Top 10 Times Luke Was the Best on Modern Family
#10: When He Went on His First Date “Best Men”
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In the fourth season, things start to change as Luke becomes interested in girls. While his sisters are sad about their brother growing up, Phil takes the opportunity to teach his son how to talk to girls. When Luke doesn’t know how to message a girl he likes on Facebook, Phil coaches him by feeding him lines and it’s a success! Luke and Simone meet up for a dinner date, and Phil spends time at the bar with Simone’s mom. Unfortunately, an awkward encounter between Phil and Simone’s mom leads to the date ending early. But ultimately, Simone is even more attracted to Luke and the episode marks a turning point for him. But we’ll always miss little Luke!
#9: When He Had a Foolproof Savings Strategy “Hit and Run”
Haley gets herself in trouble once again. After trying to nab fake IDs to get into a nightclub, she loses $900 and turns to her siblings to bail her out. Although you might not expect a 12-year-old to have much cash, it turns out that Luke has saved up over $1,000 through some devious methods. And while he does have the money to help out his sister, unfortunately, he can’t lend her any. Why? Well, his assets are frozen, of course. It’s extremely entertaining to hear a kid talk about his savings, not to mention totally misunderstanding all the financial terminology he uses.
#8: When He Joined a Hot Dog Eating Contest “I Love a Parade”
Most of the time, Luke is a great character for comic relief. However, that’s not to say that he doesn’t have his heartwarming moments too. This Fourth of July, the family is heading to a big parade where Jay gets to achieve his dream of being Grand Marshal. And Phil is taking the opportunity to bond with his son. In typical fashion, the two Dunphy boys enter a hot dog eating contest and it's Luke’s first time participating. When he starts acting strange, Phil realizes that Luke’s worried about college. The two have a heart-to-heart, using hot dog analogies to discuss Luke’s fears. It’s a bit unconventional but it still gets to us.
#7: When He Shared a Room With Manny “Hawaii”
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Luke and Manny are an odd match. Despite being best friends, their relationship is often challenged by their complete opposite personalities. Oh, and the fact that they are uncle and nephew. In the first season, the whole family heads to Hawaii on a big trip for Jay’s birthday. The two are given the opportunity to share a room without any chaperones. Unfortunately, the experience isn’t all it cracked up to be and they find themselves at complete odds. While Luke wants to let loose, Manny is more preoccupied with keeping their room tidy. Although these two are an iconic duo, it might be better to have separate rooms next time.
#6: When He Sang a Song About Omelets “Playdates”
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There’s no questioning that Luke has a creative mind. He’s always coming up with impromptu ideas, but not all of them are winners. When the Dunphy kids forget their Uncle Mitchell’s birthday, they quickly throw together a coupon for one day of fun with them. When Mitchell comes to cash it in, however, they have nothing planned. In the spur of the moment, they include Mitchell in their breakfast, and in an attempt to spruce up their plans, Luke presents an omelet with a song and dance. It leaves much to be desired, but we have to commend Luke for his ability to think on his feet. And with his feet.
#5: When He Wanted to Quit Magic “The Butler’s Escape”
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There are few on-screen father-son duos to rival Phil and Luke Dunphy. In fact, they can be more friends than family at times. But their relationship is not without its trials. Phil tries to bond with Luke by encouraging his son to learn magic. Phil even hires someone online to teach Luke. Unfortunately, despite magic being Phil’s passion, Luke doesn’t quite take to it. When Luke tells his dad that he wants to quit, Phil doesn’t exactly take it well. Luke gets upset and makes a pretty impressive exit by using a magic trick where he disappears in a cloud of smoke. He might not like magic, but Luke sure is good at it.
#4: When His Sisters Messed With Him One Last Time “Finale”
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Endings are always hard. But this classic prank between the Dunphy kid manages to make us want to laugh and cry all at once. After the kids find themselves back in the family home, Phil and Claire can’t handle the chaos and give the kids an ultimatum: one of them has to agree to move out by the end of the day. However, they’re surprised to discover that all three kids are moving out. Sad to be leaving each other, Haley and Alex decide to mess with Luke one last time by making him act like a dog. While Luke crawling around is hilarious, it’s also heartwarming to see how much he loves his sisters.
#3: When He Got Dumped by Janice “The Last Halloween”
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Age gaps in relationships aren’t uncommon in this family sitcom. Nevertheless, everyone is reasonably surprised when Luke starts dating a much older woman. Despite initially being able to look past their almost 30-year age difference, Luke’s youth ultimately drives them apart during a fateful date night on Halloween. When Luke’s girlfriend Janice mentions that Luke is mature for his age, he launches into a story about playing a prank on a house in his neighborhood as a kid. Unfortunately, he realizes too late that it was Janice’s house. While none of us expected this relationship to last, this was pretty much the worst way for it to end.
#2: When He Had a Curious Mind “Coal Digger”
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Throughout the show, it's pretty well known that Luke isn’t always the brightest of the bunch. And there are more than a few instances to prove this throughout the 11-season run. While Claire is often worried about Luke’s intelligence, Phil is usually there to defend the youngest Dunphy, even when it might be a bit difficult. After dressing himself in the first season, Claire is disappointed to find that not only has Luke put his shirt on inside out, but he has also zipped the shirt into his pants. During an interview scene, Phil explains that Luke’s mind is… well, unique.
#1: When He Wore Noise-Canceling Headphones “Starry Night”
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You know what they say: the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In a lot of ways, the same goes for Phil and Luke. And while the father-son duo shares a lot of great qualities, their lack of focus isn’t one of them. We might be tempted to include Luke’s misinterpretation of the technology behind noise-canceling headphones on this list. But Phil and Luke’s struggle to complete Luke’s Van Gogh project really takes the cake here. Despite Phil’s best attempts to keep him on track, Luke is distracted—particularly by the lead in a pencil. It’s a hilarious sequence of events that shows not only how naturally entertaining Luke can be, but also how alike the two Dunphys are.
