Game Changer
Encyclopedia
"Game Changer" is the nineteenth episode of the first season
of Modern Family
. It premiered on ABC
on March 31, 2010. In the episode, it's Phil's (Ty Burrell) birthday and Claire wants to buy him an Apple iPad
, excited about buying a good gift for the first time. Meanwhile, Mitchell wants to toughen up, Cameron hears a neighbours marital difficulties over the baby monitor, and Jay faces off with Manny and Gloria over chess
.
The episode's teleplay was written by Joe Lawson and Alex Herschlag from a story by Vanessa McCarthy
and Joe Lawson and directed by Kevin Sullivan
. The episode received positive reviews but was criticized for excessively promoting the iPad. "Game Changer" received a 18-49 Nielsen Rating of 3.8/7.
. Being an early adopter and a technophile, Phil wants to wake up early to get in line for the product at the local Apple store. Claire wants him to have a relaxing birthday so she takes it upon herself to wake up early and go buy the product. She does wake up early, but quickly falls back asleep on the couch; it's not until the family wakes up and is making breakfast that she manages to sneak out of the house to get in line. However, the local store has sold out by the time she gets there, so she returns empty-handed. After being confronted by Phil, she makes it her mission to get one for the rest of the day. Phil decides to go to the batting cages to cool off and mistakenly believes a child's birthday party is for him - only adding to his unhappiness.
Meanwhile, Jay had purchased a new chess set for Phil from a Sky Mall
catalog earlier. Jay decides to challenge Manny to a game of chess, not knowing that Manny is a good player. Gloria, not wanting Jay to be his usual bad loser, told Manny to throw the game. When they get ready to go over to Phil's, Jay keeps trying to get Manny to try a child's version of chess; insulted, Manny challenges Jay to a rematch. Manny states that if he wins, he gets Jay's watch. In four moves, Manny beats Jay and takes the watch. Later, Gloria tells Jay she is also an excellent player; she lets Jay think he's better and when he believes he's on the verge of winning, she begins pouting and getting upset. Jay decides to call the game because he doesn't want an unhappy wife - Gloria later reveals that she would've beat him in two moves. She says to the camera "I'm an excellent chess player, but a better wife".
The night before Phil's birthday, Cameron and Mitchell heard a man's voice coming from Lily's room. Fearing a burglar, Mitchell freezes. They then discover that there was no burglar; just a signal accidentally received from a neighbouring house by the baby monitor. The next day, Mitchell asks Jay to help him toughen up so that if it actually happens in the future, he can take more appropriate action. Cameron keeps listening to conversations from the baby monitor and discovers that there is some drama going on over at the neighbour's house. Learning that a misunderstanding may cause a divorce, he decides to tell the wife the truth before anything bad happens. Mitchell, attempting to help Claire with her mission to pick up an Apple iPad
, gets her and himself thrown out of a line at another Apple store.
In the end, Claire comes home without an Apple iPad
. However, Luke managed to convince a man online that his father was dying and his last wish was an Apple iPad
before he passed - So the man brought a second Apple iPad
over and gave it to Luke to give to Phil. That night, during the party, she brings out the Apple iPad
to a delighted Phil.
The episode includes guest stars Kevin Fry-Bowers as the security guard at the Apple Store, Jason Antoon as Clark, Whitney Claire Kaufman as Sarah, Tyrel Jackson Williams as Little Phil, Harrison White as the postman and Zak Boggan as the kid outside the batting cage. Although the Apple iPad
was prominently featured, Apple Inc. did not pay for product placement within this episode.
being viewed by 9.34 million viewers and a 18-49 Nielsen Rating of 3.8 rating and a 11% share beating last week's 3.7. The show was the 4th most viewed show of the night. The episode ranked 20 in the weekly viewership ranking sixth for ABC
and ranked 8 in the 18-49 Nielsen Rating ranking 3rd on ABC
in the rating.
The episode received positive reviews. Robert Canning of IGN
gave the episode a 8 saying it was "impressive" and "though "Game Changer" lacked creativity when it came to storylines, the likeability of these characters kept the tone fun and made the episode enjoyable." Lesley Savage of Entertainment Weekly
gave the episode positive review saying it was "It’s the little things that make this show so clever.". Donna Bowman gave the episode a A- saying ". Even though there were funny moments in the other two stories, Phil's journey from excitement to near-catatonic resignation ("honey, it's okay, I don't feel things anymore," he reassures Claire) to euphoric rebirth was brilliantly played" Joel Keller of The TV Squad critizized the episode for product placement of the iPad
saying "Look, I'm not an Apple hater; I love my iPod Touch, and one day I may convert from being a PC guy to a Mac guy. But this company has enough buzz from tech media types who get the vapors every time Jobs dons his black mock turtleneck to introduce a new product, and it's not like they don't already have a monstrous advertising budget. Do they really need to infect our favorite shows, too?"
Modern Family (season 1)
The first season of the television comedy series Modern Family aired between September 23, 2009 and May 19, 2010, on ABC in the United States. The season was produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Lloyd-Levitan Productions with series creators Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan as executive...
of Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
. It premiered on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on March 31, 2010. In the episode, it's Phil's (Ty Burrell) birthday and Claire wants to buy him an Apple iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
, excited about buying a good gift for the first time. Meanwhile, Mitchell wants to toughen up, Cameron hears a neighbours marital difficulties over the baby monitor, and Jay faces off with Manny and Gloria over chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
.
