This week’s episode of Modern Family had me when Phil and Claire started referencing last year’s Valentine’s Day episode. I’m not nearly cool enough to pull off role-playing without looking and feeling like and idiot, but neither are Claire and Phil, which is why I’m so glad they decided to do it again. “You look hot enough to cook a pizza on … in.”
I also enjoy that the writers have been putting Claire and Phil on the same page a lot more often. We really saw it in the Croctopus episode, but when they were making fun of Alex for her pronunciation of “Ibiza,” we saw it again. It’s nice to see Claire come down to Phil’s level every now and again, but I’d also like him to come up to hers every once and a while — just so he doesn’t look like a complete man-child all of the time.
This episode also had some nice subtle family interactions. I loved Claire darting behind Jay and Gloria, and Cam kicking them out of their reservation. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Manny/Haley storyline though. I do like that he’s trying to get her to be her own person and I understand that they’re not blood related, but still. Ew. But it was great to see Dylan back!
The Mitch and Cam storyline was cute and very well-done. They did a really good job at keeping who Broderick was really after ambiguous. I also really liked how they kept the entire thing light instead of it ending up in an awkward heartbreak for one of them. It was a fun, silly storyline, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
My favorite of the night though, was Jay and Gloria’s. One, because Jay’s impression of Gloria in the beginning of the episode was hilarious, and also because Gloria is totally the one who gets the true meaning of Valentine’s Day: It’s a competition. It’s a dirty, competitive holiday, and Gloria totally won. Jay and Gloria’s interactions keep getting funnier and funnier, and I loved it when she revealed the dinner and the motorcycle. Her insistence that she won and Jay’s bemused resignation was the sweetest part of the entire episode for me.
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on Feb 10, 2011 @ 11:02 EST5EDT
I was disappointed in the episode. Much of this season I’ve felt like the luster’s worn off this show, like it was as good as it was last season more because it was fresh.
It’s unfortunate, because there’s still so much that’s good about the show, but when Claire and Phil recycle a plot, Cam and Mitchell go back to high school to argue about who Mitchell’s assistant has a crush on (I think it was their relationship he was jealous of), and Gloria whines and whines, it might be time to rethink the game plan.