Meet new Lily!

After months of knowing that Jaden and Ella Hiller were being replaced as Baby Lily on Modern Family, we finally have our first look at Aubrey Anderson-Emmons in action. And even though I shudder at the idea of her being rapidly-aged to four, this transition is actually kind of great. See, the thing that made Lily one of the top-four best characters on Modern Family was her nonchalance about everything. She always appeared wise beyond her years–completely aware of the insanity going on around her, but choosing not to comment. You always got the idea that she could unleash a tirade, possibly in a language other than English, on these people, but she was just too above it all to care.

I think we learned going forward that that wasn’t necessarily an acting choice, but rather the disposition of the children playing Lily–they really didn’t care too much about being on the show. It’s great to see that they’ve incorporated that into the character going forward, and that “New Lily” seems just as disengaged as her predecessor. The best part isn’t that Cam is a coddling father–it’s that he doesn’t get even as much as a smile in return.

Sneak peek for tonight’s episode:

What’s so great about Modern Family is that in a scene about something so universally simple and universally terrifying, every single Dunphy gets a knee-slapper of a line. (I mean, really, my knee is red from slapping it.)

I’ve learned a lot about married people and sex in the last week and a half. Much of it has been from Dr. Laura Berman’s new show on OWN called In the Bedroom, where Oprah’s favorite sex therapist helps couples spice it up by working through their problems (which always seem to be daddy issues). Anyway, Dr. Berman says that married people should have sex on a fairly regular basis, for a number of reasons, one of which is almost definitely to prove they still like each other. So the Dunphy kids should be reassured that their parents are still doing it (and enjoying it–zesty!) after all these years.

Of course, you know what’s going to happen is they’re going to sit those kids down and try to explain themselves. I fear Luke’s questions and Phil’s answers. Claire’s about to be even more traumatized.

Hey, lady, at least you’re with Phil now. Your last husband had some way serious daddy issues.

This year, EW bucked tradition and put a smattering of shows on the cover of the annual issue dedicated to television. I get the reasoning behind it–it ups the chances you’ll buy it in line at the grocery store if your buddies are smiling back at you–but it still felt like a cop-out.

Before I found out that EW had sold out the cover of the issue, my money was on Modern Family. I was two weeks too early.

I know, I know. Hashtag white girl problems.

Anyway, it’s great that the cast (the WHOLE cast!) of Modern Family is in the magazine this week, gracing three separate special covers and a slew of pictures inside.

Modern Family is hard to talk about, because the plots are so delightfully simple. Even though spoilers aren’t necessarily hard to come by for this show, they’re not super-exciting, either. Which isn’t to say these plots won’t be hilarious when they happen–they will be. It’s not the situations that are so funny, it’s what the characters do and how the writers build in the nuances that make this show SO FREAKING FUNNY.

The characters are all so likeable, the stories are so relateable … blah blah blah, gush gush gush.

The big news about this season is that (gasp!) Mitchell and Cam will finally kiss. Here’s what EW says about it:

The story of the Mitchell-and-Cam lip-lock (airing Sept. 29), however, became something of a soap opera in itself hwen a “Let Cam & Mitchell kiss!” Facebook page sprang up in May. Still, the producers and actors insist a smooch was already in the works for this season: “It’s nice that people care so much, but it kind of bums me out in that now it looks like we’re doing something because somebody begged us to or pressured us to,” says Stonestreet. “The [writers] wanted to tell a good story and not just make a moment out of it. It should just be normal, natural, and sweet, and done in a really great way, which is how they’re doing it.” Agrees Ferguson: “I thought it was really sweet that the fans were so avid about the show and wanted to see that happen….That being said, it’s not a Choose Your Own Adventure type of show. We have amazing writers. And we’re not just going to give the fans whatever they want to see.”

Well said.

EW is also a little bitch when it comes to embedding videos, so here’s a link to a super-cute video of the kids at the magazine shoot. ::Shakes head:: A link.

“We’re not playing Good Cop/Mom.” Amazing.

After the jump, see a promo, which features more new footage from season two.

It’s just the funniest new show I’ve seen since 30 Rock premiered.  There’s just not much to say beyond that.  I think it’s a testament to the fact that good writing goes a long way–just about any concept can work with pitch-perfect writing like this show’s.

Well, here’s a piece of news for you at least! Benjamin Bratt just signed on to guest star as Gloria’s ex-husband, Manny’s father. It’s funny, because this whole time they’ve been talking about him (Gloria fondly recalls their sexytimes, Manny thinks his dad’s the strongest guy in the whole world), I’ve been picturing some fatass loser–definitely not Benjamin Bratt!

He’ll only appear in one episode so far, but that’s enough to get me excited.

The show nabbing strong guest stars (Shelley Long is guesting on tonight’s episode as the matriarch of the family) is a good sign that folks in Hollywood are paying attention–and seeing it as a vehicle for, you know, exposure, good material, and perhaps those guesting Emmys.  (What? You think Kristin Chenoweth wasn’t thinking about a backup plan when she volunteered to sing all those numbers?)