WARNING: SPOILERS

“Modern Family” has a specific formula it follows in setting up the show. Each family starts out with their own completely separate story lines that eventually merge together in the last ten minutes of the show for a complete fiasco. “Hit and Run” was no different.

Claire decides to run for town council against Duane Bailey (councilman, citizen, puggle breeder). He has won six straight elections, so things don’t look good for Claire. Back home, Phil is finding that filling Claire’s shoes is harder than he expected. Within a few minutes, he manages to give Luke a black eye and drug Alex with sleep-inducing medicine.

Cam and Mitch are at odds (again), because Mitch thinks Cam is too confrontational. After Cam yells at a dad for taking his kids to what he considers a horrifying film, the Muppets, the two are in a hit and run. Cam tries to take action and chase after the car, but Mitch just wants to call the cops.

Jay is fed up at work when a client’s son takes over the family business and wants Jay to “wow” him with closets. Apparently, Jay sells closets. Manny is sick of the “Beiberization” of America, now that all of his teachers want flash and sparkle from their students. This doesn’t sit well with Manny who didn’t even like rolling backpacks (“You’re going to school, not boarding a flight to Denver!”). Gloria feels like no one values her advice, even though she says she has all the answers. Jay won’t talk to her about work and Manny rejects her idea to take the head of his old rocking horse to school for his project on the mafia.

Everything comes together when the family meets up for dinner and Hayley admits that she was ripped off when trying to buy fake IDs. The men of the family go off to find the guy while the women have a wine-induced heart-to-heart.

I realized about half way through their talk that Gloria is Claire’s mother-in-law. The men find the guy who took Hayley’s money (Todd from last week’s “Community”), but when the guy makes a run for it, it is a reluctant Mitch who makes the tackle.

All in all, it was a so-so episode this week, delivering many laughs, but still seeming a bit jumbled. Cam and Mitch’s storyline especially seemed like it didn’t flow with the rest of the episode, even though their mishap is the episode’s namesake. Again, where is Lily? You give the girl the ability to speak then take her away? Not fair.

Even when “Modern Family” is off-form it is still one of the funniest shows on TV. I would gladly watch a bad episode of “Modern Family,” (though I don’t know if that is a real thing) over many of the other comedies trying to compete with them.

Quote of the week
Phil: “I’m turned on by powerful women. Michelle Obama, Oprah, Condoleezza Rice, Serena Williams…wait a minute…”

Sam Gillis can be reached for comment at [email protected]