Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
Season four begins with Gloria expecting a baby and Haley preparing to leave for college. After Haley is expelled, Phil tries to make her take responsibility at home, and she briefly dates an older jeans designer. The conflict gives way to a more honest exchange: Haley fears her father sees her as a failure, and Phil tells her how much he loves her. Elsewhere, Cam’s return to teaching competes with his attention to Lily, while Jay and Gloria prepare Manny for the changes a new sibling will bring.
Those changes arrive on Manny’s birthday. Gloria goes into labour during the surprise party she and Jay arranged, and tries to delay the birth so Manny can keep his own day. Manny is touched that she would try to spare him from sharing it; Gloria gives birth to Joe that day, and the family welcomes him. In the months that follow, Jay and Gloria navigate life with an infant, including a day when Jay is left alone caring for Joe.
The season closes with the family travelling to Florida after Phil’s mother, Gracie, dies. She leaves personal gifts and messages for Phil and the Dunphy children; Alex is puzzled by the lighter she receives, then unfolds Gracie’s note explaining its history and encouraging her to break rules sometimes. Alex acts on that advice during the memorial fireworks. Phil also tries to honour his mother’s request to introduce his widowed father Frank to a neighbour, while Mitchell defends Gloria in court over an old Florida warrant.