Modern Family may have ended nearly three years ago, but the beloved ABC sitcom still resonates with viewers. In one clear case of the show’s lasting legacy, a scene from its 11th and final season continues to attract attention. “Baby Steps,” the 15th episode of that season, features a memorable scene where Haley (Sarah Hyland) and Alex (Ariel Winter) run into one of Haley’s ex-boyfriends.
In “Baby Steps,” Alex went to a recruitment fair at her alma mater, CalTech. Haley snuck in, hoping to spread the word of Nerp, the lifestyle company she joined in Season 9. While there, they bump into Dr. Arvin Fennerman (guest star Chris Geere), who was both Haley’s ex-boyfriend and Alex’s former professor.
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Alex was surprised to learn that Caltech students are not receptive to her company’s pitch because they see it as a giant, unethical corporation. Arvin tried to balance being supportive of Alex, while also avoiding the ire of his current students. He tossed insults at Alex, but still praised her for her success.
Arvin had moved on from Haley by this point in the show’s run, but Haley was convinced otherwise. When she found out that Arvin subscribed to Dylan’s (Reid Ewing) holiday newsletter, Haley he knew about her marrying Dylan because he was stalking her. Later on, Arvin told Haley it was “lovely” to see her. “You have to move on,” Haley pleaded, not realizing that he already has. Geere, who is best known for his roles in You’re The Worst and This Is Us, made one final appearance on Modern Family, showing up for the first half of the series finale.
Modern Family ran 11 seasons on ABC, from September 2009 to April 2020. It was created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan. The series earned critical acclaim during its early seasons, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for its first five years. Although the show’s popularity waned towards the end, the final season earned positive reviews, and members of the ensemble cast remained friends. Eric Stonestreet, Ty Burrell, and Julie Bowen won Emmys during the show’s run. Modern Family finished with 250 episodes, all of which are available to stream on Peacock.
Since Modern Family ended, Sarah Hyland has gone on to star in the movie My Fake Boyfriend. She also hosted Play-Doh Squished and Love Island USA. She now stars as Heidi Miller in Peacock’s Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin. Winter most recently voiced a character and did motion-capture work for the horror video game The Quarry.
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