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24 Episodes 2010 - 2011
Season 2 of the acclaimed mockumentary-style sitcom took home its second Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in as many years, and begins with Phil (Ty Burrell) reluctantly agreeing to get rid of the old Dunphy station wagon, while Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) tries to build a princess castle for Lily (Ella and Jaden Hiller). Other noteworthy stories include Mitchell's aversion to public displays of affection with Cameron (Eric Stonestreet); Jay (Ed O'Neill) sharing a boys' night out with Mitchell and Cameron's friends; Jay's ex-wife, DeDe (Shelley Long), having a fling with Claire's high-school boyfriend (Matt Dillon); and the return of Phil's and Claire's mysterious alter egos, Clive and Julianna, for a Valentine's Day rendezvous. Among the guest stars in Season 2 are Nathan Lane as Mitchell and Cameron's friend Pepper; and Celia Weston as Cameron's mother, Barb.
Episode 1
Wed, Sep 22, 2010 30 mins
In the second-season premiere, Phil reluctantly agrees to get rid of the Dunphy station wagon, which prompts a wave of nostalgia for the old car. Meanwhile, Cameron enlists Jay's help when Mitchell tries to build a princess castle for Lily; and Manny asks a girl to come over to study.
Episode 2
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 30 mins
Jay pokes fun at Gloria's pledge to honor her grandmother's memory by cooking traditional Colombian cuisine. Meanwhile, Cameron and Mitchell debate the merits of public displays of affection; and Alex's interest in a boy brings out Claire's overbearing side.
Episode 3
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 30 mins
When an earthquake strikes, Cameron and Mitchell see a way out of a costume brunch thrown by their friend Pepper (Nathan Lane); Claire is trapped in the bathroom with a plumber; and Manny undergoes a crisis of existential proportions on an outing with Jay.
Episode 4
Wed, Oct 13, 2010 30 mins
Claire and Mitchell make a pact to be honest with each other's mates about, respectively, Cameron's choice of attire and Phil's speech at an upcoming banquet. Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria attend a milestone birthday party for an employee's daughter.
Episode 5
Wed, Oct 20, 2010 30 mins
The Dunphys try to avoid a complete communication breakdown by going without their electronic devices. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Cameron shop for preschools for Lily; and Jay and Manny worry about Gloria's obsession with a neighbor's barking dog.
Episode 6
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 30 mins
Claire's elaborate Halloween plans depend on the rest of the family's help with trick-or-treaters. Meanwhile, the holiday conjures up terrible memories for Cameron; Mitchell has a bad day at the office; and Jay and Manny poke fun at Gloria's accent.
Episode 7
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 30 mins
Phil is perplexed by a faulty smoke detector; Claire and Haley get sick at the same time; Gloria and Manny's surprise visit to Jay's workplace doesn't make his job any easier; Cameron can't resist trying to get Lily in a commercial.
Episode 8
Wed, Nov 17, 2010 30 mins
A party at a restaurant for Manny's birthday makes the honored guest anxious about his age, gives Claire and Phil a reason to race each other and offers Cameron a chance to meet new people at the mall when he and Mitchell go shopping for a gift. Norman Lloyd ("St. Elsewhere") guest stars.
Episode 9
Wed, Nov 24, 2010 30 mins
A visit from Cameron's force-of-nature mother (Celia Weston) makes Mitchell nervous; Phil is distraught over Haley's breakup with Dylan; Jay's stomach ailment gets worse after he and Manny log on to a medical Web site.
Episode 10
Wed, Dec 8, 2010 30 mins
The first school dance for Luke and Manny prompts an eventful trip to the mall for Jay and Phil, and Claire doesn't need Gloria's help on the parents' dance committee. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Cameron are surprised by Lily's antisocial behavior at the playground.
Episode 11
Wed, Jan 5, 2011 30 mins
Claire goes on a crusade to put the brakes on a car that speeds through their neighborhood; Jay give bike-riding lessons to Manny and Gloria; Cameron and Mitchell are bewitched by a mysterious neighbor (James Marsden); Phil pursues a tough real-estate deal.
