Fears

Season 1, Episode 16, Aired
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Episode Summary

When Phil and Luke go underneath the house to see what they can find, Phil is challenged to overcome his fear of the dark. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Cameron freak out when Lily's first word is "Mommy," and Haley takes her driving test.
6.1
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Fan Episode Reviews (4)

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  • Overcoming Fears

    8.0
    "Great"
    By Lostindharma, Jan 25, 2012 Report Abuse
    Like with all Modern Family episodes all 3 parts were good to see. The part with Hailey's part was good. I liked that her driving instructor was trying to help her. I thought it was funny at the end when she told Claire and Alex that she passed but forgot to put the van in park. The Phil and Luke storyline was good too. The things that Luke and Phil thought was below the house and later in attic was funny to see. It shows how much a kid Phil is. I also enjoyed that Phil was trying to hide his fear from Luke, but overcame it when he rescued Luke. The part with Cameron and Mitchell was very funny. When you find out why Lilly was saying mommy was great. (you need to watch out the episode to find out) You see this again but Cameron trying to be not offensive is great. A good episode from bottom to top.moreless

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  • Still one of the better written shows!

    7.5
    "Good"
    By DavidPenningt, Apr 16, 2011 Report Abuse
    This show just about blew me out of the water when I first watched it. After the onset of shows like Arrested Development and The Office, the mockumentary has taken modern television by storm. Modern family is smart and quick, which is perfect for the half hour comedy.

    Fears - The Episode where each family member is forced to face their fears. Whether it is a menacing driving instructor (Haley), a baby's less than desirable first words (Cam and Mitch) or a roller coaster (Manny and . . .Ray?), this show covers all corners.

    I really liked the character development that occurred with Luke in this episode. Up until now, he has just played the straight man to Phil's screw ups. Next, I'd like to see what else than can do with Alex. There are some episodes where she doesn't even make an appearance! I think she could very well be one of the stronger characters in this series.moreless

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    4 3

  • The family faces their fears.

    8.6
    "Great"
    By JaCkKbAuEr2424, Apr 16, 2011 Report Abuse
    I'm not sure why, but Luke has never stood out to me as a strong character compared to everybody else. Alex, Haley and Manny have all had moments that still stand out to me and make me laugh just thinking about them, but Luke has always felt like the fourth wheel, a goofy counterpart to Phil. I still feel that way after this episode, but we got to see more of him and Phil interacting with each other, saying weird, immature, albeit funny things.

    This episode, much like the title informs us, is about each family facing their fears. Some of them were normal, such as being afraid of dark, enclosed spaces and what awaits inside of them (Phil's reactions to these particular things made for some of the funniest moments), watching your child go for their license, actually GOING for your license, and being afraid of not finding someone to dance with at a school dance. All perfectly normal things that everybody has felt or at least knows somebody who has felt it.

    However, what made this episode special was how much different, yet believable Cameron and Mitchell's fear was. They were afraid that Lily would grow up incapable of seeing them as fathers, or "daddies." The entire pediatrician plot was funny from beginning to end, and it was laced with touching moments that never felt too drenched in sentimentality. I think that's what separates this show from other sitcoms right now: there's some God's honest truth in it, but it still maintains a quirkiness that is undeniably their own. And the cast as a whole meshes together well.

    So far, this has been my favorite new television show. Glee has been getting a lot of the attention, but Modern Family has better acting, writing, directing and a better overall feeling. I'm very excited to keep watching this show grow.moreless

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  • Fears

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By thefanof, Apr 16, 2011 Report Abuse
    Above average episode of Modern Family tonight. Some great stuff from Phil, who is hit or miss at times, but was definitely on tonight. Unfortunately the rest of the cast did not really offer anything of note though. That is one of the problems with this show. They tout it as an ensemble effort, but on what grounds? Compare the cast of this show to 30 Rock's. Yeah, not even close.

    Haley's scenes were alright, but these kids are more annoying than humorous, and that is on a consistent basis. Good child actors are certainly not a dime a dozen.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • The doll saying the word "Mommy" may have been plausible when Dr. Miura first came over because she might have sat on it. But during dinner, the doll was sitting on a chest behind Mitchell, and no one squeezed it, so either Lily actually said the word "Mommy" or this was an oversight. Edit

  • Notes

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    • Original International Air Dates: Canada: March 3, 2010 on Citytv United Kingdom: April 29, 2010 on Sky1/Sky1 HD Czech Republic: May 31, 2010 on HBO Comedy Latin America: October 5, 2010 on FOX Finland: July 21, 2011 on MTV3

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  • Quotes

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    • Gloria: The party is at an amusement park and Manny's afraid of roller coasters. Jay: Poor kid Gloria: I don't know where he gets his fear from, cause his father is not afraid of anything no bulls, no heights, no helicopters, no fast cars. Jay: But go to dinner with him and wait for the check to come then you'll see fear in his eyes, like the waiter's a ghost. Edit
    • Phil: Excited? Luke: Yeah Phil: We're like Ponce de Leon and his son, Little Ponce. Luke: Who's that? Phil: Famous treasure hunters. Luke: His name was Ponce? He'd get made fun of at my school. They'd probably call him Pants. Phil laughs Phil: Pants, or maybe um Fancy Pants. Edit
    • Phil: A few days ago the cable guy was under the house. When he was leaving, he said to Haley, "Wow, that's quite a collection you've got down there." Here's the thing--we have no idea what he's talking about. All week, Luke and I have been getting more and more excited about what it could be. Edit

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