Modern Family’s return filled with subtle charm

The Dunphys tried to part with their old station wagon, yet discovered it was more difficult to break free from the memories that went along with it. Manny brought a girl home and Gloria found it tough to see her little boy growing into a man. With Jay’s help, Cam and Mitchell worked on building a princess castle play house for Lily, but Mitchell had to learn to accept carpentry is not his forte.

This was a great way to start the post-Emmy winning season with the Pritchett/Dunphy clan. For the most part it was the same charmingly funny and heartwarming moments we’ve come to expect.

Phil sweetly planned one last family drive in the station wagon when Claire became emotional about letting it go. But to prove no good Dunphy deed goes unpunished, the trip ended in a massive fail when the wagon rolled over the side of a hill — sans Dunphys of course. The gutbustingly hilarious scene in the car that occurred just prior to the automotive disaster left me spewing the light beer Cam and Mitchell subliminally convinced me to drink.

I laughed again when Jay came over to help with the playhouse and Mitchell mentioned their bookshelf project and then cut to Jay by himself deadpanning “That was my Vietman. And I was in Vietnam.” Some great scenes between Jay and Cam as they discussed Mitchell’s wannabe workmanship. Lesson learned for Mitchell — he’s just not the handyman type.

I particularly enjoyed Manny and Gloria scenes. Manny’s over-the-milk-glass eye roll back and forth between Gloria and Kelly was hilarious. I chuckled when Gloria turned her nose up at the salted “meelk,” then recanted to the documentary-cam. Very subtle humor, but very funny. In the end, Gloria realized Manny’s happiness was the most important thing to her, and she would have to accept that he was growing up.

I tend to compare this to the more in-your-face comedy of Community and 30Rock, which sometimes causes me to jump the gun when critiquing Modern Family, but its beauty lies in the charm of its subtlety, for example, when Phil pronounces the “M” in mnemonic and explains his thought progression in trying to remember the name “Carl.” Or when he explains his theory on time travel, gets lost in thought and Claire has to bring him back to reality. Phil is the most sincerely lovable doofus since Joey Tribbiani.

More great moments and quotes:

– Mitchell with the jigsaw, and then later stuck in the playhouse with the bird.
– Gloria pronouncing Shia Lebouf “She Leboof.”
– The look on Claire’s face when Phil talks about “minimonic” devices.
– Phil explaining “the art of the sale” being in what you leave out.
– The Dunphys walking down the road while the kids reminisced about the car.

Gloria: Okay sue me. I am a Colombian mother.  I’m not going to let him make a mistake that is gonna affect him for the rest of my life … his life.

Phil:  Don’t apologize, I love you when you’re human.

Cam:  He wants to feel like a regular Joe like you and I.  Oh pardon moi, I prefer the champagne Dijon to the standard yellow.

Mitchell: I want to be able to look out into my yard and say, there’s a little bit of me in that Princess castle.

Cam: Wait!  Garnish!  We’re men … we’re not cavemen.

Manny:  Do we have any transfats left?

Mitchell: Don’t carry me out this time, I think it sends the wrong message to Lilly.
Cam:  Well the neighbors seem to enjoy it.

What did you think about the premiere?

Clacked by Jeff Kirkpatrick
on Sep 23, 2010 @ 10:30 EST5EDT