Modern Family Ending Explained: What Happens To Each Character

The Modern Family ending shows where the various Dunphy and Pritchett members were headed in life after its 11 season run concluded in 2020. When it comes to how Modern Family ends, the creative team ensured the sitcom’s final moments expanded to include various facets of everyday life and set up the sense that life is very much continuing for the Dunphy and Pritchett households, even though the mockumentary cameras have stopped rolling.

Modern Family follows the lives of three branches of the same family, led by patriarch Jay Pritchett, with each family being vastly different. By the time the show ended, many of their stories had almost come full circle, with Haley starting her own family, Claire and Phil’s kids all moved out, and Manny traveling the world to find himself. Since Modern Family had 11 seasons of stories, there was a lot to wrap up. The Modern Family ending showed where the characters were going, hinting at what their future could hold.

Jay, Gloria, & Joe Reconnect With Family & Travel To Colombia

Jay Embraces Gloria’s Culture And Joe’s Heritage

In Modern Family season 4, Jay and Gloria give birth to a son of their own named Joe. Gloria and her oldest son, Manny, had their own lives and traditions before they met Jay, and Gloria made sure that they kept their connection to her Colombian heritage. Many of Gloria’s storylines over the years focused on her culture clashing with the rest of the family. Jay, ever set in his ways, often pushes back on bringing a new culture into his life.

In the Modern Family series finale, audiences learn that Gloria is going to take Joe to Colombia for the summer to learn more about his family and culture. In an effort to surprise Gloria, Jay reveals he’s been learning Spanish, so he can accompany his wife and son on their trip. As Gloria has put in so much time and effort with his family, Jay decides it’s about time he returns the favor.

Manny Travels The World With His Biological Dad

Jay’s Step Son Is Off To Find Himself With Gloria’s Blessing

The Modern Family ending revealed that Manny doesn’t join Jay, Gloria, and Joe on their trip because he’s about to embark on one of his own. With his love of theater, literature, and wine, Manny had a taste for the finer things in life. But as he grew up comfortably in Jay’s home, he never got the chance to experience other cultures firsthand.

Manny’s story ends with him stepping out into the world to experience things for himself. Before the end of Modern Family, Manny’s biological father proposes they travel the world together for a year. He is hesitant, but Gloria urges him to go, so he can grow and see the world. The Modern Family series finale sees Manny getting ready for that trip.

Claire & Phil Become Empty Nesters & Take An RV Trip

The Dunphy Children Have All Moved Out

With three kids, Claire and Phil’s lives have always been chaotic in Modern Family. They were constantly bailing out Haley, figuring out how to raise a near-genius child with Alex, and dealing with Luke’s hijinks. Their Modern Family storylines often revolved around them finding solutions to their kids’ problems, so it’s only fitting that Claire and Phil’s story ended with a little peace and quiet.

By the time Modern Family ends, all three of Phil and Claire’s kids, plus Haley’s family, were living with them. Claire and Phil couldn’t stand the lack of space, so they inform their kids that at least one of them must move out. In a surprising turn of events, all three of their kids decide they are ready to move on.

Phil and Claire are initially heartbroken by their sudden status as empty nesters. But they eventually learn to embrace the next chapter of their lives. The final moments of the couple in the series see them planning a trip, traveling in the RV that Phil’s late father left them.

Haley & Dylan Get Their Own Home (And Keep It In The Family)

The Eldest Dunphy Child Moves Into Cam And Phil’s Old House

The eldest Dunphy went through quite the journey over the course of Modern Family. When audiences meet Haley as a teen, she goes through a party girl phase, has multiple boyfriends, and even gets kicked out of college. But near the end of Modern Family, things started to fall into place for Haley. She settles into a career in fashion and ends up reconnecting with her first boyfriend, Dylan.

Haley ends up getting pregnant with twins, so she and Dylan get married to honor their love and commitment to one another. Their children, George and Poppy, are born at ending of the penultimate season. Throughout the final season of Modern Family, Haley, Dylan, and their kids were living with Phil and Claire. But in the Modern Family series finale, as Cam, Mitch, and Lily move away to Missouri, the young couple finally move into their old house. Despite that, actor Sarah Hyland hated her character’s ending on Modern Family.

Alex Moves To Switzerland To Pursue Her Career (& Fall In Love)

Claire And Phil’s Second Child Is Destined For Professional Success

Near the end of Modern Family, Alex graduated from college and took a cushy and well-paid corporate job. The middle Dunphy child previously had dreams of using her brilliance to save the world. After a run-in with her former professor/old crush, who happens to be Haley’s ex-boyfriend, she decides it’s time to reinitiate that passion. Arvin offers her a spot on his research team, which Alex quickly accepts.

Thanks to a little push from her big sister, Alex realized still has feelings for Arvin. He calls her to his office, where she lets this information slip. Arvin only intended to inform her their study had moved to Switzerland, but he reciprocates Alex’s feelings. She agrees to follow Arvin to Switzerland to participate in his research group, and it appears as if the duo began a relationship ahead of their trip.

