"The Leader Of The Band Is Tired" (First Impressions - "Legacy" - Season 11, Episode 11)

So much for hope of a big Alex story for the episode which will air on the sixth anniversary (January 15th) of "Under Pressure".

Since there are only two stories mentioned, I suppose there is some hope for a little something for Alex in what's left.  Or maybe she'll be there to pick up the pieces if Phil's story with his father goes badly (whether she is there or not I have a feeling I may need to stock up on tissues for that one anyway). 

But I'm not optimistic at all about that - in fact I think there's a better chance (for now) that Alex-less Episode #3 may happen instead.

"To A Deluxe Apartment In The Sky" (First Impressions - "The Prescott" - Season 11, Episode 10)

I've mentioned before that the first episodes of Modern Family that start the new calendar year have more often than not been duds.  There is a chance that could change in 2020.

“On The Sixth Day Of Christmas” (“The Last Christmas” Recap)

The bottom line: Alex did not deserve to be threatened by Gloria.

“A Crowded Room, Friends With Tired Eyes”

One last thought about Ariel's post – obviously, hopefully whatever episode she's filming this week is not the only episode we see her in that office.

”The Last Christmas” airs tonight, and it's also the last episode of the twenty-teens.

"Buildings With A Hundred Floors"

Finally, something potentially interesting has popped up (per Ariel's Instagram):

"Knowing Me Knowing You It's The Best I Can Do"

Well, at least Alex isn't the only family member that Luke has no problems throwing under the bus.

Sadly. really, that's all I can say about tonight.  At least Alex will be back next week (she's in some of the promo photos for the Christmas episode).

“I Felt So Left Out”

I almost forgot there's a new episode tonight (“Tree's A Crowd”).  Now, how in the world do you suppose that happened?

Anticipation Level: Very Low.
Emotional Moment Potential: Very Low.
Game Changing Potential: Very Low.

Even if Alex does show up tonight, I don't see much for her to do.  As for that “if”...

Chance Of An Alex-less Episode: Extremely High.  As I said a couple of weeks ago, I'm not as certain as I was two episodes ago that Alex won't be there.  But, I do think it's still more likely than not this time too, and more so than I thought a couple of weeks ago.  In numerical terms, I'd put the chance at about 60-70%.

Are There Any Other Questions?  Well, given how little I have to say about my expectations for tonight, it should come as no surprise I have no other questions either.

Sorry this is so quick, but I'm just not feeling it today.  I doubt that changes much after tonight.

“Bomfalleralla, Falleralla, Falleralla” (“The Last Thanksgiving” Recap)

Yes, that line from a Swedish hip-hop song from The Fault In Our Stars doesn't make much sense.  But, then again, neither does the not-nearly-brief enough “romance” (and I use that term very loosely) between Alex and Neil.  I have no idea what Alex even saw in that overbearing doofus.

“Send Your Dreams Where Nobody Hides”

No, that lyric has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but, since Ariel did post a picture of herself in Amsterdam, and since my posts this season have been sadly lacking in The Fault In Our Stars references, I figured now would be a good time to use a lyric or two from the soundtrack (this morning's lyric is from “Wait”, the song played when Gus confesses to Hazel on the bench in Amsterdam¹ that he is dying²).

Anyway, getting back to somewhat happier times, let's talk about tonight's “The Last Thanksgiving”:

"Come And Knock On Our Door" (First Impressions - "Tree's A Crowd" - Season 11, Episode 8)

Well, if anyone was hoping something big would happen in the episode between Thanksgiving and Christmas, sorry, no dice.  Alex isn't mentioned (again).

I'm not quite as pessimistic about the chance that Alex doesn't even show up in this one as I was about the most recent episode, but I still have a bad feeling about it.  Maybe half as bad, which still put things as about 50-50 here.

"Didn't Come Here For Crying. Didn't Come Here To Break Down."

If only I could be as sure of other things in my life as sure as I was about Alex not appearing tonight.

Why did Luke's idea seem more like something that Alex would have come with a long time ago?  I'm a little suspicious - Luke has shown  no reservations about stealing Alex's work on her computer before.  Could he have done so again?  It would make for an interesting story down the line, but I doubt we'll ever see it.

So Claire didn't quit solely because of the privacy scandal, but instead it was more of a general "I've had enough" situation.  It still remains to be seen if Alex will have to shift gears on her own career track because of it.

