The Incident

"The Incident" is the fourth episode of the American family sitcom television series Modern Family. It premiered on ABC in the United States on October 14, 2009. The episode was written by co-creator and executive producer of Modern Family, Steven Levitan and directed by series main director, Jason Winer. In the episode, Mitchell and Claire's mother visit the family months after she embarrassed Jay in front of his family on his wedding day. Phil and Claire try to judge whether Haley's boyfriend is acceptable to take her to a concert or not. Mitchell goes to his father's house to tell him that they are inviting his ex-wife to a party, but he does not tell Gloria. At the reunion, Gloria and Jay's ex-wife begin to fight, but Haley's boyfriend stops them. "The Incident" received positive reviews from the television critics and received a 3.6/10 in the 18-49 demographic according to Nielsen Media Research. Plot DeDe (Shelley Long), Claire (Julie Bowen) and Mitchell's (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) mother as well as the ex-wife of Jay (Ed O'Neill), stops in for a surprise visit. She states that she wants to try to make up with everyone that she offended during an incident that she had caused at Jay and Gloria's (Sofía Vergara) wedding. DeDe had become progressively drunk during the event, culminating in a drunken speech mocking Gloria, and was carried out, knocking over the wedding cake in the process. In the present, Haley (Sarah Hyland) attempts to convince her parents to let her go to a concert with her boyfriend, Dylan (Reid Ewing), but Claire and Phil (Ty Burrell) refuse to let her go.