How Modern Family Ruined Haley’s Story Arc

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It’s funny, Dylan actually went through the arc that Haley should have gotten. He achieved professional fulfillment despite his “dumbness”

I didn’t love Haley’s ending because she was proving herself so much in the fashion world and just let that all go. However, after seasons of Claire comparing Haley to her own path, I can see why the writers had her follow in Claire’s footsteps. She got pregnant by her high school sweetheart and becomes a stay at home mom. I hope this can only mean that once the twins are older, Haley, just like Clair, returns to the her job to show off her badassery.

I always thought it was so bizarre that Haley's "modern" ending was marrying her high school boyfriend just because he got her pregnant. I thought it would make more sense if she was alone for a while, got pregnant by Dylan, and then decided to co-parent like a normal 20 something. And of course, I wanted her to reconnect with Andy eventually, and for them to show Andy and Dylan getting along and raising the twins. Their dual energy could have really been something. With Dylan watching the kids that could have given Haley the chance to grow professionally but nope instead we got regression.

i actually wish alex was the one who had the accidental pregnancy instead. i think it would have been great to show her "mess up" in a way but still own it, and still be a hardworking kickass career woman.

they did Haley so dirty, which is infuriating. but even more it came at the expense of Alex and Luke. Haley got the most screen time out of the kids, and Alex and Luke got the least amount. Luke did basically nothing, he just became dumb and horny. Alex did what she would do, college, but we could've gotten so much more from her! I hated that she ended up with Arwin, Haley's ex. She dated a lovely himbo fireman who was so good for her and then had him dump her over the stupidest shit. It was annoying.

Claire and Haley are more similar than they'd like to believe. They both had a past of dating immature guys, but instead fell for sweet guys like Phil and Andy. Sadly, history doesn't repeat the same way. I wished that we'd got some closure on Andy, and had Adam appear one last time, to wish Haley well.

Haley was another character filled with wasted potential, one of my personal favorite scenes of the series was her breaking up with Dylan in season 6, because it felt like she had outgrown that relationship and was ready to grow up.

Haley should’ve ended the series starting her own business, maybe get knocked up by Dylan but doesn’t end up marrying him. They co-parent together and Andy comes back into her life.

Honestly they failed Manny and Lilly even more, why does no one talk about these wasted characters?

They did the same thing to Alex, in the service of the “brilliant but romantically incompetent” stereotype. Alex had several promising relationship starts (the sweet guy she meets at her college visit is just one example) that the writers literally pretended never happened, even as they made her more and more cartoonishly bad at the very basics of a relationship. That always pissed me off.

She was supposed to end up back with Andy but he couldn't get his schedule clear to shoot it so they went to Dylan. I really liked her with Andy. He was my favorite.

I was about 12 when Modern Family first started airing, and I related to Hayley. I was an average student while my younger sister got straight As with ease. Instead of comparing our intelligence, my parents encouraged us both to work on things we're good at. For me it was art and literature. For my sister it was academics and sports. I know Modern Family is "just a show", but it really does reflect how we all see people. Instead labelling the Hayley's and Luke's as "dumb", we should help them find their passionate and live a fulfilling life.

I don’t think that the show doesn’t appreciate Hayley’s “different” type of inteligence. In fact, in many episodes Claire and Phil imply that her practical skills are better tan Axel’s academic knowledge. They shame Alex all the time for not having friends or not like to party, Claire never tells Hayley off for making fun of Alex by saying things like “we feel pity for you because books are your friends”. In many ways Hayley (and also Claire andPhil) are to blame for Alex’s lack of social skills and insecurity. So no, I dont think Hayley is the one being tease

It feels like the show ended before we could see her get settled in her new home and start her job again to actually show off her growth in both personal and professional settings.

Tbh Modern Family also failed other characters like Manny, Lily, Mitch and Cam. The further it went on, the worst it got

This analysis of Hallie made me think of Alexis from Schitt’s Creek; Alexis was allowed to develop and potentially fulfill her potential unlike Haley was.

Yes, I will take it to my grave that Haley deserved much better than the ending the show gave her. Haley grew so much as a person, that having her end up with her immature high school boyfriend Dylan felt like an undoing to her growth. She was better suited to Andy, in my opinion, but Adam Devine's busy schedule probably led to him getting written out quicker than expected.

Alex too was pigeonholed into the nerd role who couldn't have a suitable boyfriend at all.

i totally agree! there was so much potential to showcase that Alex’s path of hardcore academics (while perfectly laudable) aren’t the ONLY means to achieving your goals