Luke Gets Accepted To The University of Oregon

The Youngest Dunphy Is Finally Moving Out

Luke, the youngest Dunphy child, grew up quite a bit over Modern Family’s 11 seasons. However, one thing he was always scared to do was finally leave the nest — and it doesn’t help that college never worked out for him. As he said in the Modern Family ending, he applied to colleges but never heard back. However, he finally reveals that he was accepted to the University of Oregon, and intends to go in the fall.

While he and his sisters bickered quite a lot over the course of the award-winning television show, the siblings share a sweet moment in the Modern Family series finale. They promise to stay in touch, with Luke asking if he can still come to them for relationship advice. Luke also bonded with Manny throughout the entire series. They share an emotional goodbye, as it’ll be the first time they’ve been apart since they met as young children.

Cam, Mitch, & Lily Welcome A New Family Member And Move

The Trio Are Destined For Missouri

Cam, Mitch, and Lily perhaps go through the biggest changes during the Modern Family ending. For much of the series, the couple wrestled with whether they wanted to adopt another baby. It nearly happened to them around the same time Gloria was pregnant with Joe, but it ended up not working out. So they let go of that dream and remained a happy family of three.

Cam also had a few dreams of his own that he thought he’d have to let go of permanently. Cam is from Missouri. He’s a farmer who is incredibly proud of where he comes from. Mitch always told Cam they could move back to Missouri one day, but never followed through. In the last few seasons, Cam started coaching high school football. He has a life-long passion for the sport and dreams of coaching at the college level, and he almost gets that chance in Missouri, but he is passed over for the job.

On the same day that Cam finds out he didn’t get the job, he and Mitch receive a call from the adoption agency. There’s a baby boy up for adoption, and Mitch and Cam go for it. Cam and Mitch even move to a bigger house to accommodate their growing family. They even name their son after their new street — Rexford (aka Rex).

As they settle into the next phase of their lives, Cam gets a surprising call; the coach who got the job over him was fired, and the job is his if he wants it. He accepts the position and he, Mitch, Lily, and Rex move out to Missouri to begin the next chapter of their lives.

What The Modern Family Cast Has Done Since The Show Ended

Several Modern Family Cast Members Have Gone On To Greater Things

While it was interesting to see how Modern Family ended for the characters, it was also interesting to see where each of the Modern Family stars went after the series went off the air. Sofía Vergara remains one of the judges on America’s Got Talent, while also picking up a role in the Netflix crime drama Griselda and a voice role role in Strays in 2023. Her on-screen husband, Ed O’Neill recently appeared in the miniseries Clipped.

Julie Bowen appeared in several movies since Modern Family ended, including The Fallout and Totally Killer. She also found a new TV show, with a recurring role as the voice of Patricia Banks in Hailey’s On It! Ty Burrell also joined an animated series after his role as Phil, voicing Jack Harris in the Hulu series Duncanville. Jesse Tyler Ferguson had a role in the 2023 horror comedy Cocaine Bear as Peter, a wildlife activist. Eric Stonestreet went on to host the reality game show Domino Masters and played Mad Santa in season 2 of The Santa Clauses on Disney+.

Sarah Hyland has appeared in the movie My Fake Boyfriend. However, her biggest roles are as the host of Play-Doh Squished and also of the dating series Love Island USA. She also has a starring role in the Peacock series Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin alongside her Modern Family love interest Adam Devine. Ariel Winter hasn’t done much since the Modern Family ending, most recently appearing as a contestant on Stars on Mars. Nolan Gould popped up in a 2022 episode of Grey’s Anatomy, while Rico Rodriguez and Aubrey Anderson-Emmons haven’t had any roles since their time on Modern Family.

Did Modern Family Get A Perfect Ending?

The Finale Gave Die-Hard Fans What They Want But Didn’t Redeem The Later Seasons

Modern Family was a beloved series among many fans throughout its run, but most will agree that the show began to lose its way in the later seasons. The biggest criticism was that the jokes had grown stale and the writing was no longer as sharp as it once was. However, there was still comfort in the lovable characters and this terrific ensemble that made up the fictional family.

The finale was clearly catering to those fans who had stuck with the show all the way through because they loved the characters so much. For some, this only highlighted the weaknesses of the later seasons of the sitcom, with the show leaning on the chemistry of the cast and the broad personalities these characters had come to represent. It made for a finale that was not willing to take any risks and just wanted to be another episode of the show. A review from IndieWire suggested:

“What the
Modern Family
finale ultimately proves is what we’ve all known for years: The show should’ve ended years ago, when it was better equipped to tie together all these subplots, characters, and themes. Now, we’re left with an ending that doesn’t really want to be an ending. Maybe that’s enough (for) the casual family audience, but I have to believe modern viewers demand more.”

However, for those who did fall in love with these characters, the finale was a comforting farewell to them all. All these fans wanted to see was their favorite characters get a happy ending while maintaining the show’s themes of love within this dysfunctional family. A review from TV Guide stated:

“Like most of its best episodes, the
Modern Family
Finale felt like a warm hug”.

In the end, Modern Family‘s ending played things too safe and too low-key to really stand out among the best television finales of all time. However, those who had been with the show from the beginning were rewarded with an ending that could put a smile on their face.