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A Tale of Three Cities

‘A Tale of Three Cities’

Season 8, Episode 1 -  Aired September 21, 2016

After a week in New York City, Claire and Phil tell the kids they're leaving on a road trip for the Caroline Closet Caucus. The kids decide to stay in New York another night, unaware their parents are doing the exact same thing. Mitchell gives Cameron's family the impression he's insensitive as everyone gathers around Grams' deathbed in Missouri. Jay, Gloria, Manny and Joe's time in Juarez, Mexico comes to an end when Gloria's sister, Sonia, turns up. The families all head home to spend Father's Day at Jay's.

Quote from Jay

Jay: Gloria, we can't sit around doing nothing. Call Sonia. Tell her to bring Manny and the cookies to a neutral place, and we'll make the exchange.

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Quote from Gloria

Jay: Why does she want your sauce business, anyway?
Gloria: Well, maybe she has a reason to think that it should be partly hers.
[meanwhile:]
Sonia: My late aunt gave that hot-sauce recipe to both of us. Not just Gloria.
[cutting back and forth:]
Gloria: Sonia didn't care about the recipe. She was very lazy.
Sonia: I said, "Maybe I'll go to America and sell the sauce. Try to make something of myself."
Gloria: So I gently talked her out of it.
Sonia: She told me my idea was stupid. Just like all my ideas.
Gloria: And then I changed my mind, and I did her dream. What is she so mad about?

Quote from Manny

Sonia: I'm sorry to involve you in this feud.
Manny: It's okay. I'm actually starting to see your side of this.
Sonia: Thank you. As long as this isn't that thing where the person gets kidnapped and then-
Manny: Why am only now noticing how beautiful you are?
Sonia: Ay, dios mio.

Quote from Jay

Jay: You each have a sausage on your plate I selected based on your individual personality and temperament.
Cameron: Is this blood sausage? Because mine's pink.
Mitchell: Oh, my mine's pink, t-- Oh. Very funny, Dad.
Jay: Now take a bite of bread, a sip of water to cleanse the palate.
Gloria: Mine smells spicy.
Jay: Show of hands. Who heard me say "Smell your sausage"?
Phil: The box said these pigs were massaged daily, then killed from behind to keep the panic hormone from tainting the meat.
Claire: [smiling] They were murdered from behind?
Jay: The three things I want you to pay attention to are bouquet, texture, and finish. You may begin.
Luke: Can I have some ketchup?
Jay: We're done here.

Quote from Claire

Claire: Where are Cam and Lily?
Mitchell: Uh, they're still at the farm. I got banished.
Claire: Sounds like you're ramping up to a story, but I got some stuff going on, so...
Mitchell: Okay. Good to be home. Okay, so Cam's grandmother, the one who called me a sissy, she died.
And I- I was alone with her when it happened, and the family thinks that I nudged it along.
Claire: [smiling] Cam's grandma died?
Mitchell: Oh, my God. You still do that thing where you smile whenever you talk about death.
Claire: It's just a coping mechanism. It's gonna pass.
Mitchell: You've been doing it since I was 10 years old and we buried my hamster in the backyard.
Claire: His name was Whiskers.

Quote from Jay

Jay: I'll tell you what else we're glossing over -- how bad you all are at Father's Day. I've got one son who's a kleptomaniac, the other who's in love with his own aunt - creepy even by your standards - and a daughter who I was forced to see naked as the day she was born.
Mitchell: Come on, Cam. Kiss me like the sissy I am!
Jay: Right on cue!
Claire: Oh, God.
Jay: Happy Father's Day to me. Icing on the cake, I just found out my own wife has major daddy issues. Makes me wonder if that's the whole reason she's with me.
Claire: Dad, come on. We may have ruined your day, yes, but now you're just spiraling. I mean, every relationship has its issues, and Gloria adores you! Take the win.
Jay: You think?
Sonia: [holding a painting of what can only be described as Colombian Jay] Papa was so handsome.
All: Yeah!

Quote from Claire

Claire: [aside to camera] After a great week in New York, I had to get to Raleigh for the Carolina Closet Caucus. Phil and I have always wanted to drive across the country together, so we thought we'd make a road trip of it.

Quote from Luke

Alex: Come on, how would we even pay for the hotel?
Haley: We can use Luke's carnival settlement money.
Luke: No way! I earned that. I'm the one who fell off that ride.
Haley: We were the ones who really suffered. We couldn't turn on lights or make loud noises until your head got small again.
Luke: We can't use that money. It's for college. [all laugh] Okay, okay, let's spend it.

Quote from Phil

Claire: We had a lot of fun, though, didn't we?
Phil: Yes, we did.
Claire: Yeah. Never got to get on one of those horse-drawn carriages through the park. Alex's allergies.
Phil: Didn't know you could be allergic to carriage leather.

Quote from Claire

Phil: Still, just so much good family time.
Claire: Family time. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Phil: You could blow off the convention. We could stay here for a romantic few days but never tell the kids because we just made them go home?
Claire: Yes! That is the first time you've ever answered that question right.

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