“So We Don't Worry About The Price We Pay(?)”

I'll start with the good news first, then get to the bad (namely my thoughts on the spoiler stuff I mentioned a couple of days ago).

Promo pics are up for “The Day Alex Left For College”, and it looks like we're going to see Alex's new roommate in this one after all. But apparently there's been a change in plans, as (based off the earlier press release) her roommate is now someone named Maisie and not Alaina (the actress' name is Chloe Csengery). It looks like they will somewhat hit it off at the start (though in one photo Haley looks more excited for some reason) – how long it stays that way is another story.

Also, it looks we will get the obligatory hugs from Phil and Claire, and at the dorm it looks like Alex and Claire will have some sort of issue.

So at least we have this to look forward to. But how badly will this episode's events be overshadowed by the dark turn that appears to be coming in a few weeks? (Again, if you don't want to be spoiled, don't click “Read more”.)


As pessimistic as I've been about what will happen to Alex this season, the one thing I thought had no chance of happening was for her to follow in Haley's footsteps and get herself expelled from college and/or get arrested almost as soon as she got there.

Until a couple of days ago.

Now, sadly, given the photos of that scene where Alex brings out a case of tequila from that liquor store, it's hard to see a plausible scenario in which she doesn't at least get expelled from CalTech, and, in all likelihood she'll also face at least a minimum amount (probably more) of legal trouble as well. (I will offer one tiny ray of hope in a minute.)

Unless there's a complete misunderstanding (e.g. that case of tequila was actually an empty box) she faces charges involving underage drinking that will probably be even more severe than Haley's (presuming that, unlike here with Alex, Haley was not involved in buying the liquor back when she got in trouble – as best as I could tell she did not). And then if it turns out Alex actually does steal that case she'll be staring at even more harsh charges (and she's not going to be able to say it was an accident), and may even face a prison sentence (if she gets a judge looking to “make an example” out of her).

And even if the legal system is lenient, CalTech will almost certainly not be and, if she ends up with a criminal record, she could have trouble even getting into another college that would have previously taken her in with open arms. And how will Phil and Claire react? Even though this whole scenario sounds like an excuse for the show to bring Alex back home, there's always the chance her parents decide she can't return home, given she's smart enough to know better. Or at the very least, they'll probably treat her more punitively than they did Haley.

In other words, it looks like a setup to have Alex throw her carefully planned out life away (at least the parts she's been working towards all these years) in a moment of madness, and that would be tragic.

And even that may only scratch the surface.

Even if somehow Alex gets away with it all this time, there would still be the issue of her turning to liquor again in the first place. Especially if for some reason she's not buying the tequila for a party (it is a case of tequila and not just one bottle) but instead all for herself (for whatever problems she might be facing). One way or another are we looking at a (even more?) mentally unstable young lady in the process? That would be even more tragic, and, as I mentioned when she went sleepless last year studying for a test, I think she might be beyond therapy.

Maybe I'm being overly pessimistic, but given how many dark paths they've steered Alex down the past couple of years, can you blame me? I guess my biggest question is why this may be happening - if this does come to pass, why would the powers that be of Modern Family want to trash six years of character development (so to speak – their track record with Alex has never been stellar as it is)?

And while I could speculate as to what brings all this on in the first place (Alex finally succumbing to peer pressure and/or wanting to be cool? School troubles? Boy issues?), right now I don't think it matters, but maybe as we get closer I'll think otherwise and discuss it.

And that one tiny ray of hope? Two years ago photos of Alex from “A Fair To Remember” showed her being taken away in handcuffs, and at the time I wondered what she did wrong and what the possible ramifications would be. Of course it turned out to be nothing serious at all, as it ended up being just a ruse by Luke to try and get Alex out of the way so that he could court her then new friend Sienna (and, not surprisingly, both ended up getting dumped). So it is possible this could all be a smokescreen again, but I don't have a lot of hope.

I suppose this is where I need to remind myself again this is only fiction and not stress out so much about it, but I'm not really in the mood.