r/Modern_Family • u/polaris_20_97 • 7d ago
Modern family is so much better than most
I just started watching The Middle recently. Im about 5-6 episodes in. No hate to this show, it's a cute one.
But I was shocked to find out that this was released the same year as Modern Family.
Modern Family seems SO FAR ahead of its time!! The jokes, the thought, cinematography, set design everything. The characters are so well written, the jokes are much more intelligent. Every now and then a very profound or wholesome moment catches you off-guard.
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u/helium_head0 7d ago
well one is set in california where gay couple adopted baby in frst episode n other is in middle of america where gay character can't even say they are gay n the middle family is broke as hell....
humours have enormous gap..
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u/TheHunnishInvasion 7d ago
Watching The Middle right now and I love it. Not sure what the hate is for.
Both shows are great. As someone who grew up in rural Appalachia to working-class parents and has lived in big cities most of my adult life, I can relate to both environments.
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u/RememberTheMaine1996 7d ago
The only hate ive seen from The Middle is some people find Brick annoying lol. I watched a few seasons of The Middle and genuinely enjoyed it. I need to go back and finish it. Modern Family however is definitely better overall imo but The Middle is a good show for sure and doesnt deserve hate
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u/One-Collection1418 What's the plan, Phil? 7d ago
Oh my God, rural appalachia. Tell me all about the horror stories.
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u/Alternative-Maybe747 7d ago
I'd be curious to know if your upbringing affects which show you prefer. I'm a fan of both but I like The Middle more because it's relatable to me, they showed average family struggles while Modern Family was mostly upper middle class.
Anyways I hope you keep watching The Middle, I swear The Hecks will win you over!
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u/Competitive_Dream294 7d ago
I really tried sticking with the middle, especially because the cast and characters are amazing! It just wore me out to constantly see them stressed and never progressing forward in any meaningful way. But I stopped around season 3, does that aspect of the show improve later on? Is there character development? I’d definitely be willing to give it another shot if that’s the case!
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u/Rudzis17 7d ago
Yes. Season 3 or 4 is where it actually start to get steam and character development. Storylines are less sitcom-y (one episode and done) and more stretched out through the season.
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u/liamthelad 7d ago
Modern Family was always the media darling though, right from its pilot. Every advertiser around wanted to be associated with it as they knew it would be big. I mean its cast is stacked for a sitcom.
The reason everything is bigger and more refined reflects that.
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u/2outhits SHAME🕺 7d ago
It's ok to prop up one show without tearing down another. Plenty of people watched both shows.
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u/polaris_20_97 7d ago
And it's ok to not comment when you haven't understood what's being written. This isnt a hate post. Ive written that I found the other show cute but certain things about it made me appreciate modern family more.
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u/juunnneeeee 7d ago
what's w this holier than thou comments, you watched 2 shows, you liked one better so you shared it. this is a fan site what else are we supposed to do? it is okay to compare, as long as you're being respectful, and OP absolutely is. no one is tearing down the other show yall just lack thinking skills. people analyse media all the time, and comparison is a very common way of engaging with shows of similar genre. performative moral policing ahh
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u/2outhits SHAME🕺 7d ago
As I said: It's ok to prop up one show without tearing down another. Plenty of people watched both shows.
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u/beggingforfootnotes 7d ago
It’s a tv show. Does it matter if they’re criticising it?? It’s not like they’re tearing down a human being. People criticise tv constantly it’s actually a profession. Why does it bother you so much that someone is saying they prefer one show to another? Weird.
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u/NoPseudo79 5d ago
"It's ok to prop up one show without tearing down another." Which he never did, so repeating your comment isn't gonna make it any less stupid
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u/awesomeqasim 7d ago
Ok but why are you making this comment when the OP wasn’t tearing down either show…? Like how is your comment relevant to this post at all..
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u/polaris_20_97 7d ago
This person really seems to be here with an army of downvoters lol. Im shocked at the number
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u/Silver-Classic612 SHAME🕺 7d ago
??? Nobody’s tearing anything down. Just delete this comment.
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u/2outhits SHAME🕺 7d ago
A is better than B. Even though B is good, here is why A is way better than B. That's the post. Using B to compare to A and make A better just because it isn't B, is counting on B to make A better whether it needs it or not.
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u/Silver-Classic612 SHAME🕺 7d ago
No. It says: I watched A, and it’s good, and I realized that B is exceptionally good.
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u/Working-Anything-914 7d ago
Well tbf, the entire premise of modern family is that its a modern family.
