Hawaii (Modern Family)
Encyclopedia
"Hawaii" is the twenty-third episode of Modern Family
on the first season
. The episode originally premiered on May 12, 2010 on American Broadcasting Company
(ABC).
In the episode, Jay's plans to do nothing but relax on vacation are interrupted by an unwelcome reality check. Meanwhile, Phil (Ty Burrell
) tries to make the trip romantic for Claire (Julie Bowen
), Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson
) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet
) disagree on whether they should go sight-seeing, and the kids get themselves into trouble. Also Luke (Nolan Gould
) and Manny (Rico Rodriguez) live together in the same room like The Odd Couple
.
The episode was written by Bill Wrubel and Dan O'Shannon and directed by series co-creator Steven Levitan
. "Hawaii" received positive reviews from critics, with most praising Phil and Claire renewing their vows, and was viewed by 10.335 million viewers and becoming the highest rated episode of the series according to Nielsen Media Research
.
Mitchell is trying to get Cameron to come sight-seeing with him, though Cameron just wishes to relax. Cameron pretends to want to come, though he finally decides not to go on one of his tours. Mitchell ends up going alone, and then returns to relax with Cameron; Mitchell apologizes for wanting Cameron to go with him. Later, Mitchell and Cameron lose Lily by accidentally leaving her in the elevator, though she is eventually found by Gloria. Later, Mitchell and Cameron go to a banana plantation, though they end up losing Lily again.
Jay is eager to relax and eat fatty foods, though a call from his brother reminds him how his father had died at 63 due to his poor health. Jay is inspired to take better care of himself, prompting him to spend the vacation working out and being more active, annoying Gloria who had just wished to relax. At the end of the day, Jay ends up having his back give way, resting in a hammock and being late for his birthday dinner. Phil goes to find him, leading to an awkward moment where Phil ends up lying on top of Jay. Phil helps him back to the party, where Jay reveals to Gloria why he is being more active and that he doesn't want to end up like his dad. Afterwards, Jay gives in and relaxes with Gloria, ordering fatty foods as well.
. It is Bill Wrubel's fourth
writing credit after "The Bicycle Thief
", "Moon Landing
", and "Airport 2010
" (co-written with Dan O'Shannon). It is also Paul Corrigan's fourth writing credit after "Run for Your Wife", "Fizbo
", and "Travels with Scout
" (all three with Brad Walsh). It was also the first directing credit of Steven Levitan
who co-created the show with Christopher Lloyd
. This episode follows a two episode story arc which was started in the previous episode, "Airport 2010
" of the all three families going on a trip to Hawaii
to celebrate Jay's Birthday. The episode was initially filmed two months from the air date on the week of March 1–7, 2010 and was the last episode filmed for the season.
. When Mitchell gets his massage he says "Sweet Lady Gaga
". One of the locals at the wedding sings "Eye of the Tiger
". When Phil is trying to help Jay out of the hammock, Phil references the Scorpions
song "Rock You Like a Hurricane
".
. It was also the best performance against American Idol
both in viewers and ratings. The show also beat American Idol
for the first time in the Men 18-35 demographic and became the top rated scripted program for the 11th consecutive week and became the second-most viewed episode of the series after "Pilot
". The episode ranked sixth in the weekly 18-49 ratings becoming for the first time the highest rated of ABC
and ranked 23rd in total viewers becoming the 5th highest viewed ABC show.
The episode received positive reviews from critics. Robert Canning of IGN
gave the episode an 8.8 saying it was "Great" and "While "Hawaii" was not as fantastic as its predecessor and did have a few shortcomings, it was still a funny episode that was fun to watch". Jason Hughes of TV Squad wrote "thanks a lot 'Modern Family' for showing us such a beautiful looking and relaxing family vacation." he also said the Phil surprising Claire with the renewal of their vows
was perfect. Donna Bowman of A.V. Club gave the episode a A saying "The writing is inventive, the timing is crisp, and all three nodes of the extended family get their laughs in". Emily Paxton of Entertainment Weekly
said ". For me, relaxing means kicking back with an A+ episode of Modern Family" she also said the remarriage was almost as sweet as The Office episode "Niagara
"'s moment when Jim gave Pam her surprise.
TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.8/5 and remarked that "There was true sentiment at the heart of Phil and Claire's vow renewal, as Modern Family manages to deliver both laughs and emotion on a weekly basis" BuddyTV
gave the episode a positive review writing " although the family may have been on vacation, it's clear the writers were hard at work--creating one of the season's best half-hours.". Matt Roush of TV Guide
gave the episode a positive review writing ". Plenty of comedies amuse me, but few move me the way this does.".
The ending of the episode was praised by most critics. Donna Bowman of A.V. Club said "It's a moment that indicates the potential Modern Family has for heart to go along with its demonstrated expertise in comedy.". Robert Canning said "It was a sweet way to end the family trip.". Emily Paxton compared it to "Niagara
" (The Office episode). Matt Roush called it "a genuinely sweet wedding ceremony".
