Posted in: ABC, Hulu, Opinion, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: ABC, modern family, Sarah Hyland

Modern Family: Hyland's Haley Issue Sign of Show's Bigger Problem

Modern Family star Sarah Hyland wished more was done with Haley career-wise - and that speaks to a bigger problem that the show suffered from.

During this week's big Disney+/Hulu rollout event, a whole lot of familiar faces from across both streaming services came together to promote the new bundle package offering – and to make sure that you're still watching their shows once you've signed up. One of the shows represented was ABC's long-running sitcom Modern Family – one of my comfort shows for years and one of my Hulu mainstays. During the event, we got a snippet of an interview with Sarah Hyland (Haley Dunphy) where she was asked if she would be interested in a reunion project of some type – offering a very cautious & measured (and smart) "maybe" adding that she would like to know the details first. "I would love to see Haley be successful in her work because I think that's something we didn't really get to finish with her," Hyland added.

From a fan's perspective, I am glad to hear Hyland's thoughts on the matter. I always felt bad because it seemed they tried to anchor Haley to a stereotype of an airhead bimbo who is too pretty to be smart. Which is pretty contradictory as we have seen Haley does have a knack for certain subjects as we saw with fashion and photography… how hard was it to actually make it work? They sacrificed a character who deserved better for the sake of creating some kind of "full circle" deal involving her and her mother, Claire.

That said, this actually gave way to a bigger issue as the seasons went along. After a point, it seemed they did not even try when it came to writing the women in the show: Claire gets the closet company and messes it up, and we do not even get a proper resolution to what happened. I mean, I feel there should have been more repercussions, but I digress. Then we have Gloria, who gets pretty much turned into a Latina caricature becoming meaner as the seasons go along and even backstabbing Phil after he takes her under his wing. Then we get Alex, who takes on a pretty fancy job, yes – but then I never liked how she was treated from moment one, then having to get Haley sloppy seconds. As for Lily, it felt like the writers turned her into a "comedy snark machine" and played into the stereotype.

All this to say, I appreciate, respect & understand Hyland's perspective on the matter. As much as I would love to see the show return, I really hope they reevaluate not just Haley but the women on the show overall. I understand the show is a comedic sitcom with situations that stretch the boundaries of belief; however, I would really love to see some of the characters be given the respect they deserve instead of being fitted into lazy stereotypes and cliches as they were towards the end of the series run.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!