Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, I’m continuing my coverage of The Middle (2009-2018, ABC), which is currently available on DVD and streaming!
The Middle stars PATRICIA HEATON as Frankie, NEIL FLYNN as Mike, CHARLIE McDERMOTT as Axl, EDEN SHER as Sue, and ATTICUS SHAFFER as Brick.
Season Four is another strong collection for The Middle. I’ve even seen some fans cite it as their favorite, thanks to a handful of strong episodes. However, I think this year is less ideal than its direct predecessor. This is because there are fewer stories that intermingle the parents and children. That is, I see Four as the start of the balance shifting too much to the kids, as they carry plots more exclusively, while their folks become peripheral players. This trend will accelerate in the years ahead as Axl, and then Sue, go off to college — literally dividing the ensemble and rendering it less common for an episode to enjoy a comprehensive, integrated use of the entire family. What’s more, we’ll see that the kids’ usage will increasingly revolve around rom-com maneuvers that are too often overly generic and clichéd. So much so that the kids themselves have their initially distinct personalities diluted as well. These rom-com maneuvers start to be felt here in Four, as Axl dates Cassidy, and Sue falls for Axl’s pal Darrin… Now, the good news is that Cassidy and Darrin are among the show’s best love interests. They have comic traits (unlike most), and they’re specifically designed for their partners. Cassidy is a brainiac contrast to Axl. And the doltish Darrin is similarly unlike Sue, allowing for a quirky chemistry that works well for comedy… and also has emotional stakes, due to his proximity to Axl. Accordingly, the rom-com back-and-forth in Four is a lot better than most of what’s to come. And though less narratively perfect, it isn’t yet a problem. Also, I appreciate that this year includes an arc where Frankie loses her job and goes back to dental school to begin a new career. It’s a notion that reminds us of this family’s relatable middle-class economics, which speaks to the premise. Plus, this arc keeps Frankie present in a way that, again, is starting to become rare, especially after this year, the last before the college era begins…
01) Episode 74: “Last Whiff Of Summer (II)” (Aired: 09/26/12)
Frankie struggles to plan and enjoy a perfect summer with her family.
Written by DeAnn Heline & Eileen Heisler | Directed by Lee Shallat Chemel
Season Four once again preempts its usual back-to-school premiere for a summer-set two-parter. But it’s an improvement over last year’s because it more exclusively involves the family dynamics — exploring the relationships between the parents and kids. Indeed, that’s the main reason it’s a winner — it’s all about the regular elements of the situation and how they interact. No, nothing’s remarkably ingenious or one-of-a-kind, but fights over who’s the favorite kid, and then, more crucially, who’s the favorite parent, are relatable tensions in any nuclear family, so The Middle feels like it’s leaning into its identity, and simply. Best of all, I also appreciate that Frankie, particularly here in the spotlighted Part II, is at the center of it all — a position that links this season-opener more to the better years before than the weaker years ahead.
02) Episode 78: “Halloween III: The Driving” (Aired: 10/24/12)
Sue gets her learner’s permit and accidentally runs over Axl’s foot.
Written by Roy Brown | Directed by Phil Traill
This year’s Halloween entry is not consumed by the event like most holiday shows. Actually, the only subplot that finds major relevance in those themes is Brick’s — as he overdoses on Halloween candy and finds that all the little tics that make him weird and socially challenged temporarily disappear. It’s a funny notion — accentuating his characterization through an intentional and self-contained episodic deviation. But the real joy of this half hour is Sue’s story; she’s gotten her learner’s permit and is starting to practice driving. It’s an arc that will smartly last the season, until she finally gets her license — a relatable marker of growing up. Well, we’re a long way from that license here, as she amusingly runs over Axl’s foot — a big, but not unexpected bit of physical comedy that plays well into her inherently gangly characterization.
03) Episode 83: “Life Skills” (Aired: 01/09/13)
Axl and Sue work together on a school project while Brick’s therapist tries to help him.
Written by Roy Brown | Directed by Lee Shallat Chemel
Dave Foley appears again in his recurring role as Brick’s new school therapist. His scenes with Atticus Shaffer are a highlight, while his very casting gives The Middle an extra bit of comic oomph. Meanwhile, the other stories also work well. Frankie and Mike run into bureaucratic trouble when they try to get their insurance to pay for a car that has been dented by a fallen tree. That’s the kind of “bad luck” event that middle-class families endure every now and then — the sort of relatable annoyance that makes the Hecks seem so utterly average, per the premise. But the real highlight of this outing is the story with Axl and Sue, as they have a class together and are paired on a project. Their different academic approaches are made obvious, per their well-juxtaposed characterizations, and when they accidentally leave their work at home, he’s forced to scramble around the halls of the school to save the day. It’s a funny idea, elevated by the character stakes as a result of their relationship. (Also, French Stewart recurs as the principal.)
