Modern Family concluded an uneven season with an uneven finale.

As will always be the case when you have such great characters as Phil and Manny, there were plenty of funny moments on "The One That Got Away." I'm still chuckling over what the latter uses a tennis racket and a baseball mitt for.

But there was also the repetitive use of such storylines as Gloria's speech impediment and Jay's apprehension to embrace his family.

I'm not asking for major character development here. It's a sitcom and I just wanna laugh every Wednesday night. But Gloria's gift to Jay was simply insulting and nonsensical.

It's one thing for the show to use her Latina heritage as a source for occasional jokes and misunderstandings, but is that really the only well writers can go to with her? Moreover, are we really meant to believe she can't understand a simple request such as a "saxophone?" She's not stupid or hard of hearing. She just has an accent.

Similarly, the conclusion of the episode would have been more moving if we hadn't seen it in a variety of situations already this season. On an almost weekly basis, Jay tries to get away from his family (how much golf does he play?!?), only to be drawn back in, act exasperated over their needs and behavior... only to realize hos lucky he is in the end.

Like the man himself, it's getting a bit old. And no amount of Botox can fix what feels like stale storytelling.

The finale did make very cool use of call-backs to earlier episodes, however. The Haley, Alex and Luke-produced mess of a video was a fun way to look back at Claire's attempts to slow down a neighbor, Gloria's frustration with the dog next door and other season two highlights.

And Phil's got Claire! It's about time he realized that his wife is quite the looker herself, despite never wearing the sort of outfit Gloria is donning above. (Yowza!)

Overall, Modern Family is still appointment television for me. But I fear the sitcom could fall into the Friends trap of making everyone caricatures instead of actual human beings. Next season, let's hope Phil isn't simply a bumbling fool each week, Claire isn't just neurotic and Gloria is more than a foreigner with big breasts.

Of course, all this said, as long as it keeps churning out such hilarious Modern Family one-liners, I'll be tuning in.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.