hayley doesn't seem to have any lingering feelings over Andy, that's great they realized how that wasn't working.

Alex's mono has gotten really old fast.

[rallymantis]

Nathan looks younger and thinner, and like he was having a good time.  I appreciate the injection of energy, but him & Haley? kind of squicks me out.  

[madmaverick]

3 hours ago, rallymantis said:

Nathan looks younger and thinner, and like he was having a good time.  I appreciate the injection of energy, but him & Haley? kind of squicks me out.  

Same.  But at the same time, there's a massive age gap between Jay and Glora too.  And somehow I think the real love affair will be between Rainer and Phil not Rainer and Haley.

Rainer Shine's still a genius name heh.

Good to see Nathan looking much fitter and better these days.  And he really has great hair.

[marriedaniac]

Naw, the Manny-Jay relationship still gets to me a bit.

[DrSpaceman73]

10 hours ago, Artsda said:

Lily used to be funny, getting the liquor bottles and not caring the kid was being arrested just makes her look horrible not amusing.

I loved Manny's real story at the end with how he is who is because of equally Jay/Gloria molding him. Jay's been his real dad.

Hayley doesn't seem to have any lingering feelings over Andy, that's great they realized how that wasn't working.

Alex's mono has gotten really old fast.

I figured Lily knew the cop wasn't real and just was not taking their bluff. 

There was a Triple A baseball player in Indianapolis 20 years ago or so named Razor Shines, close to Ranier Shine.  I didn't catch at first how he was spelling or arranging his name, just heard "rain or shine". 

I don't really know Nathan Fillion, though I have seen him in some other things based on IMDB.  But he and Haley just still seems creepy to me.  I know there is a Gloria and Jay age difference, but she was older when she met Jay, which I think makes a difference. 

[Lizzing]

Something about Lily's line delivery this week made me think she got her hands on some old Daria DVDs.

I'm so tired of Claire being an utter bitch to Alex.  And Gloria's OTT accent issues verged on the stupidity of Joey's "learning French" episode of Friends.  But, as usual, Phil's scenes were great.  And to think he annoyed me the most in the first season!  Also, Jay and Manny work well together. Maybe it's just Ed O'Neill being in the business so long and worked with kids/teens for so long, but Manny is perceptively better acted when with Jay.

[anna0852]

6 minutes ago, Lizzing said:

Something about Lily's line delivery this week made me think she got her hands on some old Daria DVDs.

I'm so tired of Claire being an utter bitch to Alex.  And Gloria's OTT accent issues verged on the stupidity of Joey's "learning French" episode of Friends.  But, as usual, Phil's scenes were great.  And to think he annoyed me the most in the first season!  Also, Jay and Manny work well together. Maybe it's just Ed O'Neill being in the business so long and worked with kids/teens for so long, but Manny is perceptively better acted when with Jay.

That something that I never thought of but it makes sense. Both David Faustino and Christina Applegate to this day will talk about how wonderful and nurturing the set of Married with Children was for them.

[Latverian Diplomat]

37 minutes ago, Lizzing said:

I'm so tired of Claire being an utter bitch to Alex.

 

Remember the episode where Claire mirrored Alex's AP class schedule and realized how much pressure Alex felt, or any of the two or three other episodes with a similar idea? Yeah, the writers don't. Also Alex's obnoxious victory dance seemed really out of character for her. It's more likely that she just wouldn't enjoy Scrabble or similar games with Luke because it's no challenge.

The main character trait Lily has is pointing out in various ways that Cam & Mitchell are terrible parents, so I don't hold the liquor bottle plot against her too much. 

No way Manny could get into Juilliard, and especially not as an early decision applicant. But if he wants to go to an arts school, that's the one he applies to because it's the only one the TV audience has heard of. With Jay's backing, there are probably dozens of perfectly wonderful colleges he could go to.

The speech therapy stuff made Gloria look like a dope, but Sofia Vergara did a great job with it. I would like to think this is a step toward getting rid of the "Gloria has an annoying and/or unintelligible accent" bits, but I doubt it.

