Modern Family keeps pulling at heartstrings

I almost died over Intersession, which is to say that I felt as though I were going to die over Intersession.

I was traveling back to Baltimore from London. As the plane flew against 100-mile-an-hour winds, shaking as though it were made of paper and causing drinks to spill onto the passengers (including myself), I managed to find solace in only one thing: watching episodes of Modern Family.

It may seem like a strange way to deal with the problem, but I’ve always loved Modern Family. When the plane began jolting back and forth, I chose to watch Modern Family out of all the other TV shows available on the flight, knowing that it would add a bit of humor to an otherwise traumatizing situation.

As I watched, I realized just how funny, witty and sentimental the show is — enough to distract me from thinking that at any moment I was going to fall out of the sky and plummet into the Atlantic Ocean.

The creators of the show, Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, who also help write each episode, are objectively brilliant. There’s no way a person could argue otherwise. The dialogue they write is funny but not in a way that’s too over-the-top or ridiculous. Rather, the humor fits the nature of the show. It’s quick and seemingly accidental as the characters who make the jokes often don’t even know they’re doing so. The witty one-liners flow seamlessly into the dialogue so much that at times, it takes the viewer a second to realize what has just been said.

I think Ty Burrell’s character, Phil Dunphy, is the funniest character on the show. Phil is positive, confident and — to be honest — a bit weird. He’s constantly making puns and often insulting himself in the process. He’s bought an alpaca under stress, tight-rope walked across his front yard and invented Express Christmas (TM).

One of Phil’s most memorable moments on the show is when he compiles a book of his best pieces of advice entitled Phil’s-osophy. The book includes such helpful tips as “You only get one chance at a first impression. I suggest Julia Child because it’s easy to do,” and “When life gives you lemonade, make lemons. Life will be all like ‘What?!’” Needless to say, Phil is one of a kind, and Ty Burrell full-heartedly embodies the character without holding back.

Gloria (Sofia Vergara) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) also play a significant role in bringing humor to each episode with their big personalities, blunt honesty and quirky talents (Cam likes to dress up as Fizbo the Clown, and Gloria knows a lot about smuggling contraband).

But there’s more to Modern Family than just the comedy. What makes this show stand out among others is its unfailing ability to pull at viewers’ heartstrings with each episode.

At its surface, Modern Family is just a show about three families who are all related and how they deal with various challenges and life events. However, at its core, the show is about love. Although the family members argue and frequently find themselves in difficult situations (for example, when Phil and Claire’s daughter gets kicked out of college, or when Mitch and Cam have trouble adopting another child), they always come together in the end to support one another, knowing that despite everything that happens, family is most important.

While watching Modern Family on my flight, I was completely unperturbed by the violent bumping and bouncing of the plane and my certain tragic death. Instead, I was laughing at the tremendously funny characters and tearing up at their heartfelt moments of reconciliation (all of which probably made the man sitting next to me a bit uncomfortable).

When I finally landed, I couldn’t wait to see my own family and the friends that I’ve come to consider family. Through its comedy and heartfelt moments, Modern Family continuously reminds me that regardless of all the weird or even annoying things my own family may do, and despite the disagreements we may have, I know they’ll always be there for me at the end of the day (or at the end of a treacherous flight).