The episode's teleplay was written by Joe Lawson and Alex Herschlag from a story by Vanessa McCarthy
Vanessa McCarthy
Vanessa McCarthy is an American television producer and writer.Her television writing credits include Friends, Abby, Modern Family and also producing and writing for Joey and Hot in Cleveland....
and Joe Lawson and directed by Kevin Sullivan
Kevin Rodney Sullivan
Kevin Rodney Sullivan is an American film and television actor and film director. He is married to wife Nita Sullivan, and has a daughter, Nicole L. Sullivan.-Early Life and Acting Career:...
. The episode received positive reviews but was criticized for excessively promoting the iPad. "Game Changer" received a 18-49 Nielsen Rating of 3.8/7.
Plot
It's April 3, and Phil's birthday coincides with the launch of the new Apple iPadIPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
. Being an early adopter and a technophile, Phil wants to wake up early to get in line for the product at the local Apple store. Claire wants him to have a relaxing birthday so she takes it upon herself to wake up early and go buy the product. She does wake up early, but quickly falls back asleep on the couch; it's not until the family wakes up and is making breakfast that she manages to sneak out of the house to get in line. However, the local store has sold out by the time she gets there, so she returns empty-handed. After being confronted by Phil, she makes it her mission to get one for the rest of the day. Phil decides to go to the batting cages to cool off and mistakenly believes a child's birthday party is for him - only adding to his unhappiness.
Meanwhile, Jay had purchased a new chess set for Phil from a Sky Mall
Sky Mall
Sky Mall is a specialty publishing firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. SkyMall produces a quarterly in-flight publication, SkyMall, with an annual circulation of approximately 20 million copies distributed in airplane seat pockets...
catalog earlier. Jay decides to challenge Manny to a game of chess, not knowing that Manny is a good player. Gloria, not wanting Jay to be his usual bad loser, told Manny to throw the game. When they get ready to go over to Phil's, Jay keeps trying to get Manny to try a child's version of chess; insulted, Manny challenges Jay to a rematch. Manny states that if he wins, he gets Jay's watch. In four moves, Manny beats Jay and takes the watch. Later, Gloria tells Jay she is also an excellent player; she lets Jay think he's better and when he believes he's on the verge of winning, she begins pouting and getting upset. Jay decides to call the game because he doesn't want an unhappy wife - Gloria later reveals that she would've beat him in two moves. She says to the camera "I'm an excellent chess player, but a better wife".
The night before Phil's birthday, Cameron and Mitchell heard a man's voice coming from Lily's room. Fearing a burglar, Mitchell freezes. They then discover that there was no burglar; just a signal accidentally received from a neighbouring house by the baby monitor. The next day, Mitchell asks Jay to help him toughen up so that if it actually happens in the future, he can take more appropriate action. Cameron keeps listening to conversations from the baby monitor and discovers that there is some drama going on over at the neighbour's house. Learning that a misunderstanding may cause a divorce, he decides to tell the wife the truth before anything bad happens. Mitchell, attempting to help Claire with her mission to pick up an Apple iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
, gets her and himself thrown out of a line at another Apple store.
In the end, Claire comes home without an Apple iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
. However, Luke managed to convince a man online that his father was dying and his last wish was an Apple iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
before he passed - So the man brought a second Apple iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
over and gave it to Luke to give to Phil. That night, during the party, she brings out the Apple iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
to a delighted Phil.
Production
The episode was written by Joe Lawson and Alex Herschlag, Joe Lawson's third writing credit and Alex's first writing credit. It was directed by Kevin Sullivan.The episode includes guest stars Kevin Fry-Bowers as the security guard at the Apple Store, Jason Antoon as Clark, Whitney Claire Kaufman as Sarah, Tyrel Jackson Williams as Little Phil, Harrison White as the postman and Zak Boggan as the kid outside the batting cage. Although the Apple iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
was prominently featured, Apple Inc. did not pay for product placement within this episode.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Game Changer" came second in its timeslot after American IdolAmerican Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
being viewed by 9.34 million viewers and a 18-49 Nielsen Rating of 3.8 rating and a 11% share beating last week's 3.7. The show was the 4th most viewed show of the night. The episode ranked 20 in the weekly viewership ranking sixth for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and ranked 8 in the 18-49 Nielsen Rating ranking 3rd on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in the rating.
The episode received positive reviews. Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode a 8 saying it was "impressive" and "though "Game Changer" lacked creativity when it came to storylines, the likeability of these characters kept the tone fun and made the episode enjoyable." Lesley Savage of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the episode positive review saying it was "It’s the little things that make this show so clever.". Donna Bowman gave the episode a A- saying ". Even though there were funny moments in the other two stories, Phil's journey from excitement to near-catatonic resignation ("honey, it's okay, I don't feel things anymore," he reassures Claire) to euphoric rebirth was brilliantly played" Joel Keller of The TV Squad critizized the episode for product placement of the iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
saying "Look, I'm not an Apple hater; I love my iPod Touch, and one day I may convert from being a PC guy to a Mac guy. But this company has enough buzz from tech media types who get the vapors every time Jobs dons his black mock turtleneck to introduce a new product, and it's not like they don't already have a monstrous advertising budget. Do they really need to infect our favorite shows, too?"
External links
- "Game Changer" at ABC.com