The season finale of Modern Family titled “Baby on Board” held a lot of surprises for the Dunphy-Pritchett clan and for its faithful viewers like me. So many things happened I’m still trying to take it all in!
First, let’s talk about what happened with Cam and Mitchell. All season they’ve been waiting to adopt a new baby so Lily can have a little brother and they’ve faced many obstacles along the way. From watching other couples have babies faster thanks to surrogacy to meeting with mothers-to-be and waiting for one of them to pick them, they’ve dealt with a lot of frustration and setbacks.
I was sooo excited when I saw the preview in which they received the phone call from the adoption agency telling them their baby was being born that day. Finally! But then after a bizarre twist of events at the hospital that mimicked the best (or worst) soap opera drama, it turned out the family was keeping the baby after all, forcing Cam, Mitchell and Gloria to drive back home empty-handed. My heart broke for them during the really emotionally charged scene at the gas station in which they both decided they needed to take a break because the waiting and anxiety was finally pushing them both overboard.
While I truly felt bad for Cam and Mitchell, a tiny part of me was also a little relieved. Do you really think Lily is ready to be a big sister? I’m sorry, but that kid is a little bit of a brat sometimes. She has both dads wrapped around her little finger and I think she likes it that way. She looked majorly upset at her recital because she’s used to being the center of attention and for once her dads weren’t there to dote on her. Having a little brother or sister is a huge transition for a child. Suddenly you have to share everything! I was 11 when my first brother was born and it still hit me as a shock. I can’t imagine what it must be like to a three-year-old that’s still trying to learn how to be her own Nap Captain.
The next big topic of the night was prom! My little brother just went to his senior prom a few weeks ago and his high school graduation is next week, so seeing Alex and Haley talking about prom and Haley figuring out what she’s going to do with herself after graduation really hit home for me. Watching Phil teaching Alex how to dance was a big highlight of the episode.
Haley’s big announcement about moving in with Dylan really didn’t surprise me. Actually I thought maybe they were getting engaged by the preview, so moving in seemed like a much tamer option in comparison. However, I was happy Haley got accepted to the college that had waitlisted her and she isn’t moving in with Dylan after all. Although she’s been with him off and on for a long time in teenage years, she doesn’t really know him. You don’t truly know someone until you live with them, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief that she won’t be rushing that big step now. And who knew Luke was such a hoarder with all of the family’s important mail? I loved how all the pieces of mail he had hoarded related to various episodes this season.
Spoiler Alert: What really threw me for a loop was Gloria’s revelation at the end of the episode that she’s pregnant! Unlike my concerns over Lily being an older sibling, I think Manny will make a perfect older brother once the initial shock wears off. I’m very excited for this development and I can’t wait to see Jay’s (and the family’s) reaction when she breaks the news to them in the fall. Finally, a season finale with something to look forward to in the premiere!
In my opinion, the Dunphy-Pritchett clan can only get funnier with the addition of one more and I can’t wait to come back and talk about my favorite family some more next season. Thanks for reading, and happy summer everyone!
Memorable Quotes:
Haley: “Proms are lame. It’s just an excuse for dressed-up dorks to ride in limos and hump each other.”
Phil: “OK, now I don’t like the idea of Alex going.”
Claire: “Sweetie, I think we’re fine. It’s Alex.”
Alex: “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Luke: “It means you’re a geek.”
Alex: “You know what, you know what, I might just go crazy tonight and hook up all over him. Why are you laughing? That’s not funny. I’m not even gonna wear my glasses.”
Haley: “My guidance counselor suggested I take a gap year. You know, a year between high school and college where you take some courses, have some life experiences and get inspired and obviously work at The Gap.”
Mitchell (about Cam thinking he is fluent in Spanish): “He thinks he’s some sort of an expert because for the past two weeks he’s been watching this ridiculous Spanish soap opera.”
Jay: “Fire & Ice? Don’t say a word about the ending of last night’s episode. (awkward pause) Gloria watches that. You’d ruin it.”
Phil (teaching Alex how to dance): “Always keep the rhythm in your feet. Then we’re going to add just a little party in the shoulders, alright? Come on, let’s get those arms going. No, no, no, arms down here says, ‘I’m white and I’m sorry.’ But arms up here says, ‘You don’t know what I am.’”
Alex: “Yes, my bad-boy prom date is gay. He just doesn’t know it yet, so I’m basically his beard. Pre-beard. His stubble.”
Cam: “Sorry, are my pinkies up again? They do that when I get excited. Down girls.”
Phil (reminiscing about his prom): “All the cool kids were totally laughing with us.”
Dylan (to Haley’s parents after telling them they’re moving in together): “Listen, I know that you’re concerned, but I’m designing t-shirts now. They’re gonna be huge. Also medium and small.”
Haley: “Mom, can I borrow that purple dress I said you were too old for?”
Claire: “In spite of that, yeah.”
Dylan: “Mr. D, do you have a tuxedo I could borrow?”
Phil: “Yeah, sure. It’s the tux I got married in so it’s double-breasted.”
Dylan: “Perfect, so am I.”
Mitchell: “I think I’m lying on a rock.”
Cam: “I’m lying next to my rock.”
Gloria: “There’s certain moments in life that you never forget. Like when I held Manny in my arms for the very first time. I was nervous. I didn’t know what I was doing. I was so excited to see him grow up. And the more he becomes the little man I know today, the more I know I would do it all over again. Which is good because I’m going to do it all over again. Turns out I wasn’t carsick. I’m pregnant.”
Clacked by Kim Tibbs
on May 24, 2012 @ 08:52 EST5EDT
Loved this episode, Jay and Manny with a baby..that should be fun. Jay dancing with Lily was adorable!!!
My favorite line was Luke telling Dylan to shut the door and he goes and shuts the closet door!
*POST AUTHOR*
I really like Jay as a father, he’s gruff but with a soft interior. I like that they showed us more to his softer side in the weeks leading up to the finale…him explaining how much he loved his kids that he kept his marriage together for their sake & seeing him dance on stage with Lily. I can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction to the news next season! :)
The way they did a Spanish soap opera cut up was hilarious. I loved it. And I suspected something was up with Gloria when she was in the car…but I was still surprised!