Brace yourselves, Modern Family fans. Season 10 is already shaping up to be totally heartbreaking, and it doesn’t even premiere until the end of the month. Cocreator Christopher Lloyd has revealed that a “significant character” will die in the first part of the season, and we are honestly not ready to say goodbye.
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In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lloyd remained secretive about who will die (of course), but he did say that the death “will be a moving event — and an event that has repercussions across several episodes.” He also said, “We’re handling some bigger life events in this season. We do deal with a death, which is certainly a topic that families have to deal with, and on television, it’s not easy to do because that’s a heavy subject. But at the same time, it would seem unusual for a family not to go through it.”
In response to the news, several members of the cast took to Twitter to express their thoughts — and concern for their characters’ safety. Sarah Hyland tweeted, “Is this how actors on @GameOfThrones & @WalkingDead_AMC feel?!?!” The implication is that no one is safe from the grim reaper when it comes to major TV deaths, not even young cast members.
Is this how actors on @GameOfThrones & @WalkingDead_AMC feel?!?! https://t.co/68AyM78ejL
— Sarah Hyland (@Sarah_Hyland) September 14, 2018
Rico Rodriguez also went with the comedy/fear response, tweeting, “But, Manny is safe right…RIGHT?!?!” along with two emojis: eyeballs and hands-on-face-screaming.
But, Manny is safe right…RIGHT?!?! 👀😱 https://t.co/52SGMbTnKd
— Rico Rodriguez (@StarringRico) September 13, 2018
Jesse Tyler Ferguson responded with a far drier quip about Lloyd’s exact phrasing: “Significant Character is a GREAT Drag Name.”
Significant Character is a GREAT Drag Name. https://t.co/JII3mptsIk
— Jesse Tyler Ferguson (he/him/his) (@jessetyler) September 13, 2018
According to Entertainment Weekly, season 10 is the last in Modern Family‘s contract with ABC. Since the series premiered in 2009, it’s garnered tons of attention and praise, including a record-tying five consecutive-year wins at the Emmys for outstanding comedy series. With that said, Lloyd told EW that he hopes the show will get another season after this one.
“From our standpoint, creatively, we’ve gotten excited writing this season and changing the lives of the characters — some in a significant way — and it’s made us think, ‘Wow, there’s a lot to explore in the lives of these characters,’” Lloyd said. “They’re in many ways such different characters than they were five or 10 years ago when we started, and they’re just as interesting and just as funny. So our standpoint was, ‘Well, if we can do another season, we may as well. I’m hoping that we have some news on that [soon], and if it winds up that we tried and just couldn’t make it work, we will have a great final season for sure.”
In the meantime, Lloyd hinted at “significant change in the dynamics of the family,” which may or may not have anything to do with the planned death. But we all know that death totally alters how people relate to each other.
More: For Wells Adams & Sarah Hyland, It Wasn’t Exactly Love at First Sight
Since everyone is keeping mum about who Modern Family will permanently write off this season, including the cast, your guess is as good as ours about who might be leaving. We’ll get the tissues ready for when the time comes to cry our eyes out.
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