And that's all I have to say.  Since there is no new episode next week, I probably won't have much to say for a while.

“One Is The Loneliest Number”

So just how pessimistic am I about the chance that Alex will not be seen in tonight's “A Game Of Chicken”?  You may want to brace yourself before clicking “Read More”:

"It's The Hap-Happiest Season Of All(?)" (First Impressions - "The Last Thanksgiving" and "The Last Christmas" - Season 11, Episodes 7 and TBD)

When is a two-for-one special not so special?  When there's no mention of Alex anywhere.

“You're Trying To Convince Me That What I've Done's Not Right” (“The Last Halloween” Recap)

So, am I angry with Bill for abruptly breaking up with Alex?  Yes, somewhat.

No, I'm not “really, really wish bad things for Bill” angry.  He's not Reuben, after all¹.

“And Then He Walked Out” (Quick Takes On “The Last Halloween”)

Well, I was right this time.  Why it only seems to happen when it's about something bad is one of life's little mysteries.

One reason why I am going to wait until tomorrow night or Friday to post a full recap is I'm not really sure how unhappy I am with Bill for breaking up with Alex.  Yes, she made a mistake, but I thought he loved her enough to be more forgiving than he turned out to be.   And it was at least partly his fault those photos ended up with Creepy Craig.

Assuming this is the end (of course things could change like with Sanjay, but I wouldn't bet on it), I hope Luke is right and that Alex does find someone more in her league.   It was a sweet touch for them to support each other.

That's it for now – I'm more numb than depressed at the moment (maybe because Alex wasn't nearly as emotional as I thought she'd be?) but I feel like at some point sadness is going to hit me.

“Because Of You, I Am Afraid”

OK, that's a bit of a stretch because that lyric's song is definitely not a Halloween song, but it does have the word “afraid” in it, so, let's call it “good enough for government work” and move on to more important things.

That is, if ABC lets us – as of now “The Last Halloween” is still on for tonight, but, with the World Series going to Game 7 tonight, there is a chance the network makes a late decision to substitute reruns tonight.  And unless that happens in the next couple of hours, I may not find out about it until I try watching the recording of it when I get home from work tonight.

Now, two years ago (the last time there was a Game 7), ABC made no changes (even though at least one of the other networks did).  But that doesn't mean that things will stay the same this year (two years ago the ratings for Modern Family were two-tenths lower for the corresponding episode than the ones that aired before and after it, and that might factor into their decision).

But, for now, let's go with the premise that we will see tonight's scheduled episode as planned, which includes the season debut of Bill.  But will it also be the last we see of Bill?

"And You Light My Morning Sky With Burning Love" (Potential Spoiler Alert)

I know I'm late getting to this, but Ariel was on Ellen last Thursday (somebody I've never heard of was guest hosting), and while the interview itself didn't shed any new light about Alex, the clip they showed just before she came onto the set did give us a quick peek at what might happen between Alex and Bill this coming Wednesday (sorry but the linked video doesn't show that clip so I'll just have to describe it to you, after the page jump in case you don't want a potential spoiler).

"Fancy Poultry Parts Sold Here" (First Impressions - "A Game of Chicken" - Season 11, Episode 6)

The press release and promo photos for the November 6th episode are now available.  There will not be an episode the following week due to the annual Country Music Association awards show.

There is zero sign of Alex in any of this, and I have a feeling that unless something pops up showing otherwise, she probably won't be in this episode at all.   I hope I'm wrong about this, but I probably won't be.

"I Want Candy" ("The Last Halloween" Update)

ABC has posted an updated press release for this episode, and, I'll just let it speak for itself:

“I Can Program A Computer(?), Choose The Perfect Time” (“Pool Party” Recap)

So, I guess tonight is the beginning of Alex's new career¹?  I wish we knew more about what that corporate offer entailed – I have no idea whether she should accept it or not.

(Although, given the reinforcement we saw tonight of how miserable she really was in Antarctica, I probably would lean towards yes.)

“Swimming, Swimming In Blue”

When I thought that there was about a 50/50 chance that Alex might not even appear in tonight's episode (“Pool Party”), I really wasn't looking forward to it.   Does the fact that she will show up change things?

"But Giving Up The Ghost Would Feel So Good" (First Impressions - "The Last Halloween" - Season 11, Episode 5)

There's no mention of Alex in this episode's synopsis (it's not even called a press release - e.g. no listing of any guest stars), but she does appear in some of the promo photos (no hint of a Halloween costume though) in the above link (including one which appears to be a private camera scene), so hopefully there will be a little something for her.

