The Big Guns

Plot

Ronnie and Amber acquire a boat and park it on their front lawn, angering Claire and Phil. Phil attempts polite requests to remove it, but when that fails, he summons his father Frank and Frank's retiree friends to camp with their trailers in front of the houses. Initially the strategy works for Phil and Claire, but Ronnie bonds with the older men, leading Claire to call the police. Meanwhile, Luke tries to flirt with Tammy, who lies on the boat in her swimsuit; she repeatedly rejects him.

Jay attempts to potty train Joe despite Gloria's warnings that Joe must be ready on his own. Jay's motivation is that every time he buys diapers, people assume they are for him. After a long effort, just as Jay is about to give up, Joe successfully uses the potty. Cameron takes Lily to clown school without telling Mitch, knowing Mitch would disapprove.

Mitch becomes angry, but Cameron insists Lily is a natural. Lily's initial performance is underwhelming, but she then switches to humorously hitting Cameron, making Mitch laugh. Concerned, Cameron asks Mitch to discourage Lily and talk to her. Lily confesses to Mitch that she dislikes being a clown and is acting out so Cameron will let her quit without hurting his feelings. Mitch advises honesty, but Lily worries about disappointing Cameron and living up to his clowning legacy.

Reception

When it first aired in the United States, "The Big Guns" drew 9.44 million viewers, a gain of 0.15 from the week before. Critical reaction was split. Lisa Fernandes of Next Projection gave it an 8.4 out of 10, arguing that the secondary storylines rescue an uncomfortable and only slightly funny main plot. Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic awarded a 4 out of 5, noting the difficulty of living next to pot dealers who own a large boat. Joshua Alston of The A.V. Club handed down a B−, explaining that episodes centered on the Dunphys can be tricky because of the family's size. He felt the episode never gains momentum, spending too much time on a neighborly standoff that fizzles without a real climax. The odd structure makes it feel like a well-built first act that simply stops, never truly having begun.