‘Modern Family' Season 11: Super-rushed episodes disappoint viewers, fans say it 'doesn't feel like a finale'

ABC’s ‘Modern Family’ went on to rack numerous awards and emerged as one of the finest sitcoms of the decade, not only for its comedic chops, but also for exploring issues that revolutionalized television in the most unconventional, yet oddly satisfying ways. 

One wouldn't have found the idea of an old business tycoon flaunting his young trophy wife as funny, had it not been for Jay Pritchett (Ed O' Neill) and Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (Sofia Vergara) unusual kinship, which is a testament to the writers’ creativity. Gloria may come across as a gold digger at first, but as the series progressed, her character was given a voice and an identity of its own. Soon, she became the feisty heroine of television, thanks to her uncompromising attitude.

The series also braved to showcase same-gender relationships most skillfully through Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron Tucker’s (Eric Stonestreet) flaws and quirks, thus shedding light on the LGBTQ community and spreading awareness through the lens of its characters. Similarly, for over a decade, ‘Modern Family’ offered us a lot to draw entertainment from as much as its contribution to the realm of television in terms of revolutionizing it. 

The series is now only two episodes away from its end. Given its popularity and the benchmark it has set, viewers who expected something extraordinary from its last season have expressed their disappointment in the last few episodes of ‘Modern Family’. While some argue that the sitcom shouldn’t have stretched itself for another season, a few have called out the show for not paying heed anymore to factors which it once emphasized. 

Following the Episode 15 ‘Baby Steps’, which introduced yet another big moment to the show with Mitchell and Cameron’s decision to adopt a second child, fans have noted on Reddit that ‘Modern Family’ has instilled some ‘strange feeling’ in them by rushing its last few episodes along with some major developments in only one of the story arcs, while the rest are being blatantly neglected or sidelines on purpose. 

Although the shift from Pritchett-Tucker family’s plans of relocation to an additional family member was quite admirable despite its predictability, fans aren’t happy about the manner in which the story unfolds.

Meanwhile, ‘Modern Family’ has earned the dislike of some for its representation of the female characters, who don’t come across as modern anymore. While Alex Dunphy (Ariel Winter) is intimidated by Arvin into working in his team, Lily Pritchett-Tucker (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) seldom appears on the screen, and each time she does, her character is conveniently neglected by her family or the show itself. 

So far ‘Modern Family’ Season 11 managed to have us clutching at straws with Frank Dunphy’s (Fred Willard) demise and an extension to the Pritchett-Tucker family.

However, with no major developments in the story arc of the rest of the characters, viewers are of opinion that it doesn’t feel like a finale, although it's all set to bid farewell. Due to the endless amount of uncertainty surrounding the majority of the characters, even the most committed fans of ‘Modern Family’ aren’t sure what to expect of its ending. 

‘Modern Family’ Season 11 airs on Wednesdays on ABC.