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Three different, but related families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways.
There are some TV shows that you fall for instantly, some that grow on you over time, and others, well, not so much. Unfortunately, “Modern Family” falls into the latter for me. When “Friends” first aired back in 1994, I was not a fan. I watched a few episodes with my then-girlfriend but it really didn’t do anything for me. Eventually, towards the end of 2001, they released the first season of “Friends” on DVD and I bought it for said girlfriend but I ended up watching it at her place one weekend on my own and fell in love with it. I had never really given it a chance until that weekend.
“Modern Family” began the same way. I saw a few episodes on TV but never cared too much for it and eventually, I sat down and tried to watch it from the beginning. Alas, it did not transpire the same way “Friends” did. The humor, for starters, was just a little too much and while the actors involved do well with the material they have, their over-the-top performances and exaggerated reactions to specific circumstances, strain credibility. Even though it’s a comedy, realism needs to be preserved and while it manages to contain it, for a lot of the show, at times, the excessive and overblown reactions, especially from Sofía Vergara, borders on hysterical.
With the producers of “Modern Family” stating that the show will wrap up after season 10, ironically, the same season that “Friends” ended with, the time feels right. Even as much as I loved “Friends,” by the time it ended with season 10, it felt like it had outstayed its welcome. Season 8 was, at least for me, the last full season that had some genuine moments of laughter and chemistry from its six stars. With seasons 9 and 10, most of the humor felt forced and unamusing and with “Modern Family,” it has way surpassed its cutoff date.
The show has a large following and after nine seasons, the fans obviously still want it to continue but the producers obviously know that it can’t go on forever, actors want to move onto other projects, the producers and creators have ideas for other shows, there’s a multitude of reasons but, to be honest, the show needs to end, it had a good run so why not go out while you’re still on top?
While season 9 had some good episodes, including the first episode, “Lake Life,” the rest of them felt like filler, like they were building up to something great and by the time the last episode appeared, “Clash of Swords,” it was more of a letdown than anything else. It almost feels like the actors are just going through the paces, and like most successful TV shows, the earlier seasons are typically the best and this is no exception. Now it feels like they’re trying to pay the fans with lip service but the only way they could successfully pull that off, is by ending the show right now.
As someone who has not watched every season of “Modern Family,” watching season 9 was, at times, a little confusing. While I was able to watch recaps of previous seasons, it isn’t the same as viewing every episode to the very end, it’s just that after having watched some of the earlier seasons, while enjoyable at times, overall, they did not tingle my senses. Season 9 will be of interest to the die-hard fans of the show but for the rest of you, you’d be better off looking for something else.
Now available on DVD
