Modern Family: The Extra Dunphy

INTERVIEW – JOEY DUNPHY

[Joey sits in his meticulously organized bedroom, a half-finished architectural model on his desk. Buddy naps in a dog bed shaped like the Guggenheim Museum.]

JOEY: Dreams are like Ikea instructions. Everyone acts like they know what they're building, but most of us are just cross-referencing the leftover screws. [Pauses, tracing the model's edges] But maybe that's the point.

CHEVIOT HILLS HIGH – CAFETERIA

Joey's study group—Matt, Lila, Zoe, Ethan, and Travis—huddles around a table littered with textbooks and snack wrappers. Mr. Thompson, their guidance counselor, drops a stack of pamphlets titled "Mapping Your Future" with a thud.

THOMPSON (monotone): Career Week starts Friday. Presentations require passion, vision, and a minimum of seven PowerPoint slides. No clip art. [Walks off, dodging a flying tater tot.]

LILA (immediately flipping open a planner): I've already drafted mine on sustainable urban planning. My slideshow has animated pie charts.

ETHAN (snorting): Wow, nothing says "passion" like a pie chart mid-spin.

TRAVIS (mouth full of pizza): I'm doing mine on professional napping. Did you know CEOs nap 20% more than—

JOEY (cutting him off): You're using my research on sleep architecture. Cite your sources.

ZOE (grinning): Mine's on saving rainforests with ukulele concerts! I wrote a theme song! [Plucks a chord.]

MATT (nudging Joey): What's yours? Skyscrapers? Secret villain lairs?

JOEY (stiffening): …Haven't decided.

[CUT TO INTERVIEW – LILA CARTER]

LILA: Joey's the human equivalent of a loading screen. You know something's happening, but he'll never let you see the buffering.

DUNPHY HOUSE – AFTERNOON

Claire and Phil argue over a broken blender as Joey sketches at the kitchen table. Alex tutors Luke in fractions using cereal pieces.

CLAIRE (holding blender blade): Phil, this is the third one this month!

PHIL (grinning): But babe, this time I added jet fuel to the smoothie! It's called innovation!

JOEY (without looking up): Jet fuel's a carcinogen, Dad.

PHIL (defeated): …It was coconut water.

[Haley flounces in, waving a fashion magazine.]

HALEY: Joey! I need your artistic genius. Which dress says "future boutique owner" more: sequins or more sequins?

JOEY (deadpan): It says "future Las Vegas magician's assistant."

HALEY (gasping): Rude! [Pauses] …But accurate.

ALEX (to Luke): If you eat one more "fraction," you'll be solving obesity statistics.

LUKE (grinning with milk mustache): Food math rules!

JOEY (suddenly): What's everyone's… [hesitates] …dream? Like, if you could do anything.

[The room freezes. Phil drops a spoon.]

PHIL (leaping onto the table): I've waited DECADES for this! [Strikes a pose] Phil Dunphy: Real Estate Wizard… and part-time illusionist! Imagine open houses with actual magic tricks!

CLAIRE (rolling eyes): My dream is a day where no one asks me where the Scotch tape is.

HALEY: Easy. Run my own fashion line. Haley's Closet—tagline: "Yes, you can wear sequins before noon."

ALEX: Nobel Prize in Physics. Or a Netflix documentary about how underappreciated I am.

LUKE: Professional trampoline tester. Or a dinosaur.

[CUT TO INTERVIEW – PHIL DUNPHY]

PHIL (teary): My boy asked about dreams! Next thing you know, he'll be hugging me! [Pauses] …Hugging's extra.

PRITCHETT-DELGADO HOUSE – EVENING

Joey visits Jay and Gloria under the guise of "borrowing tools," lingering as Manny recites poetry. Gloria forces empanadas on everyone.

GLORIA (pointing knife): José, you're too skinny! Eat! Then tell us why your face looks like [makes fists] …this.

JOEY (chewing): Career Week. I have to present a "dream."

JAY (grunting): Dreams. [Pauses] Kid, I wanted to fly jets. Ended up selling closets. Now I've got a Colombian wife, a poet son, and a family that judges me. [Softens] Best detour I ever took.

