S09.E13: In Your Head

[formerlyfreedom]

When Luke goes missing after a night out in a sketchy neighborhood, Manny, Phil and Gloria team up to track him down. Meanwhile, Haley is desperate to land an interview with the creator of a popular lifestyle website and interrupts Alex during one of her college classes. Alex’s professor, Arvin Fennerman, then proceeds to try and give Haley a piece of his mind.

[readster]

Look, Haley still wants to be famous? I will be shocked if the professor does anything to Haley. Seriously, even Phil yelling at her or even Claire telling Haley to figure things out a few episodes ago. She still tries to become rich and famous when she has no skills at all. It's gotten old. 

[readster]

I am really confused what they are trying to do with Haley, but seriously, how does she find these wackos to try and work for? I mean really, all these "rich geniuses" are so wacked out of their heads, it took an award winning professor to point out that these people are crazy and she is better than that. As for the Pichard and Closets ect. feud continuing. Why? Also for Luke going to the top and then realizing he was on the roof. Umm... he couldn't realize that when he opened the door? Poor Lily. 

[SimoneS]

I absolutely loved this episode. It felt like the early episodes; fun, love, family, and poignancy.

[mtlchick]

This episode reminded me that Mira Sorvino has a LOT in common with Gwyneth Paltrow even without this Goop spoof (it was right there.) 

[incandescent]

It felt almost rude to do a send-up of GOOP when they just had Chris Martin on for a mostly complimentary guest spot.

I didn't mind Haley's new job. It wasn't about her wanting to be rich and famous but wanting to be part of something bigger than herself. The professor wasn't as much of a putz as the anchorman or Andy, so thumbs up for that!

Cam and Mitch are terrible. Rooting for La La Land over Moonlight? (And the child negligence...)

[Traveller519]

Some heavy hitters in the guest stars this episode! Chris Geere, Sarah Baker, Riki Lindhome, and Cheyenne Jackson! 

It was nice to have a send off for the Earl with Jay, I'm glad he got one last dig in on his rival.

[hoodooznoodooz]

I thought Mitch and Cam would realize that their Amsterdam friend had put some marijuana in their breakfast. 

Loved the Lego portrait.

Didn't like Phil's skirt comment, even if he did realize it sounded wrong. I guess I am still too sensitive. Especially since Mira Sorvino was also in this episode. 

I am basing this on nothing, but is it possible that plotlines like this one have been chipping away subconsciously at Ariel Winter's self-esteem and have resulted in her need to present herself as incredibly sexy and desirable, when she is not filming this show?

[AnnaRose]

10 minutes ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

I am basing this on nothing, but is it possible that plotlines like this one have been chipping away subconsciously at Ariel Winter's self-esteem and have resulted in her need to present herself as incredibly sexy and desirable, when she is not filming this show?

Hoodooznoodooz, I've had the same thoughts for quite some time.

Quoting myself:

Quote

I've also wondered if Modern Family - casting Alex as the frumpy, less attractive sister - has contributed to what seems to be an exaggerated need to present herself in an inappropriate, hyper-sexualized manner.  It's like she's trying so hard to show the public, "Look at me, I am sexy!"

[VCRTracking]

Wow, Mira Sorvino looks great. Also for an intelligent woman in real life she always manages to play dumb so well.

3 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

I am basing this on nothing, but is it possible that plotlines like this one have been chipping away subconsciously at Ariel Winter's self-esteem and have resulted in her need to present herself as incredibly sexy and desirable, when she is not filming this show?

I wonder if they would they have had Alex dress better and shed the "nerdy" image like Carol on Growing Pains but nixed it when Ariel developed "more" than they expected. Like just putting her in low cut tops and tighter clothes would be seen as sexualizing her and also be too distracting.

Glad that except for last year's Halloween episode they decided to let Earl from Closets, Closets, Closets, Closets die with the actor.

5 hours ago, incandescent said:

It felt almost rude to do a send-up of GOOP when they just had Chris Martin on for a mostly complimentary guest spot.

He and Gwyneth Paltrow have been divorced--I mean consciously uncoupled for about two years now.

[luna1122]

It was the nite of the guest stars! Fun. I'm assuming we'll see some of them again, namely Chris, Sarah and Mira, tho sadly probably not pretty Cheyenne.

I was lol-ing because I had JUST said 'wait, Mitch and Cam were rooting for La La Land over Moonlight???' when Cheyenne basically said the same thing.

It's a cliché that the geeky, brilliant professor would fall for the arm candy that is Haley instead of someone he actually has something in common with...like, you know, intelligence...but it's a cliché cuz it so often happens.

I thought this was a really good episode. It felt like old times.

