Cameron feels hurt by Mitchell laughing at his expense, Phil comforts Claire so he can go with his friends to Las Vegas, and Haley gives Alex advice on her Valedictorian speech.

Before they leave, Haley (Sarah Hyland) enters Alex's room and discovers that her speech consists of a harsh angry rant that is heavily laced with hatred.

Mortified, she tries to convince Alex not to give that speech, and to improvise by rehashing old motivational songs, such as Don't Stop Believin' and Get the Party Started.

She refuses, justifying herself by saying that her idol, Gandhi, went on hunger-strike for what he believed, to which Haley replies that he did it only "because no one would eat with him in the cafeteria," inadvertently proving Alex's point.

Cameron scoffs at him, commenting on the birthing he had to witness on his family farm, when he accidentally steps on a rubber soccer ball and falls into the pool, causing Mitchell to laugh hysterically, to his irritation.

When Jay accidentally takes off his glasses, the entire family is horrified at the state of his face, which has gotten worse and all indicate that he should go to the hospital, but all are taken aback when Mitchell guesses that it is a botox job gone wrong.

They are rescued when a truck pulls over, and Phil asks the Hispanic occupants for a lift in halting Spanish, only to discover that they speak perfect English.

They arrive just in time, though not before falling down a hill, before standing up with as much dignity that they have left and taking their places, which causes Cameron to laugh, with Mitchell growing angry at his hypocrisy.

Afterward, Alex is invited to a graduation party and goes there, much to Phil and Claire's growing dismay, but Haley responds that she could have lunch with her parents, to which they hug her effusively, embarrassing her.

He praised the Dunphy plot, saying that it showed "silliness plus heart at its best" and complimented the episode's tag scene, calling it an "hilarious moment" and that "Sarah Hyland's reaction to the hug was terrific".

She also praised Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen's performance, saying they "[stole] the spotlight", in particular the scene featuring "the two rolling down a hill of the school just as Alex's speech begins".

[12] Entertainment Weekly writer Lesley Savage said the episode "established why this cast is one of the best comedy ensembles on television", praising their ability to "deliver an acerbic quip that leaves us in stitches or a tender moment".

[13] Meredith Blake of The Los Angeles Times positively compared the episode to "Manny Get Your Gun" and praised the writers for featuring multiple story lines and making it "work perfectly".