'Modern Family': James Marsden Lives in a Princess Castle

ABC

We've only been separated from our favorite TV family for a few weeks, but they couldn't have returned a moment too soon. Also, is it just us or is Luke growing up right before our eyes? He must have spurted up an inch or two since we've last seen him! He'll be taller than Julie Bowen any day now ...

Last night's episode was filled with lessons regarding mistaken identity, trust, and learning to get over our fears:

If someone ends up crashing your hot tub and says he can heal you with his powers of Reiki, he's probably crazy. The always charming James Marsden guest stars as an unlikely new neighbor named Barry, winning over Cameron with his smile and promise of healing negative energy. Mitch, our resident "judger," is skeptical of Barry's mental state. However, after a one-on-one talk about honesty with their new hippie friend and a personal Reiki session, Mitchell changes his tune. Of course, it's only moments later that Cam finds out that Barry isn't living upstairs, but has made a home in their daughter's princess castle.

"There's no reason you should stay upright—it just works," Jay tells Gloria, explaining the physics of riding a bike. After seeing Manny about to ride his bicycle to school—training wheels still on—Jay decides it's time to teach his family to ride properly. While Manny picks it up like a pro, Gloria's fear of riding a bike stems from her youth in Colombia, where her mother warned her of the fears of being abducted while riding. Jay's attempts to teach her drive her straight into a bush, but it seems that Luke has discovered a new talent as an effective instructor with alternative methods.

It's probably better to find out whether the neighborhood speeder you're trying to make slow down is your husband's client before you go on a campaign to publicly humiliate her. The always righteous Claire is on a noble quest to protect the neighborhood from a driver who jets around in her fancy car. She puts up signs with an image of the car's license plate and the message "Slow Down ... Your Neighbors," in an attempt to shame the culprit. Little does she know that the neighborhood villain is an important client of Phil's, one that's crucial to his race to win Salesman of the Quarter. And he must take down Gil Thorp, because no one remembers Number 2, he says. "Nobody remembers Scottie Pippen! The only reason I remember him is because he's named after my favorite musical," Phil says. Of course, Claire is never one to back down, but the way she discovers the truth about her nemesis is priceless.