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Modern Family Australia: “A wild dog took my laptop”

Modern Family's Aussie episode has some good gags and plenty of locations, but just don't try to follow the plot.

2014-04-24_1542The Modern Family “Australia” episode is brimming with backdrop shots of Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef and has its share of amusing referential gags -just don’t try to follow the messy story.

The plot revolves around Phil (Ty Burrell) having been conceived in Australia by his parents many moons ago, so the family comes Down Under as he tries to reconnect with his, umm, roots.

“I come from a land Down Under,” he says to camera.

“No he doesn’t,” quips Claire (Julie Bowen).

Before you can say “no worries” they are standing before the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House ready to explore the sights: Bondi Beach, a Harbour Bridge climb and the Great Barrier Reef.

Mitch (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cam (Eric Stonestreet) spend much of the time catching up with friend Fergus Anderson (Rhys Darby), a New Zealander who hosts his own Aussie talk show. As a result of his celebrity, the pair jump on a red carpet bandwagon, chasing Hugh Jackman on a boat -Jackman of course, doesn’t actually appear. But Darby gets some of the episode’s best scenes.

Luke (Nolan Gould) and Manny (Rico Rodriguez) are on a mission for “boobs” on Bondi Beach, while Haley (Sarah Hyland), Alex (Ariel Winter) and Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) are variously distracted by lifesavers and stuffed marsupials.

The best line goes to Claire, a throwaway gag: “A wild dog took my laptop” while camping.

But there’s a funny visual gag between ‘Crocodile Dunphy’ Phil and a kangaroo.

Aussies Peter Phelps and Mark Coles Smith are amongst local actors all acting up with colloquial gags.

“I love your country, but your country doesn’t love me back,” says Phil after battling the wildlife and elements.

“Australia is tough on its own people,” he is told in return.

There are bikies, koalas, and shots of a Qantas plane -it’s a cavalcade of Tourism-skewed quick scenes trying to hold a loose plot together. So just try and enjoy the parts rather than the sum of the parts.

Prior to the episode TEN will also screen interviews by Angela Bishop on location (“Coming up Sofia Vergara in a swimsuit”) where the actors are spellbound by Sydney (referred to several times as being the best of US cities) and feigning bad local accents.

Eric Stonestreet, who has visited several times, has it all down pat, conceding “That’s going to go over like a turd in a punch bowl.”

The episode isn’t as turdy as all that, but Oprah and Ellen will probably laugh at it lots.

Modern Family “Australia” airs 6:30pm Sunday, with “An Aussie Adventure” at 6pm on TEN.

8 Responses

  1. Yes TEN did skip 2 eps but it doesn’t really impact the story as one ep does not rely on the next.

    I do like how they had the ‘make off’ special before the Aussie one but it did give away a lot of the story. Which I liked, not withstanding the flimsy plot behind them all coming here. A lot of the jokes were predictable but hey this is a sitcom so I wasn’t expecting much.

  2. Um why has ten skipped some episodes like three episodes because if they have played it would be on the play but can’t find the episodes unless they have played & I missed them

  3. You’re right David. The plot is a mess and it just seems like a bunch of disparate scenes thrown together. Found the alleged NZ talk show host irritating (why wasn’t it an Aussie?) But it has its moments. Not one of their better efforts.

  4. Had a quick look through and it looks rather amusing. Will watch properly with the family after dinner. Kids are excited.

    By the looks of US feedback should go someway to achieving the objective or raising the profile of Australia and getting people to come out here.

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