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"Spring-a-Ding-Fling"
Modern Family episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 16
Directed byGail Mancuso
Written byBen Karlin
Production code5ARG16
Original air dateMarch 5, 2014 (2014-03-05)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Feud" 		Next →
"Other People's Children"
Modern Family season 5
List of episodes

"Spring-a-Ding-Fling" is the 16th episode of the fifth season of the American sitcom Modern Family, and the series' 112th overall. It was aired on March 5, 2014. The episode was written by Ben Karlin and directed by Gail Mancuso. Ty Burrell won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in this episode.

Rico Rodriguez does not appear in this episode.

Plot

[edit]

Mitch (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) has accepted a new job and he is excited while preparing for his first day. Wendy (Aisha Tyler), his boss, tries to show him the office and introduce him to his co-workers but a series of misunderstandings leads Mitch to believe that Wendy is a monster who treats people poorly. He decides to stand up and tells her how horrible she is and when he realizes that he was mistaken and misinterpreted her signs, he apologizes.

Cam (Eric Stonestreet) gets to run the school's spring dance and he is excited. Everything goes perfect for him until the moment Señor Kaplan (Will Sasso), the former Spanish teacher of the school, appears and steals his spotlight. Cam feels excluded and he does everything he can to outdo him. When the moment the faculty gets to dance comes, he gets on the dance floor to show his dance moves but Señor Kaplan joins him leading Cam to grab Claire (Julie Bowen), who is the chaperone of Alex (Ariel Winter) and Luke (Nolan Gould), and start dancing with her, catching him by surprise.

Claire wants to help Alex and Luke with their dates. She first helps Rhonda (Arden Belle), Luke's date, to dress more like a girl and be beautiful. Luke is not happy with that because he preferred her the way she was and asks Claire to "fix" her. As for Alex, Claire believes that Alex likes Drew (Joey Luthman) but she is afraid to say it so she tells Drew that she and Phil (Ty Burrell) will be back home late and she would like for him to keep Alex company till they get back. Alex also objects to Claire's meddling.

Jay (Ed O'Neill) and Gloria (Sofía Vergara) have to babysit Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) since Mitch is at work and Cam at the school's spring dance. Lily breaks Gloria's phone by accident but when she is asked who did it, she blames Joe, Jay and Gloria's son. Jay and Gloria do not believe her and try to make her confess the truth with not much success. Lily also knocks over her baby powder but covers her tracks by claiming that Joe can walk and faking his footsteps. Jay and Gloria still don't believe Lily but lucky for her, he does know how to walk and she is exonerated (though she later tries to put on the shoes covered with baby powder on Joe, but the shoes are put on the wrong feet; when confronted by Mitchell, Cam, Jay and Gloria, she still claims she is innocent).

Phil has to host the realtor's banquet and asks Haley (Sarah Hyland) to escort him since Claire has to chaperone Alex and Luke. Haley is texting during Phil's performance, something that distracts him and makes him fall off the stage and hurt his foot. Phil is disappointed at Haley because she was apparently not paying attention to him while performing, but when he wins the big award of the night, Haley accepts it for him because he cannot walk. Haley then finishes Phil's performance, relying on her memory of his rehearsals at home, which moves Phil and makes him proud.

Reception

[edit]

Ratings

[edit]

In its original American broadcast, "Spring-a-Ding-Fling" was watched by 9.22 million; up by 0.70 from the previous episode.[1]

Reviews

[edit]

"Spring-a-Ding-Fling" received positive reviews from critics, with many praising Ty Burrell's performance.

Joshua Alston from The A.V. Club gave an A− rating to the episode, praising its cold open and saying it "felt like an uptick from the beginning [...] none of the plots in "Spring" sputtered or faded away in the third act, as has often been the case with the episodes this season. It's a finely tuned, admirably paced episode that easily stands among this season's three best."[2]

Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic rated the episode with 4.5/5 saying: "Most of the characters were doing a little peacock-ing on this latest installment. Since there are a couple of definitions for this out there, let's go with number-five on Urban Dictionary: when someone is blatantly obvious that they are proud of something."[3]

