BWW Recap: Haley Gets a Job on This Week's MODERN FAMILY

Without my MODERN FAMILY fix last week - the timeslot was given to some huge COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS show - I was extra eager to see what the Pritchetts and Dunphys were up to this week. Well, folks, with Cam and Mitch involved in a jealous rivalry again, Gloria partaking in hijinks with a Spanish tutor, and of course, a double dose of guest stars in Andy DeVine and Michael Urie (who recently made his Broadway debut in 2011's HOW TO SUCCEED), it's safe to say that, overall, this week's outing did not disappoint.

Haley and Andy are secretly prepping each other for under-wraps job interviews. An okay plot to start, that really gets better in the middle: In an effort to keep the secret mum, when Claire questions Haley about her relationship with Andy, Haley tells her mother outright that she and Andy are having sex. This was pretty genius, mainly because I'm such a sucker for any of Julie Bowen's facial and/or vocal reactions (just watch Season 2's "Caught in the Act" and you'll see what I mean!). And the fact that everything Andy said still made sense as a sex reference even though he was talking about his job interview is yet another example of how clever this show's writing can be. Love all around!

The highlight of this plot line, however, was seeing Haley stand up to future boss Gavin Sinclair (Michael Urie); as I've said all season, it's nice that we have these moments where seemingly dumb-as-a-doorknob Haley can be the smartest person in the room if you put her in a room where she can indeed be the smartest. It works - for her and for Andy - and she now has a job working as an assistant to Mr. Sinclair, whereas Andy is now working as an assistant to Phil. A bit of a curveball I wasn't prepared for, but excited to see where this goes. Could have some very funny storylines re: Andy and Phil, considering the result of their pairing in some of last season's episodes. And yeah, if Michael Urie's not only back, but acting in scenes alongside Sarah Hyland... can't complain.

In a storyline similar to Haley's, Gloria's arranged for Manny to get Spanish lessons from a tutor; she's disappointed that Manny seems more interested in French. This week's promo is a little misleading, as the plot line does not have to do with Jay's jealousy at all; rather, Gloria's struggling with feeling comfortable in her own home, and wants nothing more than someone with him she can converse struggle-free. It's nice that Jay reaches out, but something tells me with the arc-long story focused on Haley and Andy, this plot's a one-episode deal that won't be specifically revisited. And if that's the case - and even if it's not - it was way too rushed. There wasn't enough time spent on this plot in my opinion and did, in fact, feel like this was a filler plot to embellish the season-long Andy/Haley story. That said, this plot line did yield some unforgettable one-liners - "Whatever the Spanish word is for women, am I right?" and "Jay, I love it! Now you sound like the stupid one!" were among my favorites.

Finally, to complete the I'm-jealous-not-really-I-just-feel-left-out trifecta, Mitch is peeved when his idol reporter Anne Gibbs wants to do a story on Cam - the "openly gay football coach" who's "tackling stereotypes, blitzing bigotry, and" (according to Mitch) "beating metaphors to death" - and feels a little pushed out of the spotlight for Cam, who then tries to reciprocate for his partner, but in typical Cam fashion, things obviously don't go as planned. This plot also had its ups and downs; while the courtroom scene also felt rushed, the pancake scene was brilliantly witty and very funny to watch, read: Cam: "Ann wants to see me help cook." / Mitchell: "I want to see you help cook." To praise the writing again (as I always do), I loved how Lily's doll appeared in the first scene, and then came back around, and was actually used to make a point within the story between Mitch and Cam. Very well utilized!!

A fun episode all around. Looking forward to the continuing follies of Haley/Andy/Phil. And looking forward to next week's Thanksgiving episode, which from the look of it, involves more than one turkey. Should be fun! 'Til next time...

SOME FAVORITE QUOTES:

- Mitchell: (to Cam, re: cooking the Varsity Football breakfast) Unless you can convince Tom Brady to spend the night, I am not makin' breakfast for any football players. He is a football player, right?

- Mitchell: (to Cam) I wish I knew where your "off" switch was.

Cam: Well, you know where my "on" switch is.

- Phil: (to Claire, re: Andy bowing) Don't be offended. In many cultures, it's customary to bow only to the man.

- Jay: (to Manny, re: Diego and Gloria's conversation) What are they saying?

Manny: If I knew, he wouldn't be here.

- Manny: Come on, Jay. I can't take it anymore. I quit.

Jay: You're already starting to sound French.

- Cam: (to the reporter, mid-interview) Which proves, Anne, you can score with a gay coach. Wait... can I try that again?

- Cam: I felt awful after that pancake breakfast, and not just because Mitchell undercooked the bacon.

STRAY OBSERVATIONS:

- Haley and Andy are just friends? Okay, yes, that's fine... but the kiss wasn't even discussed!

- I know it was to make a point at the end of the episode, but Ariel Winter was seriously underutilized this week.

Photo Credit: Twitter / ABC