Upside/Down(side) - “Patriot Games”

I really have mixed emotions about tonight. On one hand, not since “Under Pressure” have I been so looking forward to an episode of Modern Family. In fact, in one sense there is more anticipation: I've been waiting for this episode to air for two months, whereas the wait time for “Under Pressure” was only about 3 weeks.

But, on the other hand, I am more than a little bit nervous as to how Alex's story tonight plays out.


Growing up in Boston, I learned to dread Game 7's in sports (including one gut-wrenching Bruins Game 7 whose ending I've still managed never to see because I knew it was going to be painful [hint: they were probably going to lose a game they all but had won] so I turned off the TV and went to bed before overtime, then always turned away when someone showed the “lowlight” of the game-losing goal). Since then I've rarely watched a Game 7 involving a home team, and in fact I've become mostly indifferent to their fates. In other words, Game 7's are my own personal “Fear Factor”.

Which brings us to tonight: in many ways, tonight is Alex's (and Sanjay's) Game 7 – more than ten years of hard work and preparation to be valedictorian, all now boiled down to one event: a one mile run, winner takes all. In fact, it even seems like overtime of a Game 7.

OK, there's more than a bit of hyperbole in that, as both are still going to graduate with honors and are both going to top colleges (presumably CalTech for Alex, and we might find out if Sanjay is going there as well or somewhere else). But we know that the one who doesn't win (barring a tie) will at least be temporarily devastated.

And that may be why I'm dreading this episode to a degree: In effect, Alex is my local team, and I'm bracing myself for the disappointment if she loses (which I still think is more likely than not, and yes that's part of the bracing process). But that dread is not going to keep me from watching tonight, unlike those Game 7's I've avoided.

Thankfully, there is a second part to this story which could soften the blow – the potential of a blossoming romance between the two rivals. But was that kiss between the two that was revealed two months ago for real, or was it something else?

So what do I see as the upside and the downside of tonight's episode? For all the words I've put into this post, it really is pretty simple, mostly:

Upside: Alex wins the race and Sanjay's heart.

Downside: Alex loses the race, and there is no romance between the two. The absolute worst of worst case scenarios would be if Sanjay were to trick Alex into losing the race on the pretense of starting a relationship, then, just when the romance seems to be heating up, tells her “Ha, Ha! Fooled Ya!”.

My best guess is a mixed bag: Alex loses the race but wins a relationship (for now). I won't be 100% happy if that happens but I'll take it.  We'll find out in about 11 hours (14 on the West Coast - as always I won't spoil with a recap until after the episode airs there).