Modern Family: 7 Things We Hope to See in the Final Season

It’s been ten years since we first met the Dunphy, Pritchett, and Tucker families. Modern Family Season 11 premieres in just a few days, and, since this will be the show’s final season, it has us feeling all kinds of sentimental. 

We’ve grown to love these slightly neurotic characters over the last decade, and we’ll be sad to send them off—though, we’re excited to see how ABC will do it. 

As of this season, we’ve added four new kids since the show’s start (granted, Lily has technically been around since the pilot episode, but we did witness her addition to the family), and we can’t wait to see what this newly expanded family has in store for us. 

Here’s what we’re expecting and hoping to see over the season’s 18 episodes. 

1. Teen Slang, Explained by Phil

It’s cringe-worthy when our own parents do it, but we’d watch a whole episode made up of Phil’s acronyms and interpretations of teen slang. He won us over in the pilot episode with this gem:

I’m cool dad, that’s my thang. I’m hip, I surf the web, I text. LOL: laugh out loud. OMG: oh my god. WTF: why the face?

More of this, please!

2. Joe Stepping Into a New Role

We really haven’t gotten to know Joe beyond the context of his nuclear family. Now that he’s no longer the youngest in the family, it’ll be interesting to see how he responds to the change in dynamic.

Will he have a complex about it and act out? Will he take on a caretaking role? Time will tell.

3. More Stella + Dog Beds

I might be alone in this, but as someone who would 100% buy one of Jay’s dog beds for my own dog and believes dogs make any scene better, it’s on my personal wishlist. 

Kudos to whomever came up with the whole story arc of Jay, Stella, and dog beds. It’s nice to see the hard-headed patriarch of the family showing his soft, goofy side in such a fun way.

4. A Chaotic Family Vacation 

A full-family vacation probably won’t happen with two newborn babies in the crew, but we’re hoping for some kind of family getaway. Some of the show’s best moments have happened when the characters are out of their comfort zones (Hawaii, dude ranch, desert retreat, etc.).

Plus, it’s always nice when shows break up the monotony of the same five or so filming locations with something new. 

5. Haley and Dylan Celebrating Their Parenting Victories

We’re fully expecting Claire to assume the role of overbearing grandma. If the way she’s been invested in her own kids’ live is any indication, it’s likely to happen.

We’re also fully expecting both new parents to be completely overwhelmed in this new chapter. But we want to see them do more than struggle and really find their groove before the season is over. 

First step: changing those names to something other than Coachella and Pixar. 

6. A Big Win From Alex

For years, we’ve seen Alex either serving as the voice of reason against literally everyone or having a nervous breakdown from the pressure of being the smart, perfect one. And, more recently, we’ve seen her storyline revolve around the men she’s seeing.

This season, we’d love to see her story end with a big win. Whether it’s jetting off to Europe to study under a scientific genius or making a discovery on her own, it’s time she gets a little more recognition.

7. Hilarious Guest Stars

Modern Family has blessed us with an impressive list of one-time and recurring guest stars like Adam Devine, Elizabeth Banks, Shelley Long, David Cross, Ben Schwartz, Josh Gad, and James Van Der Beek.

We know Adam Devine’s storyline as Andy is essentially done, and we’d hate to see someone come between Haley and Dylan during this new chapter, but we can’t help but wish for another appearance from this hilarious guy. 

Here’s hoping to more familiar faces for this send-off season. 

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What are your hopes for this season of Modern Family? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. Relive some of the best moments from Seasons 1–10 in the Season 11 trailer:

Modern Family returns Wednesday, September 25th at 9/8c on ABC.

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