Modern Family redefined family sitcoms, so much so that during its run, it became an Emmy-winning series and ran for a total of 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020. In doing so, the show has well and truly cemented a place for itself in television history, and has made stars out of its ensemble main cast. There's no denying that the legacy of Modern Family was its hilarious yet sensitive spin on what constitutes familial love: instead of just showing the love between one middle-class, white American family, Modern Family showcased one large, multi-generational, and multicultural family, each with their own connections, complex history, and spotlight.

Few TV shows did holiday-themed episodes better than Modern Family. Be it Christmas, Halloween, or Leap Day, the show went all out, and treated audiences to some hilarious festive installments. Valentine's Day was no expectation. So, with February 14th once again on the horizon, here's a ranking of each of the Valentine's Day-themed episodes of Modern Family for you to enjoy - whether you have a date or not.

Update February 6, 2024: In honor of Valentine's Day, this article has been updated with more information regarding Modern Family's great Valentine's Day episodes.

Modern Family
Modern Family
Release Date
September 23, 2009
Main Genre
Comedy
Seasons
11

7 “Paris” — Season 11, Episode 13

Modern Family cast Season 11 Episode 13
ABC

The final Valentine's installment of the show, season 11 episode "Paris" sees the adult characters (and Manny) take a trip to the titular City of Love. While there, Phil meets one of Claire’s former lovers, only to discover that he is a magician just like him. Cam, meanwhile, is keen to fulfill his dream of performing as Fizbo the clown in Paris, that is, until he discovers that Paris already has its own version of Fizbo called Fizbeau. While all this is going on, Jay gets ready to receive an award for his extensive service to the closet business. At the last minute, Gloria and Manny discover that the award is actually going to Earl Chapman, Jay’s old rival, a fact they try to hide from Jay. The episode concludes with a sincere speech from Jay on top of the Eiffel Tower.

A Half-Hearted Valentine's Outing

While this episode takes place in Paris, there isn’t as much Valentine’s magic as one might expect from a story set in the City of Love. In fact, it's arguably less Valentines-centric than other episodes themed around February 14th. Furthermore, with the kids absent (except for Manny), about half the main cast doesn’t play any part at all in this episode. Overall, it's a sweet and typically chaotic installment of the show that definitely pales in comparison to other Valentines-themed episodes. Though, it's worth watching purely for Phil's hilarious interactions with Claire's old flame, Guy.

6 “Do You Believe in Magic?” — Season 8, Episode 12

Modern Family season 8 episode 12
ABC

When Phil feels that the romance in his marriage has fizzled out, he spends all of Valentine’s Day trying to impress Claire to reignite the spark. Claire still has a few tricks up her sleeve, though, much to Phil’s delight. Mitchell and Cam spend their day trying to get Lily, Haley, and Sal to stand up to the men in their lives. This ends in disaster for both Haley and Sal. Alex, meanwhile, discovers that one of her mother’s co-workers has a crush on her, and while she’s initially uncomfortable, she becomes more open to the idea by the end of the day. Finally, Jay is in trouble with Gloria for favoring Joe so much. He insists that it’s harmless until he is shocked by Joe picking up his bad habits as well as his good ones and is faced with a difficult situation.

An Unromantic Installment

Despite not being explicitly romantic in nature, "Do You Believe in Magic" does showcase different kinds of love, such as familial love and friendship. The best of the three storylines is undoubtedly the one featuring Cam and Mitch's misguided attempts to empower the women in their lives, which inevitably lead to things getting out of control in a hilarious way. Plus, it features a hilarious performance by Nathan Fillion as Haley's recurring weatherman boyfriend, Rainer Shine, who always brightens up an episode. On the whole, "Do You Believe in Magic" is a solid, if not slightly familiar, installment of the sitcom that doesn't exactly break new ground but is enjoyable to watch all the same.

Related: Modern Family: The 8 Most Hilarious Characters in the Show, Ranked

5 “Written in the Stars” — Season 9, Episode 14

Modern Family season 9 episode 14
ABC

While viewers became accustomed to seeing Phil and Claire engage in a bit of role-play on Valentine’s Day, season 9 episode, "Written in the Stars" sees Jay and Gloria giving it a try, in order to spice up their evening. When Gloria gets arrested, however, it's safe to say the mood they were trying to create gets well and truly killed. Meanwhile, Phil and Claire are on babysitting duty watching Joe, who has developed a crush on Claire and spends his evening trying to get a rise out of Phil. Elsewhere, Mitch and Cam find themselves at the same restaurant as Luke and his date and end up embarrassing him by making him out to be a womanizer. True to form, Manny makes a Valentine’s card for Gloria, and Alex tries to impress her Professor but is disappointed that he, instead, has his eye on Haley.

An Episode With Charm

By season nine, it's fair to say the show was starting to lose some of its charm. However, episodes like "Written in the Stars" proved there was still some life in the long-running sitcom. Having Jay and Gloria be the ones to give role-playing a go was a genius decision, and provided a nice change from previous Valentine's outings. Plus, it allowed Sofia Vergara to give a particularly over-the-top and bonkers performance. On top of that, the plot of Phil becoming jealous of Joe is nothing short of brilliant. "Written in the Stars" may not be the show at the height of its power but, nevertheless, it's a funny and charming half-hour of Valentines-themed shenanigans.

4 “Valentine's Day 4: Twisted Sister” — Season 6, Episode 14

Modern Family season 6 episode 14
ABC

In the season 6 episode, "Valentine's Day 4: Twisted Sister", Gloria’s sister Sonia (played by Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Stephanie Beatriz) comes to visit, supposedly to fix their relationship. However, soon, she starts hitting on Jay. No one believes Jay at first, but as things escalate, Manny realizes this is the truth as well. Meanwhile, Phil and Claire spend the night role-playing, that is, until Claire realizes that Phil is more in love with her alter ego than her actual self. Mitchell and Cam visit one of their friends with an anniversary present, only to find out upon arrival that their friends are newly divorced, meaning an anniversary present isn’t necessary anymore.

