Ep 17. Express Yourself

In "Express Yourself," the seventeenth episode of the seventh season of Modern Family, the family goes through some personal struggles and tries to find their own ways to express themselves.

The episode opens with Phil and Claire trying to come up with a unique and funny anniversary gift for each other. Phil decides to make a video of their life together, but becomes frustrated with the project and starts to question their entire relationship. Meanwhile, Claire tries to come up with a creative way to tell Phil that she's happy to spend the rest of her life with him.

Elsewhere, Mitchell and Cameron struggle to connect with their daughter, Lily, who has become interested in aerial dance. They try to bond with her by taking her to a class, but their lack of enthusiasm, combined with Lily's natural talent for the dance, makes things difficult and awkward. Their feelings are further complicated when they discover that Lily's instructor is an ex-boyfriend of Mitchell's.

Over in the Dunphy household, Haley is dealing with a broken heart after breaking up with her boyfriend, Andy. She tries to move on by focusing on her career, but her boss ends up taking advantage of her and making her do all the work on a major project. Meanwhile, Alex is struggling to fit in with her college peers and decides to try to impress them by pretending to be interested in sports.

As the episode progresses, each member of the family finds their own way to express themselves. Phil, with the help of his son Luke, completes the video for Claire and they rediscover their love for each other. Lily becomes more confident in her aerial dance and convinces Mitchell and Cameron to join in on one of her routines. Haley stands up to her boss and impresses him with her work, while Alex realizes that she doesn't need to pretend to be someone she's not in order to fit in.

Overall, "Express Yourself" is a heartwarming episode that showcases the various struggles and triumphs of the Modern Family characters. It highlights the importance of self-expression, creativity, and perseverance, and is sure to leave viewers feeling inspired and uplifted.