Warning: SPOILERS for the Modern Family series finale.
ABC's family sitcom Modern Familywrapped up its 11-season run, thus ending its 11-year run on TV, and here's what happens to each character. Modern Family is, understandably, about the modern American family. However, over the years, its expanded to include various facets of everyday life that people run into - either with themselves or with their extended families.
Modern Family follows the lives of three branches of the same family, led by patriarch Jay Pritchett. His daughter, Claire,started out as a housewife with the stereotypical nuclear family - her husband Phil and their three kids Haley, Alex and Luke. At the series' beginning, Jay's son, Mitch, adopts a baby girl named Lily with his partner, Cam. Jay himself is remarried to the much-younger Gloria, who was a single mom to her son, Manny.
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The families live within minutes of each other, so every episode chronicles their daily interactions with one another. Over the span of the series, audiences watch as the families experience marriages, new jobs, babies, heartbreaks and growing up in general. With eleven seasons' worth of stories, there's a lot to wrap up. Here's whereModern Family leaves each of its characters in the series finale.
Jay, Gloria, and Joe Reconnect With Family
In Modern Familyseason 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 much of that revolved around her Colombian heritage. Many of Gloria's storylines over the years focused on hercultureclashing 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 Dad
Manny, however, 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 always 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 kinds of cultures first hand. Manny's story ends with him roughing it for a change. Before the series' end, Manny's biological father proposes that the two of them travel around the world together for a full year. He is hesitant at first, but Gloria urges him to go so that he can grow and see the world. The Modern Familyseries finale sees Manny getting ready for that upcoming trip.
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Claire and Phil Become Empty Nesters
With three kids, Claire and Phil'slives has always been a bit chaotic. They were constantly bailing out Haley, figuring out how to raise a near-genius child with Alex, and dealing with Luke's hijinks. Their 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 thecouplein the series see them planning a trip in the RV that Phil's late father left them several seasons prior.
Haley and Dylan Get Their Own Apartment
The eldest Dunphy went through quite the journey over the course ofModern Family.When audiences meet her, she goes through a party girl phase, multiple boyfriends, and even gets kicked out of college. But near the end of the series, 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 end ofModern Family's penultimate season. In the final season of Modern Family, Haley, Dylan and their kids are living with Phil and Claire. But in the Modern Family series finale,as Cam, Mitch and Lily move away to Missouri, the young couple moves into their old house.
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Alex Moves to Switzerland
Near the end ofModern Family,Alex had graduated from college and taken a cushy and very well-paid corporate job. The middle Dunphy kid previously had dreams of using her wit to save the world. After a run-in with herformer 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.
In the Modern Family series finale, thanks to a little push from her big sister, Alex realizes she still has feelings for Arvin. He calls her to his office, where she lets this information slip. Arvin was only intending to inform her their study was 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 Goes to College
The youngest Dunphy grew up quite a bit over the show's 11 seasons. But one thing he was always scared to do was finally leave the nest - it doesn't help that college never worked out for him. As he says in the Modern Family series finale, he applied to colleges, but just never heard back. But 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 oftheaward-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 themfor relationship advice. Luke also bonded with Mannythrough out 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.
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Cam, Mitch, and Lily Welcome a New Family Member and Move
Cam, Mitch, and Lily perhaps go through the biggest changes at the end ofModern Family. For much of the series, the couple wrestled with whether or not they wanted to adopt another baby. It nearly happened for 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. A vital part of Cam's character is that he 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. Within the last few seasons, Cam also starting coaching football at that local high school. He has a life-long passion for the sport and dreams of coaching at the college level and he almost gets that chance at a college in Missouri, but he is passed over for the job.
On the same day Cam finds out he didn't get the job, he and Mitch receive a call from their old adoption agency. There's a baby boy up for adoption, and Mitch and Cam decide to go for it. They 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 that got the job over him was fired, and the job is his if he wants it. He accepts the gig and he, Mitch, Lily, and Rex move out to Missouri to begin the next chapter of their lives.
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