Some of the last episodes of the Modern Family have been largely successful because of the kind of theme that links all the stories. Many of these episodes, as they are typical for the sitcom, are full of chaos and misunderstandings. A secret or a lie or a mistake leads to another and then another, before it all unravels. Having thematic connective tissue makes chaos rooted, and allows the episode to feel a bit less contrived. The idea is that episodes are not built only for punchlines, but rather to tell a larger story, but may be discontinuous. The modern family has not always managed to balance, but several recent episodes have managed to do so, and it leads to the strongest stretch of the season.
The stretch must end at a certain point, and "Daddy Issues" does the trick. This is certainly not the worst episode we've ever seen in recent seasons, because the Modern Family is the shell of the previous self, but this is a busy one that never really finds its focus. This is an episode filled with lies, secrets, and misunderstandings, but no connective tissue. Worse than that, there was very little laughter. The strange thing is that on paper, the stories seem promising. There was potential in Gloria's idea of babbling Jay and Manny, and in Claire finally composing a more romantic birthday than Phil. It was a welcome subversion character.
Cold open acts as a microcosm of everything that is wrong with "Dad's Problem." There is no room to breathe in the opening scene, because the episode quickly shifts from one "joke" to the next, and the result is some serious anointing. Before the opening of credit there are many settings. Claire and Phil's birthday has arrived, and this time Phil has left his groceries until the last minute, and Claire is safe in her prize. Luke enters the scene, along with Joe, and we get something about Joe who wants to play a zombie video game, which is weird other than never going anywhere. Haley also came to the scene, panicked when he left his phone at his boss's home, and misunderstood Claire and Phil's idea to use Joe to go inside.
With characters emerging and leaving the scene, it is difficult to track what matters, or what is meant to be delivered. Is that a piece piece? Is this meant to organize the rest of the episode? The answer: a bit of both, and that's the problem. "Daddy Issues" is never really sure what it is trying to do, so the balance between the chaotic comedy and the unstructured comedy is all gone. Chaos needs something to grind, be it character motivation, some more emotional drama, or even simplicity in storytelling. "Daddy Issues" does not contain those things, and when the episodes roll, it really struggles to pull all the different stories together and leave them neat and tidy.
That does not mean "Dad's Problem" is a complete disaster. There are still some interesting aspects for each subplot here, it's just that they never really explain in a way that feels funny or emotionally meaningful. If you've been reading these reviews for awhile, you know I'm a sucker for a more emotional storyline that allows characters to even a little bit of growth, and so the best part of this episode so far is Cam and Mitchell's struggle with Lily. Their story is still filled with jokes, but for most of the jokes and revelations of the land.
Their story begins with Lily "grinding" them by putting a bra in a shopping bag, making it look like Cam stole from the store. It turns out that Lily was chosen at school for not having a bra, and this is a strange but totally understandable way to try to get it. When Cam and Mitchell meet with Lily's teacher to discuss the issue, they experience various feelings. They realize Lily is growing up, and also she may have questions about things they can not answer. Their insecurity manifests itself in a funny way, as they keep trying to predict the advice their teacher will give away, just to get away from the base. Comedy time is spot-on, and it makes a final-episode resolution, in which Cam and Mitchell help Lily's friend get a child's attention through text, all the more satisfying.
The story of Phil and Claire has a pleasant resolution, but the buildup never really gets any momentum. Similarly, Gloria babbles Jay and Manny with a fake ex-girlfriend, whom he plays as a potential father father to Manny, falls flat. There is only a little sense of pacing and time in every story; even the classic disasters of Phil and Claire can not make up for the rambling plot. When you can not even rely on a coordinated disaster to save an episode, there is absolutely no hope.
Stray Observation
- When Claire looked calm on their anniversary, Phil wanted to know if "this is a legendary realm outside madness."
- Another good one from Cam and Mitchell: failing to punish Lily because they have too many social and holiday events to attend.
- Are Jay, Gloria, and Manny the most consistently disappointing character groups on the show? These upcoming seasons must have been plagued and failed entirely, but I am really struggling to remember the plots they are involved in.
- Phil's awful mop prize fixing everything is the perfect way to limit the boring storyline.