Modern Family (2009)
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Bianca Douglas — Writer
Episodes 72
Dude Ranch
While vacationing on Lost Creek Ranch, the three families try their hands at a little cattle herding, skeet shooting and horseback riding. There are also some big firsts, a huge surprise and an actual face-off between Jay and a cowboy named Hank.
Read MoreWhen Good Kids Go Bad
Mitchell and Cameron plan an evening with the whole family to break the happy news that they're attempting to adopt another child. However, things go wrong when they realize Lily may not take well to another baby in the house. Meanwhile, Claire and Jay are each focused with proving a point.
Read MorePhil on Wire
Jay's relationship with the dog irritates Gloria. Phil and Luke try to master the tightrope. Cameron starts a juice fast.
Read MoreDoor to Door
Jay helps Manny with a school fundraiser. Claire petitions for a stop sign at a busy intersection. Phil and Luke try to create a viral video. Gloria searches for Stella.
Read MoreHit and Run
Gloria tries to help Jay and Manny with their problems but both are unreceptive. Claire considers running against Councilman Duane Bailey. Cam and Mitch are the victims of a hit-and-run accident.
Read MoreGo Bullfrogs!
Phil takes Haley to visit his alma mater. Claire goes out with Mitchell and Cameron. Gloria and Jay may have to broach a delicate subject with Manny.
Read MoreAfter the Fire
The Pritchetts rally for a good cause after a neighbor's house burns down, but there's a downside to their Samaritan intentions when Jay throws out his back, Cameron takes on a moving truck, and some donated toys fall into the wrong hands.
Read MorePunkin Chunkin
When an old neighborhood kid returns to town as a hugely successful internet billionaire, it gets Phil thinking of what could have been. Jay feels Manny could use a little dose of constructive criticism, and Cameron is offended when Mitchell questions the authenticity of his colorful childhood stories.
Read MoreExpress Christmas
The Pritchett clan decide to celebrate Christmas a little early (and in a hurry) so they split up to gather the holiday trappings as Mitchell, Alex and Lily hunt for a tree, Gloria and Luke fetch the ornaments, and Claire and Haley shop for the gifts. Meanwhile, Phil and Manny buy the groceries and Jay and Cameron stand by to wrap presents.
Read MoreLifetime Supply
Phil contemplates the worst, after missing a call from the doctor. Elsewhere, Javier, Manny's biological father, pays another visit to take his son to the horse races, Mitchell wins an environmental law award, creating a competition between Cam and himself on who has the better trophy, and Gloria tutors Haley in Spanish.
Read MoreLittle Bo Bleep
Claire prepares for her debate with Duane Bailey. Mitch and Cam try to clean up Lily's language before her turn as a flower girl. Jay blames Stella's strange behavior on Gloria.
Read MoreMe? Jealous?
Phil's preoccupation with a business opportunity blinds him to his new partner's inappropriate behavior around Claire. Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria may regret letting Mitchell and Cameron be their temporary house guests when their home is being fumigated.
Read MoreAunt Mommy
Phil and Claire go overboard with drinks, and divulging personal information, on a night out to celebrate the sale of a house to Mitchell and Cameron's friends.
Read MoreVirgin Territory
It's a day of disturbing realizations when Mitchell manages to ruin one of Jay's proudest golf moments, Phil overhears something that may forever change how he sees his little girl, and Gloria stumbles upon Claire's dangerous little secret.
Read MoreSend Out the Clowns
The funeral service for a beloved clown mentor reunites Cameron with his estranged ex-clown partner, Lewis. Phil is serious about landing a very important listing, only to get trumped by a notorious bulldozer of an agent, Mitzi Roth. Manny has a cool new friend, which makes both Jay and Gloria suspicious.
Read MoreElection Day
Claire's race for town council comes to a head on Election Day as the Dunphys make phone calls for votes and Mitchell and Cameron take to the streets to campaign, while the candidate endures technical problems during some last-minute interviews.
Read MoreThe Last Walt
A visit from Cameron's father features an awkward dinner for Jay and Gloria at Mitchell and Cameron's house. Meanwhile, Claire helps Luke face the death of an older neighbor, Phil and Alex have a father-daughter bonding experience, and Haley throws a party without permission.
Read MorePlanes, Trains and Cars
Phil buys a car without consulting Claire. Jay is on a mission to get to his high-school reunion with Gloria and Manny. Lily loses her favorite toy on a train.
