Reviewers from Entertainment Weekly noted the "semiserious" tone, particularly the touching ending where Mitchell completes the storybook, transforming the "scared monkey" (Cam) into the brave one.
Cameron decides to write a book for Lily to help her process her adoption. He titles it Two Monkeys and a Panda because Lily is Asian and, as he puts it, "I can draw monkeys". While researching for the book, he discovers that Mitchell omitted the hyphen from Lily’s last name on her birth certificate, making her "Lily Tucker Pritchett" instead of "Tucker-Pritchett". It is eventually revealed that Mitchell did this out of a secret fear that Cameron would abandon them early in the adoption process. "Modern Family" Two Monkeys and a Panda(2011)
Critics highlighted the rare vulnerability shown by Mitchell, whose "dirty secret" regarding the birth certificate added a layer of realism to the couple's relationship. While researching for the book, he discovers that
Jay buys side-by-side crypts for himself and Gloria to prepare for the future. Gloria is horrified by the idea of being "filed away" in a drawer and prefers to be buried in the ground. The plot takes a comedic but poignant turn when they meet their "future neighbors," an elderly couple who worry about who Gloria might sell her spot to if she remarries after Jay's death. Key Themes and Reception Jay buys side-by-side crypts for himself and Gloria