Gloria Delgado-Pritchett was one of the best characters in Modern Family. She wasn’t just consistently funny, but she was also a caring mother who only wanted the best for her kids (sometimes a little too much), a veritable badass who never missed a target, and knew how much any given amount of “horse” was worth. She had a rich, fleshed-out backstory that only continued to expand as the series goes on.
As the most extroverted character, Gloria has been at the heart of some of Modern Family’s funniest episodes. While Cameron Tucker and Phil Dunphy were known for their hilarious storylines, fans shouldn't sleep on these hilarious plots that involved Gloria.
Updated on November 28th, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: Gloria Delgado-Pritchett was just one part of what made Modern Family an iconic sitcom and mockumentary. However, what separated Gloria from the likes of Mitchell Pritchett, Claire Dunphy, and even her husband Jay Pritchett was her blunt delivery, knack for reading people, and her passionate personality. Because of these personality quirks, Gloria had some of the most hilarious storylines in Modern Family.
All Gloria Wanted Was To Go Salsa Dancing
'Treehouse' - Season 3, Episode 7
When Jay’s best friend Shorty and his wife Darlene went dancing at a salsa club, Gloria couldn't wait to join them. Sadly, Jay hated dancing, and he worried about embarrassing himself, so he let Gloria go on her own.
He eventually felt bad for hurting his wife and got Manny and Mitchell to teach him a few salsa moves so that he could arrive at the club and surprise Gloria. Mitch gave Jay a pill that he claimed helped people loosen up, but in reality, it was just baby Aspirin. This storyline was funny because it shed a light on the couple's differences, but in the end, Gloria and Jay had a perfect relationship.
A Mother’s Day Hike Gone Wrong
'Mother’s Day' - Season 2, Episode 21
'Mother’s Day' was set on the titular mom-centric holiday. Gloria and Claire forced the kids to go on a hike to spend more time together. The two moms were sick of doing whatever their kids wanted to do and chose their own activity instead. The kids constantly complained while hiking and Gloria and Claire eventually decided they had enough and ditched the kids, continuing the hike alone.
At the top of the hill, Claire got Gloria to say something negative about Manny's poetry, which was liberating until she realized Manny was standing right behind her. This was one of the worst things Claire did to Gloria because Gloria didn't feel comfortable speaking poorly of her son in the first place. She then had to spend the rest of the episode making it up to Manny while defending her stance as a mom.
A Surprise Pregnancy
'Bringing Up Baby' - Season 4, Episode 1
In the season 3 finale, as Mitch and Cam found out they couldn't have another baby, Gloria found out she was pregnant. In the season 4 premiere, she waited for the right time to tell Jay, fearing that he would react negatively since he was older and wanted to retire. Her storyline was fearful but hilarious because she didn't know how to tell her husband.
On his 65th birthday, Jay was taken out on a fishing trip where Phil accidentally knocked him into the water (twice). When he returned home and Gloria told him the news, he was ecstatic. He spent the day worrying about getting older and now he and his wife had a fresh start. Although Jay and Gloria made questionable parenting decisions, there was no denying how much she loved being a mom.
She Protected Haley
‘Integrity’ - Season 6, Episode 21
The longer Gloria got to know the family she married into, the more protective she was over them. Haley was her eldest niece and the two had a lot in common. When Haley started working for a high-end designer, she felt disrespected at work and like her contributions didn’t matter.
Gloria listened to Haley and gave her some great advice about standing up for herself. Her advice, however, backfired, which led Gloria hilariously trying to get Haley’s job back for her after she was fired. Seeing Gloria threaten someone for the sake of her niece (without Haley knowing) was equally hilarious and terrifying.
The Day People Guessed Gloria Was Jay’s Wife
‘The Last Halloween’ - Season 11, Episode 5
One of the things Gloria loved most about her relationship with Jay was that no one suspected they were husband and wife. She’d get all the compliments in the world, while men assumed Jay was her father. She loved being younger than him and looking a certain way.
But in season 11, a waiter guessed that Jay was her husband, which changed things for her. She was shocked that she was getting old enough for people to suspect that they were husband and wife, not father and daughter. This realization and her answer to the problem made this a hilarious storyline that was bound to happen.
Her Denial About A Car Accident She Caused
'Moon Landing' - Season 1, Episode 14
While Jay and Cam accidentally bumped bare butts in a gym locker room in season 1’s 'Moon Landing,' Gloria sought legal advice from Mitchell. She claimed a recent car accident she was in that the other driver was at fault. However, Manny had a different version of events since he was in the car. Manny told Mitch in private that his mother was a terrible driver and she refused to accept it.
The storyline got funnier as the case developed. Gloria continually refused to claim responsibility for this car wreck – until she crashes her car again and there was no one else around to blame... Lying to Mitchell (and herself) was one of Gloria's biggest mistakes.
Gloria’s Pregnancy Hormones Made Her Even More Aggressive
‘Open House Of Horrors’ - Season 4, Episode 5
In ‘Open House of Horrors,’ Gloria was heavily pregnant and bothered by just about everything. However, she put a smile on and dressed up as an alien for one of Modern Family’s funnier Halloween episodes.
Because of Gloria’s pregnancy hormones, Jay tip-toed around her because she was more hot-headed than usual. She scolded anyone that came near her and even chased down older trick-or-treaters for throwing an egg on her door. Gloria was hilarious pregnant or not, but her hot-headed behavior in this episode was one of her best storylines.
