This column follows the ABC show “Modern Family,” which airs at 9 PDT on Wednesdays. Check here regularly for a synopsis and commentary on each episode.

Author’s note: “Modern Family” is rated TV-PG, so I recommend that each viewer discern for him or herself whether or not the show is appropriate to watch. For young audiences, parents should determine if the show is acceptable.

Go Bullfrogs (Ep. 6)

Phil takes Haley to his alma mater so she can experience a college campus and see this particular college. Haley seems to be enjoying the time spent with her dad, even though she could be off with friends.

Although Phil’s alma mater mascot is a bulldog, Claire gets confused into thinking the mascot is a bullfrog because when Phil talks to his friends the sounds they make are a mix of both animals.

When Gloria finds Manny’s notebook, which has the name Bella written all over it, she asks her son about it. Manny says that it is a girl in his grade who he likes, and he leaves it at that. Gloria tells her husband that they need to spend more time together and a way they could do so is by watching Colombian television shows.

While they are having the conversation, Manny walks in with a big package explaining to his parents that he ordered something and it was nothing to worry about. Gloria immediately becomes worried as to what Manny could be ordering that would need to be a secret.

Since Luke and Alex are both at sleepovers and Phil is with Haley at the college, Claire has the night to herself. Claire is immediately invited to spend the evening with parents of Luke’s classmates, but she decides that she will have more fun going out with Cam and Mitchell.

Once Claire goes out with Cam and Mitchell, she realizes that they are not spending the evening like she had hoped. The place is too mellow for what Claire had in mind, so when one of their friends suggests a party, Claire immediately agrees.

After a while, Cam and Mitchell wanted to leave the party because they were tired. Claire was opposed to them leaving since she would have to leave as well, but one of Cam and Mitchell’s friends offered to take Claire home, which allowed everyone to be happy.

While Haley is eating dinner with Phil, she is asked to attend a party with a bunch of girls, but she politely turns down the offer. Haley explains to her dad that she is enjoying spending time with him, and does not want to take that away from him. Phil wipes off her face and tells her to have fun at the party and to make memories of her own.

Gloria is watching the Columbian television show with Jay, but she keeps thinking about Manny’s notebook. Jay tells her to not worry about it, but she continues to do so. While Jay is trying to figure out what the people in the show are saying, Gloria becomes frustrated with him and leaves to take a walk. He is left confused, trying to figure out what happened in the television show.

While Haley is at the party, Phil uses the GPS on her phone to find out where she is. Phil becomes worried that the party is at a frat house and runs after her. Once he arrives, Phil sees Haley with a boy and immediately breaks them apart. Haley quickly explains to Phil that she knows the boy from school, and that his parents are right across the room. Phil realizes that he knows the boy and attempts to apologize to Haley, but she won’t listen.

Phil explains that he is just trying to protect her, but she makes the point that soon she would actually be in college, alone, and that he can no longer be there to protect her. Phil thinks about this and says that she is right and that he should probably let up. Earlier in the episode, Phil suggested that they should ride down a hill on trays, but Haley did not want to. After the party fiasco, Haley offers to try it with her dad, and he is overjoyed.

While Cam and Mitchell are driving home, they realize that the valet gave them the wrong car, thus causing them to panic about “stealing” a vehicle. Mitchell freaks out, and Cam ends up confused about what is going on. While they are thinking about how to get their car back, Mitchell thinks about using the GPS to take them “home” so they can swap “their” car with the person who actually has their real car. Once they got to where they were supposed to be, a woman comes out and angrily starts beating the car, causing the couple to frantically drive away.

While Claire is at the party, Luke calls to inform her he forgot his retainer, Claire tells her son she will bring it to him. Claire and the man she is with stop by where Luke is staying to drop off the retainer. While in front of the other moms, Claire realizes the man is actually straight and not gay, which caused for an awkward moment as he was bringing up the things Claire did in front of him.

While talking to Jay about Manny’s notebook, the couple hear a crash in Manny’s room followed by him yelling for help. Both Jay and Gloria come into Manny’s room and see him hanging from a bar upside down while wearing a weighted helmet, which is suppose to make him taller. Gloria tells her son that he does not need to be tall to get the girls, because he is already smart and handsome. Jay tells Manny they will start working out together; to demonstrate Jay pulls the bar off the wall, and tells Manny eventually he can get that strong.

Before the shows ends, Phil reveals the moral of the episode. He says that we should accept “the where we are in life whether we like it or not, and it’s never too late to grow.”

I really liked this episode because, unlike the last, there wasn’t so much going on. I thought it was a little funnier, but overall it was a pretty standard episode.

I really liked when Manny bought the helmet that was supposed to make him taller because I’m not exactly tall, and I’m always trying stuff to make me a little taller. I liked this episode, and I’m hoping next week is good like this one was.

For the previous week’s article on Ep. 5, read ‘Modern Family’ Season Three, Part I (VIDEO).

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