Just a little over 5 years ago, the final episode of the 11-season series, Modern Family, aired. The comedic series, following 3 different families within one, highlighted the diverse, individuality ,raw and emotional moments that take place while growing up- whether it be as a child or as an adult. Although the show relies heavily on comedy, with either clear and obvious moments, or sly and subtle slips in, after watching the show again, there were a lot of moments that go around that I picked up on. More emotional and sadder moments, even when they weren’t highlighted. This show does a good job at highlighting the great little moments about growing up as a family, but also once in a while showing that that’s a hard thing to get used to. Like the cut away interviews they have with the different family members, this show reminds me a lot of The Office. Although I find the humor and the plots to be different, I like how both shows follow the normal, day-to-day experiences the characters experience over time without making it feel dragged on or rushed. It’s the perfect balance of comedy and relatable life moments the audience can enjoy and relate to.Â
So what is Modern Family? Like I previously mentioned, the show follows three families, all of which live near each other in Los Angeles. First, Jay and Gloria. Jay is a military vet, on the older side, who is the father to Mitchell and Claire, who are a part of the two other families the show follows. In his second marriage now, Jay is married to Gloria, a Colombian mother to Manny who is a lot younger than Jay. As time goes on throughout the seasons, later Jay and Gloria have their son, Joe, who is the youngest in the family, despite technically being Mitchell and Claire’s brother. Secondly, Claire and Phil. Claire being the uptight daughter of Jay, she was also a stay-at-home mother for her kids while her husband, Phil, worked as a real-estate agent, who is also one of the goofier characters of the show. Their children, Haley, Alex and Luke, all have their different personalities. Haley, the party girl, not really known for deep thoughts, but rather for being bubbly, an airhead and fashion obsessed. However, Alex, the middle child, often overlooked is known for being the serious, over achieving brainiac of the family. Lastly, Luke. Similarly to Haley, particularly known for being an airhead, Luke also has the class clown aspect to him, constantly either finding things funny or trying to make something else funny. To the last family, Mitchell and Cameron. In the pilot episode, the audience obviously meets the entire crew, but they also meet the newest addition to the family at the time, Lily, the newborn daughter Cameron and Mitchell adopted recently from Vietnam, who grows up throughout the show to be a witty and sarcastic girl. Mitchell growing up gay with Jay being a more strict and traditional father built a different and complicated dynamic between the two. However, you truly see their relationship grow and blossom to be much better than it ever was prior.Â
I love this show, and all the complex yet lighthearted moments about it. I love that no matter how much I re-watch the show, in order or not, there are always moments that I didn’t pick up on the last time. I also love how easy it is to connect with the different characters and the different parts of their lives. Growing up, my dad would always put this show on in the evening as one of his favorite re-runs to watch casually. Now I do the same, this show I put on to step away from the real life stressors and just have a good laugh. As I get older, like my father has and how the characters do in the show, I get it. I get needing a break from real life, and how a casual funny show can be that. 11 seasons may feel like a lot, but I encourage anyone to watch this show. It’s funny, it’s sweet and it’s always going to be a good watch. Although it’s felt like a long 5 years since the show went off air, it could not have ended at a better time. The plots didn’t run dry, the world has changed so much since the COVID-19 Lockdown (which had just started when the final episode aired) and the new normal is so much different than it was. Similarly to The Office, comedic shows that good had their time, but shouldn’t be dragged on. However, they can still be relevant and loved even if they aren’t current shows. With all that being said, if you have 30 minutes, do yourself the delight of watching an episode of Modern Family. Maybe you’ll love it just as much as I do, and find delight in the little details each episode holds.Â