Dear Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd,

What’s shakin’?

You don’t know me but I am a big fan of your program,Modern Family,and though I haven’t been watching since the beginning, thanks to the magic of syndication, I got up to speed and have fallen in love with the show just as millions of people have over the last seven years.

Anyways,that’s not why I’m writing this letter to you on my own blog on a Saturday morning in October. I wanted to talk to you guys about maybe reopening the possibility of having Haley Dunphy and Andy Bailey as a couple once and for all. But since not everyone who visits my site watches the show,I’ll get them up to speed and come back to you guys. Deal?

Okay,so at the end of the fifth season, the door of possibility for Haley and Andy to become a couple was swung wide open when Haley gave Andy a ride to the airport in the hours before her uncles,Cam and Mitch,were to marry. On the way,Haley sees that Andy’s girlfriend Beth has ended their off-again, on-again relationship via text. Andy disregards it and chooses to go out to see Beth. While waiting for his delayed flight, Haley finds him at the coffee shop to tell him that he deserves better than someone who doesn’t value his feelings and then leaves to go back to the wedding. After a while,Andy calls Haley to ask if there was anyone he had in mind regarding him being with someonee better. She says no and that if it’s Beth,that’s great,if it’s not,that’s okay,too and that the hard part is figuring out what you really want. What Haley didn’t know was that Andy got a cab and was going to see Haley. That’s where things left off between them.

In season six, the two grow close as friends. They help each other get job interviews which lead to jobs for both of them, they went to concerts and carnivals together,and Haley even kissed him when he wasn’t expecting it early in season six. Hell,even the family thought for a brief time that she and Andy were having a baby and eloped together. In an episode where Andy has to have his appendix removed,Haley is there by his side. While asleep,Haley confesses her feelings to him and that he has a shot with her and then leaves when his girlfriend,Beth,arrives. What Haley didn’t know was that Andy heard what she said.

Two episodes later, Andy wishes to confess to Haley about his feelings for her and discovers she has found someone else,but isn’t ready for something serious with him because he’s too clingy. In the season finale of season six at the Pritchett house to celebrate Alex’s graduation from high school, Beth is at the party with Andy and is trying to get Haley out of the picture so that she can have Andy all to herself. Seperately, both Haley and Andy seek advice from Phil (via Skype due to an ear infection preventing him from flying home from Seattle) regarding how they feel about one another. After putting two and two together,Phil realizes that they love one another,but unfortunately the sound from his Skype is muted when the two are seen hugging each other goodbye as Andy goes off to propose to Beth.

Season seven started two weeks ago picking up from the end of season six when Phil figures out that the two love one another and Haley and Claire go to try and stop Andy from proposing to Beth at the beach,only to find that they’re too late,leaving Haley depressed,sad,and lonely. In an attempt to cheer her up, Phil and Luke go to take her to a movie where they run into Dylan,her old on-again,off-again boyfriend and they get back together as a couple. Again.

On July 4,Claire tells Phil she wants to tell Andy that she and Haley almost stopped the proposal when he accidentally overhears it. Two months later at a barbecue hosted by the Dunphys,Andy suddenly gains weight. Haley then confronts Andy about Beth and upsets him with Andy not even wanting to confess his feelings for Haley and he decides to stay with Beth.

Dylan and Haley are still together as of this past Wednesday’s episode and he moves in with Haley and the Dunphy family. Again.

Okay,now back to Steve and Chris.

I just want to tell you guys how disappointed I am that Haley and Andy aren’t a couple and that yet again,you’ve gone back and paired her with Dylan. Now don’t get me wrong, I think the character of Dylan has been funny and a fun recurring part of the series, but having them together again (sigh) is not what we as fans of the show want. It’s a tired storyline and to be honest, we don’t want them together anymore,and judging by the overnight ratings for this past Wednesday’s episode (nearly eight million viewers,down from about 720,000 from the previous episode), that’s looking to be the case. It’s beginning to feel like the show is out of ideas and going back to well of old ideas to see if any of them work. That to me is signaling the beginning of the end for the show and it doesn’t have to be this way.

I think the best medicine for the show going forward is to give the fans what they want-for Haley and Andy to be together. It doesn’t matter how it’s done,but when it’s done. Now,maybe that storyline is in your plans for this season, I don’t know,but what I do know is that I’ve seen enough of the Dylan and Haley relationship to know that it’s a storyline that just doesn’t work anymore. What I do know is that an Andy and Haley storyline would be nothing but good for the show. I really like those two together and my sincere hope is that they do fall in love with one another. Please make it happen, I know you have it in you to do it.

Fraternally yours,
T.J. the Sports Geek