How the ‘Modern Family’ Finale Set Up Its Final Season

Meaghan Darwish May 9, 2019, 12:30 pm

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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 10, Episode 22 of Modern Family, “A Year of Birthdays.”]

Fans of Modern Family were taken on a walk down memory lane as Season 10 wrapped on Wednesday night.

Throughout the half-hour installment, birthdays from the past year in the Dunphy-Pritchett family are visited, beginning with Phil’s (Ty Burrell) 50th. Per usual, nothing seems to go perfect during each event, but it all culminates in a full-circle moment by the episode’s end.

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Season 10 focused heavily on Haley’s (Sarah Hyland) pregnancy, so it only made sense that the finale would finish up with the birth of her twins. While the Dunphy family was attending Phil’s piano recital — part of some goals set during his 50th birthday — Haley goes into labor.

Making a hilarious scene with their exit from the recital, the family’s path eventually leads to the hospital where viewers meet Haley and Dylan’s (Reid Ewing) twins — a boy and a girl. But the babies don’t get a typical introduction, Uncle Cam (Eric Stonestreet) and Uncle Mitch (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) make a nostalgia-stirring entrance with Lion King‘s “Circle of Life,” calling back to their own introduction of daughter Lily in the series premiere.

(Credit: ABC)

Essentially, the finale served as a sort of reset for the Modern Family crew as we returned to the beginning with new life. The episode certainly sets up for the show’s final chapter in Season 11 as the Dunphy-Pritchett family turns a new page in their book.

The writers could do a lot with the addition of Haley and Dylan’s twins, but perhaps they could even do a time-jump for Season 11? Maybe even five years in the future. The move would allow the younger generation to be featured for a final wave of fun and jokes. Ultimately, fans will have to wait until the next season to find out how it will all play out, but it’s nice to see where the family is heading in this heartwarming season finale.