Since its release in 2009, Modern Family has remained one of ABC’s most popular series because of its honest, funny, and extremely relateable takes on diverse family life. So it’s not surprising there's still talk about possible reunions and spinoffs years after the show's ending. Sarah Hyland isn’t necessarily in a rush to return to her role of Haley Dunphy, but for a pretty good reason. When speaking on the top recently, the actress made it sound like she's interested in her character getting more experience-based development.
Hyland was a major player throughout all 11 seasons, essentially growing up alongside her character. Audiences witnessed all Haley's best and worst moments, cheering her on as she matured into a hard-working woman and doting mother, right up until her pleasing and logical conclusion (even if it didn’t feel as complete as we’d have liked). So, when she was asked by Variety about possibly wanting a Modern Family follow up any time soon, it makes sense that she didn’t initially provide a definitive answer, saying:
I guess that’s a question for the big dogs. … I’m not saying no, I’m not saying yes immediately. [Laughs] I need details of it.
Which makes total sense! Hyland invested a chunk of her life into playing Haley, so of course she’d want to know the full extent of a follow-up project's scop before deciding if it’s worth moving forward. She continued, making it clear she’s not only thinking of developing Haley’s story more as a way to seek closure for herself, but she also wants audiences to really be satisfied with how Haley’s life is turning out. As she put it:
I want to know where Haley would be creatively. I think if there was a reunion of any sort, I would love to see Haley be successful in her work, because I think that’s something that we really didn’t get to finish with her. And I really, really loved that part of her. She was very, very hardworking and creative, and I miss that part of her.
For those who haven't watched or are forgetting where Modern Family closed out, wife and mother Haley was just starting her career as an editor at a lifestyle company, NERP, known for selling ridiculous items like expensive socks and crystals. Even though it was great to see her struggles in creating her own small, loving family, Hyland is right in thinking Haley had the potential for bigger creativity-centered arcs. I could’ve imagined her creating her own clothing brand, overseeing a major company, or even becoming a head honcho in marketing.
Taking Hyland’s character further would also mean an opportunity to create more meaningful storylines for rest of the Modern Family cast. It’d be great to see how the strong-headed Lily adapted to Missouri life with proud papas Cam and Mitch supporting her passions and goals. Even though Jay Dunphy enjoyed one of the better endings (it actually made me tear up), I still want to know if he kept his promise to Gloria and Manny, and how else he leveled up his fatherly efforts. The opportunities are endless here, and I’d be excited to see a spinoff laying out how each character evolved.
Unfortunately, for fans, a Modern Family reunion won’t be part of the 2024 TV schedule or beyond, at least not yet. If one were to happen though, I’m totally fine with waiting for it until show runners got things perfectly right. In the meantime, if you’re looking to take a trip down memory lane with the hilarious blended family, you can watch Modern Family with a Hulu subscription. Be sure to set some time aside, because once you dive back in, you won’t want to rewatch just one episode!
