A few weeks ago, I pondered the question if Modern Family was suffering from the seven year itch.  I analyzed whether the show is still funny or struggling for laughs.

This article contains spoilers from the episode “Playdates” so if you haven’t seen the episode, please do not continue reading.

Returning from its winter hiatus, Modern Family  celebrated its first new episode of the year giving viewers something that has been missing since the season began: humor.  I felt that this episode was funnier than the show has been in awhile.  I think the Modern Family writers really needed the winter break to rest and refocus to get the series back on the comedy laugh track.

I’m not saying every story plot worked. Maybe it’s just me, but the episodes in which Jay’s age is stressed gets to be too much.  We already know he’s a lot older than Gloria and is an older father. But to have the father of Joe’s playdate be OLDER than Jay but reminding him how much he and Jay are alike, just keeps slapping viewers in the face with Jay’s issues with his age.

The story involving the Dunphy kids celebrating their Uncle Mitchell’s birthday after Mitch comes by to redeem his “birthday coupon” (you know that makeshift gift you give when you forget or are too cheap to buy a present) was funny with Luke giving him the “birthday omelet” he made, complete with an “I’m an omelet, it’s your birthday” song. But the best part of the “gifts” was seeing Ray Liotta during Mitch’s tour of Hollywood homes and getting to hear Barbra Streisand’s voice.

The two best storylines of the episode were Cam, Lily, Phil and Claire “playdates”.  Cam teaching Lily how to flirt to get the attention of her crush, Monty only to find Lily  using the flirting techniques on Monty’s father could have been weird but worked due to Cam’s reaction.  You gotta love Cam, every time he pokes his nose into a situation, the joke’s on him!

Phil and Claire continue to be one of the funniest couples on television.  What I like best about them is that their issues as a couple are ones that real couples face.  For example, on the episode, Claire is miffed because they are always stuck paying the bill when they dine with a particular couple.  Viewers learn there’s a reason for this and it involves a trick Phil and the husband (played by Keegan-Michael Key) are playing on their wives.

If Modern Family continues to focus on its strengths, the end of the season will be better than the beginning.

Do you agree? Sound off in the comments. Or tweet @thenerdygirlexp or @stacyamiller85 .