NETWORK ABC
FINALE DATE APRIL 8Dunphy-Pritchett-Tucker clan, the
ending also speaks to new begin-
nings. “The family is suddenly
dealing with a lot of changes,” says
co-creator Steven Levitan, “some
of which come from the very nature
of kids getting older, the time when
you have to say goodbye.”
The finale opens with a Dunphy
home so overstuffed with kids and
grandkids that Phil and Claire (Julie
Bowen) seek shelter in the RV in the
driveway. From there, the plot
involves: a soft-sculpture gift from
Jay (Ed O’Neill) to Cam (Eric Stone-
street) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler
Ferguson); one last sibling hazing; a
bathtub-side scene with Manny
(Rico Rodriguez) and Gloria (Sofia
Vergara); and “Claire and Mitch
have realizations as adults about
their old skating routine that they
didn’t as kids,” says Levitan. Plus,
an immovable father and his
unstoppable son-in-law share new
intimacy. “Jay and Phil finally
bond—literally,” hints Burrell.
The family comedy with a sharp
wit and wink that redefined the
genre aimed to keep the finale flow-
ing with laughs while suffusing it
with goodbye gravitas. “There’s a
combination of sadness and grati-
tude, and these are feelings all of
the writers had—and I think the
actors had too,” says Lloyd. Burrell
confirms that hunch. “I hope peo-
ple will forgive us for breaking
character a bit, because it was actu-
ally a little tricky to delineate,” he
says. “It really has to do with that
feeling that this chapter of this fam-
ily is over. This magical period in
their lives won’t be the same any-
more, and people are wrestling with
a lot of the same feelings we were
wrestling with.” And on April 8, it
will be your turn. —DAN SNIERSONWHY THE FACE? BECAUSE THE
Modern era of Family time has
drawn to a close. Saying goodbye
after 11 seasons, 250 episodes, and
22 Emmys (including five consecu-
tive Outstanding Comedy Series
trophies, tying Frasier’s record) wasno easy feat for the producers and
cast; ask them to describe the vibe
while finishing the one-hour fare-
well, and analogies flow like the
tears did. “It’s kind of like when
you’re a kid and your best friend
moves away—only it’s 100 best
friends,” quips co-creator Christo-
pher Lloyd. Sums up Ty Burrell,
who won two Emmys as aspiring
cool dad Phil: “It was like a beautiful
torture. It was like being at a wed-
ding and a funeral at the same time.”
Neither of those scenarios takes
place in the finale, but other emo-
tionally charged events do. For theTY BURRELL & JULIE BOWENMODERN FAMILY← ”The idea that
we won’t be work-
ing [together] day
in, day out was
kind of a tough pill
to swallow,” says
Ty Burrell (right,
with Julie Bowen)
of the Modern
Family teamEW ● COM APRIL 2020 23BONNIE OSBORNE/ABCAPRIL2020.FIRSTTAKE2.LO.indd 23 FINAL 3/3/20 8:59 AM