"We’re from different worlds, yet we somehow fit together. Love is what binds us, through fair or stormy weather,” reads Jay Pritchett, the character at the core of the family tree in Modern Family (2009). Through 11 years of hilarious and heartwarming episodes, the show has gathered generations of fans and has, without a doubt, emerged as one of the most loved family sitcoms all around the world. With its final episode in 2020, the cast will no longer be seen together on set or as a family, but their television influence will linger with many of us for much longer.
Modern Family (2009) is an 11-season long American family television sitcom in the form of a mockumentary. Created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, the show produced 250 episodes about the life of a very diverse American family from September 23, 2009, to April 8, 2020. The series follows the lives of Jay Pritchett and his family, all of whom live in suburban Los Angeles. Jay’s family includes his second wife, played by Sofía Vergara, their son and his stepson as well as his two adult children, Claire and Mitchell, and their husbands and children. The show in general addresses the changing social norms and culture throughout the 21st century through its developing episodes.
A Very “Modern” American Family
The 11-year long story of the Pritchett family depicts the story of a modern and ideal American family in the United States. With the Pritchett family at the center, Pritchett’s remarriage shows a variety of images of a multi-family home, featuring a same-sex marriage between Mitchell Pritchett and his boyfriend, and Claire Pritchett’s family with three children. Over the seasons, the characters sometimes lose trust with each other but regain them by reaffirming their familial love. While many changes take place in the family over time, their love and support of each other does not change but rather unites them even more. At first, the backgrounds and identities of each of the family members all seem very different from each other and from the norm. James Parker of The Atlantic asked the questions, “How does one ‘parent’? Who does what, which ‘role’? Is Dad sufficiently dad-like and Mom enough of a mom?” to show that the cast both breaks, builds upon, and creates these norms of a common American family through their interesting identities as individuals and as a part of a large family. These differences are portrayed in a comical way, but they allow the viewers to slowly comprehend their beauty and hopefully integrate them into their lives as well. For example, the idea of love is equally embraced for both the gay couple and the traditional husband and wife, while divorce and old age is embraced and worn like a trophy.
The cast has also addressed this unique selling point of the show very frequently in exclusive interviews or season finale featurettes. “I got to be a part of a gay couple on television, sort of being a pop culture reference for the LGBTQ community,” said Jesse Tyler, playing Mitchell, in the Modern Family farewell featurette on the American Broadcasting Company(ABC). By representing minority groups in America, Modern Family was able to not only redefine the idea of family but also celebrate social minorities worldwide who are misrepresented or misunderstood.
Growing up With the Cast
Many say that they have grown up with the cast of Modern Family, often times referring to both the astonishing growth of the child actors and their television characters into adults. “This is my second family,” said actor Rico Rodriguez, who has played the role of Manny for more than half of his life since he was just 10 years old. Comments on YouTube saying, “For a long time in my life, this family felt like my family,” exactly depict the feelings of endearment and comfort that this show has brought to many viewers. Modern Family has therefore been able to connect with many generations, giving subtle but impactful life lessons to viewers and lingering in their daily lives.
According to a news source Indie Wire, the final episode was mainly about surprising the audience with Mitchell and his husband moving to Missouri, “and then letting these characters say goodbye without becoming overly sentimental.” This was both a way to end the season, as well as a sincere goodbye and thank you to their fans for their love and support throughout the years.
Important, Funny, and Most Loved Episodes
Modern Family received overwhelming praise from the moment it launched in 2009. Some of the most famous episodes according to Episode Ninja are “Las Vegas” (Season 5, Episode 18), “The Wedding (2)” (Season 5, Episode 24), and “Connection Lost” (Season 6, Episode 16). “Connection Lost” is widely picked as one of the best episodes of Modern Family. It features an episode at the airport from Claire’s perspective as she struggles to find her daughter Hailey Dunphy, played by Sarah Hyland. A significant amount of technological references is made, including FaceTime calls, text messages, and online searching, all in the form of a mockumentary, of course.
Describing “Connection Lost,” Screen Rant writes, “It is undeniable that Modern Family does a lot of things right, and one of them is storytelling. It takes a lot of talent to develop a narrative, make it funny, pace it correctly, and the show does all of these things wonderfully, with the art down to a tee.” Modern Family and its special humor, friendly cast, and heartwarming episodes have truly redefined and shared the idea of family.