Read MoreDisneyland
When the family travels to Disneyland, Phil struggles to keep up with Luke, Claire is shocked when they run into Dylan, Jay and Gloria disagree about what are sensible shoes for the day, and Mitch and Cam must contain Lily's new affinity for running.
Read MoreTableau Vivant
Gloria and Jay bicker while trying to order lunch at a diner. Claire and Cam have different theories on how to discipline kids. Luke accepts an award under false pretenses. Phil has a hard time firing Mitchell from his temporary job at the real estate agency. The entire family participates in Alex's living art display of Norman Rockwell's Thanksgiving painting.
Read MoreBaby on Board
Gloria's bilingualism comes in handy on Mitchell and Cameron's quest to adopt another child. Meanwhile, Jay and Manny help Lily get ready for a dance recital. Alex goes to her first prom, and Haley announces her future plans, which come as a shock to her family.
Read MoreBringing Up Baby
Phil takes Jay on an unconventional fishing trip; Gloria wonders how to break the news about her pregnancy; Dylan temporarily moves in with the Dunphys; Cam and Mich think about adopting a cat.
Read MoreThe Butler's Escape
Luke wants to quit magic and Phil just can't seem to accept it. Meanwhile, one of Gloria's new pregnancy symptoms is snoring and she's keeping the whole house awake, forcing Jay to take desperate measures; and Mitch and Cam's household dynamic is put to the test when they decide to swap duties -- Mitch staying at home with Lily while Cam goes off to work at his new job as the music teacher at Luke and Manny's school.
Read MoreOpen House of Horrors
Claire must reign in her enthusiasm for Halloween and keep her celebration kid-friendly; Phil decides to hold an open house on Halloween; Mitch and Cam have a costume party; Gloria's hormones make her more quick-tempered than usual.
Read MoreYard Sale
Jay and Gloria hold a yard sale to help Manny and Luke with their school's charity fundraiser, and the entire family pitches in: Phil feels pressured to both sell and buy something, Mitch and Cam help Claire assess Alex's new 'boy friend,' and Manny finds an old trunk that hides a secret Gloria wants to see remain a secret.
Read MoreMistery Date
When Claire takes Manny and Luke along to Alex's academic decathlon for the weekend, Phil attempts to throw together a boys' night at the house. Cam and Mitch arrange for quite the surprise baby gift for Jay and Gloria.
Read MoreWhen a Tree Falls
Mitch and Cam try to save an old tree in the park. Jay takes Manny to a kid's Olympics-themed birthday party. Gloria and Claire have an eventful shopping trip.
Read MoreDiamond in the Rough
When Manny and Luke's Little League team makes it to the playoffs, Claire and Cameron search for a field to use. Gloria uses a microphone to sing to the baby.
Read MoreNew Year's Eve
Jay and the family plan to celebrate New Year's together at a hotel in Palm Springs, but the hotel doesn't meet their expectations; Alex and Haley are faced with challenges as they try to watch the kids back at home.
Read MoreParty Crasher
Gloria and Jay try to make Manny's 14th birthday extra special by planning a surprise party; Haley starts hanging out with a much older guy.
Read MoreA Slight at the Opera
When the lead in the school's production of "Phantom of the Opera" gets sick, Manny is willing to do anything to land the lead; Phil and Jay wind up in a golf-off with Mitch and Pepper; Gloria and Alex visit a psychic.
Read MoreHeart Broken
Claire and Phil’s Valentine’s Day romp ends with Claire in the hospital. Jay and Gloria’s attempts at romance face constant interruption. After hosting a wild party, Cam and Mitch are left with hangovers and a new housemate.
Read MoreBad Hair Day
Things get awkward when Phil shows up at Claire's college reunion. Jay is fixated on winning a big bowling tournament. A wig malfunction during an elaborate photo shoot with Joe leads to unfortunate results.
Read MoreThe Wow Factor
Claire and Cam bring in a third party (Wendi McLendon-Covey) when they reach an impasse on a landscaping decision; Phil teaches basic fix-it skills to the kids; Mitch helps Lily with a bully.
Read MoreThe Future Dunphys
At the hospital Claire and Phil see the older version of their family; Mitchell and Cameron plan a day for Lily and Gloria; Manny and Jay go to a private school to look around.
Read MoreCareer Day
Phil is jazzed to share the wonders of residential real estate with Luke and Manny’s classmates for career day. Gloria challenges Jay’s claims of always wanting to become a novelist. Mitch and Cam make a costly mistake while executing tooth fairy duties.
