Best ‘Modern Family’ Valentine’s Day Episodes, Ranked

Modern Family truly changed the landscape of family sitcoms. It was a huge success, winning many Emmy Awards and running for 11 seasons, from 2009 to 2020. The show is now considered a classic and launched the careers of its talented cast. Its lasting impact comes from its funny and heartfelt portrayal of family love. Unlike traditional sitcoms that focused on one typical family, Modern Family showed a large, diverse family with multiple generations, each member bringing their own unique relationships, backgrounds, and stories.

No TV show captured the fun of holidays quite like Modern Family. From Christmas and Halloween to even Leap Day, they always delivered funny and memorable episodes. Valentine’s Day was no different! With February 14th approaching, here’s a ranking of all the Valentine’s Day episodes of Modern Family – perfect to watch with a loved one, or even if you’re flying solo.

‘Paris’

Season 11, Episode 13

ABC

The eleventh season of the show wraps up its Valentine’s Day episodes with “Paris.” The adults, along with Manny, travel to Paris, where Phil runs into one of Claire’s ex-boyfriends – and discovers he’s also a magician! Cam is excited to perform his clown act, Fizbo, in Paris, but learns they already have a similar clown named Fizbeau. Meanwhile, Jay is preparing to accept an award for his years in the closet business, but Gloria and Manny find out the award is actually for Jay’s old competitor, Earl Chapman, and try to keep it a secret. The episode ends with Jay giving a heartfelt speech from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Although this episode is set in Paris, it doesn’t fully embrace the romantic spirit you’d expect from a story in the City of Love. It’s actually less focused on Valentine’s Day than other episodes centered around February 14th. Plus, most of the kids are missing, and half of the regular cast doesn’t appear at all. Overall, it’s a charmingly messy episode, but it doesn’t quite measure up to other Valentine’s Day stories. However, it’s still worth watching just for the funny scenes between Phil and Claire’s ex-boyfriend, Guy.

‘Do You Believe in Magic?’

Season 8, Episode 12

ABC

On Valentine’s Day, Phil tries everything to rekindle the romance with Claire, and she has a few surprises for him in return. Mitchell and Cam attempt to empower Lily, Haley, and Sal to stand up for themselves, but it backfires, especially for Haley and Sal. Alex finds out a co-worker of her mom’s has a crush on her and starts to warm up to the attention. Meanwhile, Jay gets into trouble with Gloria because he seems to favor their son, Joe. He doesn’t think it’s a big deal until he realizes Joe is picking up his negative habits along with the good ones, putting Jay in a tough spot.

While not a traditional love story, “Do You Believe in Magic” beautifully portrays the various forms of love and humor found within a large family. The highlight of the episode is definitely Cam and Mitch’s well-intentioned but chaotic efforts to support the women they care about – it’s incredibly funny to watch things spiral out of control. Nathan Fillion also delivers a fantastic performance as Haley’s boyfriend, Rainer Shine, always adding a spark to the show. Overall, “Do You Believe in Magic” is a good, though somewhat predictable, episode of the sitcom – it doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking, but it’s still a fun watch.

‘Written in the Stars’

Season 9, Episode 14

ABC

Valentine’s Day usually means playful role-playing for Phil and Claire, but in Season 9, Jay and Gloria decide to try it themselves to add some excitement to their night. Things quickly go wrong when Gloria gets arrested, ruining the romantic atmosphere. Meanwhile, Phil and Claire are stuck babysitting Joe, who has a crush on Claire and spends the evening teasing Phil. Elsewhere, Mitch and Cam accidentally embarrass Luke on his date by jokingly portraying him as a flirt, and Manny lovingly makes a Valentine’s card for Gloria. Alex attempts to impress her professor, only to discover he’s interested in Haley instead.

By its ninth season, the show was beginning to feel a little stale, but episodes like “Written in the Stars” showed it still had some spark. The decision to have Jay and Gloria try role-playing was particularly clever, offering a fresh take on the show’s Valentine’s Day episodes. Sofia Vergara really shone in this episode with a hilariously over-the-top performance. The storyline of Phil getting jealous of Joe was also brilliantly done. While “Written in the Stars” might not be the show at its peak, it’s still a funny and enjoyable half-hour of Valentine’s Day fun.

‘Valentine’s Day 4: Twisted Sister’

Season 6, Episode 14

ABC

In a season 6 episode called “Valentine’s Day 4: Twisted Sister”, Gloria’s sister Sonia (played by Stephanie Beatriz from Brooklyn Nine-Nine) comes to visit, claiming she wants to mend their relationship. However, she quickly starts flirting with Jay. Initially, no one believes Jay’s claims, but Manny eventually realizes it’s true. Elsewhere, Phil and Claire try role-playing, but Claire becomes upset when she realizes Phil seems more attracted to the character she’s playing than to her. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Cam visit friends to give them an anniversary gift, only to discover the couple has just gotten divorced, making the gift unnecessary.

