Christmas is in the air, and the crew of Modern family is ready to get their celebration on. But as most situations go with this group of people, things get a little out of hand.
The families get packed and ready for a winter wonderland Christmas in northern California, only when they get there, it’s hot. In fact, it’s hotter there than at home. While everyone is disappointed, Gloria, whose idea it was to take a trip to the mountains and stay in a cabin, keeps her spirits high.
Their holiday “fun” is interrupted when a woman who was expecting the people that rented the cabin to Gloria, runs down the stairs. When she realizes she’s been stood up, she gives a sad story about being alone and Cam, invites her to stay, much to everyone’s consternation.
Speaking of Cam, he and Mitch are determined to redeem themselves from the previous Christmas when the singing/piano number they prepared last year didn’t go over so well. They can’t wait to show off the song they have been practicing for months and to show Claire and the crew that they are not the joke everyone makes them out to be.
While they are getting that together, Haley and Andy can barely keep their hands off of each other. Since Gloria invited him and his works for Phil too, there really is no escaping the “affair” that these two are having. The worst thing that can happen is Haley’s family finding out what they have been up to. And while they almost get away with their sex romps, they are caught, pretty much, in the very act by the entire family.
See, Lilly wants to join in Mitch and Cam’s singing, but because she cannot carry a tune in any capacity, they occupy her by letting her open a gift. She picks joe’s big wheel (which doesn’t matter to them as long as she’s out) and rides around the house on it. Since Manny and Luke have been trying to fool her into thinking that one of the rooms in the house is haunted by the “forgotten boy” as she rolls past it, she hears bumping, thinking it’s them trying to trick her. But when they walk up behind her, she screams because obviously it has to be the ghost making the thumping sounds. Her screams interrupt Cam and Mitch’s performance because naturally, everyone runs upstairs to see what’s going on. Lilly tells them about the “forgotten boy,” Phil opens the door to show her everything’s okay, and there you have it, it’s Haley and Andy. To add insult to injury, Gloria surprises everyone by secretly inviting Beth, who shows up right after the two, are caught.
To distract her, Cam gives Beth around the house while Phil has a talk with Andy. He tells him to either be with Beth and end the affair with Haley or end it with her and be with his daughter. Andy then has a conversation with Beth, but before he can tell her about Haley, she tells him that she’s been cheating on him, and they end their engagement, making way for he and Haley to finally be together.
While all of this is going on, Claire is dealing with the fact that her father, who announces he is retiring, plans to give the company to someone else. She is devastated and disgusted with him but doesn’t initially tell him how she feels. Phil tells her she has to let her dad know. The thing about this situation, though, is Jay really doesn’t plan on giving the company to anyone else. He is just testing Claire to see how badly she wants it. She eventually goes to her father and tells him that he should have given it to her but thanks for saving her from wasting 20 years on something that is so boring.
Later, as everyone reels from finding Haley and Andy having sex and with Jay and Claire still being at odds, just when Mitch and Cam are about to go for it again (singing their song) Alex and the strange lady, who share so many similarities it scares the youngster into being less cynical and uptight, start singing the very song Cam and Mitch planned- Silent Night.
While they are totally bummed, feeling that they stole their thunder, it does bring the family together. After Gloria lets Jay have it for testing Claire in the first place, they make up and everything is back to normal.
Another successful loving holiday. These people really know how to do family.