Season 1 of Modern Family introduced viewers to the hectic lives of the Dunphys, Tucker-Pritchetts, and Delgado-Pritchetts. This large, modern family captured viewers' hearts with their vivid characters, relatable moments, and their sometimes bizarre but always hilarious antics.
Although the series ran for eleven seasons with plenty of great storylines and relationships that were built on over time, some would argue that issues or negative points from season 1 only continued to get worse as the show progressed. While relationships strengthened and wounds healed, there were also characters, traits, and layouts that only became worse.
Hidden Issues Within The Family
As light-hearted and funny as the lies or secrets that the characters tell each other are in season 1, they get worse as the series goes on. Instead of learning from their mistakes and trusting each other more, the group continued to shy away from conflict, which caused even more conflict. In particular, Mitchell and Cameron told the worst lies and kept things from both each other and everyone around them too.
A great example of this is when Mitchell's mom, DeDe, made a surprise visit and wanted to join the family dinner. Mitchell ran the idea by Jay, who said she could come but they couldn't tell Gloria. This left Gloria in shock when she unexpectedly saw her husband's ex at dinner, meaning that an argument quickly ensued.
Claire & Phil's Differences In Their Relationship
Every couple in Modern Family differs from the next. Claire and Phil were a great pairing but they were incredibly different. Phil had some of the best Modern Family quotes and was incredibly upbeat and free-living. Claire, on the other hand, was tense and more structure-oriented. In many ways, they balanced each other out but, in others, their differences were a source of conflict that only got worse as time went on.
In season 1, Phil tried to get closer to Claire and let loose as a couple while they were in Hawaii. The task was almost impossible. Phil's efforts continued throughout the series and the result was always similar. For example, he later tried planning a spur-of-the-moment trip to Paris and she was too tired from work to appreciate his gesture.
Dylan's Foolishness
In season 1, Dylan was characterized as being dimwitted, but his foolishness only got progressively worse. As a senior, Haley fell for the older "bad boy" at school. He was aloof but had the level of maturity that Haley aspired to. He even made a great speech to the family about their bond after first meeting them.
As the series continued, Haley and Dylan's relationship made less sense. He was suddenly even more obtuse than Haley, leading viewers to want more for a character they'd watched mature and grow.
Mitchell's Insecurities Around Being A Good Dad
In the pilot, one of the biggest storylines was that Mitch and Cam adopted a baby girl, Lily, from Vietnam. Shockingly, Mitchell never told his family they were adopting. He told Cam he wasn't ready to face his family and their sly remarks — particularly from his dad.
Cameron was the one who planned a meet and greet with Lily and the family because he knew Mitchell would drag his feet. It eventually came out that Mitchell was afraid of outside judgments and worried about protecting his family. This is a sentiment that followed Mitch throughout the series, getting worse and worse as time went on and as the couple talked about plans with another baby.
Claire, Mitchell, And Jay's Need For Control
There were times that Claire's controlling nature was toxic for the family. If someone didn't do something exactly the way she wanted it to be done, she would explode. Fans saw this in the season 1 finale when her family portrait idea fell apart.
As the series continued, viewers learned that it wasn't just Claire that was controlling - it was Jay and Mitchell too. The Pritchett children got their controlling streak from Jay, and the three of them had a bad habit of making situations tenser because of their need for perfection.
Haley's Attitude
In season 1, Haley was a freshman in high school and a stereotypical teenager. Everything her parents did bothered her and she was constantly embarrassed by her siblings. She'd rather be at a party with her friends than spending time with her family.
Haley's storylines later involved her love interests more than her desire to party, and she did grow as a person. However, her attitude towards her family never changes as she matures. Her relationship with Claire gets more dramatic, she hates when her dad pretends to be youthful just to pry information, and she never wanted to babysit for Cam and Mitch. While she does change in other ways, her attitude toward her family, which began in season 1, only gets worse over time.
Mitchell & Claire's Bond With Their Mom Goes Nowhere
DeDe Pritchett isn't shown much in the series and only comes around when she needs to feel better about herself. Although she loved Mitchell and Claire, she was always more focused on herself than her family - it also didn't help that Mitchell and Claire were so close to their father, her ex.
Viewers saw the tension between DeDe, Mitchell, and Claire in season 1, and it only got worse throughout Modern Family. The parallels between DeDe and Claire were great but they never saw eye to eye. When DeDe passed away in season 11, the family barely grieved before they were back to their regular day-to-day lives.
Manny's Relationship With His Dad Doesn't Get Better
In season 1, it becomes known that Jay and Manny didn't have the best moments as new step-relatives. Manny missed his biological dad and Jay was never good with kids. Gloria noted that Manny's dad wasn't a good guy, but Manny still viewed him as a heroic father figure. Manny's dad ditched him in season 1 when he was supposed to take him to Disney Land. This forced Jay to step up.
Sadly, Manny and his dad's relationship didn't evolve or become more positive as he aged. The two were loving when they saw each other in later seasons, but they didn't have the same bond that Manny eventually had with Jay.
Cameron & Mitchell's Secrets & Lies
It becomes an ongoing theme that there's a lie or a secret among the family in each episode. The group is always hiding things from each other. However, none do it more than Mitch and Cam.
Whether it was Cam inviting Mitch's family over to their home without talking things over first ("Pilot"), grabbing drinks with their wild friend Sal ("Great Expectations"), or lying about sleep training ("Up All Night"), these two lie about the smallest of issues. And shockingly, it never gets better.
Manny's Whiny Behavior
As adorable as Manny was as a child, his cute behavior changes into a sad, whiny attitude as he gets older. Fans adored Manny but didn't like how mopey he could be when things didn't go his way.
This side of Manny didn't make sense because he was such a confident kid. Instead of the confident young boy shown in season 1, Manny became a serial complainer who was often whiny and childish when his ideas were derailed or things didn't go his way.