Getting back to this week, Alex does appear in this promo for tomorrow night's episode, so we should be spared an Alex-less episode (before I saw this I thought the chance would be very high):

It's all about confidence! Join us for a pool party on #ModernFamily this Wednesday! pic.twitter.com/1yNtyIulFM

— Modern Family (@ModernFam) October 15, 2019

More about that in the morning. 

“Take My License, All That Jive“ (“Perfect Pairs” Recap)

Just a couple of quick thoughts about this one.

One reason why I thought Alex was going to use the twins to stir up things with Bill was because I wasn't sure how they could get from Point A to Point B with the other scenario, where she uses them to move her professional life forward.

I guess they found a way after all.

“It Takes Two To Make A Thing Go Right”

Two quick things before previewing tonight's “Perfect Pairs”:

If you haven't yet seen last week's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, do so, like yesterday.  I'll probably say more over the weekend¹, but for now I'll just let my tweet from shortly after the episode aired do my talking:

For almost six years now, I've felt that @arielwinter1 had A-List talent and potential. After her incredible performance playing an imperfect but sympathetic victim on tonight's L&O SVU, I'm tripling down on those thoughts. WOW! #SVU21

— Joe D. (@noahproblem) October 4, 2019

And the first Modern Family rerun of the season will be upon us in a hurry – there is no new episode two weeks from tonight (the opener re-airs).  Presumably the Halloween episode will follow on October 30th.

And with that out of the way, let's get to tonight.  For the first time this season, we have some idea what Alex will be doing ahead of time – like the rest of the Dunphys, she'll be dealing with Haley's twins, looking for a way to use them to cross off something off her “to-do” list.  We just don't know what that is yet.

“Mmmmmm, If I Could Melt Your Heart” (“Snapped” Recap)

I don't know if anyone else here was worried, but when Claire'\s interviewer mentioned that Alex was (still) in Antarctica, I was beginning to think that we wouldn't see Alex after all tonight.¹  So, yes, there was a sigh of relief when she showed up at the start of the second act.   As it turned out, that scene I found in that Instagram post wasn't from tonight's episode (maybe next week?).

“Get Out (Leave)”

I can't think of a lot to say about tonight's “Snapped”, except for one question.

"And I Can't Swim The Ocean Like This Forever" (First Impressions - "Pool Party" - Season 11, Episode 4)

The bad news about the press release and promo photos for this episde?  There's no mention/sight of Alex in any of this.  Again.

The (maybe) good news?  There's nothing at all about any of the Dunphys.

So, maybe all isn't lost.  Yet.

And still no sign of Bill.

“Jack Frost Nipping At Your Nose” (“New Kids On The Block” Recap)

Well that was quick.   Maybe slightly too quick?

“Don't You Know That The Time Has Arrived”

Weatherwise maybe not so much¹, but in the Modern Family world summer is finally over. The 11th and final season begins tonight with “New Kids On The Block”.  Unfortunately, apparently Alex isn't even an old kid on the block right now – she's in Antarctica (or is she?).

“Fairytales Don't Always Have A Happy Ending, Do They?”

I mentioned earlier this evening that there is a Season 11 preview post on TV Guide's website with an interview with co-creator Christopher Lloyd which among other things, most importantly for Alex fans, clarifies her role for the season a little bit more.

I figured I'd use that as a starting report for my very much tardy annual prediction post.


For those who don't want to read other spoilers about the show, here are the salient points:

“I Must Take The Baby Steps 'Til I'm Full-Grown” (First Impressions - “Perfect Pairs” - Season 11, Episode 3)

I was beginning to wonder if there was even going to be an episode on October 9th, since as of last night Modern Family was the only one of ABC's Wednesday night comedies not to have one posted.  However, this afternoon, I found it.

"This Is Where I Long To Be: La Isla Bonita"

Well. well.   One week before the final season begins, we finally have some idea about what happens with Alex.  Too bad the most likely scenario doesn't bode well.

"Maniac Brainiac" (First Impressions - "Snapped" - Season 11, Episode 2)

Until last year (and the first season), the second episodes of each season have given Alex something interesting to do.   And when I first saw the title of this next episode, I thought maybe we were back to normal, if not necessarily good for Alex (would she be the one to "snap", again).