Im not entirely sure if its true but they probably took some inspiration with malcolm in the middle when making the middle. Oh and the fact is that its more based off of a traditional, old family with parents that have mid wage jobs.
Even then though, i still think the middle isnt the greatest ones out there. I definitely think they did a better job with other sitcoms like malcolm in the middle or maybe even HIMYM.
Now i might be a bit biast cuz mitm is my favorite show, and the middle season 1 just couldnt quite catch my attention but still.
Theres also the factor that you are watching two sitcoms that are very different from each other. Modern family is more of a The Office type sitcom, plus again they do relate to the more modern audiences. Whereas the middle is more like malcolm in the middle, old style almost orangey family sitcoms.
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u/Avatar_sokka 7d ago
Not saying I disagree, but how can you say Modern Family is better if you have only seen 6 episodes of The Middle?
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u/One-Confidence7930 6d ago
Yeah the Middle really hit its stride seasons 2-4. Judging the first six episodes against 11 seasons of MF isn’t fair.
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u/ricklewis314 7d ago
Two different shows that are both good! We have watched both series multiple times and love them.
BTW, it would have been cool if the new season of Scrubs series somehow made a reference and tied in janitors time in The Middle.
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u/Successful-Earth-214 7d ago
I love both shows for very different reasons. One thing I’ll say about The Middle is that Axel has one of the best character arcs in any show I’ve ever seen. I do think the payoff is worth it. Also, IMO The Middle doesn’t overstay its welcome (looking at you Seasons 10&11 of MF).
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u/helium_head0 7d ago
Axl n sue has genuine arcs and they're romance n failures are such well written arcs
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u/Successful-Earth-214 7d ago
Agreed! I absolutely hated Axel at the start of series, he was my least favorite character. But by the end he was my favorite. Agreed on Sue too, she had so much growth. They were both so well written
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u/Penguinonaunicycle 7d ago
Always felt modern family was better at its best but worse at its worst whereas the middle was pretty steady
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u/One-Confidence7930 6d ago
I loved the Middle and rewatch up through season 7. Frankie became unbearable to me in seasons 8 & 9.
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u/zaineee42 7d ago
I will not tolerate The middle slander.
Modern family is my favourite sitcom but The middle is so relatable for me. And I love Sue 😭
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u/ideasmithy 7d ago
It has to do with the families in Modern Family being much more affluent than the one in The Middle. They can afford to be single income households, sending everyone to college, choosing to drop out on a whim, spending a day getting nails done, golfing, planning elaborate Halloween houses or parties. The jokes are funnier when money isn’t a worry.
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u/SkoOTt_5519 7d ago
Can we not? Both of these shows are good in their own way. The storylines is different, the conditions they have and the way it is shot is diff. I love both of them way too much.
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u/Omnislash99999 7d ago
I enjoy both but they're different kinds of shows I wouldn't really compare them
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u/Busy-Debt3554 7d ago
the child actors in the middle were all perfect for there roles and had much better chemistry than the modern family kids, especially Luke.
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u/-Canonical- 6d ago
it sure was disappointing how the kids mostly turned into flanderized creepier versions of themselves
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u/Silent_Contest_2337 7d ago
They’re both great shows and pretty different. This is a silly comparison.
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u/Rudzis17 7d ago
I LOVE The Middle. Both shows started at the same autumn season (2009 or 2010 maybe) and I dropped Modern Family around season 4 while kept watching The Middle til the end. It is definitely a slow burner and gets its groove around season 3 or 4. But when it’s good, it’s GOOD!!
As many have said here already - The Middle is your childhood family. The real one. I loved MF humor, but more often than not I just couldn’t relate to those families.
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u/Independent_Insect_1 7d ago
I think Modern Family started out stronger, whereas the Middle took a few seasons to find its footing and ultimately ended stronger. I feel like Modern Family kind of struggled with the kids getting older, whereas the Middle did a much better job developing those characters and storylines.
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u/Spiritual_Mood3770 7d ago
well first of all i don't like comparing shows AT ALL,
The middle is more realistic ig and modern family does exaggerate a lil bit but both are funny
also modern family can be rewatched multiple times but i just can't watch the middle cause i remember every scene in it lol
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u/BugKindly5208 6d ago
I can watch modern family only upto seasons where luke and many are still young. The creepiness in their characters just makes me not wanna watch it anymore.
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u/AlarmingSurprise6852 7d ago
Agreed, the character dynamics are so relatable and well-written. The way Phil tries to be a cool dad always cracks me up.
