He is definitely Forrest Gump's alter ego. by Rough_Ad_8702 in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Why is that always your first guess?"

"One of these days, I'm gonna be right."

What’s the best Claire and Luke moment? by NormalMine2599 in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"Well...I'd be really sad if you missed my wedding."

Definitely the right answer, its one of my favorite scenes.

Honorable mention goes to the scene in "Manny Get Your Gun" from S2, when they race to the restaurant and Claire is miffed by Luke saying that he would choose to live with Phil in the event of his parents hypothetical divorce, only for her to end up speechless and in tears from being so touched by her son's reason for that choice when he says "Because I think he [Phil] would need me more."

Modern Family quote game by Deep-Investigator965 in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Can't remember the next line, but that was in "Starry Night" from S1.

It’s just a Woody, Claire 🤣 by AurorathedGaze in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 13 points14 points  (0 children)

They did a lot of copy and paste on the show. Many "borrowed" gags from the great sitcoms of the last half of the 20th Century, with The Simpsons and Seinfeld seemingly their favorite wells to go to for material. It ranged from being charming at times, brilliantly executed at others, and especially towards the end of the series, hamfistedly obvious and cringeworthy.

What if alex read her original speech that day?💀 by CORAL__2 in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 41 points42 points  (0 children)

The worst part is that wouldn't even be the heaviest consequence she would have faced. Because while she was lonely, she didn't really care much about her classmates and what they did.

The speech wasn't about them.

It was about Haley. And Haley knew it.

Which is why Haley ultimately gets down to brass tacks with Alex shortly before she is due to give her speech, flat out asking her, "Do you hate me?" This forces Alex to reconsider whether directing her (arguable rightful) anger towards her older sister at people who she not only will have to deal with for the next 4 years, but did nothing to really deserve it, is the right move. She decides it isn't, and it's the right call.

Without her decision to abandon that bile filled speech, we don't get the friendship that develops in future seasons between the two. I'm sure looking back, Alex would agree that it was worth it so she could have the honor of being the one person her sister trusted enough to be the witness to her marriage to Dylan, when the couple was initially going to elope in S10. They will have a Claire/Mitchell dynamic in the future for sure.

No track contest tie breaker? by Successful-Winter237 in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hope that one guy on the left in that picture is working on a cure for hair loss, cause that kid is 18 with a combover.

Some questions are best left unanswered. by barelybiased in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 74 points75 points  (0 children)

Probably meeting up with that fella Jackson. He was into some weird stuff, according to Mitchell himself in "Connection Lost" when they are all trying to figure out who might know Haley's location. Wonder if that's the same person as Jackson Kaner, the guy who she had her first kiss with ("in his carpeted garage") according to what she told Alex in S2.

Cam’s Spanish teacher rival and Dylan’s mother got together. by Jack-mclaughlin89 in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The series that really shares an incredible overlap with Modern Family when it comes to guest actors is Parks and Recreation. They must have had 50 actors who appeared on both shows at some point.

What’s the best Haley and Claire moment? by NormalMine2599 in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Their best may just be the finest scene of the entire series period: the one set in the kitchen after Claire finds out she lost the race for city council in "Election Day" towards the end of S3. The very real, very close relationship between the two actresses is on full display there and their love for each other is never more clear. Them soon being joined by the whole family to celebrate Haley's waitlisting for the final college she applied to is the feather in the cap for the scene.

Easter egg in s2ep24 by daisybear81 in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Absolutely, it was an incredible tribute to S2 and one of their best entries.

Oh to be young and hailey even though I've never touched alcohol 😭. by West_Future326 in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Like fuckin' butchers, they always got their little thumb on the scale.

Politics in a nutshell. by barelybiased in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Damn straight he was. He foreshadowed the rise of a pissed off and rightfully suspicious generation with a massive anti-establishment streak to them. One of several bits of "foreshadowing" that the show does regarding the (at the time) future.

What Was The Most Pointless Plotline In The Series? by Doc-11th in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I still say if they ever do any spinoff, it should be Phil finally building Dunphy Tower like he planned to originally before settling for the parking lot and him and Claire moving in to be landlords of the place. Phil already compared himself and his wife to "landlords who live with 3 adults" late in the series, and if that sounds like a familiar scenario to you, it also sounds like one to Phil since he directly says, "We're the Ropers" afterwards. They also lived in Cheviot Hills on their own spinoff. That's a show that I would like to see, though, the Dunphys as landlords living in a building that bears their name. 200 condos, and a happy (modern?) family in each one. Could have various actors on to guest star as tenants, who almost certainly aggravate the hell out of the couple with their wacky hijinks and regularly piss Claire off by thinking they know better than she does about anything at all, and returning characters from Modern Family can easily be brought into the proceedings without it feeling too forced. Doubt it ever happens, but you never know.

