It has been almost two years since Modern Family ended. This good-hearted mockumentary remains a must-watch for all kinds of families, especially during the holidays. Modern Family follows the lives of the extended Pritchett family - a vastly different group of people brought together by family.
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Even if it depicts a wholesome and funny story, no TV show is perfect and Modern Family isn't an exception. There are several things about Modern Family that were either poorly written or poorly executed, and it only takes a glimpse to notice them.
9 Alex's Age Doesn't Track With Modern Family's Timeline
Alex Dunphy is Phil and Claire's middle child. A bright, rational but condescending girl, she tends to find herself exasperated by her family's lack of common sense. Some things about her don't make sense, such as her age.
In the first season of Modern Family, it's stated that Alex is 13 years old. Four seasons later, she turns 15 in Under Pressure. Everyone else had aged 4 years, so Alex should have been turning 17. By the end of Modern Family, Alex is around 21 years old as she can now legally drink. Effectively, she's 2 years younger than she should be.
8 Mitch & Claire's Relationship With Their Father
Claire and Mitchell Pritchett are the two children of Jay and DeDe. Jay and DeDe had a toxic marriage that ends in divorce after DeDe leaves and becomes an estranged mother. When Modern Family begins, DeDe isn't in the picture, while Claire and Mitch have a strained relationship with their father.
In the first seasons, Jay is strict, tough and has difficulty being open. He's constantly condescending to both his kids and struggles to accept Mitch's sexuality. While Jay undergoes serious personal and emotional development, it seems bizarre Claire and Mitch are initially so happy to be close to him. Perhaps Jay is the lesser of two evils.
7 Gloria Allows Javier To Disappoint Manny
Even after Fulgencio is born, Gloria and Manny share a special mother-son bond as a result of the many years spent just the two of them. This makes Gloria particularly overprotective of Manny, who is also a very sensitive boy.
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It's widely known that Gloria is a very passionate woman. Despite this, she rarely challenges Javier’s emotional neglect towards Manny. Modern Family fans know Gloria is no stranger to standing up for her beliefs. Although she wants Manny to have a father, it is strange that she doesn't scold Javier more often, or doesn't put an end to it when Manny is young and impressionable.
6 Haley's Progression Turned Into Regression
When Modern Family begins, Haley Dunphy is a rebellious, sassy and lazy teenager. By the middle of Modern Family, Haley finds a job in the fashion industry and finds a stable, appropriate and kind boyfriend, Andy.
Her life was on track and she had new responsibilities, but gets back together with her goofy high-school boyfriend, Dylan. She falls pregnant with twins, living with Phil and Claire for their support and struggling with motherhood. Although Haley and Dylan move into Cam and Mitch's house, it still feels like her evolution unravelled.
5 The Dunphy's Financial Situation Is Way Better Than It Should Be
In the first season of Modern Family, Phil works as a real estate agent while Claire takes on the responsibilities of being a stay-at-home mom. The Dunphy household is single-income, but there are 5 people in the house. What's more, Phil's job depends heavily on the real estate market, so it's far from stable.
Regardless, the Dunphys never have financial issues. They own a house and at least two cars, they have enough savings to put the kids through college and they go on several holidays. This plot hole is resolved in later seasons when Claire starts working for, and becomes CEO of, Pritchett's Closets & Blinds.
4 Andy And Haley Broke Up After Having A Perfect Relationship
After a long will-they-won't-they arc, Haley and Andy finally solve their own issues and get together. Having met when Haley had inappropriate, disinterested boyfriends, Andy and Haley were a strong match. However, their relationship doesn't last much longer than five episodes. Andy leaves to become a real estate agent in Utah.
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The end of this relationship has more to do with Adam Devine's scheduling issues than with the writing of Modern Family. In fact, producers have even stated that Andy and Haley were originally conceived as end-game. However, it was impossible to give their relationship a proper storyline, and it remains as one of the worst arcs in Modern Family.
3 Elizabeth Banks As Mitch & Cam's Best Friend Sal
Sal, portrayed by Elizabeth Banks, is Cam and Mitch's fun-loving best friend. She's a spoiled and wild woman whose idea of fun didn't change after her college years. Although she's only a guest character, she appears several times during Modern Family's ten seasons, each time more chaotic than the last.
Sal doesn't have to make sense - that's what makes the character funny. However, Mitch and Cam are no longer party-lovers, and Sal expresses a strong dislike for their child, Lily. It seems like they would outgrow their friendship with Sal.
2 The Whole Family Started Ignoring Lily Once She Grew Up
Lily's arrival to the family is one of the more important and wholesome moments, Cam and Mitch able to raise a child and become a family. Despite this, her presence in the house stops being relevant when she's no longer a baby. A frequent comedy trope is her parents frequently forgetting her. It feels as if there were too many characters on Modern Family, so there's no space for a storyline for her.
By the end of Modern Family, Lily is around 12-years-old, the age Luke and Manny were in the first season. However, Lily Tucker-Pritchett never really develops a personality outside of being violently sarcastic. This is a real shame because Aubrey Anderson-Emmons has a lot of potential as an actress.
1 Cam & Mitch Argue Frequently
Mitch and Cam spend a great deal of Modern Family fighting each other. Generally, they're constantly engaged in petty, small fights just for the sake of being right. While their opposing natures makes the pair endearing, they rarely see eye to eye in everyday matters.
Both Cam and Mitch are inflexible - neither of them is willing to let anything go. Them having a relationship is the most implausible arc in Modern Family. Despite their sweet moments and clear signs of love, it does surprise fans they stay together.
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