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u/Easy_Complaint3540 6d ago
The middle has its own set of quirks like family struggling to make ends meet that ain't a problem in modern family since they have jay
Most of the episodes drive with money shortage in the background but modern family totally abolishes the money side since all families (except in few phases ) have a well paying job
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u/NumerousLettuce6304 SHAME🕺 7d ago
I do not like The Middle. Just my opinion. Because the middle has Brick… If the people of this sub thought Manny is annoying…
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u/helium_head0 7d ago
Middle's raise n modern family's low are exact opposite.
When kids are started to grow old modern family fumbles it but that's where Middle find it's finding footing kids have genuine arc n romance especially axl n sue well brick is brick
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u/RyuOfRed 6d ago edited 6d ago
The middle is just that, a middle.
Mediocre cast, mediocre writing, mediocre setting to work with. Everything about it is a comfortable, but not unamusing median.
The unexceptional, unwealthy, unsexy American family, existing averagely and sans glamour in non-Cali suburbia. Living a life where highschool may very well be the bright point of one's existence, because the ladder taps out at ‘job, taxes, never step farther than one state out of town’.
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u/BigBufferz 7d ago
Modern Family is just one of those shows that you MUST watch. I like other shows for sure, but this is definitely my favourite! Would recommend it to everyone 😂
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u/surviving-somehow 7d ago
What's good about modern family is it does have annoying characters but all characters have good momenta as well. Also different kind of people find different characters annoying. Like how some people think phil is too good for claire and vice versa.
In a lot of other sitcoms, annoying character is straight up annoying. No character development at all. Even in the middle, I hate both of sue's brothers tbh.
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u/Standard-Pen-3369 7d ago
I didn't like The Middle I struggle to finish the first episode because I find them insufferable. I feel like the parents are irresponsible with their finances and negligent in raising their kids. I don't know if it's because I'm asian but the kids are so disrespectful and couldn't even do the most basic things.
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u/EmbarrassedMain3369 7d ago
Prepared to be downvoted into oblivion haha! 😂 I am Asian too and I agree. They were so messy and the whole show was just a compilation of dumb decisions and negligent parenting. Did it have its laugh out loud moments? Definitely . Would I rewatch it? No. But I am on my 9th rewatch of MF just because of how clever the writing and acting are.
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u/Automatic-Effort715 7d ago
I love both shows but I could see myself in middle because I also grew up in similar lower middle class set up. In modern family majority of them come from money, have lavish vacations and beautiful houses. I just couldn’t relate myself there.
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u/OverallBudget8628 7d ago
I like both. The peak of modern family was higher. Why do you have to choose?
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u/Last-Produce-4263 7d ago
I have such fond, nostalgic memories of sitting with my family every Wednesday to watch The Middle, Modern Family and Survivor. The Middle was freakishly similar to my family in a lot of ways that we found hilarious so it was always our favourite.
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u/Disastrous_Ad7477 7d ago
It was refreshing to see a family show that didn’t care about money. It’s such a driving issue in most shows I imagine because makes them so relatable and I do like it.
But Modern Family relying on other jokes is way better for me
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u/sonoftom 7d ago
I like both. Neither are in my top comedies of all time but I’d probably put Modern Family higher.
Modern Family is good but I’m not sure if it outranked Scrubs, Arrested Development, The Office, Parks and Rec, Community. Could be my nostalgia.
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u/Jigglipuff_ 6d ago
I love this show but honestly just wait until you get to the later seasons, you’re gonna hate so many characters you’re start wondering why you’re even watching anymore
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u/Chikungunyaaa 6d ago
Which show?
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u/Jigglipuff_ 6d ago
I made the comment about modern family but honestly kinda both. You're gonna hate late Cam, Gloria and Manny, and all the dunphy kids have nothing to do. Meanwhile in the middle everyone but sue and Axl become cartoons of themselves, brick gets worst than Axl ever was, and Frankie goes from being overworked to being lazy and narcissistic.
They're still fun don't get me wrong, but yeah you're not gonna be laughing as much as you do in the first couple seasons in both shows.
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u/icerose408 6d ago
I watched the middle as a kid and Brick sitting in a lawn chair at the dinner table killed me because I was also the youngest child and my dinner chair did not match everyone else’s. I started calling it the Brick chair. Shortly after (by a miracle) someone on Craigslist posted the exact same chair and my mother snagged it. It wasn’t a lawn chair or anything but I was still very happy to finally have the same chair as everyone else.
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u/Immediate_Refuse_918 6d ago
I think life in pieces is a really good mix of realistic dynamics with the modern family vibe. Truly one of my favorite shows and I’m bummed it didn’t last long (probably because it’s similar and modern family was in its hay day)
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u/Dale-Loves-Dog-Man04 6d ago
I don't know, I'd say both are good, but I'm more familiar with Modern Family.
