Modern Family TV Show Log Message Received

Modern Family TV Show Log Message Received
By Sarah McKenzie

Message Received is the 22nd episode of the 5th season in the sitcom Modern Family. This episode was written by Steven Levitan and directed by Jeffrey Walker. This episode aired on May 7 2014, and I have watched it many times, most recently on October 29th 2016.

This episode has three different plot lines, each following the Dunphys, the Tucker-Pritchetts and the Pritchett-Delgados. Manny, Jay and Gloria all try something new and are surprised at their results, the Dunphy kids trick Phil into thinking Claire is pregnant, and Jay struggles with the idea of Mitchell and Cameron getting married.

The Jay, Gloria and Manny Story
Jay forces his stepson Manny into eating a pickle, which he had refused. This leads to Jay and Gloria also doing something out of their comforts zones- Jay eating a blood sausage and Gloria rubbing their dog (Stella)'s belly. In the end Gloria finds herself rubbing Stella's stomach for enjoyment and then hears a noise which turns out to be Manny in the pantry eating a pickle secretly.

This plot, even though very funny and lighthearted, also taught me a lesson about trying new things. Manny is reluctant to try his pickle and Jay and Gloria don't see why, until they get confronted by their own dislikes and realise how hard it is to actually try these things. By working as a team and all trying out their new things, the family gets through it and in the case of Manny and Gloria, actually enjoy themselves. This idea of attempting to eat or do something that you are afraid of is very prevalent in our lives, because it is so easy just to give up and move onto something else, that we find ourselves settling into a routine and not challenging ourselves to do new things.


The Mitchell and Jay Story
After failing to raise some funds for their evergrowing wedding by selling prized possessions, Gloria suggests to Mitch and Cam that they should just ask Jay, Mitchell's wealthy father and Gloria's husband to lend them some money. Jay and Mitchell argue over this and it ends up leading to the rather taboo subject in the series which is Jay's discomfort over Mitch's sexuality and his and Cam's relationship. Mitch storms out after suggesting that Jay should just not come to their wedding.

This is such an emotional part of the episode, but also such a big issue in our world. Jay has had to accept Mitch from when he came out as gay, and through the whole series he seems perfectly comfortable with Mitch's relationship with Cam, and even the adoption of their daughter Lily. 

There are so many people, especially parents, out there who are unsupportive of their queer children or friends and with more and more people coming out it is really unacceptable. These people were (although many may argue) born this way and honestly, if they can't accept LGBT+ people for who they are, I really don't think there's much point in having that person in their lives. Although it's sometimes okay to voice your feelings, sometimes it is better to just take some time to deal with it and once you've accepted the truth, move on.


I would definitely recommend watching both this episode and the whole series. It's so inspiring to see a gay couple living their lives normally, and although in this episode there are mishaps, maybe some young people might watch and know that there are other people going through the same struggles as them.