What makes Modern Family so good is its ability to mix laugh-out-loud comedy with genuinely touching moments, all delivered with a warm and comforting feel. The episode “Valentine’s Day 4: Twisted Sister” perfectly showcases this balance. Claire and Phil are known for their over-the-top Valentine’s Day celebrations, but this time, their antics are grounded by Claire’s real fear that Phil might not still be attracted to her. It’s a worry many viewers can relate to, and the episode handles it with both humor and sincerity. Adding to the fun is a fantastic guest appearance by Stephanie Beatriz, which makes Jay and Gloria’s storyline even better. The episode does suffer slightly from only featuring one child character, similar to the “Paris” episode. However, with fewer characters overall, the show can focus more on those it does include, and in this case, that’s a definite plus.

‘Bixby’s Back’

Season 2, Episode 14

ABC

Following a Valentine’s Day disaster last year, Phil and Claire decide to keep things low-key, but end up at a restaurant full of seniors and quickly get bored. They try to spice things up by pretending to be their alter egos, Clive and Julianna, which leads to a mix-up with hotel rooms. Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria head to the same restaurant, but Jay secretly planned a romantic dinner at home. Gloria unknowingly ruins his surprise by getting them seated at the restaurant, and Jay scrambles to salvage the evening. Luckily, Mitch and Cam come to the rescue – they originally made the reservation Gloria thought she’d stolen! However, their night isn’t smooth sailing either. Mitch suspects his assistant is trying to cause trouble in his relationship, and Cam mistakenly believes Broderick is attracted to Mitch, until Broderick clarifies things.

“Bixby’s Back” is a fantastic episode of Modern Family, showcasing the show at its peak. The episode cleverly weaves together three separate stories, each leading to a wonderfully funny and chaotic finale. Watching Phil and Claire in their playful disguises is a joy, and Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen clearly relish their roles. The subplot with Jay and Gloria includes some surprising turns and a genuinely heartwarming conclusion. Although the storyline with Mitch and Cam isn’t quite as strong, it still provides some laughs. Overall, “Bixby’s Back” is a hilarious and delightfully silly Valentine’s Day episode.

‘My Funky Valentine’

Season 1, Episode 15

ABC

Many fans consider the first season’s Valentine’s Day episode of Modern Family, “My Funky Valentine,” to be a standout. It’s where we first meet Phil and Claire’s alter egos, Clive Bixby and Juliana. Feeling overshadowed by Dylan, Phil tries to make Valentine’s Day special by suggesting they role-play at a hotel bar. Meanwhile, Mitch and Cam cancel their own celebration after a tough day at work and decide to play matchmakers for Manny, who’s also having a disappointing Valentine’s Day. Jay takes Gloria to see comedian David Brenner, but quickly becomes embarrassed when Brenner starts making jokes about their age difference and ends up leaving the show.

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“My Funky Valentine” is a standout episode of Modern Family, and not just for its Valentine’s Day theme. It’s consistently funny, with a particularly memorable introduction to the characters of Clive and Juliana. The scene of Claire struggling with an escalator is a classic Modern Family moment, and each of the three storylines is genuinely hilarious. Even Manny, who really embraces the spirit of Valentine’s Day, gets a chance to shine. Overall, it’s a fantastic first Valentine’s episode, full of both heartwarming and hilariously awkward scenes.

‘Heart Broken’

Season 4, Episode 15

ABC

Many fans consider the season four Valentine’s episode of Modern Family, “Hear Broken,” to be the best. The episode features Julianna and Clive returning for another memorable encounter, but things take an unexpected turn when Claire ends up needing a trip to the emergency room – a situation Phil jokingly blames on his own attractiveness. Jay and Gloria are looking forward to reconnecting intimately after the birth of their son Joe, but their plans keep getting interrupted. Meanwhile, Mitch and Cam throw a Valentine’s party for their single friends, and Cam’s comments about Mitch being boring lead to a night of overindulging. They wake up to a surprise: Dylan has moved in, and they have no idea when they invited him.

“Heart Broken” stands out as a fresh take on the show’s Valentine’s Day episodes. While familiar faces like Clive and Julianna return, the episode uses a different storytelling approach than usual. Instead of jumping between the three storylines, it tells each one completely before moving on, which allows viewers to connect with the characters’ experiences more deeply. Plus, each story is funnier than the last, building to a particularly hilarious and chaotic adventure for Mitch and Cam – one of their best yet. Ultimately, “Heart Broken” is a delightfully unromantic Valentine’s episode that showcases everything fans love about the show: it’s funny, heartwarming, and genuinely sweet.

2026-02-05 02:13