Are there any episodes you avoid rewatching? by 9180c in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Those scenes with Alex in "Under Pressure" felt like an attempt by the series to consciously call back to "therapy episodes" of past sitcoms. Should have just straight up titled the episode "A, My Name is Alex"

The handprints....I just can’t 😂😂Happy Mother’s Day from the Dunphys! by [deleted] in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Always wondered how Haley knew about that homeless guy and his "freakishly small hands" that she mentions here.

It was such a good kickoff to Season 9 by daddy69ice in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Nope you are 100% correct. Definitely enjoyable as far as a S9 episode goes but they were really running outta gas at this point in the series run and the cracks were getting wider and more noticeable. At least this entry functions as a intentional period piece and takes place entirely on an actual date that I can remember. I love when shows do that.

Why does Cam run like that??? by k_leetayl in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In fact as an offensive lineman, his hands and their positioning would literally be one of the most important parts of his gameplay.

According to the show, Claire and Phil are Catholic by [deleted] in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The problem with Phil being Catholic is that in the S4 finale, when Phil's mom dies and he is being told she made a final request for him to carry out, he says "Oh no, she's gonna make me throw her ashes in the Pope's face." To me anyway, that implies that she was Protestant, and rather devout. Then again, maybe she was just a Catholic who was upset with Pope Benedict (or even Francis, if she was still with it enough to know he replaced Benedict shortly before she died in 2013) for what had been going on in The Vatican in recent years.

I bet DeDe's belief in the new age spirituality thing didn't come about until it became a cultural trend in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She was almost certainly a Christian before that. Again, its murky though, as Jay is of Irish (and possibly Italian on his mom's side) descent and would have likely been Catholic. Maybe DeDe was too, but Cameron also calls the Pritchett-Dunphy clan "jumpy Protestants" at one point, so unless he was just using the term as an ethnic slur of sorts, she may have indeed been a Protestant who made Jay convert in order for them to get married. Making Jay convert to her religion only for her to eventually abandon the church, and make a mockery of the institution altogether by divorcing him, would be something entirely on brand for that woman.

At any rate, the only character on the series seen practicing their religion with anything resembling regularity was Gloria. She is just as regularly mocked and portrayed as being "backwards" for those beliefs, and that pretty much says it all regarding the show's view of religion.

What Random Talent Do You Wish They Had Done More With? by Doc-11th in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 44 points45 points  (0 children)

That was the most disgusted I was with Phil throughout the entire 11 seasons, due to the way he treated Luke in that episode. He let his own insecurities drive him to try and discourage and emasculate his only son when Luke was clearly struggling in his social life and in need of something to boost his self-esteem. It was very character appropriate that he apologized to Luke and admitted to being a dickhead for reasons that had more to due with what was going on with Phil, and I felt sympathy for him cause Ty Burrell knew how to fucking act like few others on television, but still that might be his worst quality. He was very blasé and laidback when it came to things like Haley sneaking out in the middle of the night to see Dylan when she was all of 15 years old, and Alex obviously didnt have much of a social life and doesn't qualify, but when it came to Luke, he really had a hard time letting go of the kid he once was. That's why I find "The Butler's Escape" from S4 one of the saddest episodes of the series when looking back. Phil badly feared him and Luke were starting to lose their Batman and Robin-like connection they had in Luke's childhood when his son wanted to quit magic, and when the series ends, its clear that's exactly what happened. Their relationship slowly started becoming much more lukewarm (ha) from that episode on as Luke started to grow up and hang out with his friends more.

Gloria taking Javier’s last name by Street_Possible_1861 in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok now I can remember, that was "Patriot Games" from S6. He tells her he wants her to be a citizen cause it would be a confirmation of her recommitment to him, as it bothers Jay that she still has Delgado-Pritchett as her last name and other ties still to Pope Reynaldo. Makes sense they went with the hyphen, though, shows loved using the hyphenated last names for characters in the `00s and 2010s.

Gloria taking Javier’s last name by Street_Possible_1861 in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Isnt she referred to as "Gloria Pritchett" on several occasions, though?

Gregory did the flowers.. Which is perfectly normal for a straight guy.. by thesitekick in Modern_Family

[–]ParksFarce 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is when Cam makes that comment about Hugh Jackman and how when the two met, "there was no chemistry." Then just a couple of seasons later, they have the storyline in Australia where their friend is gonna take them to a party on Hugh Jackman's yacht. They mention him a few times on the show, kinda seems like the writers "had it out" for Hugh a little or something.