Dylan Marshall dated Haley Dunphy on and off throughout Modern Family‘s entirety. Because the two started dating at such a young age, breaking up to experience what else life had to offer them was probably the smartest decision these two made. Claire was never fond of Dylan but she had no choice but to tolerate him after he and Haley tied the knot.

Part of Claire’s reasoning for disliking Dylan is that he’s a tad spacey. He doesn’t pick up on basic sarcasm or the family’s sense of humor. He’s also not entirely motivated, which can be worrisome for his partner’s parents. Nevertheless, deep down within those confused glances and awkward questions lies a man who could be smarter than fans thought.

10 Smarter Than We Think: He Graduated From Nursing School

One must give credit where credit is due. Dylan started off as a musician who was going to travel the world with his band right after high school. Fast forward to season 11 and Dylan is a full-blown nurse with an incredible career. Nursing school takes hard work and dedication. It’s not for the faint of heart. And yet, Dylan made it happen.

9 Totally Clueless: “Say Anything”

When Dylan and Haley had arguments, it usually ended with Dylan chasing Haley down and winning her back. At the end of one episode, Phil saw Dylan standing on the lawn in a trenchcoat, holding his phone over his head while playing the song he wrote for her.

Phil complimented his work and compared him to John Cusack in Say Anything. Dylan responded with “good morning.” He thought Phil meant to literally say anything… It became apparent his actions were a coincidence.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

8 Smarter Than We Think: He Was The Level-Headed One During Haley’s Pregnancy

Haley was shocked when she found out she was pregnant with Dylan’s baby and was panicking about her life choices. Dylan, on the other hand, was completely level-headed. He was a pillar of strength and reminded her that they’ve known each other since they were kids and that this pregnancy could be a good thing. If it wasn’t for Dylan’s sense of calm during her pregnancy, who knows how much worse off Haley could be.

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7 Totally Clueless: His Dirty Dream About Claire

In “Chirp,” both Claire and Haley were feeling under the weather. But before Haley left school early to spend the day in bed with her mom, Dylan came to pick her up. Phil told Dylan to stay away from his wife (knowing how sick she was) and Dylan responded with “Haley told you about that? It’s just a dream…”

In that moment, Dylan couldn’t read in between the lines and see that Phil clearly meant because his wife was ill… not because of his sexy dream.

6 Smarter Than We Think: He Knew Exactly What Haley Was Doing When She Broke Up With Him

In season 7’s “The More You Ignore Me,” Haley and Dylan randomly bumped into Andy and Beth at the movies. After spending the afternoon together, Haley realized she and Dylan weren’t right for each other and she had to end it.

Before Haley could say anything other than “Dylan,” he already knew what was happening — she was breaking up with him. It takes an intuitive good listener to be so in-tune with another person’s emotions, and Dylan was just that.

5 Totally Clueless: His Shirt Designs

When Dylan and Haley got back together after she moved on from Andy, he was involved with fashion design. He was creating his own t-shirts and selling them at the mall. Haley was jealous of his passion but his t-shirts didn’t necessarily make sense… One shirt had a picture of a lion that said “Moo, I’m a horse.” And the others had words with Vs in them to match the v-neck cut of the shirt.

4 Smarter Than We Think: He Encouraged Haley To Go To College

With graduation around the corner, Haley was gearing up the strength to tell her parents that after graduation, she was touring around with Dylan and his band. Claire and Phil were totally against Haley giving up on school and hated the idea.

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But in the nick of time, Dylan presented a college acceptance letter for Haley that Luke had been hiding in his room. Instead of staying hopeful about their travel plans, Dylan encouraged Haley to go to school.

3 Totally Clueless: “Dude Ranch”

When the entire family went to the Midwest for vacation, Dylan tagged along to spend time with Haley. But as usual, Claire’s wrath was too intense for him. She tried smoothing things over and went to his cabin to talk things through, but the two just couldn’t get on the same page. Claire wanted Dylan to stay throughout the vacation but he was confused by her phrasing.

2 Smarter Than We Think: He Knew Exactly How Claire Felt About Him

Haley’s baby shower was a sensitive time for Dylan. Her family can be hard to get along with and it was difficult for him to feel comfortable. At the baby shower, Dylan overheard Claire saying horrible things about him. Instead of treating them as a joke, he understood the context and ran away. He held Claire accountable for her negative comments and made her realize that he’s not the same kid she met years ago.

1 Totally Clueless: A Nurse Who Doesn’t Know Basic Terminology

The entire family was thrilled when Haley gave birth to twins. As everyone slowly showed up to the hospital, Gloria asked Dylan for the sex of the babies. Sadly, it appeared that Dylan had no idea that the word “sex” also means “gender.”

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About The Author


Lynn Gibbs
(1645 Articles Published)

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Lynn is a nomad who travels the globe on the hunt for her next adventure with her husband. A lover of being outside (and finding the best latte in town), Lynn is typically hiking, walking, or jogging when she’s not focusing on her love of writing. When it comes to shows streaming on Netflix or anything Bravo-related, Lynn’s your gal.

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