‘Modern Family’s Best Christmas Episode Is Also Its Funniest

There is nothing quite like Modern Family. We’ve seen other mockumentaries, but Modern Family’s fantastic writing and longevity are unmatched. Rarely can you have a show where there are 11 characters who all have narratives that feel purposeful and satisfying, yet pretty much every episode nails every subplot. It’s not just hilarious, but the diversity, love, and closeness of this family truly make it the modern ideal of what society could and should look like. Because of this, Modern Family is always worth a rewatch, especially the holiday episodes, including one of the best episodes of the entire show, “The Old Man and the Tree.” This episode nails everything that makes Modern Family such a funny and engaging show, to the point that you feel part of the family yourself and ready for the holiday season.

What Happens in ‘Modern Family’s Christmas Episode, “The Old Man and the Tree”?

Luke (Nolan Gould) encouraging Phil (Ty Burrell) on an elliptical machine in Modern Family — Image via ABC

This episode has the typical parallel narratives that keep Modern Family so engaging throughout every episode. We open with Phil (Ty Burrell) trying to walk to Canada on an elliptical machine as Luke (Nolan Gould) tries to hide the piled-up recycling he forgot to throw away. Claire (Julie Bowen), upset over her mother, DeDe (Shelley Long), always getting her slippers for Christmas, goes to Gloria’s (Sofía Vergara) house to babysit Gloria’s mother, yet this ends up making Gloria jealous over how well the two get along. Obsessed with acquiring his Christmas tree the old-fashioned way, Jay (Ed O’Neill) and Manny (Rico Rodriguez) go to increasingly comedic lengths to bring just one down. Haley (Sarah Hyland) and Alex (Ariel Winter) are excited to stop sharing a room and go to work at the mall as an elf and Mrs. Claus, and, finally, Cam (Eric Stonestreet) and Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) get confused over whom a charity event for the needy is really for, as Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) must do some last-minute Christmas shopping for his friends.

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This ‘Modern Family’ Episode Nails the Slapstick Comedy in Every Subplot

What makes “The Old Man and the Tree” such a classic episode is it has some of the best slapstick that makes Modern Family so funny. Cam’s line that changes the emphasis from “for the needy” to “for the needy” is a genuinely brilliant bit of writing that displays a great understanding of the English language and how it can be manipulated to cause confusion. This is also used when Mitchell reads Pepper’s invitation for a second time, from “no gifts please” to “no gifts? Please.”

Manny and Jay’s struggle over how to chop down one tree is similarly hilarious, but rather than it being a lingual comedy, it’s a contextual comedy piece, and Manny’s sensibility versus Jay’s old-fashioned stubbornness is a great dynamic. Phil and Luke’s subplot makes use of this situational comedy as well, and Claire and Gloria’s subplot is a classic piece of putting two conflicting characters in the same space and creating an arc where they end up helping each other in the end. Overall, what we see in this episode is nearly every style of comedy being used, creating different yet brilliant dynamics.

“The Old Man and the Tree” Delivers All of Its Dramatic Beats Effectively

Claire (Julie Bowen), Haley (Sarah Hyland) dressed as an elf and Alex (Ariel Winter) dressed as Mrs Claus in Modern Family — Image via ABC

Furthermore, this episode also nails its more emotional and dramatic moments. Claire finally realizing why her mother’s gift of slippers is so important, as they represent the happy times they have had in the past, really hits home and makes us thankful for all the times we have done the same thing over and over again with our parents, as we feel the safety that only home can provide. Even Haley and Alex, arguably the weakest sub-plot of the episode, being mobbed by kids has a sweet ending as they get into bed together before Christmas, effectively portraying what Christmas is all about: family.

In the end, all of this comes together to make “The Old Man and the Tree” one of the best Modern Family episodes of all time. More than five subplots culminating in satisfying conclusions and teaching us one homogeneous lesson about how important family is at Christmas is an achievement in and of itself, yet to also make those subplots consistently funny is simply remarkable. No matter what you are watching this Christmas, “The Old Man and the Tree” should definitely be on your watchlist, as you will not regret it.