‘Modern Family’: Julie Bowen Says No Significant Characters Killed ‘Yet’ Through 5 Episodes

Modern Family fans should not expect to see any “significant character” killed off within the first half of the upcoming 10th season, at least according to Julie Bowen.

Fans of the popular ABC family sitcom have been biting their nails in nervous anticipation waiting to find out which “significant character” will meet an untimely end ever since it was revealed that a death can be expected in the upcoming 10th season, but actress Julie Bowen is promising that the death does not happen early on.

“We’re finishing episode 5 — maybe starting 6 — and we haven’t killed anybody yet,” Bowen told Ralph Garman on Saturday at a live taping of The Ralph Report at the Improv in Hollywood, The Hollywood Reporter reports. “It’s still just good, clean, semi-gay fun.”

That “good, clean, semi-gay fun” will ultimately take a tragic turn, however. Last month, co-creator Christopher Lloyd revealed that a “significant character” would die during the series’ 10th season, which is currently in production.

“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,” Lloyd explained, adding that the death “will be a moving event — and an event that has repercussions across several episodes.”

Lloyd refused to give details on which member of the family will die, and Julie Bowen herself claimed that she “has no idea who’s dying,” though fans have already begun to speculate on which character could be leaving the show during what could be its final season.

Among the most plausible scenarios is that Jay Pritchett, portrayed by Ed O’Neill, will not make it to the end of the season. Given that he is a “significant character” on the series, his death would certainly leave a lasting impact on every character and fulfill Lloyd’s promise that the death would have “repercussions across several episodes.”

Other possibilities include Frank Dunphy, the father of Phil Dunphy, and Dede Pritchett, both of whom have become significant members of the supporting cast and whose deaths would have rippling effects throughout the remainder of the season.

Ultimately, fans will have to wait to find out which character dies until season 10 of Modern Family premieres Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.