04) Episode 84: “One Kid At A Time” (Aired: 01/16/13)
Frankie and Mike decide to focus all their attention on one kid at a time.
Written by David S. Rosenthal | Directed by Elliot Hegarty
For the last few years, The Middle has offered at least one episode that’s about changing the status quo — and, in particular, the way in which the adults parent their children. In Season Two, Frankie and Mike left the kids to handle their own problems. In Three, the kids sought more freedom by demonstrating more responsibility. Here, the adults decide to change their approach again. Instead of constantly scrambling between the needs of every child, they’ll designate separate days where they dedicate themselves to one kid exclusively. It’s a clever idea that spotlights the characterizations. In addition to the fun of Brick (who’s last) having his day co-opted by his now-tired parents, the highlight is Sue’s day, as she realizes her mom was a very popular cheerleader in high school — a detail that Frankie has deliberately kept hidden, because she didn’t want to hurt Sue’s feelings. That’s all based on Sue’s comedic depiction, which is the boldest and most personalized in the middle of The Middle, where she is its best ambassador.
05) Episode 85: “The Friend” (Aired: 01/23/13)
Frankie tries to get a new guy in the neighborhood to befriend Mike.
Written by Robin Shorr | Directed by Lee Shallat Chemel
There are three separate stories in this installment, with little narrative or thematic cohesion. But they’re each worthwhile for their characters, so the whole half hour ends up a winner. The A-story is about Frankie’s attempts to get a new, cool neighbor (David Koechner) to befriend Mike, a loner whom she desperately wants to be more social. That’s a thought that plays to the fact that Mike is un-emotive — not a “people person” — and it’s therefore built for his character. Meanwhile, I also appreciate the subplot where Axl comes to Brick for help in connecting to his smart girlfriend Cassidy (Galadriel Stineman), who actually shares interests with Brick that are totally foreign to Axl. It’s a fine use of the guys, highlighting both, and with a fun reversal in the social dynamics. Lastly, Sue demands a cheer-off with the Wrestlerettes. This is a great way to reinforce Sue as the awkward outcast, while her unbelievable success is exactly the kind of overly-celebratory treatment that her character will continue to receive as the show starts to trade well-established situation comedy for feel-good self-congratulation.
06) Episode 87: “Valentine’s Day IV” (Aired: 02/13/13)
Sue is excited when her ex-boyfriend expresses interest in reconciliation.
Written by Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter | Directed by Phil Traill
This season’s Valentine’s Day excursion is notable for the romantic and therefore triumphant moment were Sue, having been jilted by her ex (last year’s Michael), is taken to the dance by Axl’s pal Darrin (John Gammon), with whom she shares a kiss. As with last year, it’s still exciting to see Sue have any sort of triumph — a bit of happiness, a victory where she gets what she wants sans suffering — and even though I just offered some criticism above about how she’ll start to win more often than she loses in the years ahead (in ways that dilute the character and minimize her humor), I have to note that we’re not yet at the point where it’s a detraction to the series’ capacity for situation comedy. As for the rest of this outing, its “accidental text” storyline with Mike is fun, given how little he likes to express emotions, while Axl and his boys acting as romantic wrecking balls is also an amusing use of their characters.
07) Episode 88: “Winners And Losers” (Aired: 02/20/13)
Frankie is excited about the Oscar Awards while Sue seeks clarity from Darrin.
Written by David S. Rosenthal | Directed by John Putch
Sue’s romantic arc with Darrin is extended in this entry, as she seeks clarity on his feelings for her, and then gets what she wants via a hilarious song. Then, Axl finally realizes what’s happening — his reaction is worth the price of admission, a comedic moment that serves as a crucial benchmark for this storyline. Additionally, I appreciate the A-story, which concerns Frankie’s love of the Oscars. Like Season Two’s added detail about her obsession with the Royal Wedding, this fixation on a glamorous, extraordinary life that’s so obviously different from the one she leads only reiterates the very premise of The Middle and the “average” world of these characters. It’s also fun when it’s used as a flaw — a distraction from her parenting duties, as her initial hesitation to even let Brick go to Chicago on a field trip without her is totally undermined by her behavior on Oscar Sunday, when she can’t even remember to pick him up. That’s a hoot — and a comedic play against Frankie’s usually more intrusive parenting.
