Modern Family will return for a seventh season on ABC starring Ty Burrell, Sofia Vergara, Ed O’Neill, Julie Bowen, Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Fergusen.
Modern Family continues to be the anchor of prime time comedy television but I can’t help but feel the show is definitely past it’s prime. Ty Burrell’s performance as the lovable father of the century Phil Dunphy continues to be the one saving grace for me as a longtime fan. That’s not to say the rest of the cast have worn out their welcome but I feel like the situational comedic situations that the writers have put them in just aren’t as entertaining as they used to be.
It’s also disappointing that the season 6 finale ‘American Skyper’ used the same iPad on a motorized tripod gag that Community already pulled off and managed to do so much better, weeks prior. There was literally nothing that Modern Family could do to top a gag that Dan Harmon and crew had already hammered out and did so to perfection.
Alex continues to annoy me more than ever while although Luke has grown into a lovably dumb teenager as opposed to the awkward teen-child that he was in the last couple seasons, the children seem out of place now as they get older. Lily doesn’t fall into that equation as of yet because she’s still in that hilarious age where it’s OK to come across as crude and not play to the audience as just another sitcom trope.
Cam and Mitch had some really funny moments scattered throughout the season but I feel like their characters remain static as ever with very little growth on a deeper level which is a shame considering past seasons where there was room to grow their family and make it more interesting.
I will applaud them for trying something new with the ‘Connection Lost’ episode, which took place entirely over laptop and tablet screens. That may have been the standout episode of the season for me because it was both hilarious and important to developing the characters further. It hit the perfect mix of funny and drama, which is where I’ve found Modern Family scores the most points, but hasn’t bothered to pursue that blend in recent seasons, instead opting to play it safe and stick to the formulaic half hour comedy sitcom.
Adam DeVine’s recurring role as Andy is another essential piece of Modern Family. DeVine continues to be an integral character on the show and he steals every scene he’s a part of. I’m extremely happy that this character has been given more time to develop. His romantic relationship ‘sorta’ with Haley may have been the most interesting factor of the entire season. It was definitely the most integral chunk of the finale so I’m glad they’re focusing on it as much as they have.
Huge props to the addition of Steve Zahn as the Dunphys’ new redneck neighbour. He does a terrific job playing that special kind of annoying and he chews up every episode that he co-stars in. Season 6 was on the same level quality-wise as last year, so Modern Family continues to be a fine comedic program, however, the energy just isn’t what it used to be so I’m wondering if a seventh season might be time to hang it up.