Manny Get Your Gun

Last updated

"Manny Get Your Gun"
Modern Family episode
Manny Get Your Gun (Modern Family).jpg
Manny (Rico Rodriguez) giving a speech at his birthday dinner
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 8
Directed by Michael Spiller
Story by Christopher Lloyd
Teleplay by Danny Zuker
Production code2ARG11
Original air dateNovember 17, 2010 (2010-11-17) [1]
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Chirp"		Next →
"Mother Tucker"
Modern Family season 2
List of episodes

"Manny Get Your Gun" is the eighth episode of the second season of the sitcom, Modern Family and the 32nd overall. It originally aired November 17, 2010 on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The episode was written by Danny Zuker, from a story by Modern Family co-creator, Christopher Lloyd and was directed by Michael Spiller.

Contents

In the episode, everyone gathers at a restaurant for Manny's birthday when Manny has a mini-life crisis of getting older; Phil and Claire have a race to see who can get there faster; and Mitchell and Cam get stuck at the mall looking for a gift.

"Manny Get Your Gun" received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics with Joel Keller of TV Squad naming it "one of the better ones of the season. [2] According to the Nielsen Media Research, the episode received the same ratings as the previous episode, "Chirp" and became the second highest rated scripted series of the original week it aired.

Plot

The episode begins with Manny (Rico Rodriguez) starting his birthday speech to a table filled with angry family members.

The episode then goes 30 minutes earlier showing Claire (Julie Bowen) hurrying everyone to get to the party on time. This prompts a contest between Claire and Phil (Ty Burrell) to see whose route is quicker. Phil rides with Alex (Ariel Winter) and Haley (Sarah Hyland), and Luke (Nolan Gould) with Claire.

In Claire's car, Luke asks Claire why she is separating from Phil misunderstanding Claire's earlier statement of the two parents were "separating". Claire reassures Luke that they are fine and just going separate routes. Claire then starts asking Luke why he wanted to go with Phil instead of her. She stops the car to have a talk with Luke which makes her sadder, but Luke makes her happy by telling her that she is fun too but he wanted to be with Phil because he thought Phil needed him more than Claire does and that her route is faster than Phil's.

In Phil's car, while he tries convincing the girls the race is not a waste of time, the car's wheels go out. After fixing it, Haley and Alex tell him that they do not want to go to family camp. This causes Phil to cry which in turn causes Haley and Alex to cry. This saps Phil's motivation to beat Claire, but Haley and Alex eventually restore his motivation to win.

Meanwhile, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) are walking through the mall looking for a present for Manny. While there, Cameron stops to help an elderly man named Donald (Norman Lloyd) to convince an old lady name Helen (Norma Michaels) to take him back, despite Mitchell's protests that they are running out of time. Cameron is initially delighted to help before realizing Donald is an adulterer. Cameron and Mitchell soon continue their fight about Mitchell not being spontaneous but in the middle of the discussion, Mitchell takes part in a flash mob with a bunch of people to "Free Your Mind". Mitchell initially thinks Cameron will be happy, but Cameron becomes angry that Mitchell kept it a secret from him. They soon have another fight in their car.

In the Pritchett house, Gloria (Sofía Vergara) and Jay (Ed O'Neill) have a fight over Gloria's habit of losing everything and currently losing her keys. Jay initially believes he is right before finding the keys in his pockets, but instead of apologizing to Gloria he secretes the keys in her purse.

In the meantime, Manny becomes depressed after Jay informs him he never truly acted like a kid. He tries to live his life as a kid before the party with bad prank calls and mixing sodas. He then opens his old Christmas present (a flotation device) and putting it in a pool. A furious Gloria angry at Manny not wanting to go his own party shoots the flotation device with a BB gun Jay gave him. In the car, Jay finally tells Gloria the truth making her furious.

After all the family members see that they are about to arrive late, they race to the restaurant, coming close to crashing into each other. The scene then goes to Manny finishing his speech saying that he has enough time to act like a kid, as his older family members still do, leading to everyone reconciling with one another.

Production

Norman Lloyd guest starred as an elderly mall goer. Norman Lloyd 2007.jpg
Norman Lloyd guest starred as an elderly mall goer.