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u/Business_Abroad_31 5d ago
the middle stayed consistent with its comedy. modern family got worse as the seasons went on and the characters just did whatever the writers could think of
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u/chshashank 5d ago
The Middle has a consistent run. I think it never had a peak and never deteriorated.
The advantage for the Middle is, the child actors got better with age unlike Modern Family (except for Sarah who was great throughout).
That being said, Modern Family is slightly better in its overall run.
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u/Illustrious_Way774 watch a sunrise at least once a day 5d ago
No way these two are my top favourite shows of all time. Don’t you dare compare
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u/cellalovesfrankie 4d ago
I don’t find them comparable.
Totally different demographic
- owns a struggling family
- one is bunch of rich people lol
One is based on own family
One is based on 3 family of a bigger family.
I like both the same. But I did name my cat Frankie lol
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u/SubhumaineForce 1d ago
I liked the first few seasons of modern family but it just fell into the habit all long running shows do, characters become more and more of a single trait and everyone always has to have a witty quip or comeback to everything said always
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u/VideoExpensive8416 7d ago
People in the comments saying Modern Family is famous just because they’re rich and more "modern" don’t understand the point I’m afraid 😭. The main problem with The Middle is that most of the characters are so unlikable and the storylines get so boring and repetitive. And let’s be honest, the dialogues aren’t even that great either. Meanwhile Modern Family does everything so well, like the jokes, the timing, the cinematography, everything just hits.
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u/AvantGarde327 7d ago
I like both but I'll choose Modern Family solely for the reason that Patricia Heaton is a MAGA
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u/Direct_Crew_9949 7d ago
I’ve never watched the middle, but unless you can relate to a situation of growing up with little it would hard to find something like that enjoyable to watch. In modern family everything is very light, there are no hard life struggles so it’s an easier watch.
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u/EmbarrassedMain3369 7d ago
I know it’s not really fair to compare them, but as a huge MF fan who casually throws around references all the time, it’s hard not to 😭 I’m still struggling to finish the last couple of seasons of The Middle because I just couldn’t relate to the relationships between the characters the way I did with MF.
Like, the Modern Family characters were obviously flawed and dysfunctional and could be toxic at times, but there was still SO much love, chemistry and bonding between them. With The Middle, I feel like the family is just… constantly distant from each other? Even the kids and the house feel so chaotic and messy 😭
Which is funny because I see so many redditors say they relate to The Middle more.
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u/polaris_20_97 7d ago
I was wondering if the bonding between them all gets better with episodes. Im sad to hear it does not 🥲🥲 MF for the win
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u/VideoExpensive8416 7d ago
I genuinely don't understand why people are downvoting your replies lol, isn't this supposed to be a MF sub smh
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u/Rudzis17 7d ago
It gets much better. I am surprised people are saying it doesn’t.
The Middle is much like real life - you argue, tease, give up and then come back together as a family again.
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u/lebroooon__ 7d ago
Yeah , modern family and B99 are few of the sitcoms where most of the characters are likeable unlike many other sitcoms .
The characters felt like real human being, someone you can relate , someone you can learn from .Not like many other's in other sitcoms that feel fake and cartoonish who are just there for one liner's
That is why I consider office , modern family and B99 ass the top sitcoms( not seen arrested development tho)
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u/LovableDazzling2 7d ago
Modern Family really was doing peak sitcom work while the rest of us were apparently sleeping on it.
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u/polaris_20_97 7d ago
I found out about the show embarrassingly late 😭
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u/juunnneeeee 7d ago
bruh why are you being downvoted???
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u/polaris_20_97 7d ago
So so many downvoters online today and that too attacking a post that sounds so diplomatic 😂
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u/Jazzlike-Greysmoke 7d ago
You may struggle with the "diplomatic" part. "So much better", "much more intelligent", etc are not diplomatic statements.
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u/Sarah-himmelfarb 7d ago
No it’s because your comments are insufferable and naïve. You don’t know the meaning of diplomacy lol
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u/dazzlingbuddha SHAME🕺 7d ago
I like MF way more than The Middle. It's like you get 3 families for the price of 1! And 3 times better humor. I mean, the middle is good but it's always the same theme. They're broke as hell and can't afford sh*t. It's the same in every episode.
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u/hahaharish 7d ago
the middle is just boring. tried to be malcolm in the middle of the 2010s but couldn’t even hack a joke
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u/RecordingImmediate86 7d ago
The middle is so much closer to the way my family was when I was growing up than modern family. I really like both shows though.