Unfortunately, last year appears to have been the start of a new trend (OK, that "trend" will only last two seasons, but, still...), based on the press release for this season's second outing - the Dunphy story of the week is Claire wanting everyone out of the house when a business magazine reporter comes to interview her, so as not to embarrass her.  

Although, on the bright side, the chances that Alex will snap are a lot less than the title suggests.

I'd guess Claire is afraid Alex will show her up in some way when this magazine reporter shows up.  That's about the only way I can see Alex make Claire look bad.  Personally, if I were Claire I'd want to have Alex there to show off proudly, but, then again, of course I'm biased.

(There is of course, one other possibility I'd rather not bring up but will - maybe Alex won't even be there?  Yes, it's only the second episode, but...)

One other piece of news (in a pre-season that has been sorely lacking in news):  there will be a Halloween episode in a few weeks - Ariel confirmed it on an Instagram story:

"Don't Worry 'Bout Nothing 'Cause It Won't Take Long" (First Impressions - "New Kids On The Block" - Season 11, Episode 1)

Well, the first press release of the new/final season is out, and, not surprisingly, it is underwhelming.

No sign of Alex (as expected, the Dunphy story is about Haley and the twins - get used to that), and no sign of Bill either (not that that would've guaranteed anything, of course).

So, we're off.  That single step of a final thousand mile journey?  Maybe a centimeter long, I guess.

"'Cause It Don't Feel Like It's Over"

Maybe because it isn't?  This has been one very long summer.

Anyway, here's a couple random things for the (finally!) first day of September:

"Now Five Years Later On You've Got The World At Your Feet(?) Success Has Be So Easy For You(??)"

OK, that's a stretch that even the world's largest rubber band couldn't survive.

But, today is the five-year anniversary of this blog, and, considering how I've often struggled to keep my initiative on pet projects like this, I think that is saying a little something.

Thank you to all of you who've read this blog (regularly or otherwise) the past five years.  I know in all likelihood this will be the last year (barring an unlikely Alex spin-off show or an even unlikelier change of heart and extension of Modern Family), but there's always hope it can be the best.

“It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” (“Goodnight, Gracie” Retro Recap)

Last week at the end of my “Baby On Board” rant about how they treated Alex's big moment as an afterthought after only a third of the episode, I mentioned in passing how they did make it up to her a bit in the next season's finale.

(Actually they probably owed her more than one – at the end of Season 2, they produced “See You Next Fall” last, but that episode with Alex's middle school graduation wasn't the finale – they switched it out with “The One That Got Away”. And, to add insult to injury, in one of the key moments of that episode, the family movie tribute to Jay, they completely left Alex out of the movie.¹)

So, did they do that good a job of it?

“Have You Forgotten Everything That I Wanted?” (“Baby On Board” Retro Recap)

One of the biggest (first world¹) problems of having to end DirecTV service last month was giving up my set-top DVR with all of my recordings, including over 150 episodes of Modern Family.  That is one reason why I've not gotten around to doing any retro recaps from the first five seasons this summer.  Until today.

Thankfully I have back-up, in the form of season passes on iTunes of all the seasons.  It's not perfect (even my kick-butt desktop can be a bit balky/freezy at times playing a video back) but at least if I get the urge to watch a favorite Alex scene or two I can do so.  Or, if I want to recap an episode that aired before I started this blog just ahead of Season 6.

So, since the post title has already spoiled it, you are probably asking, why this episode?  Why not one which was good for Alex?

The short answer: last week was a nightmare, and I need to get out some frustrations.  The long answer: we''ve had 10 seasons of Alex being treated as an afterthought, and I needed to get out some frustrations.

So, with that out of the way, here we go:

"Don't Wanna Blink, Might Miss The Signal"

Sorry for the (yet another) long gap between posts - my schedule at work has been crazy, with a change in it that will affect what I'll be doing with this blog for the final season.  And that's not the only change.

It's Late September And I Really Should Be Back At School"

It may be just the start of July but in one sense I'm in mid-season form already.

You know how I've been talking about I thought the 11th and final season might not start in September because there will probably be fewer episodes?  Well, forget about it - ABC confirmed the season will start on Wednesday, September 25th with the rest of the Wednesday lineup.

On the other hand, I have no idea whether Alex will wish she was back at school or not (or will she be happy at her new job).  That will have to wait a while longer.

"Good Things Might Come To Those Who Wait"

But then again, who knows?

