Should you watch it, wiki it, or wait for the recap? Wait for the recap.
The Dunphys are forced to rent a motel room while their house gets checked for mould but find their proximity too close for comfort. Jay and Gloria discover Manny has a girlfriend, but it all comes to a head at a football game that Cam is coaching, where he discovers that Mitch may very well be bad luck for his team.
“Marco Polo” is the fourth episode of the sixth season of Modern Family, and it’s kind of a snoozefest. There are some nice moments, such as the theme of fatherly love, and you also have the bits where the families get irritated with each other but can’t say anything. But overall, there’s nothing that really ties the different plot threads together, making this more of an anthology than a carefully constructed episode.
There are no guest stars either, save for perhaps the Nigerian family that Phil befriends. Other than that, it’s rather mediocre performances all around, and the story is pretty average. Come on, “Modern Family!” You can do better than this.
Highlights
Phil’s love for his kids
Despite his embarrassing father moments, you’re reminded of Phil’s genuine concern for his children, and his sincere desire to be with them. This love comes across as almost tangible, and it’s his passion that finally touches his kids and makes them return to him to spend more time together.
Manny and Jay bonding
We usually see Manny as the old man and Jay as the kid, and there’s very little true bonding between them. But here, Jay gets to play the role of the protective father and Manny is still the inexperienced child going through some hard knocks in life. It’s a touching scene to see Jay reassuring Manny, and truly becoming the father figure that Manny so needs in his life.
Letdowns
Too many superstition type episodes
Cam comes to the conclusion that Mitch is jinxing is game. It’s fine, except that in the season premiere, we had the Dunphys assume that Alex is the jinx that brings negativity and gloom to their family. That’s two rather similar ideas being trotted out too close together – are the families really that superstitious?
Dunphy children regressed
We’ve seen how capable the Dunphy children can be, but together they seem like a bunch of screaming, helpless children who can’t even overcome a stuck spray can. It’s funny to see them treating it like a grenade, but it also makes you wonder – wouldn’t any one of them, individually, be able to handle it by himself or herself?
Mitch and Cam’s subplot doesn’t really get resolved
So we have it that Mitch is never going to attend another one of Cam’s games, but what’s his stand on this? What was the conflict that was resolved? We had Cam and Mitch coming to terms with their differing views on sports, but then Mitch now hates football? Huh? The dunking wasn’t even all that funny, and added a complication that just doesn’t make sense.
“Marco Polo” kind of disappoints, and is really skippable. Maybe the next episode will have a more interesting story or better guest stars. In any case, skip this one.
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