Our take
A clever premise that few family sitcoms have tried: cram all of Christmas into one afternoon, nine days early. The new pairings give it energy and the ending is genuinely warm. Critics were split, though; the A.V. Club felt the broken-property jokes piled up, while the episode still earned its director a DGA nomination. The stun-gun mishap with Phil and Manny and the frantic Target dash are the bits most viewers remember.
What happens
On a sunny 16 December, the whole family is lounging round Jay and Gloria's pool when they realise that, thanks to crossed wires, they will all be in different places on Christmas Day. Phil's answer is Express Christmas: tree, presents, decorations and dinner, all in a single afternoon. The family splits into unusual pairs. Mitchell, Alex and Lily hunt for a perfectly symmetrical tree; Jay and Cameron take on the gift wrapping; Phil and Manny fetch the food and, on the way, meet a seller about a rare Joe DiMaggio baseball card for Jay; Gloria and Luke retrieve the ornaments; Claire and Haley race round Target for the last presents. Almost everything goes wrong. Manny, nervous after being teased about kidnappers, zaps Phil with a stun gun and Phil's twitching hand ruins the card; the tree flies off the car roof into traffic; the angel is smashed. Then Jay rescues the evening by having fake snow blown across the Dunphys' garden.
Can the kids watch it?
Fine for most families: the BBFC rates it PG, so it suits children of about 8 and up, with a little grown-up joking that will pass younger ones by.
Cast and crew
Starring
- Ed O'Neill
- Sofía Vergara
- Julie Bowen
- Ty Burrell
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson
- Eric Stonestreet
- Sarah Hyland
- Ariel Winter
Writer
- Cindy Chupack
Director
- Michael Spiller