Madina Papadopoulos of Paste Magazine rated the episode with 9.5/10 stating that Phil's performance as a host at the SCARB (Southern California Annual Realtor's Banquet) Awards was an Oscar worthy night. "There are many wonderful moments in this episode. Cam’s dance-off with Señor Kaplan, Claire pimping out Alex to her nerd date, Mitch blasting his boss only to realize she’s actually really nice. But the best scene, what really takes the cake, is Phil’s, "I’m Selling Away" performance, sung to the tune of "I’m Sailing Away." Where do I even begin to praise this moment? It was blissful hilarity."[4]

In addition, Jordan Adler from We Got This Covered gave a positive review to the episode calling it "charming" and "frequently funny". Adler also states that the best plot was Mitch's. "Despite a bit of clutter and compression, 'Spring-a-Ding-Fling' was a Modern Family episode that could have run in season two. The one-liners are sharp, the actors receive, for the most part, fresh plots that give them a chance to display their range and the two guest stars do not feel wasted."[5]

Accolades

[edit]

Ty Burrell submitted this episode for an Emmy nomination & won his second and final Emmy Award for the show.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Spring-a-Ding-Fling

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
"Spring-a-Ding-Fling" is the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of the American sitcom and the 112th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on ABC on March 5, 2014. Written by Ben Karlin and directed by , the episode explores interconnected storylines within the Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker family, focusing on themes of competition, workplace dynamics, and family secrets. In the main storyline, Cameron Tucker organizes his school's annual spring dance but faces rivalry from a charismatic teacher, Señor Kaplan, who has returned from , leading to a battle for student admiration. Meanwhile, Mitchell Pritchett starts a new job at a run by an old law school friend he once considered "evil," leading to an initial misunderstanding. Phil Dunphy attends a industry awards with his daughter Haley, where awkward father-daughter interactions ensue amid professional networking. At home, Jay and Gloria Pritchett pressure their adopted granddaughter Lily to admit to a recent mischief, highlighting generational tensions. The episode features the core ensemble cast, including as Jay, as Gloria, as Claire Dunphy, as Phil, as Mitchell, as Cameron, as Haley, as Alex, as Luke, Rico Rodriguez as Manny, and as Lily. Guest stars include as Angela, as the rival teacher Señor Kaplan, and as Tad. Filmed in the style characteristic of , it emphasizes humor derived from family misunderstandings and personal insecurities. Upon release, "Spring-a-Ding-Fling" earned positive viewer feedback, achieving an user rating of 7.6 out of 10 based on 2,389 reviews (as of November 2025), praising its blend of heartfelt moments and comedic timing. Critics noted the episode's effective use of multiple subplots to showcase character development, particularly for Cameron and Mitchell's arcs.

Background

Episode development

"Spring-a-Ding-Fling" is the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of the American sitcom , and the 112th episode overall in the series. The season premiered on September 25, 2013, and concluded on May 21, 2014, with this episode airing mid-season on March 5, 2014, on ABC as part of the network's ongoing broadcast schedule for the series. Production for season 5 followed the show's established multicamera format, filmed primarily on soundstages in , allowing for efficient handling of the episode's structure within the season's 24-episode order. The episode was written by Ben Karlin, a co-executive producer on whose background includes Emmy-winning work as head writer on with . Karlin's contributions to season 5 emphasized a style rooted in experiences, drawing from the discussions to infuse stories with authentic family insights and humorous observations of everyday dynamics. This approach aligned with the season's broader exploration of evolving family relationships and individual development, continuing the series' tradition of blending realism with relatable character growth. Direction was handled by , a veteran of the series who directed multiple episodes across its run, including this one. Mancuso employed a hybrid multicamera and single-camera technique to capture the aesthetic, using tools like color-coded maps to orchestrate the episode's parallel narratives across various locations and ensure seamless transitions between storylines. Her method prioritized actor within structured scenes, enhancing the authenticity of the ensemble interactions while maintaining the fast-paced rhythm essential to the show's format.

