Recap / Modern Family S 1 E 1 The Pilot

Directed by Jason Winer

Written by Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd

We are introduced to three family units; the Pritchetts (Jay, Gloria and Manny), an interracial and intergenerational couple; the Dunphys (Claire, Phil and their three kids Haley, Alex and Luke), a 'typical' heterosexual two-point-five kids nuclear family; and Mitch and Cameron, a gay couple.

Each of the families faces challenges based on their unique circumstances; Jay, in his sixties, has recently married young immigrant Gloria, and is now trying hard to keep up with his much younger and hotter Colombian wife, along with her passionate and (overly) mature-for-his-years pre-teen son, Manny. Claire, meanwhile, is having a hard time raising her own family, and is particularly concerned that her eldest daughter Haley has some 'wild' tendencies that are mirroring Claire's own unfortunate past — a situation not helped by Haley inviting a boy around for the first time. Her husband Phil is great, except that he thinks he's "down" with their three kids, much to all their embarrassment. And Mitch and his enthusiastic partner Cameron have just made a major life change by adopting a Vietnamese baby named Lily — but now Mitchell must face the prospect of revealing this to his rather judgemental family, as Cameron has forced the issue by inviting them all to dinner that evening.

At the end, when Mitch and Cameron's announcement dinner comes to pass, we learn that these three families are connected — Mitchell and Claire are Jay's adult children from his first marriage.

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Tropes:

• Accidental Pervert: When Phil touches Gloria's dress, thinking she meant "feel" and not his name due to her accent. Claire has to correct him.
• Actually Pretty Funny: When Alex complains about Luke accidentally shooting her in the arm with his BB gun, Phil cannot resist chuckling at the language.
• All Lesbians Want Kids: Subverted. Mitchell and Cam originally went to their lesbian friends for a surrogate to help them have a baby. But they changed their minds and turned to adoption instead, with Cam suggesting that their lesbian friends do not possess personalities that would make them enduring during pregnancy.
• Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Phil and Claire are this to their 3 kids. Gloria is this to Manny, wildly cheering for him during soccer games. Mitchell fears he and Cam will be this for Lily.
• Anger Born of Worry:
  • Jay admits he's so hard on Manny because he doesn't want to see him make a fool of himself.
  • Mitchell acts angry because he is worried about his family meeting his and Cam's adopted baby.
• Big "WHAT?!": Mitchell's reaction when Cam tells him he invited his whole family over for dinner to meet their new baby.
• Blatant Lies: Claire when she is asked where is the baby oil — "You know, it's in the bedside... I don't know".
• Bridal Carry: Hilarious example, as Haley's boyfriend Dylan has to help carry Phil to the couch when he injures his back.
• Buy Them Off: Mitch offers to pay for everyone's headsets on the plane as an apology for their outburst at the passengers mistaken homophobia.

  Cam: We would like to pay for everyone's headsets.

• Casual Kink: When Phil asks where the baby oil is to help get Luke unstuck from the banister, Claire nearly says it's on their bedroom stand then catches herself and says she doesn't know where the baby oil is.
• Chekhov's Gun: A quite literal example. One of the conflicts between Phil and Claire's kids towards the beginning is that Luke shoots Alex with a pellet gun. Luke insists it was an accident. When attempting to punish Luke accordingly at the end, Phil goes on to accidentally shoot three people; Luke, himself, and Haley's boyfriend Dylan. Apparently the gun does have a tendency to misfire.
• Comically Missing the Point: Phil approving of Haley's outfit despite the age inappropriateness of it according to Claire.
• Destructo-Nookie: Alluded to in Gloria's first marriage with her ex-husband.

  Gloria: One time, we fell out of a window togther.

