Reviews & Ratings for
"Modern Family" En Garde (2009)

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Old wounds, 21 January 2012

Author: jotix100 from New York

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Manny shows an interest in fencing. He is quite good. The three families come to watch him in action. There is a trophy that will be given to the champion of the contest. Manny, having won the morning round of competition must face the other finalist, who happens to be a little girl. Manny suddenly decides he is not up to have the match. Jay and Gloria encourage him to keep on going.

Mitchell has an old wound in his heart watching his father so supportive of his step-son. He will never forget how he and Claire used to be partners in figure skating. Jay never showed the same interest with him. As much as Mitchell tries, he cannot get over how his own sister, who was older, decided to leave their team. The idea is eating him up and he has to find answers to solve the long standing hurt.

Watching Manny is painful for Phil. He has always wanted to interest Luke in sports, but the boy is not exactly static to get into anything in which to excel like Manny. Phil figures baseball ought to do it, but Luke shows no talent as he and his father practice throwing the ball back and forth. Realizing his dream will not come true is eating Phil. A surprise awaits Phil though. While showing a house, he had taken Luke to the empty place. The prospective buyer hears noise upstairs and it is coming from Luke, who loves running in the empty spaces. The woman has a change of heart and wants to see it with her husband. Phil figures the man will be sold judging by his wife's first reaction, but as the couple tour the house, Luke falls on the shiny hardwood floor and the buyers get another reaction then.

Manny finally goes to the final match. The girl is quite confident she is going to defeat her opponent. Sitting next to Jay and Gloria is the teacher of Manny's foe. She cites a series of ailments afflicting the girl. They feel awful hearing about them, but Manny has decided to go ahead and he makes it, winning the match.

Mitchell finally faces his sister outside the fencing meet. He accuses her of abandoning him as his teammate. Mitchell goes on to accuse Claire of making out with the quarterback, something that evidently he was also guilty of. Claire confesses she was getting to big to do the complicated moves of skating, plus Mitchell, being smaller in size, she felt he was going to drop her at any moment. As the family is coming out of the arena, they find Claire and Mitchell engaged in various turns and lifts. Later, Cam and Mitchell will be practicing some of those moves at home.

Randall Einhorn directed this segment of the first season. Danny Zucker, who is also involved with the show wrote the screenplay. The only thing is, one never could vision Manny as a fence artist, but all is done in fun and to Mr. Einhorn's credit he keeps things on the light side.

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