[MaryHedwig]

I figured Lily knew the cop wasn't real and just was not taking their bluff. 

Agreed. I think for the most part Lily is on to her parents, she might even be smarter than them.

Come to think of it, all the Modern Family children may be smarter than their parents, Luke included.

Edited October 14, 2016 by MaryHedwig

[EVS]

2 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I figured Lily knew the cop wasn't real and just was not taking their bluff. 

There was a Triple A baseball player in Indianapolis 20 years ago or so named Razor Shines, close to Ranier Shine.  I didn't catch at first how he was spelling or arranging his name, just heard "rain or shine". 

I don't really know Nathan Fillion, though I have seen him in some other things based on IMDB.  But he and Haley just still seems creepy to me.  I know there is a Gloria and Jay age difference, but she was older when she met Jay, which I think makes a difference. 

I think the leopard print fuzzy handcuffs gave the 'cop' away. 

[VCRTracking]

It's always great when Phil makes a friend.

Gloria's horrible attempts at an American accent on this show will always make me LOL.

Loved Manny's "Hamilton" inspired video.

It's the second time they've had Dwight pretend to be crying and it's still funny.

Quote

I'm so tired of Claire being an utter bitch to Alex.

She should know better. She once said "Alex is just sarcastic on the outside. Inside she's just a fragile little girl."

Edited October 13, 2016 by VCRTracking

[Quark]

Really enjoyed that. Loved Gloria's accent problems. Couldn't stop laughing.

[Michel]

On Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 9:15 AM, Latverian Diplomat said:

Also Alex's obnoxious victory dance seemed really out of character for her.

I actually think that that was perfectly in character for Alex.  I still remember her montage of obnoxious, incredibly arrogant award acceptance speeches near the end of season six and think that that is totally something that she would do if she won a game involving intellect.

Edited October 16, 2016 by Michel

[LakeLover]

I'm a speech therapist. No, just no to what you saw. On the other hand, Gloria's "American" voice was funny. I also enjoyed hearing and seeing that Manny appreciated not only his mom's, but Jay's influence on his life.

Poor Alex. The way her family treats her has veered past funny into bullying.

[AnnaRose]

I liked seeing Phil make a new friend.  Rainer Shine seems like a nice guy, and they genuinely seem to like each other.   Finding people with whom you can connect and build a real friendship, after the age of forty, is a rare and beautiful thing.

[biakbiak]

15 minutes ago, AnnaRose said:

I liked seeing Phil make a new friend.  Rainer Shine seems like a nice guy, and they genuinely seem to like each other.   Finding people with whom you can connect and build a real friendship, after the age of forty, is a rare and beautiful thing.

I had just seen a repeat where the storyline was about Dylan and Phil continuing their friendship after Haley and Dylan broke up and of course he was close with Andy so other than her brief relationship with the jeans designer he has liked all of her boyfriends, perhaps a reaction to Jay not liking him though his friendship with Andy and Reiner came before.

[Everleigh]

9 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

She should know better. She once said "Alex is just sarcastic on the outside. Inside she's just a fragile little girl."

I feel like most of Alex's bad traits can be traced directly to Claire so Claire should really chill out and stop being so mean to her daughter because Alex is probably the most like her of any of her kids.

[indeed]

Speaking of making friends as an adult, what ever happened to Phil's neighbor friend (other than Kevin Hart being a bit busy right now)?  

Sorry, Nathan Fillion is just too old for Haley IMO, but Phil (and Claire) is OK with it.  Sure.  At least Phil doesn't want to hear about the hot tub...

[shura]

5 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

Finding people with whom you can connect and build a real friendship, after the age of forty, is a rare and beautiful thing.

Apparently, it helps if you use your daughter as bait (albeit unknowingly). 

[Alexinla]

I loved the Hamilton homage as it is the best play out there in this century. I also liked the episode, after all these years, I am not tired watching these families.

[DrSpaceman73]

I find it hard to believe Manny has any chance of getting into Juilliard.  I know he fancies himself an artist and actor and many other things, but I always had the impression his passion for it far outweighed his actual talent.  That seems to be how the show has portrayed it all these years. 

