Modern Family: Finale (11x17/18)

My eyes are totally dry, and I'm betting the show-runners wanted me to be crying. I didn't hate this finale. Hating it would require me to feel deep emotions, and I... don't.

Cons:

Gosh, I don't know, watching this hour-long finale just got me thinking about how I would have restructured this season. Turns out, Cam and Mitchell are moving to Missouri after all. Okay, cool. Why cram that in to the finale and not let it build over several episodes? Same with all three Dunphy kids suddenly moving out of the house. This finale introduced the idea that Alex had moved back in because she took a lower-paying job, then set up how chaotic the house is with so many people, and then had everyone start leaving. Why has this not been going on for multiple episodes? Why was Alex once again so underutilized all season, only to be crammed in to these final minutes like this?

Some of the characters' endings felt technically thematically appropriate, but also out of the blue at the same time. Luke got into college and is moving to Oregon. Cool? If only I could have been on the journey with him, as he submitted applications, as he made decisions about where he wanted to end up. Instead, this feels completely out of nowhere. Manny is taking a big trip to see the world. That feels appropriate for him because of how sheltered he has become, but it's also sort of a lesson we already learned with his character.

This is a finale, and so of course there is some expected cheesiness to contend with, and I'm okay with that. But there were some moments that felt very forced, like giving Phil and Jay one last awkward father/son-in-law moment where Phil embarrasses himself and then Jay ends up being compassionate and reaffirming their love for each other. I get it. We've been here before.

Oh also, we find out in this episode that Jay has been learning Spanish secretly for Gloria, to surprise her. I absolutely despise this weird trope in sitcoms. I know learning another language is hard, but if you marry someone who has a different native language than you, you buckle down and you become passably conversational, if nothing else. Jeez, am I supposed to pat Jay on the back for doing something he should have done literal decades ago?

I guess at the end of the day I'm supposed to feel sentimental about the idea of the whole family parting ways and going off to start their new adventures. And it's not like I felt nothing, it's just... this felt like the same sort of lackluster, perfectly adequate but not all that funny material that we've been enduring for the past several seasons. This show really ran out of steam by the end, and even the energy of a finale couldn't really give it the fuel it needed for a triumphant end.

Pros:

As I said, though, there was plenty here to enjoy, and there's sort of an automatic pleasantness that comes from lingering one last time on characters we've all known for so long. To start with, while Jay and Gloria have never been my favorite couple on the show, I did like the idea of Jay affirming that it's his turn to stay at home and take care of things while Gloria pursues her career. I wish it wasn't the kind of thing where we had to feel proud of Jay for offering, but at the same time, it's true that he went off to work and left Gloria at home for a long time, so it's nice that he recognizes that and wants to do his part.

The most emotionally effective relationship stuff in this finale was definitely with the Dunphy crew. I liked Alex, Haley, and Luke having a sibling story-line, where Alex and Haley mess with Luke one final time, but it leads to them all hugging on the couch and vowing to stay close. I've got two sisters, so that kind of stuff always gets to me. And we haven't seen these three doing a lot of chaotic sibling stuff since they've been adults with their own story arcs, so it was nice to have that return.

And Phil and Claire... they really are one of my favorite sitcom spouse duos. They're wacky and over-the-top, but there's a bedrock of real love and support there, that feels true to life, in a way that I don't think the other couples on this show manage to pull off. As they contemplate becoming empty-nesters for the first time, I really can picture them continuing on with their lives, going on new adventures, dealing with family drama as always. They feel real to me, in a way that lasts beyond the format of the show. That's mostly props to the actors, honestly.

My favorite comedy moment was honestly when Cam tried to have a meaningful goodbye with Gloria and talk about their powerful bond over the years, and Gloria was like "what are you talking about, we've been alone maybe eight times" or something like that. Honestly, I like Cam and Gloria's relationship, but even more I liked the acknowledgment that not every relationship in an extended family is going to be a super special deep bond that needs to be talked about with such flowing language.

Ultimately, while I wish there had been more of a build-up, I do like the fact that Cam, Mitchell, Lily, and the new baby are moving after all. It's appropriate to end a show like this with a big change, and just the Dunphy kids moving out, or just Manny going on a trip, wouldn't have felt like a big enough status quo shift.

So that's how we leave the family. This wasn't a great finale. It's not one of those finales I'll think back on fondly, but it's also not one of those disastrous ones that ruin everything that came before, so I should be grateful for that!

For this finale, I'll give a score of...

7/10

For the show as a whole, I can give slightly higher marks. These last few seasons have definitely been weak. There have been some troubling aspects throughout, some jokes that didn't hit the mark. But I did like the clever comedy, the quick pacing, and the genuine connections between these characters. I don't think I'll really miss this show, but I'm still glad I had it while I did.

8/10