# Modern Family: Las Vegas
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 27, 2014, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664 "2014-03-27T03:10:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/1 "2014-03-27T03:10:31Z")
I think this awful episode combined all the rejected subplots from previous shows. Unfortunately there are reasons why they were all rejected. 0 + 0 + 0 still adds up to 0.
High point (but too brief): The male Scottish strippers.
Low point: Seriously, nobody on this show can tell burlap from canvas?
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### Author:  [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/2 "2014-03-27T03:19:51Z")
I liked this episode. It reminded me of an old-style French bedroom farce.
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### Author:  [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/3 "2014-03-27T03:21:16Z")
Me too, didn’t miss the kids at all. 🙂
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### Author:  [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/4 "2014-03-27T03:45:11Z")
I thought it was brilliant. Reminded me of “Noises Off” and other comedy of errors-type shows.
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### Author:  [@Calatin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calatin)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/5 "2014-03-27T04:51:19Z")
> [@randwill](#):
>
> I thought it was brilliant. Reminded me of “Noises Off” and other comedy of errors-type shows.
For some reason, I thought of “Noises Off” as well. Couldn’t put my finger on it, but am glad to know that someone else caught the same vibe. Tried to explain it to my roommate (who’d seen neither the play nor the movie) and it just made me seem like I was insane).
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/6 "2014-03-27T06:11:36Z")
Frazier could do these kinds of shows and have you rolling on the floor.
Modern Family didn’t come close to getting it right on this episode.
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### Author:  [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/7 "2014-03-27T11:53:36Z")
> [@DMark](#):
>
> Frazier could do these kinds of shows and have you rolling on the floor.
>
> Modern Family didn’t come close to getting it right on this episode.
I had the same thought. These kinds of plots were always well done on Frasier. MF just seemed like it was trying too hard.
I didn’t catch the very beginning. Who’s watching the kids?
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### Author:  [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/8 "2014-03-27T12:19:42Z")
I didn’t think it seemed like they were trying too hard as much as I felt like it was a little too frantic; like they needed about 15 more minutes of air time to really tell the story. Everything felt rushed. All in all, I still thought it was a very funny episode. The Gloria bit really cracked me up; but honestly it took me by surprise. I thought they were going to go in a totally different direction with her towel getting trapped in the door. I thought someone was going to get a nice visual treat of her naked.
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### Author:  [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/9 "2014-03-27T12:37:26Z")
> [@Shoeless](#):
>
> I had the same thought. These kinds of plots were always well done on Frasier. MF just seemed like it was trying too hard.
>
> I didn’t catch the very beginning. Who’s watching the kids?
Not specified - but Haley and the other daughter (whose name I’m blanking on) are together old enough and mature enough to babysit for a weekend. The only one really needing a sitter is Lily, and we’ve seen the older girls watching her already.
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### Author:  [@Kasper1014](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kasper1014)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/10 "2014-03-27T13:23:07Z")
Damn! There are 64 floors!
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### Author:  [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/11 "2014-03-27T13:36:50Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#):
>
> I liked this episode. It reminded me of an old-style French bedroom farce.
I enjoyed it a lot, as well! Gloria in the dog butler’s French maid outfit – Yowza! Loved it!
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/12 "2014-03-27T13:54:59Z")
The definitely used up the guest star budget this week - Stephen Merchant, Patton Oswalt and Fred Armisen.
I liked the rapid fire aspect of it. I think the fact you couldn’t keep track of what was going on in the final scenes just made it funnier.
> [@Enright3](#):
>
> The Gloria bit really cracked me up; but honestly it took me by surprise. I thought they were going to go in a totally different direction with her towel getting trapped in the door. I thought someone was going to get a nice visual treat of her naked.
Yeah, when Phil put Rebarka in the closet, I was sure he must have gotten a good look at Gloria. But considering he didn’t just pass out, I guess not.
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### Author:  [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/13 "2014-03-27T13:55:52Z")
My wife and I loved it and thought it was one of the better episodes they’ve done in awhile.
Like a few others here, I was also reminded of Noises Off which was (is?) one of the better modern farces (and I’d include many episodes of Frasier on that list.).
I didn’t really get the Gloria storyline but I loved the payoff with the magic trick.
Stephen Merchant as the butler and Patton Oswalt as the magic nerd were both great. People introducing themselves by online usernames was incredibly relatable.
Whoever it was upthread that complained about the burlap vs canvas bag - I wouldn’t be surprised if that was kind of the point. It’s a prop in a magic trick so it’s automatically whatever the magician’s patter tells you it is (“the kind of bag everyone has in their home”)
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/14 "2014-03-27T14:21:14Z")
> [@panache45](#):
>
> Low point: Seriously, nobody on this show can tell burlap from canvas?
_That’s_ what you found objectionable? Personally, I didn’t notice or care whether it was burlap or canvas. And the episode made me laugh, which is what I want from a sitcom.
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### Author:  [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/15 "2014-03-27T15:47:36Z")
I think Merchant was the best part of this episode.
> [@Bob Ducca](#):
>
> I didn’t really get the Gloria storyline but I loved the payoff with the magic trick.
Jay has a dog butler at home (named Bark-ley) which/who he loves. Gloria hates it. There’s the female version of the dog butler (Re-bark-ah) for sale at the casino. Gloria doesn’t want Jay to see the maid, buy it, and bring it back home with him so she decides to buy it so Jay doesn’t have the opportunity to buy it. Gloria charges it to Claire’s room, and intents to return it before they leave. Instead of just holding it for her, it was delivered to their room. Why Jay/Gloria’s room and not the Dunphy’s? Didn’t catch that, might not have been explained.
That is unless of course you’re talking about the line about Jay ordering the bigwig a Cuban.
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### Author:  [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/16 "2014-03-27T16:14:50Z")
I’m with the OP, I don’t think the show has ever been as good as its first couple of seasons and this one has probably taken it out of regular rotation for us.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/17 "2014-03-27T17:52:52Z")
> [@pancakes3](#):
>
> I think Merchant was the best part of this episode.
> \
Not a big surprise there. 🙂
At least there wasn’t a song and dance number in this episode - what’s _up_ with that lately?!?
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### Author:  [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/18 "2014-03-27T19:10:01Z")
I thought it was hilarious. The mixed-up connecting rooms has been a comedy staple forever and this was a great run at it. Noises Off meets the Marx Brothers meets Las Vegas.
Just my 2 cents as an Excelsior Plus.
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### Author:  [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/19 "2014-03-27T19:34:12Z")
All I could think of when they mentioned that they all had connecting rooms was that I would never in a million years go to Vegas and have a connecting room with my parents or siblings. The risk of hearing scarring sex sounds is just too high.
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### Author:  [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-las-vegas/684664/20 "2014-03-27T20:55:14Z")
> [@Kasper1014](#):
>
> Damn! There are 64 floors!
Son of a bitch!
> [@pancakes3](#):
>
> I think Merchant was the best part of this episode.
Same price either way.
Stephen Merchant certainly is _tall_.
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