Welcome to a bonus Sitcom Tuesday, on a Wednesday! This week, I’m still looking at Modern Family (2009-2020, ABC), which is currently available on DVD/Blu-Ray and streaming!
Modern Family stars ED O’NEILL as Jay, SOFIA VERGARA as Gloria, JULIE BOWEN as Claire, TY BURRELL as Phil, JESSE TYLER FERGUSON as Mitch, ERIC STONESTREET as Cam, SARAH HYLAND as Haley, ARIEL WINTER as Alex, NOLAN GOULD as Luke, RICO RODRIGUEZ as Manny, and AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS as Lily.
This is another season of Modern Family that’s well below-average by the series’ standards and obviously not competitive in the genre overall. It comes after several years that were also increasingly disappointing, which means the show’s reputation is continuing to fall, for every not-good year harms its legacy, especially as its quality is still declining as well. However, I actually think Season Ten has higher highs and is ultimately more worthwhile than its direct predecessor — Nine. This is because there was a very real possibility that Ten would be Modern Family’s swan song. Thus, much more care is taken in its individual episodes — making sure that weekly stories offer more closure-eyeing gravitas, thanks to greater character stakes and sometimes perhaps even more tangential support from premise-rooted implications. In particular, major developments happen here that not only suggest the winding down of the situation — like the death of DeDe — but also the evolution of the regulars over time, like Jay’s retirement and Claire’s ascension as head of his company. Most notably, Haley also reunites with Dylan and becomes pregnant — the first update to the series’ familial configuration since Joe.
Oh, speaking of Joe, this pregnancy arc also proves to be strictly clichéd, with little of value for Haley herself, who’s rendered fairly generic in the process. But because it deals with changes in the family layout — via two young-ish people who aren’t married (not until shortly before the baby’s birth) — there is a sense that the show is again fulfilling expectations related to its situation. That is, this is another version of a “modern” family, and to that extent, you might say that the show is back to being what it’s supposed to be, at least compared to what it was in Nine, Eight, Seven, etc. Naturally, this is only because it was conceived as an exit plan. (Indeed, Ten’s finale would have been a fine farewell — more below.) Also, as we know, Eleven exists — extending the duration of the series’ no-longer-good-era, as quality and reputation continues to erode. Yet still, with both Ten and Eleven more thoughtful about what they mean in Modern Family’s big picture, some of their efforts are more personalized to the series. So, although this isn’t a laudable collection relative to the first half of the run, there are a handful of half hours here that feel more quintessentially like Modern Family than anything produced as of late.
01) Episode 212: “Kiss And Tell” (Aired: 10/03/18)
Both Haley and Gloria go to Mitch and Cam for advice during a pool party at Jay’s.
Written by Abraham Higginbotham & Jon Pollack | Directed by Steven Levitan
With a pool party as a convenient event to gather the entire ensemble and force their stories to intertwine due to the proximity, this entry is satisfyingly cohesive, giving it a leg up over a lot of its competition. However, it’s also got a couple of good ideas that play well with the characters. Although I’m not crazy about Phil’s Mean Girls tension with Jay — it’s an amusing, memorable notion, but I think the show labors to contort them for it — I appreciate the use of Cam and Mitch when nobody believes that Manny has a long-distance girlfriend and are considering the possibility that he may be gay. Appealing to Cam and Mitch as authority figures is only doable because of their premised definition, so it’s a play to the situation. Also, while there are some rom-com objectives to accomplish with Haley — moving her to the compatible Dylan (Reid Ewing) as opposed to the contrasting Arvin — the family is well-involved because of its smart design, allowing this to stand out as one of the year’s genuine highlights.
02) Episode 214: “Torn Between Two Lovers” (Aired: 10/17/18)
Haley has two romantic prospects while Jay and Gloria suffer Manny’s obnoxious girlfriend.
Written by Jeffrey Richman & Danny Zuker | Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller
Haley’s aforementioned romantic woes come to a head in this offering, where she finally decides to be with her original love interest Dylan — the one who reinforces her characterization by being her prototypical romantic type (as opposed to the intellectual British professor, who was always her opposite). Yes, all of this is narratively formulaic and clichéd — as the pregnancy and baby-stuff will prove to be also — but at least there’s comedy here that feels connected to Haley’s personality. Meanwhile, I appreciate the subplots as well — as Jay and Gloria both try to get the other to handle Manny’s obnoxious girlfriend, who’s prone to comedic impressions. And Mitch and Cam visit a more stereotypical version of a gay couple who have dogs instead of kids — a notion that reminds us of Mitch and Cam’s premised distinction and how Modern Family, as its thesis, has taken a “non-traditional” family dynamic (the fact that they’re two men) and actively “normalized” them as any ol’ married couple raising kids in suburbia.
