Elizabeth Banks as Sal is the most chaotic character in Modern Family and here’s why

Elizabeth Banks’ recurring character as Sal on Modern Family has been a fan favorite.

Mitchell “Mitch” Pritchett (played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron “Cam” Tucker’s (played by Eric Stonestreet) party-loving friend, Sal, is sprightly and overtly enthusiastic. And no matter where she goes, drama follows; most probably, she is the one responsible for it.

Modern Family has had several memorable characters through its 11-season run. However, Sal stands out for her unique blend of charm and chaos.

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Sal’s chaotic presence in Modern Family

Sal is introduced in Modern Family Season 1 Episode 8 titled ‘Great Expectations’. Mitch and Cam are new parents, and they no longer indulge in revelry like before. Cam compares hanging out with Sal to Saturday nights in Amsterdam, to which Mitch points out that Sal is no longer allowed in that city anymore - a nod to her wild party lifestyle.

At the nightclub, Mitch and Cam finally meet Sal after a long time. She tells them that she misses hanging out with them and they should go to ‘Cabo’ together. Sal intentionally ignores any conversations around their adopted daughter Lily. When Cam decides to call and check on Lily, Sal casually says "kill the baby," which shocks them, but she corrects herself, saying that she meant to say call the baby.

Mitch and Cam compare Sal’s disdain towards Lily as ‘first child syndrome’, since she is jealous of the new child in their life. Sal refuses to accept that she is jealous but slyly calls Lily the Yoko of the group, because, according to her, she broke the group. Mitch and Cam finally calmed her by treating her as a child.

In Modern Family Season 4, episode 17 titled ‘Best Men’, Sal makes a surprise announcement that she is getting married to a man she met three months ago. She ropes in Cam and Mitch as the best men. The two are convinced that Sal is rushing into it.

Just an hour before the wedding, Sal makes out with a bartender, making Cam question her intentions. At the altar, Sal confesses to her fiancé. To Mitch and Cam’s surprise, the couple lets bygones be bygones and get married.

In a cute interaction, Sal is at Mitch and Cam’s house, sitting on the sofa with Lily. She sarcastically apologizes to Lily for not inviting her to the wedding. Lily responds by saying she will go to her next one.

In season 5, episode 23 titled ‘The Wedding Part 1’, Sal delegates herself to officiate Mitch and Cam’s wedding. And in true Sal style, she turns up heavily pregnant. Just as the ceremony starts, her water breaks, and she is rushed to the hospital.

However, in her rather messy life, Sal does find a ray of sunshine when she becomes a mother. In Modern Family Season 6, episode 15 titled ‘Fight or Flight’, Mitch, Cam, and friends decide to throw Sal a belated baby shower. They are surprised to find her in a new avatar – an all-embracing mom. During the shower, she is suddenly nowhere to be found, making her friends wonder if it was all a show, and she is back to her partying ways.

The men start quibbling over who will take over the duties for her child, whom she left behind at the house. Suddenly, Sal appears confused and reveals that she had informed one of them that she is stepping out briefly. She would tell them that it is true that she is struggling with motherhood, but she would never abandon her child. Her friends tell her that they are ready to help her whenever she wants.

But wild Sal is far from over as she makes a dramatic comeback in Season 8, Episode 12 titled ‘Do You Believe in Magic’. Sal has a new boyfriend and feels he doesn't pay her much attention. After Mitch and Cam tell her to stand up for herself, Sal will exactly do that, but in her own unique style. She goes on a rampage in her boyfriend’s boat after she follows their advice and ends up being broken up with.

In Modern Family Season 11 Episode 17 titled ‘Finale Part I’, Mitch and Cam debate whether to move to Missouri. While Mitch was on the fence about the move, Sal paid a visit to their new house. She informs them that she lives down the street and they can party every night while Lily babysits her kid. Mitch realizes that moving is their best option.

For her portrayal of Sal in Modern Family, Elizabeth Banks was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress. Banks has appeared in several popular television shows and movies, including 30 Rock, The Hunger Games, The Better Sister, and The Lego Movie.

Modern Family is available for streaming on Peacock.

ALSO READ: 5 celebrity cameos in Modern Family that made us go gaga

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