The witty family comedy series "Modern Family" will be returning to television screens on Sept. 27 for its ninth season. For its premiere, the family will be going on a vacation in an episode titled "Lake Life."
According to the episode's synopsis, the family patriarch Jay Pritchett, played by Ed O'Neill, will force the entire family to spend their vacation on a houseboat on a lake. He will do this in an effort to create new memories that will last even after he's gone.
Based on the pictures released by network ABC, it looks like Pritchett is not having the time of his life. There is one shot wherein he sits in a rowboat all alone, suggesting that not the whole family is onboard with his plans. His wife Gloria played by Sofía Vergara, on the other hand, looks gorgeous as she hangs out by the water.
Couple Phil (Ty Burrell) and Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen) will use the time to take on some adventurous excursions. With Phil's wacky dorkiness and Claire's game personality, the pair is surely up to some funny misadventures in this outdoor setting.
Meanwhile, Mitchell Pritchett, played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, will unexpectedly run into an old flame during this vacation – a meeting that will inevitably open up old wounds. Only time will tell how his husband Cameron Tucker, played by Eric Stonestreet, will react to this when he finds out, as he will have his own struggles of staying out of the sun at all costs.
The kids will spend the episode on a quest to have a good time in the outdoors. However, they will find that their exploits are not as fun as they have expected.
Earlier this year, the show's executive producer and co-creator, Steve Levitan, hinted about how the current political atmosphere will affect the inclusive message of the show.
"How is our political movement going to affect our taste in comedy? It's so much a part of our life now in a really big way that I wonder if it will seep in more in next season with what we're all going through," he told Deadline.
The ninth season of "Modern Family" will premiere on Sept. 27 at 9 p.m. EDT on ABC.