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...
on the first season
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...
. The episode originally premiered on May 12, 2010 on American Broadcasting Company
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...
(ABC).
In the episode, Jay's plans to do nothing but relax on vacation are interrupted by an unwelcome reality check. Meanwhile, Phil (Ty Burrell
Ty Burrell
- External links :*...
) tries to make the trip romantic for Claire (Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
), Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an American actor who portrays Mitchell Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family. Previously he played the role of Richie Velch in the CBS sitcom The Class. He is openly gay.-Life and career:...
) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet
Eric Stonestreet
Eric Stonestreet is an American actor, known for his starring role as Cameron Tucker on the ABC comedy Modern Family. Stonestreet has received critical acclaim for his performance in Modern Family and won the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his...
) disagree on whether they should go sight-seeing, and the kids get themselves into trouble. Also Luke (Nolan Gould
Nolan Gould
Nolan Gould is an American child actor best known for his starring role as Luke Dunphy on the ABC comedy Modern Family. He is the brother of Aidan Gould-Acting career:...
) and Manny (Rico Rodriguez) live together in the same room like The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple (TV series)
The Odd Couple is a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.Felix and Oscar are two divorced men....
.
The episode was written by Bill Wrubel and Dan O'Shannon and directed by series co-creator Steven Levitan
Steven Levitan
Steven E. Levitan is an American director, screenwriter and producer of television comedies. He has created such TV series as Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Stacked, Back to You, and Modern Family....
. "Hawaii" received positive reviews from critics, with most praising Phil and Claire renewing their vows, and was viewed by 10.335 million viewers and becoming the highest rated episode of the series according to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
.
Plot
Continuing from the previous episode, the Pritchett family arrives in Hawaii. Phil wants to turn the vacation into a honeymoon with his wife, as they never got to have a proper one before (or even a proper wedding, due to the unexpected pregnancy with Haley). Claire is concerned that due to their kids, this won't be possible, but Phil tries nonetheless. Phil takes Claire to a private pool, abandoning their kids with Mitchell and Cameron. Enjoying their private time, Haley interrupts them by saying she is going to hang out with some older boys. Claire is obviously concerned, but Phil manages to convince her to not worry about it. Later, however, Claire learns from Alex that Haley had tried alcohol and was throwing up in the bathroom. Claire consoles her and tries to say that this would happen every time she tried alcohol. Later, Phil surprises Claire by having a wedding ceremony prepared, allowing them to have the wedding they deserved.Mitchell is trying to get Cameron to come sight-seeing with him, though Cameron just wishes to relax. Cameron pretends to want to come, though he finally decides not to go on one of his tours. Mitchell ends up going alone, and then returns to relax with Cameron; Mitchell apologizes for wanting Cameron to go with him. Later, Mitchell and Cameron lose Lily by accidentally leaving her in the elevator, though she is eventually found by Gloria. Later, Mitchell and Cameron go to a banana plantation, though they end up losing Lily again.
Jay is eager to relax and eat fatty foods, though a call from his brother reminds him how his father had died at 63 due to his poor health. Jay is inspired to take better care of himself, prompting him to spend the vacation working out and being more active, annoying Gloria who had just wished to relax. At the end of the day, Jay ends up having his back give way, resting in a hammock and being late for his birthday dinner. Phil goes to find him, leading to an awkward moment where Phil ends up lying on top of Jay. Phil helps him back to the party, where Jay reveals to Gloria why he is being more active and that he doesn't want to end up like his dad. Afterwards, Jay gives in and relaxes with Gloria, ordering fatty foods as well.
Production
The episode, "Hawaii" was written by Bill Wrubel & Paul Corrigan and directed by series co-creator, Steven LevitanSteven Levitan
Steven E. Levitan is an American director, screenwriter and producer of television comedies. He has created such TV series as Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Stacked, Back to You, and Modern Family....
. It is Bill Wrubel's fourth
writing credit after "The Bicycle Thief
The Bicycle Thief (Modern Family)
"The Bicycle Thief" is the second episode of the ABC series Modern Family. It originally premiered on American Broadcasting Company in the United States on September 30, 2009...
", "Moon Landing
Moon Landing (Modern Family)
"Moon Landing" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of Modern Family. The episode was originally scheduled to premiere on ABC on January 27, 2010, but it was preempted by the State of the Union address and pushed back a week to February 3, 2010....
", and "Airport 2010
Airport 2010
"Airport 2010" is the twenty-second episode of the American television sitcom series Modern Family. The episode premiered on May 5, 2010, on American Broadcasting Company...
" (co-written with Dan O'Shannon). It is also Paul Corrigan's fourth writing credit after "Run for Your Wife", "Fizbo
Fizbo
"Fizbo" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American comedy series, Modern Family. It originally premiered on American Broadcasting Company in the United States on November 25, 2009...
", and "Travels with Scout
Travels with Scout
"Travels with Scout" is the twenty-first episode of Modern Family. The episode originally aired April 28, 2010 on American Broadcasting Company . The episode was written by Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh and directed by Seth Gordon. In the episode "Travels with Scout", Claire is suspicious when...
