'Modern Family' turns out lights with warm, funny series finale

After 11 years of family togetherness, "Modern Family" wrapped up its Emmy-winning run with perhaps the most obvious set-up -- namely, a string of fairly sudden developments that would scatter the extended clan in different directions, reports CNN.

The ABC comedy has, admittedly, been running on fumes a bit the past few seasons, a seemingly inevitable byproduct of hanging around this long. So the writers had some work to do in terms of pulling it all together, offering a finale that was worthy of the show's mix of big, broad laughs and tender, family-oriented heart.

For the most part, the show delivered just that, with an hour that highlighted not just the show's legacy but coming at an unsettling moment when such fare is sorely needed.

Each family faced its own crossroads. After adopting a baby boy, Cam (Eric Stonestreet) got offered his dream job back in Missouri, which would force him and his husband Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) to uproot themselves, vacating the new house they just finished lovingly furnishing.

The Dunphys, meanwhile, were dealing with a not just full but overflowing house, with all of their now-adult kids still living at home.

Still, when Claire (Julie Bowen) and Phil (Ty Burrell) asked one of their children to move out to ease the strain, they soon faced the unintended scenario of having them all go, leaving the couple facing the daunting prospect of an empty nest.

Finally, Jay (Ed O'Neill) was grappling with the fact that his wife Gloria (Sofia Vergara) is successfully working, while she worried that her sons don't need her the way they once did. His secret attempt to learn Spanish to surprise her also provided perhaps the best gag, when Phil misunderstood his request for a spoon.

It was, clearly, a lot to juggle, but the episode created moments for all of the characters, ranging from the funny to the touching, starting with Jay saying about Mitchell and Cam moving, "Both my sons are leaving."