"Manny Get Your Gun" was written by Danny Zuker, but was based on a story by Modern Family's co-creator, Christopher Lloyd. [1] The episode marked Zucker's fifth writing credit for the series and Lloyd's first story credit. [3] [4] The episode was directed by Michael Spiller, his eighth director's episode. [1] [5] "Manny Get Your Gun" originally aired on November 17, 2010. [1] The episode was filmed on October 20, [6] October 21, [7] and October 27, 2010. [8]

The episode was originally titled "Dash, Flash, Crash" in the original press release, [1] the episode's title was later formally changed to "Manny Get Your Gun". [2] Part of the episode's plot is based on a personal experience of Steven Levitan. He stated in an interview "My wife and I have a constant argument about when we're in a restaurant, which way to take home - which is the faster way home." [9]

On October 15, 2010, William Keck of TV Guide reported that Norman Lloyd of St. Elsewhere was to guest star as a senior citizen who Cameron befriends. [10] He filmed his appearance on October 21, 2010. [7]

The episode was later put in for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series along with "Caught in the Act", "The Musical Man" and "Mother's Day". [11]

Reception

Ratings

In its original American broadcast, "Manny Get Your Gun" was viewed by an estimated 12.092 million households and received a 7.1 rating/11% share Nielsen rating meaning that the episode was watched by an average of 7.1% of households and 11% of all televisions were tuned to the episode when it was broadcast. [12] [13] The episode received a 4.8 rating/13% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, tying with the ratings from the previous episode, "Chirp". [12] The episode became the second highest rated scripted series of the week it aired after Glee . [14]

Reviews

The episode received positive reviews from critics.

Joel Keller of AOL's TV Squad called the episode "one of the better ones of the season". Despite this, he felt that the Mitch and Cam storyline while "funny" it was "not as funny as they usually are". He also commented that "It's just that sometimes Cam is too much Cam for his, or the audience's, own good." [2]

Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A− rating. She felt "this episode is a bit less than the sum of its parts; or maybe the jigsaw pieces have been forced into place a little too emphatically." [15]

Rachel Maddux of New York gave the episode a positive review. She felt that the episode brought the series "out of [its] slump" and also commented "This kind of episode is pretty much why we started loving this show in the first place". [16]

Kara Klenk of TV Guide called it "another great episode." [17]

Matt Roush called the episode "comic gold" and felt the episode was "firing on all cylinders". [18]

James Poniewozik of Time gave the episode a positive review. He felt that "This episode may not quite have reached the level of "Fizbo", but by the time it built to its near-four-car-pileup, it had strung together quite a run of funny and sweet moments." [19]

HitFix writer Alan Sepinwall, who is often critical of the series's second season praised the episode commenting that "nearly everything was clicking". He also positively compared it to a season one episode of the series when "where everything came together at the end in the style of the strongest season one episodes ". [20]

Related Research Articles

"Pilot" is the first episode of the American family sitcom television series Modern Family. Written by series creators Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd and directed by Jason Winer, it premiered on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on September 23, 2009. The episode introduces viewers to three sets of people who make up a single family. The episode is shot in a mockumentary style, with a cameraman following the characters around their everyday lives and interviewing them at various intervals. It cuts between the experiences of the three separate units before they all come together at the end of the episode.

Run for Your Wife (<i>Modern Family</i>) 6th episode of the 1st season of Modern Family

"Run for Your Wife" is the sixth episode of the American family sitcom television series Modern Family. It premiered on ABC in the United States on October 28, 2009. The episode was written by Brad Walsh & Paul Corrigan and directed by Jason Winer.

Fears (<i>Modern Family</i>) 16th episode of the 1st season of Modern Family

"Fears" is the sixteenth episode of the first season of the American family sitcom television series Modern Family and the sixteenth episode of the series overall. It originally aired on ABC on March 3, 2010. The episode was written by co-creator, Steven Levitan and directed by Reginald Hudlin.