MANNY (dramatic): I dream of a world where love is literally a sonnet.

GLORIA (smiling): I wanted to sing. Now I yell. [Shrugs] Still music.

[CUT TO INTERVIEW – GLORIA PRITCHETT-DELGADO]

GLORIA: In Colombia, we say, "No llores porque se terminó, sonríe porque sucedió." [Winks] But Joey? If you don't chase your dream, I'll chase you.

MITCHELL & CAM'S CONDO – NIGHT

Joey finds Mitchell stress-baking while Cam rehearses a puppet show for Lily. The kitchen looks like a flour bomb detonated.

MITCHELL (manically): I wanted to fight for justice! Now I fight plaque.

CAM (holding sock puppet): And I dreamed of Broadway! Now I'm directing Three Little Pigs: The Revenge for toddlers. [Sighs] It's Tony-worthy.

JOEY (smirking): Your pig voices need more vibrato.

CAM (gasping): Mitchell, he's right!

[CUT TO INTERVIEW – MITCHELL PRITCHETT]

MITCHELL: Dreams are like IKEA furniture. You start with a vision, end with extra screws, and eventually just sit on it.

SCHOOL AUDITORIUM – CAREER DAY

Joey's group preps nervously. Lila adjusts a laser pointer, Zoe tunes her ukulele, and Travis naps under a poster titled "Sleep: The Final Frontier." Joey stares at a covered model on his desk.

MATT (whispering): Dude, you've been guarding that thing like it's the Hope Diamond.

JOEY (quietly): It's… a bridge.

ETHAN: Literally or metaphorically?

JOEY: Both.

[Mr. Thompson takes the stage.]

MR. THOMPSON: First presenter: Joseph Dunphy.

[Joey freezes. Flashback to his past life: bloodied hands, an unfinished model. He grips the podium as family members—Claire, Phil, Haley, Alex, Luke, Jay, Gloria, Manny, Mitchell, Cam—file into the back row. Haley gives a thumbs-up.]

JOEY (voice steadying): My dream isn't new. It's… borrowed. [Uncovers the model: a sweeping glass bridge connecting two towers.] I died once but not really. Never finished this before, when second chances are rarely every given in life. Now I'm here, to present what my dream is... [Pauses] Maybe dreams aren't something you have. They're something you rebuild your happiness at any moment of your life. I want to be a creator of space that makes people happy, gives hope and comfort when they are not at their best, a connector for people to their dreams… [Pauses] Architect, I want to be an Architect.

[Silence. Then Phil whoops, clapping wildly. The group joins in. Zoe strums a triumphant chord. Even Ethan nods approval.]

[CUT TO INTERVIEW – CLAIRE DUNPHY]

CLAIRE (teary): When he said "died," I thought he meant metaphorically! [Pauses] Wait, did he— I think we need to hire a therapist…

DUNPHY BACKYARD – SUNSET

The family and friends gather for a barbecue. Joey's bridge model centers the picnic table. Buddy steals hot dogs as Jay and Phil argue grill techniques.

LILA (to Joey): Your bridge needs solar panels.

ZOE: And a ukulele stage!

TRAVIS (mouth full): And nap pods!

JOEY (mock-exasperated): It's a bridge, not a carnival.

MATT (grinning): Why not both?

[Haley drags Joey aside, holding a glitter-covered "Future Architect" banner.]

HALEY: Proud of you, weirdo. [Pauses] But if you ever mention dying again, I'll kill you.

[CUT TO INTERVIEW – JOEY DUNPHY]

JOEY (smirking): Dreams are messy. [Gestures to the chaotic backyard] So's family. [Pauses] But they're both kinda… [Buddy barks offscreen] …Yeah. Masterpieces.

[FINAL SHOT – The camera pans over the laughing group, lingers on Joey's bridge model, and fades as Phil attempts a "magic trick" with a flaming burger.]

POST-CREDITS INTERVIEW – BUDDY

[A close-up of Buddy chewing the "Future Architect" banner. Text overlay: "Blueprint tested. Dog approved."]