03) Episode 215: “Good Grief” (Aired: 10/24/18)
On Halloween, the family deals with news of DeDe’s death.
Written by Vali Chandrasekaran & Stephen Lloyd | Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller
This year’s Halloween entry strikes an interesting and well-motivated down-note, as the festivities are marred by news of DeDe’s unexpected but peaceful passing. Although I would have preferred seeing Shelley Long one last time — she only lends her voice to this half hour — I appreciate the use of her character in an actually new context, as her passing inspires narratively earned character introspection that also feels like macro-series specific closure, for it’s the end of a dynamic uniquely predicated on the relationships between the centralized regulars who anchor this entire extended family situation. The drama is thematically universal, and in terms of comedy, I especially enjoy Gloria being haunted by a life-like miniature figure of DeDe, along with the mystery of Jay’s eaten sandwich — which pairs well with his grief over her passing. So, with a good tonal balance and a story that’s tailored to the series because it highlights its core elements and their construct-upholding relationships, this was a must-include.
04) Episode 217: “Did The Chicken Cross The Road?” (Aired: 11/07/18)
Cam tries to reconnect with his country roots while Alex’s job interview requires a family visit.
Written by Bill Wrubel | Directed by Eric Dean Seaton
There are several stories this year that exploit comedic tension between Mitch and Cam over their different upbringings — which have now been boiled down into a trite but nevertheless helpfully clarifying urban vs. rural divide. I celebrate that because it’s at least some way to find motivated conflict with their characters, utilizing established specifics. And this episode, with Cam’s attempt to reconnect to his roots by raising chickens, really makes that case. Additionally, I also enjoy this one because of the Alex story, which is all about her genius in relation to her embarrassing family, as she’s humiliated after an interview for a government job that requires a study of the rest of her household. It’s a familiar sitcom idea — we just saw a version on Big Bang, as a matter of fact — but it emphasizes her basic characterization and is therefore ideal.
05) Episode 219: “Putting Down Roots” (Aired: 12/05/18)
DeDe’s husband comes to bequeath items from her estate to the family.
Written by Jack Burditt | Directed by Kat Coiro
Largely a sequel to the Halloween entry where the family learned of DeDe’s passing, this installment uses the presence of her surviving second husband (Ed Begley Jr.), who doles out the items she’s bequeathed, to thematically and narratively unify all the subplots, thereby giving this excursion a sense of cohesion that, as with its predecessor, emphasizes the core bonds that uphold the entire situation. Accordingly, it’s poised to succeed as a unique reflection of Modern Family, regardless of the individual ideas. Fortunately, though, they’re all pretty funny, with some character-based merit as well — as Cam and Mitch argue over their different expectations of the future (rooted in their different upbringings), while many of the others, including a nostalgic Claire, ruminate on the past. So, it’s another solid sample for this era.
06) Episode 220: “Stuck In A Moment” (Aired: 12/12/18)
Claire is upset when Phil takes their Christmas decor for a house he’s trying to sell.
Written by Elaine Ko | Directed by Fred Savage
Season Ten’s Christmas outing is no great shakes compared to many of this series’ past contributions to this subcategory. In fact, I even prefer some of the ones that didn’t make their respective years’ lists. But that speaks to the overall baseline quality of the series at this point in its run. Simply by engaging the holiday theme as a uniter of all stories — especially when we know it’s tied to a corresponding event that will naturally draw everyone together (and in perfect accordance with the family sitcom subgenre) — this is a half hour that sets itself up for success, evidencing the narrative conditions that do typically allow this series to succeed. In terms of laughs, there are a few amusing ideas here — the Claire/Phil story has a whiff of farce — while the climactic reveal of Haley’s pregnancy to the entire family cements it as a memorable showing, and a key moment for this particular year’s biggest arc.
07) Episode 229: “Yes-Woman” (Aired: 04/03/19)
Claire tries to be more positive while Phil surprises Alex at school.