[CofCinci]

The writers neee to tone down Lily's sociopathy just a smidge. 

[vibeology]

12 hours ago, indeed said:

Sorry, Nathan Fillion is just too old for Haley IMO, but Phil (and Claire) is OK with it.  Sure.  At least Phil doesn't want to hear about the hot tub...

Agreed. There comes a point where bigger age differences will matter less, but Haley is in her early 20s, hasn't had anywhere near the life experience that Rainer has, hasn't really had a full-time job or been in an adult relationship or lived on her own. There is a disparity in their experiences that makes the relationship super creepy. Phil and Claire should have been upset by the situation. I was upset by the situation.

 

5 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I find it hard to believe Manny has any chance of getting into Juilliard.  I know he fancies himself an artist and actor and many other things, but I always had the impression his passion for it far outweighed his actual talent.  That seems to be how the show has portrayed it all these years. 

Agreed. The fact that Manny created a Hamilton "homage" as his big attempt to get into Julliard goes to show that he's lacking the creativity and talent to do something original and earn a place there. On one hand I think it would be realistic for him to fail at this but on the other, if he goes to Julliard they can write him off the show and I would like that very much so I guess I'd be okay with the plot going either way.

[Gulftastic]

If I had a daughter, I'd let her date Nathan Fillion. If he didn't want to date me, of course. He's so bloody charming.

And how long has Jay been with Gl;oria now? It's ridiculous that the writers still think it's plausible that he struggles to understand her after all this time.

[stcroix]

On ‎10‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 11:59 PM, indeed said:

 

Sorry, Nathan Fillion is just too old for Haley IMO, but Phil (and Claire) is OK with it.  Sure.  At least Phil doesn't want to hear about the hot tub...

I agree!  They had no real connection to me.  It felt like on Married With Children when Kelly Bundy showed up at the house with an older guy-- I think he was a councilman.  Al didn't like the situation ONE BIT until he realized the man fixed the huge pothole at the end of his drive!  I know that was 20 or so yrs back but even Al Bundy was upset at his young daughter dating an older guy-- surely Phil would feel the same, tho, about his very loved daughter?  I always thought Haley was the type to end up with a rich guy but only after playing the field for a few yrs and then realizing that to have the lifestyle she wanted she'd do better with someone who'd been out in the world and made money.  I thought having her get together with Mitch's boss (who had the great house by the beach) would have been perfect!

[qtpye]

Yeah, there is no way Ranier and Haley could be a long term thing.  Heck, Ranier looks older then Phil, even though both the actors are pretty cute.

I wonder if Haley's new career is going to be in makeup.

On 10/14/2016 at 8:08 AM, DrSpaceman73 said:

I find it hard to believe Manny has any chance of getting into Juilliard.  I know he fancies himself an artist and actor and many other things, but I always had the impression his passion for it far outweighed his actual talent.  That seems to be how the show has portrayed it all these years. 

It has been noted that Gloria has always exaggerated Manny's abilities and talents to raise his self esteem.  I am sure he is absolutely delusional about his artistic abilities, however with Gloria being his eternal cheerleader and Jay's money, he has the time to write a "novel" or just mope around about not getting into art school.  Most likely, he will probably join Jay's business and work for Claire.

The funny thing is, I think Manny is actually a better athlete then artist.

Whoever said that Lily is channeling Daria in her delivery is spot on.

[Shermie]

Haley is what? Early 20s? Technically fine to date a guy in his 40s, but it seems squicky here because Haley looks like a teenager. She's so tiny, and has chubby cheeks and huge eyes. She looks like a little girl, so it seems odd and off-putting to match her with a 40-year-old man.

And why don't Phil,and Claire have friends? It always seems strange to me when adults on TV are so excited to find a friend. They've lived in that community for years, surely they've met people through work, the kids schools, the neighbourhood... So weird.

[qtpye]

Phil is also a successful realtor.  I would imagine he would have a full plate of social activities and be very involved in the community.  I guess if they were more popular then they would not have so much time to hang out with their extended family for show purposes.

