Modern Family: The Extra Dunphy

INTERVIEW – JOEY DUNPHY

JOEY (leaning back, Buddy curled in his lap): So, turns out rescuing a puppy is the easy part. The hard part? Teaching a Dunphy what "responsibility" means. [Buddy licks his hand] Yeah, yeah, I'm talking about you too, furball.

DUNPHY HOUSE – MORNING

Chaos reigns. Luke chases Buddy with a squeaky toy, Haley trips over a chew bone, and Claire frantically scrubs coffee stains off the couch.

CLAIRE: Joey! Your dog just ate Alex's book!

ALEX (deadpan): Finally, a valid excuse for failing, but he ate the wrong person's book.

JOEY (snatching the soggy book): Buddy, we talked about this. Nietzsche only after breakfast.

PHIL (bursting in with a drone): Who's ready for the inaugural Dunphy Drone Delivery? [The drone whirs, drops a bag of dog treats, and crashes into Jay's head as he enters.]

JAY (rubbing his forehead): I'm starting to miss the days when the biggest menace in this house was Claire's cooking.

INTERVIEW – JAY PRITCHETT

JAY: Kid's got a dog now. Great. Another living thing for him to organize. Last week, he color-coded my golf clubs. [Pauses] …Actually, I kinda like it.

MITCHELL & CAM'S CONDO – AFTERNOON

Mitchell and Cam argue over Lily's birthday decorations while Joey sketches building designs at the table. Buddy naps at his feet.

CAM (dramatic): Mitchell, we agreed on unicorns, not alpacas!

MITCHELL (exhausted): You said "llama theme"!

JOEY (without looking up): Llamas are Andes. Alpacas are Peruvian. Unicorns are delusional. [Slides a sketch toward them] Here. Compromise: Llama-corns. Hybrids. You're welcome.

CAM (clutching the sketch): Mitchell, we're adopting this child.

INTERVIEW – CAMERON TUCKER

CAM (teary): Joey's like a tiny, judgmental Picasso. He fixed our decor, our relationship, and our Wi-Fi password. [Whispers] It's "Buddy4Ever" now.

DUNPHY BACKYARD – EVENING

Joey and Matt build a doghouse. Haley and Dylan lounge nearby, sharing earbuds.

MATT: Dude, this looks more like a tiny Frank Lloyd Wright house.

JOEY (measuring planks): Form follows function. Also, Buddy deserves better than IKEA.

DYLAN (to Haley): Your brother's, like, intense. But in a cool, Silence of the Lambs way.

HALEY (rolling eyes): Just don't touch his markers. Or breathe near his pillows.

[Claire appears, holding a shredded pillow.]

CLAIRE: Joey. Explain.

JOEY (not looking up): Buddy's asserting dominance. Classic insecure terrier behavior. [Tosses a treat] Redirect the aggression.

CLAIRE (throwing treat): …Did that just work?

JOEY (smirking): Told you I'd handle it.

INTERVIEW – CLAIRE DUNPHY

CLAIRE: I don't want to admit it but, Buddy, even if makes trouble we can't bear ourselves to love him. Well Joey's been training him. Kid's doing alright. *whisper* Wish we could train some other people too.

PHIL (From kitchen): I heard that. You can't compare Luke to Buddy!!

CLAIRE: Oh yeah, Luke… (Stares at the camera)

PRITCHETT-DELGADO HOUSE – NIGHT

Jay and Manny play chess. Gloria watches Joey sketch blueprints at the table.

GLORIA (to Jay): He's been like this all night. What's wrong with him?

JAY (grumbling): Kid's stressed. Thinks he's gotta build a legacy or something. [Pauses] Reminds me of me.

GLORIA (softening): You should talk to him.

JAY (standing): Yeah, yeah. [Walks over, gruffly drops a key in front of Joey] Storage unit. Filled with my old drafting tools. Collecting dust.

JOEY (stunned): Grandpa, I…

JAY (cutting him off): Don't make it weird. Just promise you'll build something that'll outlive us all.

INTERVIEW – JOEY DUNPHY

JOEY (holding an antique drafting compass): For the first time, this world doesn't feel borrowed. It feels… mine.

FINAL SCENE – DUNPHY LIVING ROOM

The family watches Buddy chase Luke. Joey's phone buzzes — a college acceptance email for architecture. He smiles, deletes it.

PHIL (whispering): Saw that. You're staying?

JOEY (quietly): My masterpiece is right here. [Gestures to the chaos]

PHIL (mock-offended): Hey, I'm a work of art too!

JOEY (grinning): More like abstract expressionism, Dad.

[Buddy leaps onto the couch, knocking over Claire's coffee. The screen freezes on her scream as the credits roll.]

POST-CREDITS INTERVIEW – BUDDY

[Static, then a shaky dog-cam view of the family. Joey's voice off-screen: "Chew the couch, not the shoes!"]

[Text overlay: "Buddy for President 2024"]