OK, basically this is just another "it's June, nothing's happening, but I just wanted say I'm still here" posts.  I do still plan to do a couple of older episode recaps, but I'm not sure when I'll start.

“You Came And Changed The Way I Feel” (Season 10 Wrap-Up)

I will say this: Last season was an improvement over Season 9, both for Alex and the show in general. It's just a question of how much.

"You Had A Busy Day Today"

Several, actually (I just finished an 8 of 9 day work stretch which included cancelling 2 planned days off at almost the last minute, and where the one day off I did have included a doctor's appointment), so if your wondering where I've been and where's my wrap up of Season 10 (not that's that going to be much of a deal), well, I'll hopefully get to it Sunday or Monday.  I would have done it today, but I just awoke from a pizza coma...

“There's More To Be Seen Than Can Ever Be Seen” (“A Year Of Birthdays” Recap)

I suppose, on the bright side, Alex did not have the worst birthday in the family – in fact, in a sense, hers went better than almost anybody elses – she didn't have her heart broken (for once) or had it upstaged by someone else.

"Happy Birthday To You Was Created For You(?)"

And so, we're down to the (unusually early) season finale, “A Year Of Birthdays”.  More than three months after it happened, we will finally find out how Alex “celebrated”¹ her 21st birthday.

“Some Were Born To Sing The Blues” (“Commencement” Recap)

I'm trying to find a bright spot (other than Alex graduating, of course) to what was a bitter disappointment of an episode (OK, overall maybe it wasn't one of the worst, but as far as Alex is concerned, oh H-E-Double Hockey Sticks yeah, it was a major bummer), but all I can find is maybe one or two tiny ones.

“I Knew Right From The Beginning That You Would End Up Winnin'”

So, in theory, it's supposed to be a big day for Alex, tonight, as she graduates from CalTech on “Commencement”, so you'd think I'd be climbing the walls in expectation for tonight.  However...

"And I Hope You Have All You've Dreamed Of"

I guess all hope for "Commencement" is not lost after all.  Promotional photos have been released for the upcoming episode, and there are a couple of Alex at her commencement at CalTech.  But, there are also some photos of her at the other commencement where she looks at least a bit disheveled.

I'm still pessimistic that the latter will be more of a story than the former.  But, at least her graduation will not be totally forgotten.

And, she will be there - I think we can safely say the count of Alex-less episodes for this season will stop at five.

"And All My Dreams Were Shattered, All At Once" (First Impressions - "Commencement" - Season 10, Episode 21)

Did you ever have a time when you thought you knew what a worst case scenario for something was going to be, only to have it turn out worse?

Well, take a look at the press release for the penultimate episode of the season.

“Hey Little Sister Who Is It You're With?” (“Can't Elope” Recap)

Well that was underwhelming.   Both the episode as a whole¹ (save for the nice ending) and Alex's role.

“It's Too Late To Turn Back Now(?)”

For Haley, by the end of tonight's "Can't Elope", maybe.  But could it be for Alex too?

“Those Were The Best Days Of My life” (“Yes-Woman” Recap)

I think I need an extra insulin shot tonight – that story was so sweet in the best of ways.

"I Saw Her Today At The Reception"

A brief clip of Alex and Phil has been posted on Twitter - it looks like the award will be pretty important after all, based on the formal setting:

"The Pen's In My Hand, Ending (No Longer) Unplanned"

Remember back in January we wondered how the show would treat Alex's 21st birthday, only to have her not even so much as show up?  Well, we might at least get a tiny glimpse into what happened in the season finale, which we also now know will be a little early this year (May 8th):

“I Study Nuclear Science, I Love My Classes”

I'm not sure if Alex does study Nuclear Science, but given she's at CalTech I'm sure she has the opportunity. Anyway...

It's not a question of whether or not I caught a break by being on vacation this week for 1) a new episode (when I put in for this week I had no idea one way or the other) and 2) we'd get an episode with an Alex and Phil story. The question is just how big of a break catching “Yes-Woman” during my week off turns out to be.

"Open Your Eyes, And Look Outside. Find The Reasons Why."

I've updated my post from a few weeks ago about "Can't Elope" to reflect that it's now going to air on April 10th (next Wednesday).   Again, sorry for the delay - I haven't felt much like writing during this brief hiatus: I'll go with the seldom seen "pre vacation blues" excuse (and I'd rather not talk about how brutal those last couple of days of work before it started this past weekend were) and leave it at that.

