Part of what makes Modern Family so special are the relationships. The show is about family, after all. For 11 seasons, we’ve seen every aspect of a modernized family among the Pritchett-Delgados, Pritchett-Tuckers, and Dunphys. We’ve seen these families go through death, breakups, makeups, gains, and losses. It’s one of those shows that does so well because it pulls on every heartstring. 

Throughout the years, we’ve witnessed some pretty extraordinary relationships, along with relationships that shouldn’t have even happened in the first place. Let’s take a look at five couples that should be together forever and five couples that made absolutely no sense.

PERFECT TOGETHER: JAY & GLORIA

Despite their age gap, Jay and Gloria are perfectly matched. They’re both hot-headed, passionate about their hobbies, and make family a priority, Jay didn’t always make family a priority when he was married to his first wife Dede but he’s changed his tune with Gloria.

Another beautifully comical thing is how they communicate. While bystanders think these two are yelling at each other, it’s just how they talk. And they both go to bed every night without moping about what the other person said. When they have something to say, they say it. And that’s what makes this couple so strong.

MAKES NO SENSE: GLORIA & JAVIER

Gloria and Javier were never together as a couple on the show but he does make appearances throughout the series as he is Manny’s father. The two broke up once Gloria had Manny and realized Javier was never coming back. Thankfully, she made her way to America where she gave Manny the best shot at a great life.

Javier is suave and gorgeous, but Gloria has stated that all the two ever did was fight and make love, making this one superficial relationship that was doomed from the start.

PERFECT TOGETHER: HALEY & ANDY

When Modern Family wrote Andy out of the series and brought Dylan back in Haley’s life, you could hear fans screaming around the world. Andy and Haley were such a great couple! They both broadened each other’s minds and pushed each other while also being encouraging.

When Haley was with Andy, it was the first time we saw her with real initiative and want to tone down her partying ways. These two were also exactly like Haley’s parents, Claire and Phil. Andy was goofy and kind of dorky while Haley was the cute, popular girl. These two belonged together!

MAKES NO SENSE: ALEX & BEN

It wasn’t until Alex started dating Bill that we realized how much of a bully Alex was in her relationships. She’s a beautiful and smart woman who appears to land gorgeous, “dumb” guys.

Sadly, Alex treats her pretty beaus as such: dumb. She didn’t do this at first with her ex-boyfriend Ben but as time went, on she became colder and colder. Following on that point, Ben was her mom’s personal assistant. They were playing with fire from the start.

PERFECT TOGETHER: CLAIRE & PHIL

As different as Claire and Phil are, they would be a mess without each other. Phil lifts Claire up when she becomes over-obsessed and stressed at work and Claire… well, Claire shows love in her own way. She may not be as warm as Phil but she absolutely does love her husband.

Throughout the years, we’ve seen these two transform and grow into a power couple. Claire started the series off as a homemaker but eventually turned around and became CEO of her father’s company. Likewise, Phil also branched off and started his own gig (along with a magic shop). These two have only gotten better with time.

MAKES NO SENSE: HALEY & RAINER

Why did this happen? We know Haley needed an older man to help her mature but Rainer? This relationship was even weirder because her dad also had a man-crush on him, which put Phil in a very weird position.

How could he be friends with someone (who wasn’t far away in age) who was dating his daughter? Rainer even had a daughter who was almost the same age as Haley. One would think these two wouldn’t last long—due to them both being incredibly vain—but he proposed to her! Thankfully for Modern Family fans, that was also the last time they were together.

PERFECT TOGETHER: CAM & MITCHELL

Cameron and Mitchell may as well be the best couple on Modern Family. They fit each other so well and have such a profound love for their daughter and their life together. Although these two do keep way too many secrets from one another, the truth always comes out and these two have been through it all.

Fans were happy to see these two finally legally married and being treated with the same respect as everyone else in the fifth season. And watching them come together to raise their daughter Lily has been a real treat for viewers. 

MAKES NO SENSE: HALEY & DYLAN

Haley and Dylan may be married with twins but that doesn’t necessarily mean they were the perfect fit. These two have been together since high school and quite frankly, that’s where they should have ended.

We’ve seen these two dance back into each other’s lives every season and it never seemed to make anyone happy except for Dylan. Haley was always hoping to feel something more and the two never pushed each other the way that Andy and Haley did. These two are just fine sitting in their own little bubble, unaware of adult life. We expected better from Haley.

PERFECT TOGETHER: MANNY & SHERRY

Towards the end of the series, we finally see Manny with a woman who seems suitable for him. He always had crushes on girls growing up or dated a girl or two for a short time but they never lasted. We thought Manny was a lost cause when he brought his college professor back home to meet Jay and Gloria, but thankfully, he finally met Sherry.

Some may say they don’t feel a spark between these two, but the fact that Manny found someone who loves him as much as his own mother (in a weird, controlling way) says a lot about this young couple.

MAKES NO SENSE: ALEX & BILL

Bill saved Alex’s life from a potential fire, which is how these two sparked their love connection. And as cute as Bill was, Alex’s compliment for him was that he was a sweet “dummy.”

Apparently, anyone who doesn’t have a high-end science degree is a dummy in her eyes, including the people she dates. Bill thinks the world of Alex and loves her and her family, but he does not get the same respect from Alex in return.