• Distracted by the Sexy: Manny misses the soccer game kick due to being distracted by his crush riding a bike past the game.
• Discriminate and Switch: At first a lady is believed to be making a homophobic remark towards Mitch and Cam, turns out she was actually complimenting them on their baby holding actual creampuffs.
• Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Claire saying to Alex that no teen pregnancy will happen because Haley is a good girl like when Claire once was. Cue the look on Claire's face after she's done talking and she goes up to Haley's room.
• Failed a Spot Check: Mitch almost goes off on a couple after one of these.
  Lady: Aww, look at that baby with those creampuffs!
  Mitchell: Okay, that's it. Love knows no race, love knows no gender, love knows-
  Cam Hey, Mitch (holds up the food in Lily's hands) She's got the creampuffs.
• First-Episode Twist: There are no indications before the final scene that the three families are all related to each other. Though as noted below, there is some subtle foreshadowing.
• Foreshadowing: In one scene, Phil and Claire discuss their arrangements for that evening, where Claire notes that they have to leave for "that dinner thing" later in the evening. In a later scene, Cam reveals to Mitch that he has invited his family over so that he can reveal their adoption of Lily, reasoning that if Cam left it to Mitch he'd never work up the nerve to do it because he's an "avoider". The end of the episode, of course, reveals that Claire is Mitch's sister when she and her family arrive for dinner that night.
• Happily Adopted: What Lily is to Mitch and Cam and the whole family.
• Hide Your Pregnancy: Julie Bowen was 8 months pregnant with twins during filming. Notice the objects placed around her to hide it.
• Hot-Blooded: Both Gloria and her son Manny are noted to be very passionate, emotional and hot-tempered about things.
• Instantly Proven Wrong: Mitchell protests that Cam isn't dramatic the second before Cam enters blaring "Circle of Life" holding their baby aloft.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Jay is clearly a rather blunt and old-fashioned father, hasn't quite come to terms with his son's homosexuality, and has some rather insensitive things to say when Mitch brings up that he and Cam have been thinking of adopting. On learning that they have already adopted, however, he makes it abundantly clear that he nevertheless accepts and supports his son's decision and happily welcomes his new granddaughter into the family. He's also a bit blunt in his lack of support to Manny's desire to approach his crush, but it's largely because he doesn't want Manny to be hurt and embarrassed.
• Large Ham: Cam entering the room holding their new baby Lily while "Circle Of Life" blares on the background.
  • Gloria cheering Manny on at the soccer game. Jay has to tell her to take it down a notch.
• Mama Bear: One soccer mom learned the hard way not to complain about Gloria's son Manny.
• Memetic Mutation: Phil's "WTF - Why The Face?"
• Mondegreen Gag: "Oh why thank you Phil!" "That's how she says Phil, not feel".
• Noodle Incident: Luke got his head stuck in the banister...again.
• Parental Hypocrisy: Claire has a rebellious past (including being driven home by the police in her underwear) despite reprimanding Haley for similar behavior, though Claire justifies this as trying to prevent Haley from making the same mistakes as her, stating during an interview segment that she wants her children to live up to an ideal rather than the real her.
• Parents Walk In at the Worst Time: Implied to have happened.
  Mitchell: My dad's been pretty okay with us being gay, but he's still very afraid about walking in on us kissing
  Cam: Wish my mom had that problem...
• Papa Wolf: Mitchell immediately on the plane when he believes that the passengers are making homophobic remarks about his family and their adoptive baby.
• Precision F-Strike: Alex after being hit by Luke's BB gun
  Alex: "The little bitch shot me!".
  Claire: Language!
  • Also, when Manny gets distracted by his crush and misses the soccer ball, one of the kids curses him.
    Soccer kid: Damn it, Manny!
• Puppy Love: 11-year-old Manny's crush on a 16-year-old girl.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Mitchell almost delivers one to the many passengers on the plane that he believes are homophobic. When in actuality, they were just complimenting their baby Lily holding the creampuff confections.

  Mitchell: Excuse me! This baby would have grown up in a crowded orphanage if it wasn't for us "cream puffs". And you know what? To all of you who judge— Hear this. Love knows no race, creed or gender. And shame on you, you small-minded, ignorant few—.

• Real Life Writes the Plot: Creator Steve Levitan once shot his son with a BB-gun after he shot his cousin. He decided to use that for this episode-Phil has to shoot Luke.
• Relationship Reveal: At first one of the passengers on the plane thinks Mitchell's wife must be very proud of their adopting. Then Cam walks in and both the male passenger and the old lady are stunned that they are a gay couple.
• Shout-Out:
  • "Circle Of Life" from The Lion King (1994) plays on as Mitch and Cam introduce Lily to the family.
  • Phil dancing and singing "We're All In This Together" from High School Musical.
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: Gloria tells off another soccer mom for suggesting Manny get taken out of the soccer game.
• Slap-Slap-Kiss: Gloria reveals that she and her ex-husband use to "fight and make love, fight and make love".
• Teen Pregnancy: Claire fears this will happen if she leaves Haley alone with her boyfriend for too long.
• Totally Radical: Part of Phil's "cool dad" schtick.