An Episode That's Full of Heart

Modern Family's strength is how it manages to balance hilarious and wild plots with pathos and a warm, comforting tone. "Valentine's Day 4: Twisted Sister" is a good example of this. Claire and Phil's unique way of spending Valentine's Day has always led to some crazy antics, but here they are leveled out with sincere worries by Claire that her husband doesn't find her attractive as she is anymore. It's a relatable worry and one that the episode explores in equally hilarious and heartfelt ways. Meanwhile, an excellent guest performance by Stephanie Beatriz makes the Jay/Gloria plot ten times funnier. Like "Paris", the only child character to appear in this episode, which does mark it down a bit. However, with fewer players overall, the episode is able to dedicate more time to the characters it does show, which, in this case, is certainly not a bad thing.

3 “Bixby’s Back” — Season 2, Episode 14

Modern Family season 2 episode 14
ABC

After the disastrous evening they shared in the previous season's “My Funky Valentine,” Phil and Claire decide to take Valentines easy, and end up in a restaurant packed with elderly folk. It doesn't take long before they get bored and decide to resurrect their alter egos, Clive and Julianna, which ultimately ends in confusion involving hotel room numbers. Jay and Gloria, meanwhile, have a date at the same restaurant, but Jay has planned a private dinner for the two at home. His plans are dashed when Gloria gets them into the restaurant, and he desperately tries to get the plan back on track. Their evening is saved by Mitch and Cam, who actually made the reservation that Gloria stole. But their night doesn't go perfectly either - Mitch has an assistant who seems to be sabotaging their relationship and Cam assumes Broderick has a crush on Mitch, until he’s corrected by Broderick himself.

A Hilarious Follow-Up

A fitting follow-up to its predecessor, "Bixby's Back" is Modern Family at some of its best. The episode's three separate storylines brilliantly complement each other, with each one building and building to a wonderfully chaotic and utterly hilarious climax. Phil and Claire as their alter egos are delightful to watch, and both Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen are clearly having enormous amounts of fun here. Meanwhile, the Jay/Gloria B-plot features a few unexpected twists, including a charmingly sweet ending. While the Mitch/Cam storyline might not be as strong as the other two, it still has its moments. Overall, "Bixby's Back" is a ridiculous and laugh-out-loud hilarious Valentine's installment of the show.

2 “My Funky Valentine” — Season 1, Episode 15

Modern Family season 1 episode 15
ABC

Potentially the most universally beloved Valentine’s episode of Modern Family, in the season one episode, "My Funky Valentine", the audience is introduced to Clive Bixby and Juliana, the alter egos of Phil and Claire, for the first time. After being upstaged by Dylan, Phil feels that the usual plan of going to Fratelli’s just won’t cut it anymore, so he suggests that they spice it up by role-playing in a hotel bar. Elsewhere, Mitch has had a hard day at work, leading him and Cam to call off their Valentine's celebrations. Instead, they take it upon themselves to play Cupid for Manny, whose Valentine's Day also hasn't been going to plan. Jay, meanwhile, has taken Gloria to see renowned comedian David Brenner but is dismayed when he becomes the target of jokes about his age in relation to Gloria and runs for the hills after the embarrassment becomes too much.

A Near-Perfect First Outing

"My Funky Valentine" is not only one of the show's best Valentine's installments, it's also one of the show's best episodes overall. The introduction of Clive and Juliana is a lot of fun, and provides a wealth of laughs. Meanwhile, the sequence where Claire gets her jacket stuck in an escalator while an assortment of acquaintances walks by is a top-tier Modern Family moment. Furthermore, each of the three storylines is strong, and all of them play out in side-splittingly hilarious ways. Additionally, Manny, who is essentially the human embodiment of Valentine's Day, gets a chance to shine here. On the while, "My Funky Valentine" is a magnificent first Valentine's episode for the show that's filled with moments of pure joy and second-hand embarrassment.

Related: 12 Interesting Facts About the Cast of Modern Family

1 “Heart Broken” — Season 4, Episode 15

Modern Family season 4 episode 15
ABC

Of all the Modern Family Valentine's episodes, season four's "Hear Broken" has to be the best. Julianna and Clive return yet again for a spicy Valentine’s encounter, only this time Claire ends up in the emergency room, a mishap that Phil blames on himself for being “too sexy”. In Jay and Gloria’s house, the two are excited to be intimate again for the first time since the birth of Joe - however, their day ends up much busier than initially intended, as their bedroom plans end up getting foiled time and time again. Mitch and Cam, meanwhile, host a ‘Lonely Hearts’ Valentine’s party for their single friends. However, when Cam insinuates that Mitch isn’t fun, he goes overboard with the drinking. So overboard, in fact, that when they wake up, they find that Dylan has moved in, and they have no recollection of inviting him.

A Valentine's Episode That Has It All

Where "Heart Broken" succeeds is by telling a different kind of Valentine's story to the previous ones. While it retains some elements seen in the earlier outings, such as Clive and Julianna, it employs a unique narrative structure that differs from most other episodes of the show. Instead of going back and forth between the three different storylines, the episode tells each of its three stories as a whole, one after the other. This helps the episode to stand out among the others while also allowing the viewer to experience the plot from a perspective more in line with the characters. On top of that, things only get funnier with each story, culminating in a hilarious, booze-filled misadventure that's up there among Mitch and Cam's best storylines. A Valentine's outing that's decidedly unromantic, "Heart Broken" is everything that's great about the show: humorous, wholesome, and full of heart.

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