Gloria Hunted The Stranger Who Ruined Her Cut-Out
'Thunk In The Trunk' - Season 7, Episode 13
An ongoing storyline in season 7 saw Gloria starting a hot sauce business, selling jars of her family recipe in grocery stores. In one of those stores, she supplied an ad to put next to a big display of her sauce. It was a cardboard cut-out of herself, with a mechanical arm blowing a kiss at potential customers.
The cut-out was getting a lot of attention from male shoppers, which made Jay jealous, so he stole the cut-out and destroyed it. But Gloria didn’t know her husband was responsible, so she began a relentless hunt for the culprit. When she thought it might be her business rival, Auntie Alice, she made a phone call to put a hit out on her, prompting Jay to come clean. Her anger over the ordeal made it a hilarious storyline. It also showed a new side of Jay that fans rarely saw.
Gloria The Ventriloquist
'Yard Sale' - Season 4, Episode 6
In 'Yard Sale,' Manny and Luke organized a yard sale on Jay’s driveway to raise money for a charitable cause. While they were digging through some old stuff, the boys found a ventriloquist’s dummy, and it turned out to be Gloria’s. One of the things that fans forgot about Gloria was that she performed as a ventriloquist for a beauty pageant in Colombia.
Her dummy was called “Uncle Grumpy” and he was a fussy old man who complained about everything. What made this storyline so funny was that Jay was dressed in the same outfit as Uncle Grumpy. In short, Gloria married her puppet.
Did Gloria Kill The Neighbor’s Dog?
‘Unplugged’ - Season 2, Episode 5
In ‘Unplugged,’ Gloria shared another outlandish story from her past about her uncles being butchers, so she had no fear of killing animals. This vision was hard to forget for Jay, who always remembered it after seeing her kill mice around their yard.
But the funniest storyline that revolved around Gloria’s comfortability with killing was when her neighbor’s dog wouldn’t stop barking. After threatening her neighbor to take better care of his dog, the dog went mysteriously missing the next day. Gloria never admitted to killing the dog but she did admit to doing something about it. The fear in Jay’s eyes throughout the episode made the storyline all the funnier.
Gloria Delayed Labor For Manny
'Party Crasher' - Season 4, Episode 12
Gloria is such a loving mother that she’ll hold in a baby to make her other son happy. In season 4, it was Manny’s birthday and he had a big party planned. This was back when Gloria was pregnant with Joe, and Manny had been feeling neglected, given all the attention the unborn baby was getting.
When Gloria went into labor during Manny's party, she postponed birth for as long as she could, so she didn’t take the spotlight away from her son. After giving birth to Joe, she told a jealous Claire, “It was the most painful 20 minutes of my life.” Their competitive nature made Gloria and Claire look like they weren't friends, but it only added to the hilarity of the storyline.
She Proved To Jay That He Cared About Her Looks
'The Long Honeymoon' Season 6, Episode 1
Gloria noticed that Jay has stopped taking pride in his appearance in the season 6 premiere episode so she decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. Right before lunch with an important client, she went to the front door with no makeup on. Jay learned his lesson and told Gloria he’ll put more effort into how he looked.
While still looking disheveled, Gloria went home horrified to learn a surprise party was set up at their home, forcing the family to see her in sweatpants. After running away, she came back within minutes wearing a stunning dress, perfectly applied makeup, and salon-quality hair. Her ability to bounce back was both impressive and hilarious.
The Demise Of Barkley
'Not In My House' - Season 1, Episode 12
In 'Not in My House,' Jay returned from Las Vegas with a mannequin of a dog dressed as a butler named Barkley. He thought that Barkley was really cute and kitschy, so he placed him by the front door to hold everyone’s keys.
Gloria, however, hated Barkley. She tried to get rid of him countless times but a few seasons later, in an episode called 'Las Vegas,' the family went to Sin City and Gloria had to keep Jay from buying Rebarka, a female version of Barkley. Her angst against a fake dog made for a humorous storyline because not only did Jay seem to love Stella more than Gloria, but he also loved Barkley.
When Gloria Lost Stella
‘Door To Door’ - Season 3, Episode 4
When Gloria brought Stella home, she didn't anticipate for the family dog to be more loved than her. Jay took a liking to Stella and was more caring towards her than to his wife. This bothered Gloria, which led to resentment.
In 'Door to Door,' Gloria tossed Stella outside but forgot the gate was open. With Stella lost on the streets, Gloria needed Cam's help to find her before Jay came home. Seeing the likes of Gloria and Cam roaming their suburban streets for the dog was hilarious because as much as Glroia loathed Stella, she didn't want Jay to be mad at her.
Sharing Fake Colombian Traditions
'The Kiss' Season 2, Episode 2
'The Kiss' was best known as the episode in which the show responded to criticisms that Mitch and Cam didn’t share an on-screen kiss in the first season, but it also had a great Gloria storyline. Following the passing of her grandmother, Gloria cooked some traditional Colombian meals in her honor.
One of the more shameless things Gloria had ever done was retaliate when Jay made fun of Gloria's family recipes. He later felt bad for cracking jokes and offered to help, which was when Gloria made up a slew of odd traditions for Jay to participate in — even though they weren't real. Funny enough, she taught him a valuable lesson.