It is vacation time, and Jay takes his family to a lake house to try to create new memories.
Manny doesn't want Gloria and Jay acting emotional while saying goodbye as he leaves for college. Phil and Claire realize that Alex might be more independent in college than they thought, and Haley has a new job at the club.
As the kitchen contractor calls Cam "Boss," Mitch is certain that Cam is making him look bad. After Phil fails at performing his rituals, he believes that he will have an unlucky day. Meanwhile, Jay is adamant on getting Gloria to say that she had an accident.
Jay and Gloria have an old friend visiting from Costa Rica. Elsewhere, Alex tries to show Claire that Ben is more than just a friend.
As Cam goes too far as a house guest, Phil and Claire start to doubt their excitement for Halloween. Meanwhile, Mitch and Cam are angry with how long the kitchen renovation is taking.
Claire and Mitchell throw a wedding anniversary party for Jay and Gloria. Meanwhile, Phil feels frustrated when discovers that a betrayal prevented him from becoming a real magician years ago.
On Thanksgiving, everyone is expressing gratitude for their victories, but in reality, everyone cheated.
The family members recall their encounters with famous people.
As Jay and Gloria have concerns about Manny's new older girlfriend, Phil decides to go on a camping trip in the woods by himself. Elsewhere, Cameron discovers an undercover police officer in his detention class.
Luke and Alex start a new online project by targeting a certain group of customers. Claire gets a new business deal for Pritchett's Closets, causing a dispute between her and Jay. Pam has an expected visit from her ex-boyfriend Bo. Meanwhile, Phil has trouble selling a house to pay his bills.
Only Luke and Phil know the reason why Claire's request to build a "She Shed" was disapproved by the Homeowners Association. Jay forces Joe into becoming competitive while playing golf. Meantime, Lily and her friends attend a party that Mitch and Cam host for them.
Everyone rushes to support Phil when he is hospitalized, which causes Cam to be angry at Mitchell for liking someone and forces Joe to think about death.
Manny, Phil, and Gloria try to track down Luke when he disappears. When Haley disrupts her sister Alex's class, she ends up getting more than she anticipated.
Mitch and Cam sabotage Luke's date on Valentine's Day, while Joe starts having a crush on Claire. Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria play pretend.
In order to show off to Cam's friends, Mitchell and Cam host a party when Mitchell lands a terrific job. Jay makes the assumption that Gloria is unsatisfied in the bedroom when he hears her discussing spanking.
Haley takes everyone on a wine-tasting trip and has them stay at her boss's country house but instructs them not to come near a tiara. Meanwhile, Gloria and Mitch receive an invitation to a party hosted by Oprah Winfrey, though they are not allowed to bring anyone else.
Claire and Phil compete with each other to show who is smarter when Haley brings her astrophysicist boyfriend to meet her family. Elsewhere, Mitch and Cam go on a couples yoga retreat.
Jay has doubts about Manny's parentage when he meets Gloria's ex-boyfriend, Jorge, and notices his likeness to Manny. Meanwhile, Phil looks for the ideal anniversary present for Claire. Elsewhere, Mitch and Cam have to handle Lily as she hits puberty.
Haley tries to persuade Gloria to sell her salsa to NERP when she wants to impress her boss. Cam, with Mitch's help, finally gets to fulfil his dream of going on a police ride-along.
Mitchell and Cam come to terms with DeDe's impact on their lives when she unexpectedly drops by. With Phil, Luke, Alex, and Haley having bad news to tell Claire, they all fight with each other for the right moment to break it to her.
Haley, unexpectedly, meets all her ex-boyfriends after her meeting with Arvin's parents doesn't go well. Phil, Cam, and Gloria get stuck in the basement of a nursing home when they go to visit Jay's cruel sister, Becky.
Mitchell and Phil dress up as their favorite characters and go to the comic book convention Hero-Con. Meanwhile, Donna, Gloria's enemy, ruins the party she was throwing for Joe by throwing a better one.