Casting notes

The episode features the core ensemble of Modern Family's fifth season, with Ed O'Neill portraying patriarch Jay Pritchett, Julie Bowen as his daughter Claire Dunphy, Ty Burrell as Claire's husband Phil Dunphy, Sofia Vergara as Jay's wife Gloria Pritchett, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Jay's son Mitchell Pritchett, Eric Stonestreet as Mitchell's partner Cameron Tucker, Sarah Hyland as the Dunphys' eldest daughter Haley Dunphy, Nolan Gould as their son Luke Dunphy, Ariel Winter as their middle child Alex Dunphy, and Aubrey Anderson-Emmons as Lily Tucker-Pritchett. Notably absent from the installment is Rico Rodriguez in his recurring role as Manny Delgado, marking the character's first non-appearance since the second season and leaving the Pritchett household dynamics focused primarily on Jay, Gloria, and baby Joe. Several guest performers fill out the supporting roles, bringing fresh dynamics to the episode's various settings. appears as Wendy, Mitchell's new boss at the , introducing workplace tension to his storyline. plays Señor Kaplan, Cam's rival teacher who challenges his authority during the school dance preparations. portrays Drew, the awkward arranged for Alex by her mother Claire, while Arden Belle is cast as Rhonda, Luke's unconventional date for the spring fling event. Additional minor characters include as Angela, an award presenter at the realtor banquet, and as Tad, another figure in the professional ceremony scenes. Ty Burrell's portrayal of Phil Dunphy takes center stage in the realtor association's awards banquet sequences, where his character's enthusiasm and mishaps drive much of the episode's humor in that arc.

Plot

Mitchell and Cameron's arcs

In the episode, Mitchell begins his new position at the Center for Justice, a nonprofit , where he initially misjudges his boss, , as overly harsh and unapproachable. He overhears her yelling at an intern and interprets marked "run" as directives to escape , while another note about "grooming Rex" leads him to assume unethical behavior toward the intern. These misunderstandings stem from Mitchell's anxiety on his first day, causing him to prepare an elaborate apology speech; however, upon clarification, he learns the notes referred to exercise encouragement and mentoring the intern named Rex, prompting a sincere apology to . This arc highlights Mitchell's professional growth as he navigates workplace dynamics and overcomes his preconceptions. Meanwhile, Cameron enthusiastically organizes the school's Spring-A-Ding-Fling dance as a major fundraiser, pouring his energy into decorations and activities to cement his popularity among students and faculty. His efforts are challenged by the return of Señor Kaplan, the beloved Spanish teacher on sabbatical whom Cameron had temporarily replaced, sparking a comedic rivalry for attention during the event. The competition intensifies during the faculty dance segment, where Señor Kaplan pairs with Claire, prompting Cameron to declare "It's CammerTime" and pull her onto the floor to outshine his rival with an exuberant performance. Through this, Cameron's storyline underscores his flair for showmanship and the insecurities that arise in social hierarchies. The arcs of Mitchell and Cameron run parallel, thematically linking their separate struggles in adapting to new professional and social environments—Mitchell in a corporate setting and Cameron in an educational one—while they support each other at home. Cameron expresses mild disappointment that Mitchell's job lacks the "superhero" excitement he imagined, leading to a brief pre-dance conversation where they share their anxieties. Lily, their adopted daughter, appears briefly in their family context as she is left with relatives for the evening.

The Dunphy family

The Dunphy family's evening in "Spring-a-Ding-Fling" revolves around parallel events of parental ambition and overreach, as Phil hosts the Association of Realtors Banquet (SCARB) while Claire chaperones her children's high school spring dance. , eager to showcase his professional prowess, invites his daughter Haley to attend as his date, performing an elaborate song-and-dance routine complete with costume changes, including a , to entertain the attendees. Haley's reluctant participation stems from her distraction—texting on her phone during the event—which inadvertently causes Phil to trip and fall off , injuring his and preventing him from accepting his Realtor of the Year award. In a redeeming gesture, Haley steps up to collect the award on his behalf, delivering a heartfelt speech praising Phil as the "best dad in the world" and completing his routine's punchlines, which earns widespread applause and strengthens their bond. Meanwhile, Claire's over-involvement in her teenagers' social lives highlights her meddlesome parenting style at the school dance organized by Cameron. She interferes with Luke's date by transforming his preferred companion, Rhonda—a girl he likes for her tomboyish qualities—into a more conventionally feminine appearance, which leaves Luke uncomfortable and lamenting that his mother "broke" Rhonda. Similarly, Claire arranges for Alex to pair with Drew, a fellow academic overachiever, against Alex's wishes, prompting her to accuse Claire of "pimping her out" in frustration over the unwanted setup. These interventions underscore Claire's theme of navigating social dynamics for her children, often at the expense of their . Claire's evening at the culminates in a brief but energetic appearance during a faculty dance-off, where she joins Cameron to compete against the returning teacher Señor Kaplan, spinning and dipping with Cam to help him reclaim the spotlight from his rival. This moment ties into her broader efforts to manage the event's social flow, blending her chaperone duties with spontaneous participation.

