Modern Family: “Diamond in the Rough” (Episode 4.10)

Families shouldn’t go into business together. That’s a well-known fact, but apparently not to Claire and Cam. The major storyline of “Diamond in the Rough” is their desire to flip a house. They are typically a good duo, but this episode also highlighted another pairing we don’t often see: Mitchell and Phil. Their overly dramatic sabotaging (“I suggest you lose this number”) is what saved this episode.

Claire and Cam are having a Field of Dreams moment, thanks to Luke and Manny’s underdog baseball team. Luke’s team made it to the playoffs, but everyone was so surprised, they forgot to book a field. Enter foreman Claire and farmer Cam to turn a field into a baseball diamond. While they are working in the neighborhood, they meet a one-time actress (“He went out the back”), who is selling her house. The house is a steal, so they have the grandiose idea to flip it. Enter Phil and Mitchell.

They both think it’s a bad idea, but cheerleader Phil is able to make it seem as if Mitchell is the bad guy. Their interaction steals the show. From Phil’s sly “begging” and Mitchell running down his car to evil Mitchell with a cat in a swivel chair and Phil sitting on the people, we definitely learn that these two should interact more often.

After a truly touching moment with Claire acknowledging that she wants more than to stay at home, Phil and Mitchell cave and they all go in on the house together. But as Jay warns them, it’s always bad to mix family and business. Hint, hint: this will be coming up in later episodes.

Other things that happened in the episode: Gloria is a bad singer. Manny doesn’t know how to play baseball. Haley got a job. And Alex disappeared.