Modern Family didn't handle death well in this week's episode

The A.V. Club

The ABC comedy struggled to make an important death meaningful, says Kyle Fowle. "The structure of the episode is a problem," he says. "The idea is that by rolling out seemingly unimportant stories, those final moments hit a little harder because they’re surprising. I’d argue the opposite is true. The show is telling you to check out, to not consider what’s happening on screen to be worth fully paying attention to, which makes those final moments feel like contrived add-ons to an otherwise dull episode. I think the general message contained in Phil’s story works—the mundanity is the very reason we must try to be present, because those could be the final moments we share with someone—but everything else falls flat because of what came before. 'Legacy' would have done well to lay out its steps a little more in order to give its climax a more satisfying feel. ALSO: Sarah Hyland says she didn't know about the death until she watched the episode last night.