Read MoreGames People Play
Phil gets a new RV for a fun family road trip. Jay and Gloria search for Manny's backpack. Lily's gymnastics meet brings out Cam and Mitch's competitive spirit.
Read MoreGoodnight, Gracie
Everyone flies down to Florida to be with Phil after his mom's passing. Claire helps Phil with Gracie's last wish for Frank, and the kids reflect on the gifts grandma left for them. Gloria has to contend with an outstanding arrest warrant in Florida, Cam finds himself fitting right into an elderly women's group at Frank's retirement community, and Jay runs into a pivotal person from his past.
Read MoreSuddenly, Last Summer
The family is in the throes of summer activities: Phil and Claire are trying to orchestrate a kid-free week by coordinating Luke's camp with Haley's beach trip and Alex's volunteering excursion; Jay and Gloria are getting Manny ready for his first solo trip back to Colombia; and Mitch and Cam make it a summer to remember.
Read MoreFirst Days
Luke and Manny have their first day at high school, which proves to be harder for Phil and Gloria than for the boys. Elsewhere, Claire makes her big return to the workforce at Jay's closet company and is a little rusty on her first day, and Cam starts a new substituting gig at the high school, leaving Mitch to try to juggle Lily's first day of pre-school and a very important meeting at work.
Read MoreLarry's Wife
Phil's job takes up a lot of his time; Luke has his friends over for a poker game; Gloria worries the baby is cursed; Cam hosts a funeral for the cat's imaginary wife.
Read MoreFarm Strong
Cam's sister comes to town with good news, Phil and Claire agree to skip Luke's soccer game, Gloria refuses to admit she needs glasses, and Alex thinks Jay is cheating at Words With Friends.
Read MoreThe Late Show
The adults struggle to make it to a hot new restaurant in time for the reservation Jay pulled a lot of strings to get.
Read MoreA Fair to Remember
The family attends the annual school fair and Phil has a big 20th wedding anniversary surprise planned for Claire at the fairgrounds, but unfortunately, she simultaneously has a surprise for him back at home. Gloria signs Jay up to be a fair cop for the day and it gets worse when he’s partnered up with his nemesis. Elsewhere, Mitch, Cam and Lily try to enjoy the fair but Cam is in a funk from the football team’s recent losing streak, and Haley has an awkward first encounter with Andy.
Read MoreClosetCon '13
With some urging from Claire, Jay begrudgingly agrees to return to ClosetCon this year, and things get interesting when Jay is reunited with some old colleagues. Cam takes Mitch and Lily to the Tucker family farm for the first time and is excited to fold them into country life, that is until Grams pays an unexpected visit. And back at home, Phil, Gloria and the kids get into some mischief involving Jay’s very delicate Apollo 13 spacecraft model
Read MoreThe Big Game
With a big football game coming up and a record to break, Coach Cam is intensely focused and showing no mercy even when the opposing team is playing with an unexpected disadvantage. Elsewhere, Claire is determined to prove to the staff that she is more than just the boss's daughter, and Phil tries to teach his kids a lesson about optimism, but the universe just isn't cooperating.
Read MoreThe Old Man & the Tree
Jay takes Manny out to cut down their own Christmas tree, and Gloria is on edge with mom in town, but changes her tune when she sees her bonding with Claire. Elsewhere, Mitchell is forced to do last minute shopping when they didn’t get Lily the right gift, and Cameron takes Lily to a charity event where they experience the true meaning of Chritmas.
Read MoreAnd One to Grow On
Phil tricks Luke into taking a dance class, but the jokes on him when the white lie indirectly lands him in the slammer. Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria are throwing birthday parties for both Manny and Joe and are concerned Manny might be going for girls out of his league, and Mitch and Cam get a rude awakening in the cutthroat world of booking a wedding venue.
Read MoreUnder Pressure
The high school open house puts the parents in a bit of a time warp when Claire finds herself stressed out by all the pressure, Gloria encounters a “mean girl” mom and Jay teaches Phil how to play a little hookie. Elsewhere, Mitchell gets defensive when he encounters his judgemental, environmentalist neighbor and Alex goes to see a therapist.
Read MoreThree Dinners
Haley turns the tables when Claire and Phil try to talk with her about her future; Jay receives news from his friend Shorty and his wife, Darlene; Cam and Mitch go on a romantic date.