One thing has been added - some promotional photos have been released as well.   There will apparently be an attempt at a wedding ceremony (or reception) for Haley and Dylan, however while Alex will be there, it doesn't look like she has much of a role, for now (again, Bill is in this episode so that might change).

Also, Haley ends up in the hospital at some point (when isn't certain - it could be a flashback to before the wedding). and while I suppose it's possible this could be for the birth of their twins, I think it's more likely to be a false alarm - I don't see the actual births happening until the finale.  (It would potentially be good news for Alex if I'm wrong - it would give her a better shot of being a focus for the finale - otherwise it's possible her graduation story falls through the cracks.)

I'll have a lot more to say about this week's episode on Wednesday - I think the potential is there for something very special, but, of course having now said that watch me end up with egg on my face by 9:31 that night.

OK, enough of the updates - time for a little fun, I think.

“It's The Good Advice That You Just Didn't Take”

Just when I though things couldn't get worse, once it became pretty obvious Alex wasn't going to be there on a night when Bill was a big part of a story, they did.

I mean come on – they finally give Lily a one-on-one heart-to-heart story with someone outside of her parents, AND IT WASN'T WITH ALEX?  THAT'S THE THING I'VE BEEN LOOKING TO SEE FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS AND THEY SENT CLAIRE IN INSTEAD???

Sorry for the yelling, but I'm a lot more ticked off than even I thought I'd be this morning.  I mean, seriously – they weren't doing anything with Alex vis-à-vis Bill anyway, why not have her babysit Lily?  It's not even like she's never done it before, and now that we know they are both smart...

And, no, it was no consolation that Haley was in the same boat this week.

Two weeks from tonight better be the mother of all make-up calls for Alex.

So we've tied the record with the fifth Alex-less episode of the season.  Since these have come in
bunches this season (4th and 6th, 11th and 12th), I would not be shocked if we break the record before we're done.

“And Billy's Hand Was Up In A Moment, Forgetting All The Words She Said”

So Bill is in tonight's “Stand By Your Man”, therefore, I should be chomping at the bit waiting to see it, right?

Right?

"Shadow Dancing, All This And Nothing More(?)" (First Impressions - "Yes-Woman" - Season 10, Episode 19)

Well, apparently for one week, that amswer is "no" - it looks like Alex will finally get out of Haley's shadow¹, at least for a little while:

“Well, There's Too Much Traffic, I Can't Pass, No” (“The Wild” Recap)

So much for apples falling far from trees – and I had such high hopes for Alex.

“There's An Ordinary World Somehow I Have To Find“

This one going to be a quickie – I've lots to do (nothing fun) on my day off before tonight's “The Wild”.  Not to mention...

"But It's Not The End Of My World Just A Slight Change Of Plans" (First Impressions - "Stand By Your Man" - Season 10, Episode 18)

So I was re-watching Alex's scenes in "Putting Down Roots" (the one where she found out Haley was pregnant) and remembered that due to a glitch I did not have a high definition copy on my DVR, but couldn't remember if ABC had re-aired it yet (short story - they have not - it will probably be the next repeat).

So I went on to their press site to check, and in doing so found something weird - a release for the episode to air a week from Wednesday (the 20th) with a different title than "Can't Elope" (the original episode to be aired that night).  At first I thought it was a name change, but when I looked at the release it turns out to be an entirely different episode, with a lead story which, well, take a look:

"I'm Not Ready For The Altar (Either)" (First Impressions - "Can't Elope" - Season 10, Episode 20)

[March 10 EDIT:  This episode is apparently now in limbo - I'll post shortly but apparently ABC is airing a different new episode on March 20 titled "Stand By Your Man".]

[April 1 EDIT:  Sorry I'm late with this since it was posted about a week ago, but this episode is now scheduled for next Wednesday, 4/10,]

That optimism that I had hoped to keep before the press release for this episode came out?  Well, let's just say that most of it has left the building.  But not quite all.

"We're Gonna Get Married, Just You Wait And See(?)"

Well, well, well - could Bill possibly pop the question to Alex (again)?

Based off the title released for the 18th episode, it's possible: "Can't Elope".

Of course, it could just be another chapter in Haley and Dylan's story, too, but for once I'm going to try to be optimistic until the press release comes out in a few days.

“What Are Words For, When No One Listens Anymore?” (“Red Alert” Recap)

Tonight can be expressed in four words: “Oh well, at least...”