Episode 12
Wed, Jan 12, 2011 30 mins
Mitchell and Cameron have a chance encounter with Mitchell's old girlfriend (Mary Lynn Rajskub); Gloria's efforts to befriend another couple annoy Jay; Phil and Claire encourage Alex to lighten up on her schoolwork.
Episode 13
Wed, Jan 19, 2011 30 mins
The Dunphy kids are in for an unpleasant surprise when they deliver breakfast in bed for Phil and Claire's anniversary. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Cameron covet a table at a hip new restaurant owned by a fellow parent (Rachael Harris) at Lily's preschool; and an e-mail may spoil a trip to Las Vegas for Jay and Gloria.
Episode 14
Wed, Feb 9, 2011 30 mins
Phil and Claire assume their alter egos, Clive and Juliana, for another Valentine's Day rendezvous. Meanwhile, Jay's surprise for Gloria encounters one obstacle after another; and Cameron and Mitchell dispute an admirer's intentions.
Episode 15
Wed, Feb 16, 2011 30 mins
Cameron is upset when Fizbo the clown is nixed from the guest list for Lily's princess-theme birthday party, but the invitees do include Mitchell's mom (Shelley Long), who shows up with Claire's high-school boyfriend (Matt Dillon).
Episode 16
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 30 mins
Jay and Gloria step in to sort things out when a big fight between Claire and Phil leaves the latter in the dark about its subject matter. Meanwhile, Cameron plans an important fund-raiser with help from Mitchell and Luke; and Jay makes an ill-advised purchase of a karaoke machine for Gloria.
Episode 17
Wed, Mar 2, 2011 30 mins
With Claire preoccupied by a feud between Haley and Alex, Phil takes advantage of a day at the spa. Meanwhile, Gloria is creeped out by Jay's designs on his-and-hers burial plots; and Cameron does research for a book about Lily's adoption.
Episode 18
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 30 mins
Luke's friendship with a curmudgeonly neighbor (Philip Baker Hall) gives Phil and Claire pause; Jay tries to get out of a concert with Gloria and Manny but winds up with Mitchell and Cameron on a night out with their friends; Haley babysits Lily.
Episode 19
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 30 mins
Cameron throws himself into his job as interim music director at Luke and Manny's school. Meanwhile, Jay's sibling rivalry with his visiting brother (Jonathan Banks) goes to another level; and Phil wants his family to be in his realty advertisement.
Episode 20
Wed, Apr 20, 2011 30 mins
To safeguard Lily's future in the event of an emergency, Mitchell and Cameron covertly evaluate Mitchell's family for legal-guardian material, but none of them make a convincing case, especially when they witness Alex and Haley's delinquent behavior at school and learn of Claire's secret trips with Luke to a child psychologist.
Episode 21
Wed, May 4, 2011 30 mins
Claire and Gloria's Mother's Day excursion outdoors with the kids turns into the mother of all disasters. Meanwhile, Phil and Jay share an awkward moment when they stay home to prepare dinner for everyone; and Cameron worries about gender roles in his relationship with Mitchell.
Episode 22
Wed, May 11, 2011 30 mins
Phil and Claire's decision to reverse their respective "good cop, bad cop" roles throws the kids for a loop. Meanwhile, Jay offers advice to an entrepreneur (Lin-Manuel Miranda) about a dog-training business; and Cameron has a bout with the flu that threatens to ruin Mitchell's plans to attend a Lady Gaga concert.
Episode 23
Wed, May 18, 2011 30 mins
The family gather at Jay's house before going to Alex's middle-school graduation, but they're in danger of missing the ceremony thanks to a perfect storm of events that includes Jay trying to hide a cosmetic snafu, Cameron thinking Mitchell is mocking him, and Phil reminding Claire that the kids are getting older.
Episode 24
Wed, May 25, 2011 30 mins
Jay wants to spend his birthday fishing in the second-season finale, but his family decide he really wants a big party, which leads to Claire and Mitchell being trapped in the yard of their childhood home, Phil's encounter with his college nemesis at the mall and Cameron getting into trouble at the bakery.