[qtpye]

9 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

I thought Mitch and Cam would realize that their Amsterdam friend had put some marijuana in their breakfast. 

Loved the Lego portrait.

Didn't like Phil's skirt comment, even if he did realize it sounded wrong. I guess I am still too sensitive. Especially since Mira Sorvino was also in this episode. 

I am basing this on nothing, but is it possible that plotlines like this one have been chipping away subconsciously at Ariel Winter's self-esteem and have resulted in her need to present herself as incredibly sexy and desirable, when she is not filming this show?

 

9 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

Hoodooznoodooz, I've had the same thoughts for quite some time.

Quoting myself:

 

6 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

Wow, Mira Sorvino looks great. Also for an intelligent woman in real life she always manages to play dumb so well.

I wonder if they would they have had Alex dress better and shed the "nerdy" image like Carol on Growing Pains but nixed it when Ariel developed "more" than they expected. Like just putting her in low cut tops and tighter clothes would be seen as sexualizing her and also be too distracting.

Glad that except for last year's Halloween episode they decided to let Earl from Closets, Closets, Closets, Closets die with the actor.

He and Gwyneth Paltrow have been divorced--I mean consciously uncoupled for about two years now.

This is an interesting point.  I wonder why it is alright to sexualize a young woman with a tiny little girl frame, but not one who had a more curvy build?  I have actually had both body types in my life and I always felt more comfortable in tighter clothing with the smaller body type, because it did not attract as much attention.

44 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

It was the nite of the guest stars! Fun. I'm assuming we'll see some of them again, namely Chris, Sarah and Mira, tho sadly probably not pretty Cheyenne.

I was lol-ing because I had JUST said 'wait, Mitch and Cam were rooting for La La Land over Moonlight???' when Cheyenne basically said the same thing.

It's a cliché that the geeky, brilliant professor would fall for the arm candy that is Haley instead of someone he actually has something in common with...like, you know, intelligence...but it's a cliché cuz it so often happens.

I thought this was a really good episode. It felt like old times.

It totally sucked that Alex's idol took one look at Hailey and became obsessed with her.  It was worse because she was acting like such a giant ditz.

[vibeology]

7 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

I wonder if they would they have had Alex dress better and shed the "nerdy" image like Carol on Growing Pains but nixed it when Ariel developed "more" than they expected. Like just putting her in low cut tops and tighter clothes would be seen as sexualizing her and also be too distracting.

I can't imagine that's a problem the producers would have considering the existence of Gloria, queen of low cut tops and tight clothes. I think they just like to keep the kids in their box because it is easier for the audience.

I think Alex dresses exactly how someone like her would dress, except I do think it would be nice to give her a real date and let her dress up for that sort of thing. When I was in school, the women around me all dressed pretty plain to go to class but we all knew how to dress up for a night out. Even something silly like letting Alex have a female friend and them going out somewhere fun would be both a nice plot and a chance to break Alex out of her style rut.

As for Haley, of course the professor was into her. For all the ways I find Alex's love life unbelievable, I find Haley's is just as ridiculous. Haley was so rude in that class. But where Alex strikes out with losers, Haley attracts all men. It's too much. I am looking forward to her work plots though. I'm all for mocking GOOP. Some of the shit she sells is dangerous.

1 hour ago, luna1122 said:

I was lol-ing because I had JUST said 'wait, Mitch and Cam were rooting for La La Land over Moonlight???' when Cheyenne basically said the same thing.

I died at that. And I think it's perfectly in character for both of them.

I do wish they had taken a more balanced approach to living. You don't need to do everything for the moment, but it's nice to experience some things. A fancy breakfast just because is a good thing once and a while.

The Luke/Hangover plot was the clunker in this one for me. He was always going to be fine and trapping him on a roof isn't an original idea. And I don't think the stuff Manny, Phil and Gloria got up to was funny.

[Delphi]

I loved this,  it reminded me of earlier seasons. 

Gloria being horrified of gentrification was great, as was her disgust of Manny being a wimp. 

Of course Luke locked himself on a roof. 

Haley is so adorable, I love her.   Despite her ditzy persona I never get the impression that she's stupid.  It's a hard thing for an actress to do,  but Sara does it perfectly. 

[Artsda]

55 minutes ago, vibeology said:

The Luke/Hangover plot was the clunker in this one for me. He was always going to be fine and trapping him on a roof isn't an original idea.

It's literally stolen from Hangover.

I enjoyed the ashes plot with Jay running up the hill. 

I could do without another forced Haley boyfriend, can they just not bring back Dylan?