[love2lovebadtv]

On 10/14/2016 at 8:08 AM, DrSpaceman73 said:

I find it hard to believe Manny has any chance of getting into Juilliard.  I know he fancies himself an artist and actor and many other things, but I always had the impression his passion for it far outweighed his actual talent.  That seems to be how the show has portrayed it all these years. 

Very true. He's interested in these things but it's mostly his desire to do them as opposed to actually having talent and honing his skills. We've heard Luke sing - that was natural talent, though Manny thought he could the lead in a school play without such talent. We've seen Alex lug around instruments for practice. But how much have we seen Manny work at anything that would help him get into Juliard.

[love2lovebadtv]

On 10/18/2016 at 5:29 PM, Shermie said:

Haley is what? Early 20s? Technically fine to date a guy in his 40s, but it seems squicky here because Haley looks like a teenager. She's so tiny, and has chubby cheeks and huge eyes. She looks like a little girl, so it seems odd and off-putting to match her with a 40-year-old man.

And why don't Phil,and Claire have friends? It always seems strange to me when adults on TV are so excited to find a friend. They've lived in that community for years, surely they've met people through work, the kids schools, the neighbourhood... So weird.

It's technically OK but your parents aren't really supposed to like it lol. 

Plus, as you pointed out, the fact that Haley is a young-looking 20-something makes the guy look creepy. 

I can see Claire not having any friends. She's mean and uptight. I think I remember some earlier episodes with her But it's unusual that Phil doesn't have any.

[love2lovebadtv]

On 10/19/2016 at 9:45 AM, qtpye said:

Phil is also a successful realtor.  I would imagine he would have a full plate of social activities and be very involved in the community.  I guess if they were more popular then they would not have so much time to hang out with their extended family for show purposes.

 

On 10/12/2016 at 11:51 PM, Artsda said:

Lily used to be funny, getting the liquor bottles and not caring the kid was being arrested just makes her look horrible not amusing.

I loved Manny's real story at the end with how he is who is because of equally Jay/Gloria molding him. Jay's been his real dad.

Hayley doesn't seem to have any lingering feelings over Andy, that's great they realized how that wasn't working.

Alex's mono has gotten really old fast.

Why can't the show give Alex a better story line? Why couldn't Cal Tech be located closer to home so she could drive to class every day and not live in the dorm. 

[stuckin60s]

I am so very tired of Haley's story lines, she lives in the basement, she has a lazy dumb boyfriend, a kind loving boyfriend, cant keep a job, gets another job, all while thinking she is the best looking, best catch there is.  She is not.  charming, smart, funny, social, ambitious, etc.  Luke is also a mess, they need to let him grow up.  Alex should be allowed to stay in school.  There could be road trips to her and weekend trips home.  The family needs to allow the kids to age and move on as all people do

[mansonlamps]

I think Haley is all of those things: charming, smart, funny, social and ambitious, although the latter comes and goes a bit.  And most people probably think their own child is a great catch.

[Michel]

On 10/23/2016 at 10:45 AM, mansonlamps said:

I think Haley is all of those things: charming, smart, funny, social and ambitious, although the latter comes and goes a bit.

Haley has shown over and over again that "smart" doesn't apply to her, either.

[mansonlamps]

7 hours ago, Michel said:

Haley has shown over and over again that "smart" doesn't apply to her, either.

I disagree, I think she has shown herself to be smart on any number of occasions.

[Milburn Stone]

We dropped out of Modern Family a couple of years ago because it was sucking, but something possessed us to look in on the current season last night, and we picked this episode and the one before it. Modern Family is funny again! Hooray. We especially loved seeing the more-grown-up-now Lily, who struck us as funnier than ever. Aubrey Anderson-Emmons is developing into a fine comic actress.

[Nordly Beaumont]

50 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

Aubrey Anderson-Emmons is developing into a fine comic actress.

Isn't she? I hope acting in comedy is something she chooses to pursue after MF is over. I love her facial expressions!