The Pritchetts

In the Pritchetts' storyline of the episode, and Gloria take on babysitting duties for Lily while Mitchell and Cameron attend a school event. The evening begins with lighthearted bickering between and Gloria over their respective persuasion skills, setting a tone of playful marital dynamics within their blended family. However, the mood shifts when Gloria discovers her screen cracked, sparking an investigation into the mishap. Lily, the precocious child, immediately denies responsibility and pins the blame on baby Joe, claiming he had toddled over and knocked the phone off a table. This fabrication escalates the comedic tension, as Jay and Gloria grapple with skepticism—Joe is too young to walk independently—yet initially entertain the possibility due to Lily's earnest delivery. Gloria expresses frustration, threatening consequences, while Jay attempts a more measured approach, probing Lily with questions that highlight the generational gap in their interactions. Lily's mischievous persistence, including staging fake footprints with Joe's shoes to support her story, underscores her clever but deceptive nature, amplifying the humor through the adults' growing exasperation. The lie unravels dramatically when Lily, in a bid to prove her point, calls out to Joe, who surprisingly takes his first steps toward her, revealing his newfound mobility. Confronted with this evidence, Lily confesses to breaking the phone herself out of curiosity and covering it up to avoid punishment. and Gloria respond with a mix of relief and stern guidance, emphasizing the value of in their resolution; Gloria even apologizes for doubting Lily's initial account. This moment resolves the domestic chaos with lessons on trust and accountability, while Lily's quip about continuing to blame Joe until he can speak adds a final layer of witty intergenerational .

Reception

Viewership

"Spring-a-Ding-Fling" drew 9.22 million viewers in the United States during its initial broadcast on ABC on March 5, 2014. This marked an increase of 0.70 million viewers over the prior episode, "The Feud," which attracted 8.52 million on February 26, 2014. The episode earned a 3.4 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic with a 10 share, according to Nielsen measurements, placing it as ABC's top performer that in key demographics. It also achieved a household rating of 10, reflecting strong overall audience engagement. Within the context of season 5, which saw a gradual decline in average viewership from prior years—dropping to around 11.11 million per episode overall—"Spring-a-Ding-Fling" bucked the trend with a 6% uptick from the season low of the previous week. This rebound was aided by improved lead-ins from earlier ABC comedies like The Middle (up to 7.23 million viewers) and Suburgatory, amid lighter competition following the Winter Olympics. The episode's positive reception likely contributed to heightened tune-in among loyal viewers.

Critical reception

Critics generally praised "Spring-a-Ding-Fling" for its return to the show's core strengths in character-driven comedy and multi-threaded storytelling. Oliver Sava of awarded the episode an A− grade, commending its finely tuned pacing and energetic setup of interconnected plots that avoided any major weak spots, while noting Sarah Hyland's standout performance in Haley's award scene and Aisha Tyler's vibrant portrayal of Mitchell's boss. Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic highlighted the episode positively in her coverage. Madina Papadopoulos of Paste Magazine lauded the strong ensemble performances—particularly Ty Burrell's "blissful hilarity" as Phil hosting the realtors' gala—and the heartfelt moments that underscored the family's bonds, though she noted the odd absence of Manny as a minor oversight. Jordan Adler of We Got This Covered described the episode as "rather charming and frequently funny," emphasizing its embrace of ingrained family themes and the stellar comic ensemble, with Mitchell's awkward new-job subplot delivering clever gags, while suggesting the 21-minute runtime felt slightly rushed for the material. Across reviews, common themes included the effective parallel plots that wove together light-hearted rivalries, such as Cam's competition with a returning , and Ty Burrell's memorable scenes, which exemplified the show's blend of and emotional warmth.