[DrSpaceman73]

Not sure if it was purposeful or not, but there is an odd "You're the Worst" circularity to this episode. 

Aya Cash guess starred earlier in the series as the interviewer for Alex when she was trying to get into Harvard or somewhere.  Alex is bombing in the interview and then uses one of Haley's stories to turn things around during the interview.....briefly.  Though I don't think she got into that school. 

Now in this one Chris Geere guess stars and Haley uses his line or whatever it was in her interview to get a job. 

Loved the gentrified changes to Gloria's old neighborhood. 

Seriously they aren't even trying anymore to make Mitch and Cam parents.  Lilly is rarely with them it seems

[TheLastKidPicked]

15 hours ago, readster said:

As for the Pichard and Closets ect. feud continuing. Why?

I can speak to that from personal experience.  These last few years, many of our friends have been taking (early) retirements.  It seems what they miss the most is the competition.

Think of the old guys in your neigborhood who have been fueding over a borrowed lawn mower for years.  It's not the lawn mower (or pinapple chunks), its the competition that they crave.

Edited January 18, 2018 by TheLastKidPicked

[Tiggertoo]

Have they announced if this show is wrapping up?  I like the idea of the nerdy, but cute professor.  I’d like Alex to find a good love interest.  So far they’ve all been duds.

I enjoyed this episode too!

[Delphi]

@Tiggertoo, the producers announced that season ten was goin to be the final season. 

[augmentedfourth]

I thought this was one of the worst ones of the season. The number one reason being it just wasn't funny, but other things bugged.

 

I am not buying that all these older men with established respectable careers are falling head over heels in love with Haley at first sight. Okay, so it's just been two so far (Rainer and this professor), but that still seems unrealistic. I'm trying to find a way to word this that doesn't come across as a slight to Sarah Hyland because I do like her and think she does a good job in the role, but there's not really anything special about Haley and I find it hard to believe that there aren't more attractive women around who also have something to offer in the personality department.

 

One of the complaints in recent seasons is that the writers don't do enough to have the various family members be together, or they don't mix up the pairings enough. This episode was a good example about how everyone's off doing their own thing for the most part, but none of the storylines had anything to do with each other. Mitch and Cam's plot was boring and pointless, and it didn't matter if they were related to the other people in the show or not.

[SanDiegoInExile]

47 minutes ago, augmentedfourth said:

This episode was a good example about how everyone's off doing their own thing for the most part, but none of the storylines had anything to do with each other. Mitch and Cam's plot was boring and pointless, and it didn't matter if they were related to the other people in the show or not.

Last week's episode's commentary included viewers complaining that the family spends too much time together.

It seemed that all four vignettes/storylines each had good points and weak points.  And more than a few good lines, including Cam and Mitch seemingly mocking all the commentary that they are bad parents and can't keep track of (as Cheyenne put it) that "Asian girl down the hall".  Gloria's visit to her old stomping grounds was fun, especially for those of us who have lived through rampant crazy gentrification of "sketchy" areas.  Even Manny had a couple decent lines ("they were playing jazz", "see, I told you it was a career"). And the Lego portrait.  And four cupcake shops, including a vegan store and a dog version.  I absolutely believe that Luke would lock himself out on the roof, lose his voice while trying to shout over the "jazz band", and be joined by an over-eager Phil on the roof, needing rescue.  Mira Sorvino is in a three-episode arc, so we will get more of her crazy in coming weeks.  Plus, I wouldn't be shocked to have this season end with a sudden Haley wedding to the professor, who *gets* her.  Business rivalries are often a major part of small-ish family owned companies and the show has milked that for nearly it's entire run.  So it was a nice bit of closure, especially since Claire wanted to believe that it had ended, only to have Jay make her mistrust her instincts.  OK, Designer Lazlo was a bit too much.

[Pamela]

I'm only familiar with Chris Geere from watching You're The Worst, so I really enjoyed seeing him in such a different role. He was awfully appealing in this, so I hope he sticks around for a while.

Loved Manny saying that the mystery girl's name was "something Latin-y" and Gloria's appalled response: "YOU used to be something Latin-y!"

[qtpye]

3 hours ago, augmentedfourth said:

I thought this was one of the worst ones of the season. The number one reason being it just wasn't funny, but other things bugged.

 

I am not buying that all these older men with established respectable careers are falling head over heels in love with Haley at first sight. Okay, so it's just been two so far (Rainer and this professor), but that still seems unrealistic. I'm trying to find a way to word this that doesn't come across as a slight to Sarah Hyland because I do like her and think she does a good job in the role, but there's not really anything special about Haley and I find it hard to believe that there aren't more attractive women around who also have something to offer in the personality department.