Starry Night (<i>Modern Family</i>) 18th episode of the 1st season of Modern Family

"Starry Night" is the eighteenth episode of the first season of Modern Family and the eighteenth episode of the series overall. It originally aired on ABC on March 24, 2010. The episode was written by Danny Zuker and directed by Jason Winer.

Benched (<i>Modern Family</i>) 20th episode of the 1st season of Modern Family

"Benched" is the twentieth episode of the first season of Modern Family and the twentieth episode of the series overall. It premiered on ABC on April 14, 2010. The episode was written by Danny Zuker and directed by Chris Koch.

"Earthquake" is the third episode of the second season of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) American sitcom, Modern Family and the 27th episode overall. The episode originally aired October 6, 2010. It was written by Paul Corrigan & Brad Walsh and directed by Michael Spiller. It guest starred Nathan Lane as Pepper Saltzman and Vic Polizos as a plumber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strangers on a Treadmill</span> 4th episode of the 2nd season of Modern Family

"Strangers on a Treadmill" is the fourth episode of the second season of the American sitcom, Modern Family and the 28th episode of the series overall. The episode originally aired on October 13, 2010 on American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The episode was written by Danny Zuker and directed by Scott Ellis.

Unplugged (<i>Modern Family</i>) 5th episode of the 2nd season of Modern Family

"Unplugged" is the fifth episode of the second season of the ABC sitcom, Modern Family, and the 29th episode of the series overall. The episode originally aired October 20, 2010. It was written by series co-creator Steven Levitan and directed by Michael Spiller.

"Chirp" is the seventh episode of the second season of Modern Family and the 31st episode overall. It originally aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on November 3, 2010. The episode was written by Dan O'Shannon and directed by season two's main director, Michael Spiller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dance Dance Revelation</span> 10th episode of the 2nd season of Modern Family

"Dance Dance Revelation" is the tenth episode of the second season of the sitcom, Modern Family and the 34th overall. It originally aired December 8, 2010 on the ABC. The episode was written by Ilana Wernick and directed by Gail Mancuso.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slow Down Your Neighbors</span> 11th episode of the 2nd season of Modern Family

"Slow Down Your Neighbors" is the 11th episode of the second season of Modern Family and the 35th episode overall. It originally aired on January 5, 2011 on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The episode was written by Ilana Wernick and was directed by Gail Mancuso, who were also both credited for the previous episode, "Dance Dance Revelation". The episode features a guest appearance from James Marsden as Barry, Cameron and Mitchell's new neighbor.

Caught in the Act (<i>Modern Family</i>) 13th episode of the 2nd season of Modern Family

"Caught in the Act" is the 13th episode of the second season of the American television comedy series, Modern Family and the 37th overall episode of the series. Co-creator Steven Levitan & Jeffrey Richman wrote the episode and Michael Spiller directed it. The episode originally aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on January 19, 2011. It featured guest star Rachael Harris as restaurant owner, Amelia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boys' Night</span> 18th episode of the 2nd season of Modern Family

"Boys' Night" is the 18th episode of the American comedy television series, Modern Family's second season and the 42nd episode overall. It was originally aired on March 23, 2011. The episode was written by series co-creator Steven Levitan and Jeffrey Richman, and was directed by Chris Koch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Musical Man</span> 19th episode of the 2nd season of Modern Family

"The Musical Man" is the 19th episode of the American comedy television series, Modern Family's second season and the 43rd episode overall. It originally aired on April 13, 2011 on American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The episode was written by Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh and was directed by Michael Spiller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Someone to Watch Over Lily</span> 20th episode of the 2nd season of Modern Family

"Someone to Watch Over Lily" is the 20th episode of the American comedy television series Modern Family's second season, and the 44th episode overall. It was originally aired on April 20, 2011. The episode was written by Bill Wrubel and directed by Michael Spiller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">See You Next Fall</span> 23rd episode of the 2nd season of Modern Family

"See You Next Fall" is the 23rd episode of the American comedy television series, Modern Family's second season and the 47th episode overall. The episode originally aired on May 18, 2011, on American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The episode was written by Danny Zuker and directed by Modern Family co-creator and executive producer, Steven Levitan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When Good Kids Go Bad</span> 2nd episode of the 3rd season of Modern Family

