Lake Life[1] is the first episode from Season 9 premiere of Modern Family, it aired on September 27, 2017.
Summary[]
In the season premiere, Jay forces the family to take their family vacation on a houseboat on a lake in an effort to create memories that will last long after he's gone. Meanwhile, Mitchell runs into an old flame that opens some old wounds; Cam has to stay out of the sun at all costs; Phil and Claire try out some adventurous excursions; and the kids' quest for a good time may not be as fun as they expected.
Plot[]
Jay has taken the family on vacation on a houseboat to watch the upcoming solar eclipse. Also along for the ride is Alex's boyfriend Ben, although everyone barely notices that he's there (including Alex).
Jay learns that an old colleague passed away and wants to get close on his family so that they will remember him fondly as his colleague’s family had done for the deceased. He obliges them to watch the eclipse with him.
Things become difficult for Claire and Phil as they feel that they‘ Eve grown older, and try to rejuvenate themselves by participating in youthful activities. Claire jumps into the lake from a cliff while Phil jetpacks.
The kids jump on an invitation for an island party but become stranded on an island when they realise that they’ve been tricked and their motorboat has been stolen. At the same time, Ben, who collapsed on a float while trying to entertain Lily and Joe, inadvertently rescues them when he drifts over to the island but the kids take his float and leave him stranded instead.
Cam must avoid the sun because of his skin's problems, prompting him to dress ridiculously and causing problems for him and Gloria—whom he forced to take a trip on the lake with him—on their motorboat. Meanwhile, Mitchell learns that his presumably straight teenage crush is actually gay.
Everyone except Jay and Joe misses the eclipse. Jay is furious and storms off on a rowboat, convinced he'll never be as close to his family as he'd like. They all remind him of all the things he's done for them, so he returns and the episode concludes with the family bonding while singing “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, until Alex remembers that she left Ben stranded.
Main Cast[]
(The characters striked out do not appear in this episode)
- Jay Pritchett
- Gloria Pritchett
- Manny Delgado
- Joe Pritchett
- Claire Dunphy
- Phil Dunphy
- Haley Dunphy
- Alex Dunphy
- Luke Dunphy
- Mitchell Pritchett
- Cameron Tucker
- Lily Tucker-Pritchett
Guest Starring[]
Trivia[]
- Ben is the fifth non family member to appear in an interview scene, with Alex.
- In this episode, Mitch pretends not to know Cam. In Stand By Your Man, the roles are reversed.
- This is the second episode to air during or around an actual event which in this case was the solar eclipse the first being Suddenly, Last Summer which aired the day gay marriage become legal in California.
- Once again the show, Gloria doesn't recognize Ben.
Continuity[]
- This is the tenth episode in which the family travels. They previously visited:
- Hawaii in the same title episode.
- Wyoming in "Dude Ranch".
- Disneyland in the same title episode.
- Florida in "Goodnight Gracie".
- Arkansas in "ClosetCon '13".
- Las Vegas in the same title episode, although it was only for the adults.
- Australia in the same title episode.
- New York in "Double Click" and "A Tale of Three Cities".
Cultural References[]
- The episode takes place around the Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017.
- The family sing "Total Eclipse of the Heart".
- Mitch mentions "If I Could Turn Back Time" as the Cher album he wanted in 1989; the album in question was actually called Heart of Stone.
- Cam says "Hello darkness my old friend", from "The Sound of Silence".
Reviews[]
- The AV Club gave it "B-", saying "will the show be enshrined as one of the great network sitcoms? Can it still capture the inventive, sharp feeling of its early seasons—something that happened in many of last season’s episodes—or has it settled into the sitcom version of a light stroll through the woods while keeping an eye out for birds?"
- TV Fanatic gave it 3.8 / 5.0, saying "Modern Family is great when it comes to humor, but it's at its best when it combines that with true to life experiences and emotions."
Trivia[]
- Claire's first line "Kids, breakfast" is also her first line in Pilot.
Goofs[]
- At the end of the episode when the family is having a singalong to “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, it is obvious Phil is not actually playing guitar.