 

One of the complaints in recent seasons is that the writers don't do enough to have the various family members be together, or they don't mix up the pairings enough. This episode was a good example about how everyone's off doing their own thing for the most part, but none of the storylines had anything to do with each other. Mitch and Cam's plot was boring and pointless, and it didn't matter if they were related to the other people in the show or not.

That's the problem with casting someone as the "hot one", it is such a subjective role.  I think Haley is cute as a button and Alex is pretty, even in her frumpy clothes.  However, do not buy that everyone falls madly in love with Hailey and Alex can barely keep the most loserish of guys interested in her.

It sort of like, even though Joey was handsome, I did not believe women only came on to him and ignored fairly good looking Chandler in Friends.

[tennisgurl]

"I`ll see you in Hell" "Looking forward to it. What a weirdly lovely, bittersweet ending to that story. I really liked how it played out (although poor Claire) and how it ended. It pretty much made the episode for me. 

Well, that and Mitchell and Cam being heartbroken when La la Land lost the Oscar to Moonlight. That is so in character it hurts. 

Hey, its Chris Geere! Great to see him here, even if it is another in the random string of guys who fall head over heels in love with Haley. Haley is cute and all, but good Lord. 

"It seemed tougher at night! There was jazz music!" Oh Manny. You need to get out more. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

19 hours ago, Tiggertoo said:

Have they announced if this show is wrapping up?  I like the idea of the nerdy, but cute professor.  I’d like Alex to find a good love interest.  So far they’ve all been duds.

I enjoyed this episode too!

Dating ones professor would cause said professor to lose his job.

Although they've already had the student-professor relationship with Manny.

Edited January 19, 2018 by ItCouldBeWorse

[readster]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Dating a professor would cause said professor to lose his job.

Although they've already had the student-professor relationship with Manny.

Yes, that is how it suppose to work, but it's Alex who wanted him, so Haley it doesn't pose a problem as she isn't even a student or in school. However, I agree with others, I rolled my eyes at another older "smarter" man falling for Haley. She either gets guys who are as brain dead as the guys over on American Housewife or unmarried, divorced older men. Andy was just a mess, why can't we get a good looking, "smart" guy who doesn't make you want to smack him upside the head and go: "Are you for real?" 

[CleoCaesar]

It's hard to really root for any of Haley's relationships because she's written so inconsistently.

With Dylan, she was a completely superficial ditz who was just barely more intelligent than Dylan.

With Andy, she was a much, much more together young adult. They were friends first, and genuinely cared about each other. He helped her get it together and it was the healthiest relationship she's had to date.

With Rainer, she was back to being a lazy Kardashian clone.

What version of Haley are we going to get with the professor? Who knows. I always assumed they'd bring Andy back at some point - they spent so much time on that storyline - but if AD is unavailable, seems doubtful. If the professor is Haley's endgame, they need to devote a lot of time to building his character and their relationship.

[DrSpaceman73]

33 minutes ago, CleoCaesar said:

It's hard to really root for any of Haley's relationships because she's written so inconsistently.

With Dylan, she was a completely superficial ditz who was just barely more intelligent than Dylan.

With Andy, she was a much, much more together young adult. They were friends first, and genuinely cared about each other. He helped her get it together and it was the healthiest relationship she's had to date.

With Rainer, she was back to being a lazy Kardashian clone.

What version of Haley are we going to get with the professor? Who knows. I always assumed they'd bring Andy back at some point - they spent so much time on that storyline - but if AD is unavailable, seems doubtful. If the professor is Haley's endgame, they need to devote a lot of time to building his character and their relationship.

Well Andy was cheating on his then fiancée with Haley, so relatively speaking, yes, it was healthier, but still not the healthiest.   Plus it was pointed out how much Andy was like Phil, she was basically dating her dad, also not the healthiest. And I just didn't like them together. 

And I think part of what you are seeing is just what everyone does.  You adjust to the relationship you are in based on the person you are with.  Plus she was much younger with Dylan than with the others. 

I don't really see the her and the professor ending up together though, I agree with that.  Though I would love to see more Chris Geere on this show if possible. 

[CleoCaesar]

Quote

Well Andy was cheating on his then fiancée with Haley, so relatively speaking, yes, it was healthier, but still not the healthiest.   Plus it was pointed out how much Andy was like Phil, she was basically dating her dad, also not the healthiest. And I just didn't like them together. 

I agree about the cheating part. But I don't really see what's unhealthy about dating someone who resembles one's father, provided the father is a good guy (and Phil is).

I'm not an Andy fan (don't find AD the least bit attractive, and Andy's hokiness got grating really fast) but I did like Haley more then. She seemed less vapid than usual.

