This episode could also be one that gives Eric Stonestreet his third prize, as Cam hopes to be the winningest freshman coach in the high school’s history. Of course, Coach Tucker is more pumped for defeat than his sluggish team, which gets a few giddy one-liners and some priceless physical acting from Stonestreet. (However, Community writer Megan Ganz, who pens this episode, should know better than to have the Dolphins dress in blue and whites and have them face an opponent called the Panthers. It is confusing for Friday Night Lights fans to follow.)
Otherwise, the plots alternate between derivative ones the show has tracked before (Alex moping over her lack of friends, Claire trying to stray from the notion that she is the boss’s daughter) and rushing through potential comedy gold.
Thankfully, two of the show’s best recurring characters return this week – Reid Ewing’s endearingly dim-witted boyfriend, Dylan, and Justin Kirk as Charlie Bingham, Mitch’s sleazy boss. In their respective storylines, Dylan is returning to his old high school and catches up with Hailey underneath the bleachers, and Mitch tries to let his boss know that he is quitting in a discreet manner, but this does not go as planned.
Both guests actors make the most of their deadpan one-liners, although their segments feels too skimpy. It is amusing though to see the various ways Dylan is reinventing his life – at this point, he is at nursing school, in key with his placid, healing ways. (On the other hand, Haley mentions near the episode’s start that she spent the night studying for a mid-term, but I cannot recall any mention of which program she is in or the school she is going to.) Meanwhile, Bingham is a fun character, since his slacker personality is a good foil for the uptight and eager-to-please Mitch to play off.
Others members of the dynamic ensemble also try to save their skimpy plots this week. Gloria and Lily do a bit of female bonding, and as usual, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons uses her blend of cute and cutthroat to nail the punchlines. Meanwhile, Luke is up in the audio booth providing snippy game-time commentary. Even if his one-liners are juvenile by the character’s standards, it is good to see Luke adopt some of his father’s joy for wordplay and light-hearted poking.
Even with only a couple of the half-dozen plots working on all levels, Modern Family gets the benefit of an ensemble cast (and a few choice guest stars) striving to make them work as best as they can. So, even if its chances for a record-setting fifth straight comedy Emmy seem slimmer by the week, I will be optimistic and say that chunks of its cast – either Burrell or Stonestreet, with Ed O’Neil as the spoiler – stand a good chance of garnering more awards gold in 2014. To use a forced football analogy, “The Big Game” does not quite score a comedy touchdown. However, with such a strong team, the show still looks good playing it safe and kicking for three points. Or, to suit this review, getting three stars.