"Yeah, You Could Show Up At My Front Door" (UPDATE on tonight's episode)

Cancel the Alex-less part of the "Red Alert" - she shows up in a couple of clips in this EW.com post about tonight's episode.  A mini-spoiler follows so if the above is all you want to know then stop right here.

“We Need Someone To Talk To”

There is still very little concrete known about the meaning of tonight's title of “Red Alert” - the only new thing revealed was a clip released to Twitter showing Haley and Dylan practicing changing baby diapers.  That now gives us three stories – we already knew that Phil and Luke have a story, and Mitch and Cam need someone to help them with Lily's growing up, again.

But where does this leave Alex?

"If I Had A Time Machine" (First Impressions - "The Wild" - Season 10, Episode 17)

Next week there's no episode at all due to an "American Idol"¹ episode, but there is a new episode the following week.

Alex does actually gets mentioned in a story in the press release, but can someone tell me what's wrong with  this picture:

"Meanwhile, Gloria, Alex, Claire and Haley get together to plan her baby shower..."

Uh, so just was that that they were doing last week?   And I thought Haley put Alex in charge?

I have no idea if this episode is set before last week's, or does nobody working for the show keep tabs on what has already taken place?

(P.S. All that aside, Elaine Ko wrote this episode, so that's hopefully a good thing.)
________________________________________________________
¹ It's unlikely to ever happen since the whole idea of that show is to find new talent, but if they ever do a celebrity version of that show I hope Ariel is on it.

“Good Times, Bad Times By My Side He's So Sweet, He's So Giving” (“SuperShowerBabyBowl” Recap)

Not surprisingly, much of what I said this morning didn't come to pass.  Alex may not have been a major player tonight but she did still had a few things to do.

“Playin' Football With The Kids On Sundays”

Or, in the case of tonight's “SuperShowerBabyBowl”, some of the adults will be watchin' football with (maybe) the kids.  And tonight is actually Wednesday, though obviously this episode was set on a Sunday (if they reference the real Super Bowl that would have been 2 ½ weeks ago).

Will Alex be watching? Maybe – way back in Season 1's “Coal Digger” she was interested in the game Jay was watching.  But I definitely want to see more than that for her.

"I Just Want To (See Them) Turn To You" (First Impressions - "Red Alert" - Season 10, Episode 16)

There's not a lot in the press release for this upcoming episode - in fact only one story is listed.  Apparently Mitch and Cam need to turn to someone for advice again about Lily:"Lily has reached a womanly milestone that Cam and Mitch are not prepared for – at all – so they call in reinforcements..."

Please tell me this time they come to their senses and turn to Alex.  Of course, as always, I'm not holding my breath.

The only other hints of what else might happen are newly posted photos on ABC's press site (click on "episodic" if you don't want to scroll down after arriving) showing Luke and Phil in a story.  That does leave at least one possible story for Alex if she isn't in Lily's story.

"Wise Men Say Only Fools Rush In" (First Impressions - "SuperShowerBabyBowl" - Season 10, Episode 15)

Maybe it's a good thing I waited before I commented on the press release for the next new episode coming in two weeks.

"Do That To Me One More Time"

It's official - we will have one final season of Alex's life to see next fall.  The question I'll get into later (or tomorrow) is what does that mean for her for the last part of this season?

Also on the agenda is a press release for the next new episode ("SuperShowerBabyBowl") - I'll get to that later as well.

“I Want To See You Go Down On One Knee(?)” (“We Need To Talk About Lily” Recap)

This is going to be a kind of a “seat of the pants” recap (which has nothing to do with Bill's invention, BTW) – I may or may not clarify/re-think things in the next few days –  I'm still processing how I feel about tonight but I wanted to say something before I went to sleep.

“Get Started, Start A Fire”

A couple of quick scheduling notes, one personal, one show-related:

Because I took a four day weekend this past weekend, I'm working tonight until 10:00.  So I won't get around to watching tonight's “We Need To Talk About Lily” until around 11:00.  So the recap (and there will be one) will probably be a bit later than usual (maybe more than that), unless not much happens.


And this will be the last new episode for a little while – there's going to be another repeat airs on February 13th (“Kids These Days”).   No, I have no idea why they didn't do these the past weeks instead of running repeats during sweeps.

Anyway, back to tonight's episode.

"Through The Years You've Never Let Me Down"

Or, any of your fans, for that matter.

Happy 21st Birthday, Ariel!