Written by Paul Corrigan & Brad Walsh | Directed by Fred Savage
There’s a lot of stuff in this episode that we’ve simply seen before. We’ve seen Claire attempt to be less uptight and controlling, we’ve seen Phil embarrass Alex on her scholastic turf, we’ve seen mistaken identity misunderstandings that crescendo and help tie several narrative threads together. And we’ve seen all of this done better. However, each setup reflects an aspect of this series’ identity — its characters, its sense of humor, and one of its favorite types of storytelling. So, in that regard, this is a straightforward, almost lab-grown example of Modern Family. That it’s not creatively ingenious is a given — this sitcom seldom has been, especially as of late. And yet, this is also better than the year’s baseline, and I think that’s precisely because it engages with so many elements that make this series, well, this series. (Amy Pietz guests.)
08) Episode 230: “Can’t Elope” (Aired: 04/10/19)
Haley and Dylan want to elope before their baby is born.
Written by Danny Zuker | Directed by Jeffrey Walker
Haley and Dylan are officially married in this installment that uses a possible ceremony at the Dunphy house to narratively connect a variety of story threads, hoping for the sort of “disastrous wedding day” chaos that the series enjoyed with Mitch and Cam (even though it was clichéd even then). It never fully rises to that occasion (it’s not as masterfully arranged), but some of the ideas are comedically correct. And as a Big Event Show that nevertheless manages to maintain the gravitas it suggests by way of character evolution (measured by these changes in family dynamics) — while still packing in laughs that indicate a general comedic emphasis — “Can’t Elope” is a very highlightable sample with respect to Season Ten’s basic quality.
09) Episode 231: “Commencement” (Aired: 05/01/19)
The family prepares to attend two graduation ceremonies.
Written by Vali Chandrasekaran & Stephen Lloyd | Directed by Eric Dean Seaton
Many Modern Family seasons have a graduation at/near their end, given the number of kids, and how frequently they’re progressing to different stages of life. This year comedically offers two, only one of which actually matters. Of course, nothing is better than Claire and Phil rolling down the hill during Alex’s middle school graduation, but, again, the subject and setting are comfortable as the kind of narrative trappings that feel of the series, regardless of how it stacks up. That said, I mainly decided to feature this outing because of its self-aware and inherently character-based material with Alex and her two siblings, who compare themselves to her and all her success, while she has worries of her own. It’s personalized better-than-this-era fare.
10) Episode 232: “A Year Of Birthdays” (Aired: 05/08/19)
As Haley prepares to give birth, the family reflects on their recent birthdays.
Written by Steven Levitan | Directed by Steven Levitan
My choice for this season’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “A Year Of Birthdays” is the installment where Haley gives birth — formally expanding the family dynamic and marking another evolution in the circle of life that provides a natural callback to the pilot. Co-creator Steven Levitan smartly accentuates that parallel here, and in a manner that truly suggests narrative closure and thus the viability of this half hour as its own finale for the series — growing this “Modern Family” by introducing a new one into their chaotic, extended clan. However, there’s a whole ‘nother season coming after this (and everybody already knew that by the time this was produced), so this ends up instead being just Ten’s finale — a decent Big Event Show that smartly tempers some of its plot-based grandness with a gaudy but simply presented cycle of vignettes, observing each of the characters’ birthdays over the last year. It’s a sort of sketch-like carousel, and though thematically united under the same topic, it isn’t ordinarily the kind of situation comedy that I like. But with an intrinsic focus on character — that is, each scene is expressly conceived to showcase the included regulars — it emphasizes the elements of the series that, even in their weakened and tired state at this late juncture, actually make for favorable sitcommery. Accordingly, this gimmicky structure, also preparing for a heart-warming climax, surprisingly serves the series by displaying its finest attributes — the things that truly render it special. In that regard, I enjoy it, and frankly, I think it would have made a better series-closer than what comes in Eleven, which feels like it’s actively trying to outdo Ten’s…
Other notable episodes that merit mention include: “On The Same Paige,” which has an amusing farce with Phil, Luke, and one of Phil’s students, but little of series-specific value, “Kids These Days,” which is comedy-forward in each of its subplots, “Blasts From The Past,” which introduces Rachel Bay Jones as Dylan’s mom, and “Super ShowerBabyBowl,” a decent ensemble show with narrative trappings unique to this season. I’ll also cite “A Sketchy Area” for guest Dan Levy, “We Need To Talk About Lily” for its homage to La La Land with Phil and Nathan Lane’s Pepper, and “Red Alert,” which has the right kind of premise-backed idea for Cam and Mitch as they don’t know how to handle Lily getting her period.
*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Ten of Modern Family goes to…
“A Year Of Birthdays”
Come back next week for Season Eleven and a new Wildcard Wednesday!