"When Good Kids Go Bad" is the second episode of the American sitcom Modern Family's third season and the 50th episode overall. The episode originally aired on September 21, 2011 on American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and ran back-to-back with "Dude Ranch" in a one-hour timeslot. The episode was written by Jeffrey Richman and directed by Michael Spiller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil on Wire</span> 3rd episode of the 3rd season of Modern Family

"Phil on Wire" is the third episode of the third season of the American sitcom Modern Family and the show's 51st episode overall. The episode originally aired on September 28, 2011 on American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The episode was written by Danny Zuker, with the story co-written by Zucker and Bianca Douglas. Jason Winer directed the episode. Justin Kirk guest stars in the episode as Mitchell's boss, Charlie Bingham.

"Go Bullfrogs!" is the sixth episode of the third season of the American sitcom Modern Family, and the series' 54th episode overall. "Go Bullfrogs!" first aired on October 19, 2011, on ABC. The episode was written by Abraham Higginbotham and was directed by Scott Ellis. It featured guest star Gilles Marini as Julian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Express Christmas</span> 10th episode of the 3rd season of Modern Family

"Express Christmas" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American sitcom Modern Family, and the series' 58th episode overall. It was aired on December 7, 2011. The episode was written by Cindy Chupack and directed by Michael Spiller. Express Christmas is the second Christmas episode of the series.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Chang, Yani (November 3, 2010). "MANNY'S BIRTHDAY BRINGS A LOT OF COMMOTION, ON ABC'S "MODERN FAMILY"". abcmedianet. Retrieved 2010-11-03.[ dead link ]
  2. 1 2 3 Keller, Joel (November 18, 2010). "'Modern Family' Season 2, Episode 8 Recap". TV Squad . Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  3. ↑ "Danny Zuker - Filmography by TV series". IMDb . Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  4. ↑ "Christopher Lloyd (II) - Filmography by TV series". IMDb . Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  5. ↑ "Michael Spiller - Filmography by TV series". IMDb . Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  6. ↑ "Asset Display". Abcmedianet.com. 2010-10-20. Archived from the original on 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  7. 1 2 "Asset Display". Abcmedianet.com. 2010-10-21. Archived from the original on 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
  8. ↑ "Asset Display". Abcmedianet.com. 2010-10-27. Archived from the original on 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  9. ↑ Wightman, Catriona (July 20, 2010). "'Modern Family' exec teases new season". Digital spy. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  10. ↑ Keck, William (October 15, 2010). "Keck's Exclusives: St. Elsewhere Vet Guests on Modern Family". TV Guide . Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  11. ↑ O'Neil, Tom (May 25, 2011). "Let's peek inside 'Modern Family's' Emmy campaign package". Los Angeles Times - The Awards Insider.
  12. 1 2 Seidman, Robert (November 18, 2010). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'Modern Family', 'Criminal Minds' Adjusted Up". TVbythenumbers. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  13. ↑ Seidman, Robert (November 18, 2010). "TV Ratings Wednesday: 'Modern Family,' Down, but Tops ; 'Human Target' Returns Weakly; Defenders, Law & Orders Rise". TVbythenumbers. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  14. ↑ Seidman, Robert (November 23, 2010). "TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: NFL, Glee, Modern Family, NCIS, Dancing With the Stars Top Week 9 Viewing". TVbythenumbers. Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  15. ↑ Bowman, Donna (November 17, 2010). "Manny Get Your Gun". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  16. ↑ Maduxx, Rachel (November 18, 2010). "Modern Family Recap: Shoot 'Em Up". New York . Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  17. ↑ Klenk, Kara (November 18, 2010). "Modern Family Episode Recap: "Manny Get Your Gun" Season 2, Episode 8". TV Guide . Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  18. ↑ Roush, Matt (November 19, 2010). "Matt's TV Week in Review". TV Guide . Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  19. ↑ Poniewozik, James (November 18, 2010). "Modern Family Watch: The Amazing Race". Time . Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  20. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan. "Modern Family - Manny Get Your Gun: Flash into me". HitFix.com. Retrieved 2011-04-03.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.