“The Days Are Empty And The Nights Are Unreal” (“Whanex?” Recap)

OK, how can I calmly describe how I felt about tonight's episode?

ARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!

Sorry – it's nighttime so I don't want to wake everyone up with a blood curdling scream.  But that's how I feel after tonight's edition of “How Else Can We Dump On Alex?”

(And, no, that scream was not because of rain fade – the storm I feared would start in time to interrupt/delay things held off..  Maybe I should have wished for that to have happened anyway.)

"Just For A Moment I Was Back At School And Felt That Old Familiar Pain"

So we now know that Alex will finally make her 2019 debut tonight in “Whazzup?”... er...”Whanex?”.  The question is does that make tonight a big deal or not?

"We Sure Could Use A Little Good News Today"

And I actually have some, for a change - the chance that we will have an Alex-less three-peat is no more.  She appears in the promo for this week's episode about two-thirds of the way through, as part of Cam's story:

Models and role models. We have them all on a new #ModernFamily tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/goYQnKRemk

— Modern Family (@ModernFam) January 22, 2019

I'll have more to say in a few hours with the "official" pre-show post as to how much this moves any meters.  But at least one part of that post won't happen.

"Don't Look At Me If You're Looking For Perfection"

So, how does one improve on near perfection?

Well, if we're talking about "Under Pressure", the simple answer is this - give us one more scene with Alex and Dr. Clark.  And, maybe a do-over on the birthday party after Alex hugs Claire.

“Seven Years Went Under The Bridge Like Time Was Standing Still”

Actually, it was about seven years and two months – that was the last time Alex went missing in back-to-back episodes (“Go Bullfrogs!”, “Treehouse”).

Until tonight.

At least we've never had back-to-back-to-back Alex-less episodes.

Until next week?  The longer we go on, the more and more likely that seems to me.

I'm sorry, but that “other post” I teased this morning is going to have to wait.  Surprise, surprise¹, I'm not in a good mood right now.  Maybe over the weekend.
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¹ I'd say that in Luke's voice from “When Good Kids Go Bad”, but wherever Alex is hiding I think she took Luke with her.

“Boom! Boom! Boom! Clap!”

It's too bad none of the “Blasts From The Past” for tonight can take us back to 2014 – it would be a lot more interesting than what we appear to be getting:

"To Ease The Pressure Of My Ever Worrying Mind" (First Impressions - "We Need To Talk About Lily" - Season 10, Episode 14)

First of all, as I posted in the comments about this press release,  I can't believe there actually will be an episode on January 30th.  This is the first time ABC has ever aired a new episode of Modern Family this late in the month of January - they usually air re-runs the last week or two before heading into February sweeps.

One thing this means is after this episode there will only be 8 new episodes left in Season 10, and about 16-17 weeks left to run them.  If ABC airs all new episodes during February then that leaves only 4 for all of March, April and whatever part of May (also a sweeps month) will be left.  That means a lot of re-runs as winter turns to spring, unless there is a pre-emption or two in February (they could also air a re-run or two, but that seems unlikely - unlike last year there's no Olympics with which to contend).

“I'm Listening But There's No Sound”

Alex is super-smart – maybe she can re-program Gloria and Jay's smart speaker to talk in her voice.

At the rate we're going, that's the closest we may come to seeing (or at least hearing) her in the near future.

“Black As Night, Black As Coal”

As you can probably tell from the title, I'm still not in the best of moods going into tonight's “A Moving Day”.  Or the rest of the month, for that matter.  Until the 28th, at least (wink, wink).

"'Cause You See I'm On A Losing Streak" (First Impressions - "What's Next?" - Season 10, Episode 13)

Yawn, another week, another new episode (January 23rd) with a  press release with no mention of Alex.   The only difference between this one and the other episodes this month is they're giving Haley and Dylan a breather.  

I wish I could be optimistic and hope that one of these episodes has a hidden Alex story.  But instead I think it's more likely she'll miss all of them.  It's entirely possible the only time we see her all month will be in the likely rerun for the 30th (they repeated the Alex-less "Torn Between Two Lovers" last week, and on Thursday this week they are re-airing the Alex-less "On The Same Paige", so "Did The Chicken Cross The Road?" should be next up¹).

Man, I hope I'm wrong about this, but I have a really bad feeling.

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¹ "Good Grief" was technically a Halloween episode, which is why I'm guessing that one hasn't been repeated.