A modern farewell to ‘Modern Family’

Courtesy of Deadline

The ABC comedy “Modern Family” bid farewell after 11 seasons of laughter, tears and everything in between. Since airing its pilot episode in 2009, the Emmy award-winning show has achieved rave reviews from both critics and the mainstream public. The final episode aired on Wednesday, April 8, and it definitely serves as a sweet tribute to one of ABC’s longest-running sitcoms.

The two-part finale definitely packs a punch – it ends the series in a way that combines a lot of emotions that will not only bring a close to a chapter, but also a chance for new adventures. Members of the principal cast are suddenly hit with several setbacks, taking unexpected turns which interrupt their normal lives. This is not meant to be negative, but it does get the audience ready for what’s to come.

For instance, Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) gets a job opportunity in his home state of Missouri after moving into a new house with a newborn, his husband Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and their daughter, Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons). It was a tough moment, as he was given a chance to pursue what he considered his dream job just as he made this major life decision.

In the Dunphy household, Phil (Ty Burrell) and Claire (Julie Bowen) have to deal with the madness that goes on in their overcrowded house, and begin considering the idea that one of their three now-adult children should move out. However, they were not prepared for all three of their children to move out at the end: They would now have to deal with having an empty house, as Haley (Sarah Hyland) and Dylan (Reid Ewing) move out to Mitchell and Cameron’s old apartment with their twin children, Alex (Ariel Winter) gets a job opportunity in Switzerland and Luke (Nolan Gould) gets accepted to college.

Finally, in the Pritchett household, Jay (Ed O’Neill), the patriarch of the family, wants to surprise his wife Gloria (Sofía Vergara) by learning how to speak Spanish, as the couple and their son Joe (Jeremy Maguire) are going to Colombia for the summer. In addition to that, their older son Manny (Rico Rodriguez) decides to travel the world for a year.

On an emotional note, the finale gives way to new experiences and journeys that lie ahead. There were surely some moments that seemed unexpected and last-minute, but it is all part of the journey of staying together as a family. This sitcom has definitely provided fans with lots of laughs over the years, but it also displayed some teaching moments. In this case, the lesson is that not all things last forever and new opportunities should be taken, because things will happen for the best.

This series finale was special, as each and every character got a special goodbye moment. However, these were not meant to be sad, and instead were feel-good moments that strengthened the bond of all the family members. For instance, Mitchell and Claire re-live their ice skating moments from their childhood, Alex and Haley decide to mess with Luke one last time and the mother-son relationship between Gloria and Manny is highlighted, which has always been heartwarming.

What really made “Modern Family” stand out from the crowd was its unique and genuine style of comedy. The show gives insight on how different branches of one family can show a united spirit, despite new changes that occur over time. Furthermore, the cherry on top of this episode was the tribute to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” where the principal cast participated in a group hug at the end, with no one wanting to let go.

Even though the ABC sitcom lost its unique touch with longtime fans during the later seasons, the finale definitely shows the final arc coming full circle, showing the viewers the classic comedy that made them love one of America’s favorite families. Overall, the “Modern Family” finale hit the right note not only to end the show, but also to celebrate new beginnings.