Read MoreiSpy
Claire and Phil decide to spy on Luke and Manny as they’re hanging out with one of their more questionable friends. Meanwhile, Gloria is furious with Jay because she thinks he had a dream about another woman, but Jay misinterprets her anger for another offense he committed. And, Cam secretly uses Mitch as a scapegoat to get out of attending a party, while Haley tries to keep her photography exhibit a secret from her family.
Read MoreThe Feud
Phil is upset to have lost his elected office of social chair to his nemesis Gil Thorpe, and when he finds out Luke is competing against Gil's kid in a wrestling match, it becomes his own personal battle. Claire is nervous for a big client meeting but things get extra hairy when Mitch and Cam ask her to pick up Lily from school and conveniently leave out the fact that her class just had a lice scare. Elsewhere, Gloria chaperones Manny's school field trip to the museum.
Read MoreSpring-a-Ding-Fling
Cameron is in charge of the school’s big spring dance, but when a popular teacher returns from sabbatical, a bit of not-so-friendly competition blooms. And with Claire on chaperone duty at the dance, Phil gets Haley to accompany him to his annual realtor’s banquet and is looking forward to impressing his little girl. Elsewhere, Mitch starts a new job and can’t seem to get a good read on the new boss or the work environment. Jay and Gloria babysit Lily and an accident with Gloria’s purse ignites a case of whodunit and it’s Lily’s word against baby Joe’s.
Read MoreOther People's Children
It’s male-bonding day when Jay takes Luke into the garage to show him the way around tools and impart some manly wisdom, and Gloria goes with Claire and Lily to shop for Lily’s flower girl dress. Elsewhere, Mitch, Cam, Alex and Manny go for a cultured day at the museum but it eventually becomes survival of the smartest. And Phil enthusiastically offers to help Andy with his anniversary gift to his girlfriend, which is an elaborate video expression of his love.
Read MoreLas Vegas
he adults are Vegas-bound when Jay hooks them up with Excelsior Level hotel accommodations courtesy of one of his big clients, but after learning there’s an even higher level, Jay becomes obsessed with upgrading. Meanwhile, everyone’s sneaking around when Claire secretly hits the tables to win back money she lost years ago, Phil goes underground auditioning for a secret society of magicians, Cam ducks out of a spa day with Mitch to join their friend’s bachelor party shenanigans, and Gloria is determined to hide a female version of dog butler Barkley from Jay.
Read MoreA Hard Jay's Night
Mitch struggles to hide his true feelings about the unflattering wedding topper Cam's father whittled out of soap for them, Phil tries to help Gloria sell her pre-Jay apartment but they get sidetracked at the neighborhood salon, and Claire and the kids head over to Jay's early to help him prep for the special night with the family he's hosting but they end up just butting heads.
Read MoreAustralia
The entire family tags along as Phil fulfills his mom’s wish for him to return to his roots and visit the country where he was conceived, Australia. Unfortunately, Phil’s attempts to embrace his native land are met by a lot of rejection, while Jay and Claire let work eat into vacation time, and Mitch and Cam get reacquainted with an old friend they can’t stand but is now a big-time celebrity in Australia
Read MoreSleeper
Phil fails at his one task to stay home and wait for the repairman, forcing him to tell an elaborate lie to hide the truth from Claire, but the stress is more than he can physically handle. Meanwhile, Gloria is obsessing over the family portrait she is responsible for organizing this year. Claire accuses Cam of being too snobby to use her girls’ hand-me-downs and Jay secretly enters Stella in a dog show.
Read MoreMessage Received
Jay, Gloria and Manny challenge each other to step outside their comfort zone and try something new. Mitch and Cam’s wedding is getting too big and costly so they resort to selling a couple of their prized possessions, and the kids play a joke on Phil and Claire.
Read MoreThe Wedding (1)
Mitch and Cam’s big day is finally here and nothing can ruin it, until nothing turns into a whole lot of somethings and puts wedding planner extraordinaire Pepper Saltzman to the test. Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria host the Tuckers, Phil squeezes in an eye procedure before the festivities and Claire embraces her role as “best woman".
Read MoreThe Wedding (2)
The wedding day chaos continue as the entire party shifts from one contingency plan to another. Guests start to get testy, Mitchell and Cameron are feeling discouraged and poor Claire shows physical wear and tear, but an unexpected turn of events leads to the ceremony we’ve all been waiting for.
Read More