actually, we met at an orgy

I've decided I really really like this show. Here's why. At first you kind of just think, what's so special about this family sitcom as opposed to the dozens of other family sitcoms that have come and gone through the years? Yes, they aren't the traditional TV family, but they go through essentially the same sitcom plots and clichés almost all comedies do. And yet they manage to do it so much better that you forget that you may have seen this before on some other show. There's always some little twist or tweak that the writers manage to sneak in to make it just a teensy bit ~sparklier~ than your usual family sitcom. Okay, fine, maybe in this case having a May-December marriage and a gay couple with a Vietnamese daughter helps. That and there are some extremely funny actors on this show.

In the season premiere, Claire convinces Phil they need to sell their station wagon that's been collecting dust in their garage. The Dunphys spend an afternoon cleaning out the festering vehicle and Claire is overcome by a fit of sentimentality. Thoughtful Phil springs to action by taking the family on a nostalgic trip . We get a great little visual bit where we see the whole family in the car when things start to go a little south: Luke starts getting vomit-y, Claire spills her soda over Alex, Haley sees a spider and steps on Phil's seatbelt, who spits his drink all over the dash (and the camera). They all get out of the car so Luke can go puke in some bushes, and the car starts rolling backwards. Then we get Dummy Phil, who launches himself on top of the car as it rolls down the hill. The only thing that bugged about this plot was why Phil would think his body could stop the car from moving. Wouldn't most people just jump into the driver's seat, considering it was going all of 3 mph? I know, I know, I'm thinking too much. This is my it's-only-a-show-it's-not-real-life moment of the episode.

Meanwhile, Cam and Mitchell are about to start building a huge princess castle for Lily (LUCKY!) and Cam enlists Jay to help distract Mitchell, who is clueless about what a terrible builder he is. This plot was great purely for the sight gags: Mitchell waving pruning shears around haphazardly and indavertently lopping off flowers, the look on Cam's face when he realizes he was one foot away from being nail-gunned to the wall by Mitchell, etc. etc. And I love when Jay and Cam have scenes together, because they're so different and it makes for some excellent comedy.

Lastly, Manny invites his school crush over to work on a class project and Gloria finds herself getting inexplicably jealous of the girl, especially when Manny rejects her trans-fat empanadas. I think Gloria was my favorite this week simply for her controlled rage and the snippy way she said she didn't like the salty chocolate milk. (Later: "It was delicious," she admits in confessional.)

My favorite throwaway moment...

Cam reading gossip magazines to baby Lily, apparently after having had enough of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

My favorite line(s)..

"You two ladies enjoy your light beers."

"How does he know we're having light beers?"

"Oh, we only have light beers."

Did you know...
That Nolan Gould (aka Luke Dunphy, who often seems to be one sandwich short of a picnic) has been a member of Mensa since the age of 4 (as per my latest Entertainment Weekly)? No, I don't know how preschoolers qualify for Mensa.

Do you guys...

Follow the babies Lily on Twitter? The adorableness is almost too much to handle.