The Modern Family, Season 4, Episode 10: New Year’s Eve, Review

The Modern Family is ringing in 2013 in a different fashion when Jay takes the adults on a trip to Palm Springs and Alex and Haley are left to take care of all of the children. But when the hotel isn’t as glamorous as expected and Haley gets a taste of her own medicine, everyone ends up with an unconventional New Year’s Eve.

Jay may want all of the adults to ring in the year together, but each couple has a different agenda. After a month without sex, Claire is on a mission to seduce Phil and start the Year off with a bang. When one of the hotel employees mentions a hot spring, Claire sees it as the perfect opportunity to skip dinner and seduce Phil. After a few minutes of relaxing in the spring, the two are startled by a group of people joining them in the tub…naked. The two spend the New Year with the Palm Springs Nudist Association, up close and personal.

After falling asleep at 10 p.m. the previous New Year’s Eve, Mitch and Cam leave dinner to scope out the Palm Beach Gay bar scene and prove that they aren’t old yet. The couple end up playing Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, with the first bar being too young, the second bar being too old and the third bar being just right. Mitch and Cam spend the evening being flattered by older gentlemen and fed free drinks.

When the very pregnant Gloria falls asleep early in the night, Jay finds himself downstairs playing poker with the hotel owners and guest star Billy Dee Williams, who played Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies and Lando Calrissian in Star Wars. Jay is a huge fan of. Gloria wakes up and runs to Jay panicking about her lack of grapes, a Columbian tradition. Without the grapes 12 wishes are on the line.  But have no fear; Billy Dee saves the day by taking Gloria and Jay to a scenic glass building in Gloria’s favorite car for the start of the year. Complete with fireworks and Gloria’s grapes, the night ends up being as romantic as planned.

The adults may be having the time of their lives, but Haley realizes that she owes her mother an apology. When Luke brings a girl up to his room for the evening, Haley and Alex are sent into a tailspin of motherly distress trying to decide how to handle the situation. When Haley finally decides to send the girl home, she realizes that her mother has been right the whole time; she isn’t ready for Luke to grow up.

While the adults have a night to let loose, Haley shows how much she has matured since her leave from college. And we can’t forget, Gloria’s baby is set to arrive this month!