Modern Family: Jay & Manny’s Best (& Worst) Moments

Manny Delgado and Jay Pritchett were two very different characters who ended up growing and learning together as they aged. When Jay married Gloria, Manny instantly became his stepson. As an older man, Jay wasn’t always thrilled about having a kid in the house again, but in a lot of ways, he was closer to Manny than he ever was to his two adult children, Claire and Mitchell.

By the end of Modern Family, Jay and Manny had an unbreakable bond. Jay softened up and learned more things about the world through Manny’s eyes. (It also didn’t hurt that Gloria made sure the two had a tight-knit relationship.) Like any father-son relationship, ups and downs happen and they can either grow or break from it.

10 Best: When Sam Broke Up With Manny

Manny has always been a lover of women but in the sixth season, he thought he found “the one.” He began dating a senior named Sam, who he thought was way out of his league. Jay and Gloria were nervous about her intentions from the start and it became obvious why when Manny came home heartbroken.

Sam only dated Manny to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. As Manny cried to Jay, he held him in his arms and told him it was going to be okay. He then thought it was time for Manny to have his first sip of alcohol and shared his scotch with him. It was an endearing father-son moment.

9 Worst: Jay Pushed Manny Into Private School

In “The Future Dunphys,” Manny made Jay take him on a tour of a prestigious private school that he thought was a better fit for him than a public school. Jay was hesitant because he didn’t like how pretentious those schools were. But by the middle of the tour, roles reversed. It was Jay who was pushing Manny to make a good impression and not to ruin the interview.

Manny became overwhelmed by the experience and tanked the interview with admissions. As the two were leaving, Manny admitted that Jay’s behavior made him feel like he failed him. Jay was apologetic, of course, but it was upsetting to see Jay want Manny to be someone he wasn’t.

8 Best: He Called Manny “His Kid”

In “Chirp,” Manny and Gloria visited Jay at work to take him out to lunch. Manny became chatty with an employee and the next thing you know, Manny is riding a forklift into a wall. Jay fired the employee for letting a child drive a dangerous machine, which Manny was upset about. He felt like he was the reason for getting this employee fired. But when Jay told Manny that anyone who put his “kid” in danger was going to pay the consequences, things changed between the two. Manny finally felt like he was a part of the family and Jay realized how much he loved Manny.

7 Worst: Jay Pushed Manny Towards Colombia

In “Suddenly, Last Summer,” Manny was gearing up for a trip to Colombia without his mother. It was his first trip alone and he was obviously nervous. Instead of preparing Manny and assuring him of his safety, Jay practically threw him out the door.

Jay was excited for a summer alone with Gloria and did everything he could to get Manny out of the house. At the airport, Jay pushed him towards the stairs and never looked back. Meanwhile, Manny was emotional.

6 Best: Jay Finally Realized He Was The Father Manny Never Had

In “The Bicycle Thief,” Jay and Manny were still warming up to each other. Gloria made them do things together to bond and it slowly started working.

Javier was supposed to take Manny to Disneyland for a few days, which delighted Jay. He was going to whisk Gloria to Nappa Valley for a weekend away. But when Jay looked outside and saw Manny sitting on the curb, waiting for his father for hours, he knew Javier wasn’t coming. Jay ended up sitting with Manny and making up a fake excuse for Javier. Instead of vacationing in Nappa, Jay took Manny to Disneyland himself.

5 Worst: He Pretended That Manny Wasn’t His Son

As much as Jay loved Manny, there were times when he was embarrassed by his choices. For starters, Manny was awful at sports and loved the arts. He was a poetic, gentle soul who didn’t have the same interests as Jay. As much as Jay accepted Manny, he didn’t love this side of him.

When Manny began hanging out with Jay’s nemesis’s grandaughter, Sophie Chambers, things took a turn. Earl Chambers showed up at Jay’s door to keep Manny away from his granddaughter, but Jay knew if Earl saw Manny (who was coincidentally dressed in a toga), Earl would mock him. Instead of introducing Earl to Manny, he told him that Manny was actually the maid’s son, Gomez… Hearing his father figure pretend not to know him must have been hard.

4 Best: Jay Becomes Jealous Of Javier

In “Lifetime Supply,” Javier comes to town and takes Manny and Jay to the racetrack. Manny loved his dad and lapped up everything Javier said. Surprisingly, Jay hated the fact that Manny adored his father so much because he knew what a bad dad Javier really was. At the end of the day, Jay told the cameras, “Look, I know I’m not his dad. Maybe I don’t like the reminder.” This sentence spoke volumes for how much he loved Manny.

3 Worst: Jay Told Manny He Didn’t Want Him Around

Seeing how close Hay and Manny were in season 11, it’s shocking that there was a point in their lives where they didn’t get along. In the early episodes, Jay was honest about his feelings about Manny. He loved Gloria and had no choice but to accept her son. Jay had never been a “kids guy” and didn’t want to start over later in life. He even told Manny that he has a convertible with two seats in it and that Manny should take the hint. As a child, the last thing Manyy wants to hear is that his stepdad wants him out of the picture.

2 Best: They Learned From Each Other’s Fears

There are a lot of things Jay never expected to do but did for his relationship with Gloria. He was a better man for it, too. In “Fears,” Manny declined to go to a birthday party because it was at an amusement park and he was afraid of the roller coaster. Instead, Jay took him fishing to bond. With Gloria there, she decided to take Manny and Jay for a ride on the roller coaster to face Manny’s fear. But as it turned out, Jay was also afraid of roller coasters. By the end of the episode, Jay and Manny were seen facing their fears on the roller coaster together.

1 Worst: Jay Doesn’t Think Manny’s Cool

In “Send Out The Clowns,” Manny told his parents that the school’s most popular student, Griffin, was coming over to play. Jay stopped in his tracks because Griffin was one of the coolest kids in school. He told the cameras that Manny was a great kid but not necessarily cool. Jay then spent the afternoon trying to impress Griffin because he didn’t think Manny would be able to.

About The Author

Lynn Gibbs
(1651 Articles Published)

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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