[incandescent]

Man, whatever happened to the cute boy Alex met when she was touring Caltech? I want to see her date someone her own age, at her own school.

[readster]

2 hours ago, incandescent said:

Man, whatever happened to the cute boy Alex met when she was touring Caltech? I want to see her date someone her own age, at her own school.

Oh no, they had to throw Sanja back and then that ended. Then Claire's assistant who was a complete idiot and now he's gone. Plus, Alex in both relationships were very mean set or: "Sanja doesn't love me enough." 

[Mrs. Hanson]

On 1/19/2018 at 1:48 PM, incandescent said:

Man, whatever happened to the cute boy Alex met when she was touring Caltech? I want to see her date someone her own age, at her own school.

You mean Mr. Darling?  I liked him too.

 

On 1/19/2018 at 0:28 PM, CleoCaesar said:

I agree about the cheating part. But I don't really see what's unhealthy about dating someone who resembles one's father, provided the father is a good guy (and Phil is).

I'm not an Andy fan (don't find AD the least bit attractive, and Andy's hokiness got grating really fast) but I did like Haley more then. She seemed less vapid than usual.

Now I am a big Andy fan - I liked his dorkiness!!!  And most women marry a guy that is like dear old dad is some way.  As long as it is a healthy relationship....no worries.  I liked his "Okaly-dokey!" and "Jeepers we better go!"  I thought it was funny!!

 

On 1/19/2018 at 11:35 AM, CleoCaesar said:

With Andy, she was a much, much more together young adult. They were friends first, and genuinely cared about each other. He helped her get it together and it was the healthiest relationship she's had to date.

Yep - and Andy was wise enough to say hey look we need to go back to square one and go slow.  Never liked Rainer.

Edited January 21, 2018 by Mrs. Hanson

[biakbiak]

I wouldn't consider Rainer as falling in love with Hailey at first sight, he saw a young attractive woman and asked her out and then they dated for several months before he proposed.

[SnarkySheep]

On 1/10/2018 at 11:23 PM, readster said:

Look, Haley still wants to be famous? I will be shocked if the professor does anything to Haley. Seriously, even Phil yelling at her or even Claire telling Haley to figure things out a few episodes ago. She still tries to become rich and famous when she has no skills at all. It's gotten old. 

Well, to be fair, there are a good number of people who are rich and famous for no real reason whatsoever. I can totally see Haley as looking at the Kardashians or someone, and thinking she wants to be just like them (and that she totally deserves to be, because she's way prettier and more fashionable...)

[Eolivet]

On 1/19/2018 at 12:35 PM, CleoCaesar said:

I always assumed they'd bring Andy back at some point - they spent so much time on that storyline - but if AD is unavailable, seems doubtful. If the professor is Haley's endgame, they need to devote a lot of time to building his character and their relationship.

I actually thought for a moment that's how they were going to use the professor -- that she would use his uber-cheesy, cringe-worthy "It's totally fate that I'm going to marry you!" to get herself the job she wanted. But the fact that she accepted his number at the end of the show makes me annoyed that we were supposed to think that uber-cheesy, cringe-worthy line charmed her somehow (and that the guy might be right, ugh).

They've already done "he's nothing like you/he's perfect for you" with Andy, so I'm not looking forward to it a second time, especially starting off in this uber-cheesy, cringe-worthy way. I already hate this relationship based on that scene alone.

Edited January 27, 2018 by Eolivet

[CleoCaesar]

17 hours ago, Eolivet said:

They've already done "he's nothing like you/he's perfect for you" with Andy, so I'm not looking forward to it a second time, especially starting off in this uber-cheesy, cringe-worthy way. I already hate this relationship based on that scene alone.

I'm with you. Didn't help that the professor was annoyingly over-the-top in general (the classroom scene). The whole "opposites attract" is a TV fantasy that doesn't work that well in real life.

[Shermie]

The episode was tired.

Luke is on the roof all along, hardy-har-har, that was funny when The Hangover did it 10 years ago. Way to make a current movie reference, writers.

And surprise, Haley gets the guy, again. I hate so much how Alex is written as the frumpy loser because she's smart. While Haley just falls into jobs and money and men because she's cute. I know it happens in the real world sometimes, but Haley is too old for that. And for a show that's supposed to be progressive, with second marriages and gay parents and adoption and interracial relationships, it would have been nice if they didn't constantly dip into the cliche of boring smart loser vs successful pretty sister. Ugh.

[PWHCHCH]

Alex’s lips were looking very plumped out during the lecture scene.  Very distracting. 

Cute seeing Luke snoozing next to Phil at the end.