Modern Family Review: Tree’s a Crowd (Season 11 Episode 8)

As a whole, Modern Family seems to have a hard time doing justice to its ensemble cast this season by stretching its episodes too thin—either focusing on too many storylines or too many characters. 

While Modern Family Season 11 Episode 8, “Tree’s a Crowd,” does give us a good one-liner (keep reading for it), the rest of the episode just feels incomplete. 

The best thing about the episode is the guest stars who make up a lesbian couple Cam and Mitch have recently befriended. 

Comedian Jen Kirkman (who has also written and produced for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and actress Lauren Adams (who played Gretchen on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) don’t get nearly enough to work with on this episode to show off their talents.

However, the should-one-of-us-donate-sperm-or-not plotline does give us this one zinger, which is already being quoted on Twitter and will probably be made into future memes: 

Molly: “Oh, no—we’re super sad. We’re just lesbians.”

Despite my joy at seeing—and recognizing (albeit after rewinding, playing, and pausing to get a good look at their faces)—these welcome additions to my screen, I probably won’t remember they were in an episode a few weeks from now. 

In part, it’s their lack of screen time. This is just an unfortunate side effect of having an ensemble cast who don’t just interact among themselves. 

Storylines involving fewer main characters just naturally get less screen time. This is why the holiday or special occasion episodes tend to be among the show’s best, as they’re able to fit so many of their talented actors in each scene. 

Because there’s less time dedicated to Mitch and Cam—in order to make room for forgettable scenes with Jay, Gloria, Manny, and Luke; and Phil’s magic tricks over at the Dunphy house—we get only a few moments with the guest stars. 

But the other reason these scenes with Kirkman and Adams won’t be memorable is that the storylines likely won’t be added to or referenced in future episodes.

Aside from helping Lily overcome her insecurities on Modern Family Season 11 Episode 4, “Pool Party,” most of Cam and Mitch’s appearances are very gimmicky this season. They’re constantly trying to prove something to their neighbors, to their friends, to each other—in scenes that won’t lend themselves to future storylines. 

Now—regarding scenes involving gimmicks that aren’t actually gimmicky. Phil’s magic tricks have been a long-running gag that just make his character more endearing because of the genuine joy he gets out of them. 

He doesn’t need to impress anyone (and is fully aware that his family doesn’t share his enthusiasm for his craft), but it’s still a happy moment when he does elicit a spark from someone else. 

And to have the foresight to come up with and pull off the DeDe-tree bit—color me impressed. I’m always happy to see these scenes peppered into an episode.

What did you think of this episode of Modern Family? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Modern Family airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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