'Modern Family' Episode of February 9, 2011 Celebrates Valentine's Day

February 9, 2011, ABC, 9 PM (ET) '" "Modern Family" once again played the double entendre card, trumping all other comedy programs with its subtle blend of slapstick and clever writing, which, in this episode, was courtesy of Danny Zuker. (Almost Danny Zuko. How apropos for a Valentine's Day episode.)

CAMERON & TYLER

This episode, with a special Valentine's Day theme, was directed by Chris Koch and focused on the Valentine's Day celebrations planned by the many disparate couples of the ensemble cast. Once again, the gay couple, Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) played their parts to perfection. The big question of the hour was whether Tyler's gay assistant (secretary) Broderick has a crush on Cameron or Mitchell. Each man thinks Broderick was hot for him. Hilarity ensues right up to the closing bit involving a delivery boy.

CLAIRE & PHIL

The Dunphys set out to celebrate Valentine's Day by dining at Ibiza, a fancy restaurant, but the average age of fellow dinners is north of 65, causing Claire to say, "I know Phil and I are going to grow old together one day, but today is not that day." She comments that the group in the ritzy restaurant could have been around on "VE Day," not just Valentine's Day, and there is a bit of physical humor where Phil offers to park a scooter for an elderly gentleman who smashes into their table. (As Phil trips over it on the way out, he hollers, "No one walks any more!" This does seem true in today's world of motorized scooters.) The pair decides to take their Valentine's Day celebration back to the year before, when they played out fake identities as Julianna and Clive Bixby. This allowed Ty Burrell as Phil to try his always klutzy suave act, without much success, find his way into the wrong hotel room and, ultimately, treat viewers to physical comedy of the sort that Bill Murray, in his prime, pulled off with frequency in movies and TV.

HALEY, MANNIE & DYLAN

Meanwhile, back on the home front, Haley has been left in the lurch by her current boyfriend, David, so that he can study. She breaks up with him (via computer e-mail) at Manny's urging. (Manny is secretly hoping that Haley will consider him a candidate as her future boyfriend, but Dylan reappears, singing a romantic song with his band behind him and Haley and Dylan reunite.)

GLORIA & JAY

Gloria (Sofia Vergara) and Jay (Ed O'Neill) are also involved in the Ibiza dining this night, but Ed has a secret dinner with violins and candlelight planned back at the house. This portion of the episode was the least amusing, for me, and reminded of an old "I Love Lucy" episode. The goal is to get Gloria out of Ibiza and back to the house so that a private dinner can be enjoyed; Gloria isn't being cooperative with Ed's romantic plan.

Best lines of the night:

Claire as "Julianna": "I'm just a bored housewife with a dark said and an hour to kill." She then says (to Phil), "Don't take too long," and Phil replies, "I never do."

Another racy double entendre scene: "Julianna"/Claire in the bathroom of the hotel room: "I'll be out in a minute," to which Phil/Ty responds, "So will I" as he removes his pants and nearly knocks himself out in a Murray-like fall.

During the debate over who Broderick really had a crush on (Cam or Mitchell), Mitchell says, sarcastically, "Well, pick out china and move to Vermont."

When Broderick hugs Cam in the elevator and confesses that he "wants what he can never have," when Cam leaves the elevator, Broderick yells after him, re the parking, "Did I validate you?" Cam smiles smugly and responds, "Oh, yes."

The writing remains sharp and clever and, as usual, the cast played their parts to perfection.