# Modern Family, October 20, 2010 episode -- "Unplugged" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877 "2010-10-21T13:19:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877/21 "2010-10-22T18:04:31Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > You know, I am not sure if Haley was using the fake “soap/phone” purely as a deceptive ploy to help her win the bet, or if she just needed to have a phone-like device in her hand in order to properly entertain herself. The former. It was Haley exhibiting some creative thinking, which evidently she’s only capable of if her desired outcome is something she wants- like phone time- instead of something like schoolwork. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877/22 "2010-10-22T18:18:25Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > The former. It was Haley exhibiting some creative thinking, which evidently she’s only capable of if her desired outcome is something she wants- like phone time- instead of something like schoolwork. Okay, I can buy that! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877/23 "2010-10-22T18:25:33Z")
Third disappointing episode in a row. The common theme: Little interaction between the families. The strength of the show is the ensemble interaction. And they seem to have put that on hiatus. The ditching electronics thing was completely predictable start to finish. Anyone who’s taken Sitcom Writing 101 from a community college could have done a better job. You knew how it was going to end from the beginning. The kid with the biggest prize to win was going to fool the stupidest parent. Yawn. The dodgeball/plywood line was the only good thing in the whole episode. But the whole rest of the pre-school storyline was 3rd rate and predictable. Of course they were going to get admitted to the regular school, but pass up on it to try for the fancy one and fail to get it. Sitcoms in the 50s did that (but without the gay guys) Double yawn. When are they going to get back to putting the families together? ---
**Author:** ![zeldarae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/f14d63/32.png) [@zeldarae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeldarae)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877/24 "2010-10-22T20:16:46Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Third disappointing episode in a row. The common theme: Little interaction between the families. The strength of the show is the ensemble interaction. And they seem to have put that on hiatus. > > The ditching electronics thing was completely predictable start to finish. Anyone who’s taken Sitcom Writing 101 from a community college could have done a better job. You knew how it was going to end from the beginning. The kid with the biggest prize to win was going to fool the stupidest parent. Yawn. > > The dodgeball/plywood line was the only good thing in the whole episode. But the whole rest of the pre-school storyline was 3rd rate and predictable. Of course they were going to get admitted to the regular school, but pass up on it to try for the fancy one and fail to get it. Sitcoms in the 50s did that (but without the gay guys) Double yawn. > > When are they going to get back to putting the families together? Yes, it is reusing old sitcom plots, but so what? The show always has a fresh and hillarious take on the same old same old. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877/25 "2010-10-22T20:51:48Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Third disappointing episode in a row. The common theme: Little interaction between the families. The strength of the show is the ensemble interaction. And they seem to have put that on hiatus. They had the families intermingle last week, with the Swapping Honesty pact between siblings. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877/26 "2010-10-23T15:28:13Z")
I loved: > [@](#): > > Lesbian, interracial, disabled couple with an African kicker. Didn’t see that coming. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877/27 "2010-10-23T16:41:29Z")
This is why I’d never make it through Sitcom Writing 101. I laughed my ass off through the whole episode. As usual. I love everything about this show. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877/28 "2010-10-23T17:16:30Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > They had the families intermingle last week, with the Swapping Honesty pact between siblings. “You owe me a murder!” I love this show. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877/29 "2010-10-23T23:01:38Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > The ditching electronics thing was completely predictable start to finish. Anyone who’s taken Sitcom Writing 101 from a community college could have done a better job. You knew how it was going to end from the beginning. The kid with the biggest prize to win was going to fool the stupidest parent. Yawn. Yes, yes. Within seconds of them establishing the contest I screamed out, “Haley’s going to carve a fake phone out of a bar of soap and pretend to use it to trick them!.” Oh wait, no I didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877/30 "2010-10-24T00:08:12Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Yes, yes. Within seconds of them establishing the contest I screamed out, “Haley’s going to carve a fake phone out of a bar of soap and pretend to use it to trick them!.” Oh wait, no I didn’t. Not to prove the above point, but I totally did. The problem with seeing every sitcom with your “Sitcom 101 writing classes” glasses is that every sitcom does this…so who cares? To the point I am actually routinely surprised over how this show does it’s plots, this was the first one I could call in forever. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877/31 "2010-10-24T14:20:45Z")
IMO stuff doesn’t have to be original to be funny. I’ve seen every episode of “I Love Lucy,” “Will and Grace,” and “The Golden Girls” many times and I still laugh out loud at my favorite parts. I love to hear- and tell- the same jokes over and over. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-october-20-2010-episode-unplugged/557877.md?page=1)