In the sitcom that ran religiously for eleven years, Modern Family is a pseudo-documentary that gives the audience a deeper look at a non-traditional family. In this episode, Phil Dunphy, the fun-loving and optimistic head of the Dunphy family, travels to Australia on the wish of his recently deceased mother to reconnect with his “native land.” Of course, the whole family eagerly accompanies him. Phil arrives in Australia with open arms, but it seems as if the country rejects him. Throughout the episode, characters such as Claire, Jay, Cam, and Mitchell leave the family activities to do their own thing, resulting in conflict within the family. The laughs and heartwarming feelings made this episode extremely enjoyable. 

In “Australia,” written by Steve Levitan, Phil and the family embark on a journey to the land down under. As Phil attempts to reconnect with the land he was conceived in, he is completely rejected by Australia. Throughout the episode, he is stung by a jellyfish, attacked by mosquitoes, and punched in the face by a kangaroo. What he thought would be a magical, spiritual journey goes horribly wrong. While sitting in the hot Australian bush, Claire exclaims that a wild dog has stolen her laptop with all her work. Viewers can interpret this as a symbol for Claire to take a break from her work and join the family. Refusing to believe her, Phil goes on a walk, where he is surprised to meet a mysterious Australian man.  

This episode was not only very hilarious, but it had a good message. I enjoyed how all the storylines came together to portray the message that quality family time is the best kind of vacation. The characters also have unique character traits that make the episode even more funny. 

This episode was not only funny but also tugged at your heartstrings as Phil goes on a journey given to him by his recently deceased mother. After Claire and Jay leave Phil and Gloria at Bondi Beach, they begin Phil’s mission to become a true Australian. Unfortunately, Phil is being attacked by a kangaroo, stung by a jellyfish, and has an allergic reaction to vegemite. They worry that this spiritual journey was a mistake. Phil goes on a walk where he meets a mysterious Aussie who tells him that Australia is only rough to its locals and Phil is a true Australian. 

While Phil fulfills his spiritual journey, Claire and Jay are in a competitive bidding war with their enemy closet rivals which leads them to become distant from their family during the vacation and work for most of the trip. Mitchell and Cameron reluctantly reconnect with an old friend; they spend more time with him once they learn he is a well-known Australian celebrity. Although their actions annoy the rest of the group, they add a great dynamic to the episode. The characters’ interactions with one another leave the audience roaring. Towards the end of the episode, both pairs realize that they should be spending their vacation doing what truly matters – spending time with loved ones.

I enjoyed this episode of Modern Family. It was both hilarious and heartwarming at the same time. I really liked the character dynamics in this episode and throughout the whole series. It made the episode more interesting and, overall, more funny. This episode might not have been the best of the Modern Family series, but it certainly tugged on your heartstrings. This episode left the audience with a smile stretched from ear to ear.