“I've Got The Brains, You've Got The Looks” (5th Favorite Episode Retro Recap)

So, with four weeks of downtime before the next new episode, I'd figured one way to fill the gap is post some thoughts on some Modern Family episodes from past seasons. Specifically, my five favorite episodes. Oddly, one of these episodes does not have an Alex-centric story (you'll have to wait to find out which one), but the rest should not be too surprising.  Over the next couple of weeks I plan on posting recaps of these episodes starting with #5 then going through to #1 (if I can keep my initiative the recap of #1 will be posted on Christmas Day.

Anyway, on to #5:


”Come Fly With Me” (Season 1, Episode 3)

So after poor Alex gets shot by Luke in the pilot episode (and, setting the tone for much of the first 5.41667 seasons, gets the least to do of all the kids), then doesn't even get to appear in the second episode (“The Bicycle Thief”, the first of the eleven Alex-less episodes), we finally get to see what makes her tick in this third episode.

The first thing we find out about Alex is that she does not like dressing up, because she does not think she's pretty like Haley (which was debatable even back then). Although she does end up buying a dress at the end (and somehow manages to provoke Claire again by doing so, though I've never totally understood why she felt that way) this episode sets a recurring theme for Alex in that she's not comfortable dressing up, only doing so when she has to – we've never seen her wear a dress just for the heck of it (except arguably at the school play in "A Slight At The Opera"), and when she does wear a dress she always looks like she's way out of her comfort zone, at least as far as I see it.

The other more important thing that happens is that Alex says she's “the smart one”. That actually was not common knowledge at the time – in neither of the first two episodes is her intellect even mentioned. I suppose one could infer from the pilot that she's smart because she carries a book around and wears glasses, but that would be a bit of a stretch (of course so would Alex merely saying she's smart without other evidence, but for both theories that evidence would show up in due time).

The best parts of this episode were the two restaurant patio scenes with Alex and Gloria. They were cute even when Alex was asking the most personal questions she could think of for Gloria, and it was sweet how Gloria tried to boost Alex's confidence in herself.

The one thing I did not like about this episode (i.e. why it's only #5) was how compacted Alex's story is in it. It doesn't even begin until after the first commercial break, and it ends fairly early in the final segment, and Alex isn't even on screen as the rest of the family (except Luke, Haley and baby Lily who weren't in this episode at all, save for a stunt double playing Luke in a box on the trampoline) tends to Phil. At least it's not as bad as what was done with her story in “Baby On Board” (where her going to prom story ends 10 minutes into that episode – needless to say that episode is not in my top five because of that).

One oddity of this episode - they wait until they reach the end of the first segment before doing the "picture frame" opening (usually that occurs about 1/4 to 1/2 way through the first segment).

Alex's Line Of The Episode: ”I'm not (beautiful). But that's OK – I'm the smart one.”  Don't sell yourself short, dear.

Coming soon: #4