" (all three with Brad Walsh). It was also the first directing credit of Steven Levitan
Steven Levitan
Steven E. Levitan is an American director, screenwriter and producer of television comedies. He has created such TV series as Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Stacked, Back to You, and Modern Family....
who co-created the show with Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd (screenwriter)
Christopher Lloyd is an American TV screenwriter and producer of Wings, Frasier, Out of Practice, Back to You, and Modern Family...
. This episode follows a two episode story arc which was started in the previous episode, "Airport 2010
Airport 2010
"Airport 2010" is the twenty-second episode of the American television sitcom series Modern Family. The episode premiered on May 5, 2010, on American Broadcasting Company...
" of the all three families going on a trip to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
to celebrate Jay's Birthday. The episode was initially filmed two months from the air date on the week of March 1–7, 2010 and was the last episode filmed for the season.
Cultural references
Manny and Luke act like the main characters from The Odd CoupleThe Odd Couple (TV series)
The Odd Couple is a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.Felix and Oscar are two divorced men....
. When Mitchell gets his massage he says "Sweet Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
". One of the locals at the wedding sings "Eye of the Tiger
Eye of the Tiger
"Eye of the Tiger" is a single by American rock band Survivor, from their third album Eye of the Tiger. It was released as a single on May 29, 1982, the same year as the album. It was written at the request of actor Sylvester Stallone, who was unable to get permission for Queen's "Another One Bites...
". When Phil is trying to help Jay out of the hammock, Phil references the Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
song "Rock You Like a Hurricane
Rock You Like a Hurricane
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" a song by the German heavy metal band Scorpions. The song was released as the second track of their 1984 album Love at First Sting.-Description:...
".
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Hawaii" was viewed by an estimated 10.335 million households with a 4.3 rating/11% share in the 18-49 demographic making it the highest rated episode of the series. The episode also 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...
. It was also the best performance against American Idol
American 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...
both in viewers and ratings. The show also beat American Idol
American 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...
for the first time in the Men 18-35 demographic and became the top rated scripted program for the 11th consecutive week and became the second-most viewed episode of the series after "Pilot
Pilot (Modern Family)
The pilot episode of the television series Modern Family, written by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd and directed by Jason Winer, premiered on ABC in the United States on September 23, 2009. The pilot introduces viewers to three sets of people who make up a single family...
". The episode ranked sixth in the weekly 18-49 ratings becoming for the first time the highest rated of 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 23rd in total viewers becoming the 5th highest viewed ABC show.
The episode received positive reviews from critics. 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 an 8.8 saying it was "Great" and "While "Hawaii" was not as fantastic as its predecessor and did have a few shortcomings, it was still a funny episode that was fun to watch". Jason Hughes of TV Squad wrote "thanks a lot 'Modern Family' for showing us such a beautiful looking and relaxing family vacation." he also said the Phil surprising Claire with the renewal of their vows
Wedding vow renewal ceremony
A wedding vow renewal ceremony is a ceremony in which a married couple renew or reaffirm their wedding vows. The ceremonies have been popular in Italy for decades, and have existed in United States since the 1950s, but only became popular there after the 1970s...
was perfect. Donna Bowman of A.V. Club gave the episode a A saying "The writing is inventive, the timing is crisp, and all three nodes of the extended family get their laughs in". Emily Paxton 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...
said ". For me, relaxing means kicking back with an A+ episode of Modern Family" she also said the remarriage was almost as sweet as The Office episode "Niagara
Niagara (The Office)
"Niagara" is an hour-long episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office. It is the 4th and 5th episodes in the season's episode count and the 104th and 105th episode of the series overall. The episode was written by executive producer Greg Daniels and Mindy Kaling, and was...
"'s moment when Jim gave Pam her surprise.
TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.8/5 and remarked that "There was true sentiment at the heart of Phil and Claire's vow renewal, as Modern Family manages to deliver both laughs and emotion on a weekly basis" BuddyTV
BuddyTV
BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and...
gave the episode a positive review writing " although the family may have been on vacation, it's clear the writers were hard at work--creating one of the season's best half-hours.". Matt Roush of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
gave the episode a positive review writing ". Plenty of comedies amuse me, but few move me the way this does.".
The ending of the episode was praised by most critics. Donna Bowman of A.V. Club said "It's a moment that indicates the potential Modern Family has for heart to go along with its demonstrated expertise in comedy.". Robert Canning said "It was a sweet way to end the family trip.". Emily Paxton compared it to "Niagara
Niagara (The Office)
"Niagara" is an hour-long episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office. It is the 4th and 5th episodes in the season's episode count and the 104th and 105th episode of the series overall. The episode was written by executive producer Greg Daniels and Mindy Kaling, and was...
" (The Office episode). Matt Roush called it "a genuinely sweet wedding ceremony".
External links
- "Hawaii" at ABC.com