Guest stars can either make the episode brim with new energy or make it sink.  While Edward Norton and Elizabeth Banks partying with my favorite new sitcom Modern Family seems like a good idea, the episode ultimately makes too much room for extra packaging and undevelops the thing that made America fall in love with the show in the first place: the family.

The Anniversary

This storyline feels incredibly labored and awkward to me.  Seeing Edward Norton in a comedic role is like seeing Jim Carrey do a dramatic role.  It’s weird.  While the storyline could’ve further established Claire and Phil as a couple, there’s little dramatic connection between the two thanks to Norton in the middle of the pair.  Yes, there are some very funny moments, but viewers really have to work getting past the sudden introduction of a really bizarre character.

The Second Child

Elizabeth Banks definitely fares better in the episode, no doubt in part thanks to the chemistry between Cameron and Mitchell.  Still, the kooky character has little to do with anything except for…shouting death threats against the baby?  The storyline has its moments, but it sits firmly as a single-shot storyline.  It won’t go anywhere and it certainly won’t be memorable compared to the rest of the cast.

All in all, ‘Great Expactation’ underuses several major powerhouses in the cast such as Claire, Gloria and Cameron.  For a show about a family, this episode diverges from that formula and instead captures some outside excitement with new guest stars.  I understand the gesture, but I suppose my insight is this: why fix something that isn’t broken?  Modern Family strays a little from excellence for me this week, but it’s still far from boring.

Rating: 7/10

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