Accolades

Primetime Emmy Awards

"Spring-a-Ding-Fling," the sixteenth episode of Modern Family's fifth season, served as the submission for Ty Burrell's win in the category of Outstanding in a Series at the . Burrell, portraying Phil Dunphy, was recognized for his performance in the episode's banquet scenes, particularly the sequence where Phil emcees a award dinner, showcasing his character's enthusiastic yet awkward charm. This submission highlighted Burrell's ability to blend humor and vulnerability within the season's ensemble dynamics. The award was presented on August 25, 2014, during the ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in , marking Burrell's second Emmy in the category after his 2011 win. As part of Modern Family's broader Emmy dominance, the series also secured the Outstanding Comedy Series award that year, its fifth consecutive victory in the category and contributing to a total of 21 Emmys for the show by 2014. Burrell's win underscored the episode's pivotal role in demonstrating the supporting cast's comedic strengths amid the series' evolving narrative arcs.

Other recognition

Beyond its Primetime Emmy win, the episode "Spring-a-Ding-Fling" received no nominations or awards from other major television organizations, such as the , , , , or , which primarily honored the series as a whole during its 2009–2020 run. In retrospective analyses, the episode has been recognized for its comedic elements within Modern Family's legacy of ensemble-driven humor. It appeared on Screen Rant's 2024 list of the 40 funniest episodes, noted for blending multiple family storylines involving workplace rivalries, school events, and domestic antics into a cohesive, laugh-out-loud . A specific moment from the episode, where Lily frames Joe for a household mishap, was featured in WatchMojo's 2024 compilation of the top 10 instances where the show's child characters stole the spotlight, underscoring the episode's contribution to the series' memorable young performer moments. While season 5 episodes like "Spring-a-Ding-Fling" helped solidify Modern Family's reputation for consistent quality comedy—evidenced by the show's five consecutive Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy wins from 2010 to 2014—the installment itself lacks further individual honors, fitting into the broader pattern of the series' acclaim centered on its overall format and cast rather than standalone episodes.

References

  1. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/modern_family/s05/e16
  2. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3508794/
  3. https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/modern-family/modern-family-review-spring-a-ding-fling-episode-5
  4. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0439499/
  5. https://revistas.unav.edu/index.php/communication-and-society/article/download/41021/35487/125422
  6. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reel-therapy/201004/the-dynamics-of-a-modern-family
  7. https://www.slantmagazine.com/tv/modern-family-season-five/
  8. https://www.independent.com/2014/08/23/talking-modern-family-director-gail-mancuso/
  9. https://video.dga.org/detail/video/6355388122112/director-gail-mancuso-on-directing-modern-family
  10. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3508794/fullcredits/
  11. https://www.spoilertv.com/2014/02/modern-family-episode-516-517-press.html
  12. https://modernfamily.fandom.com/wiki/Spring-a-Ding-Fling
  13. https://nicegirlstv.com/2014/03/06/modern-family-recap-spring-a-ding-fling/
  14. https://www.tvfanatic.com/modern-family-season-5-episode-16-recap-spring-a-ding-fling/
  15. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3508794/plotsummary/
  16. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/cbs-nbc-top-weekly-ratings-while-abc-resurrected-123311293.html
  17. https://stvplus.com/show/115/Modern-Family
  18. https://variety.com/2014/tv/ratings/modern-family-criminal-minds-shine-on-wednesday-1201126851/
  19. https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/modern-family-season-five-ratings-30058/
  20. https://www.avclub.com/modern-family-spring-a-ding-fling-1798179721
  21. https://wegotthiscovered.com/tv/modern-family-review-springadingfling-season-5-episode-16/
  22. https://decider.com/2014/08/25/ty-burrell-wins-emmy-for-best-supporting-actor-in-a-comedy-series/
  23. https://www.goldderby.com/video/ty-burrell-qa-modern-family-2/
  24. https://www.televisionacademy.com/files/assets/Downloads/66th-emmy-winners-v1.pdf
  25. https://www.dga.org/News/PressReleases/2014/140109-66th-Annual-DGA-Awards-Television-Nominees-Announced
  26. https://variety.com/2014/film/news/sag-awards-nominations-birdman-boyhood-1201375775/
  27. https://screenrant.com/modern-family-funniest-episodes/
  28. https://www.watchmojo.com/articles/top-10-times-the-kids-on-modern-family-stole-the-show
  29. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/dga-announces-tv-awards-nominations-669621/
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