08) Episode 89: “Wheel Of Pain” (Aired: 02/27/13)
Frankie and Mike try to break the kids after they agree to stick together in a coordinated lie.
Written by Michael Saltzman | Directed by Lee Shallat Chemel
My choice for this season’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “Wheel Of Pain” is an ensemble show that unites all the Hecks, young and old, in a central A-story. That automatically gives it a leg up over most of its competition, as it’s poised to take advantage of all its primary elements — the characters — simultaneously and in relation to each other, thereby showing off the situation in a full, comprehensive display. It’s also another parenting conflict — with a temporary disruption to the status quo — as Frankie and Mike conceive of a new punishment to get their children to break rank and confess to a broken window that the youngins have all agreed to lie about in solidarity. Subject-wise, none of this is in series-specific territory. But the use of the Glossner kids as a convenient scapegoat is a nice individualized detail, as is the “wheel of pain” itself — a device deployed to guarantee that one of the kids will randomly be punished for not telling the truth. Hysterically, it lands on Sue’s spot three times — jeopardizing her 16th birthday party. It’s not the outcome anyone wants, but it’s the funniest, reaffirming just how much of an unlucky loser she is and why she, the chronic underdog, is such an ambassador for the forgotten middle-class mid-western “flyover” families as represented by The Middle. Also, note that this outing also guests Jane Kaczmarek in her recurring role as Frankie’s dental teacher.
09) Episode 91: “The Bachelor” (Aired: 04/03/13)
Frankie has big opinions about a TV show while Mike tries to encourage tennis-playing Sue.
Written by Tim Hobert | Directed by Lee Shallat Chemel
Frankie gets another escapist obsession in this offering, as she’s dying to discuss The Bachelor with anyone who’ll listen. It’s a bit of ABC cross-promotion that is already starting to yield diminishing returns. That is, it’s not as fun or funny as Frankie being obsessed with the Oscars or, best of all, the Royal Wedding, but it’s totally congruent with this unique quirk in her characterization, which, again, implicitly reinforces the premise via her need to retreat into something so unlike the life she leads. What I also like about this installment, meanwhile, is the subplot where Mike tries to encourage Sue on the tennis team. That’s a smart setup for the perennial failure and her protective but emotionally repressed father — a fine display of both characterizations. Of course, Sue Heck manages a surprising win at the end here as well — as cautioned above, we’ll be seeing more of these as the series progresses…
10) Episode 96: “The Graduation” (Aired: 05/22/13)
Sue tries again to get her license while Frankie has to push Axl to treat his graduation seriously.
Written by Tim Hobert | Directed by Eileen Heisler
Four’s finale is a major milestone — Axl’s high school graduation. After this, at least one of the three kids will be technically enrolled in college and largely living away from the primary set and with the bulk of the regulars. It’ll naturally hamper the possibilities of the storytelling, and so on that note, this is something of a climax — the last time the show is physically operating under the conditions most conducive to its best, full practices for sitcommery. As for the rest of the episode, the other kids shine as well, as they too must reach year-end goals. Brick has to give a public presentation, while Sue finally conquers her driving test after many comical failures. And the show makes her final exam a comic set piece — with the kind of boldness that’s always welcome on the usually more understated Middle. Indeed, this is a highlight — and a credit to the fact that, even if I don’t think Four is the series’ best, it’s close enough to be similarly lauded, for the series has not yet taken a tumble, and that’s impressive. (Marion Ross guests.)
Other notable episodes that merit mention include: “Twenty Years,” a solid entry where all the kids, in particular, shine, “The Second Act,” the back-to-school entry where Frankie loses her job and Sue has a fun subplot where she tries to mentor a popular freshman, “Bunny Therapy,” where Brick develops a new tic and Sue becomes the high school mascot, and “Hallelujah Hoedown,” where Sue has more driving troubles, leading up to the finale. I’ll also take this space to cite “Thanksgiving IV,” the year’s Thanksgiving offering, and “The Smile,” which boasts a memorable Sue subplot as she attempts to prove that smiling is contagious to her skeptical teacher played by Roger Rees. Oh, and don’t forget Part I of the two-part season premiere whose second half was featured above.
*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Four of The Middle goes to…
“Wheel Of Pain”
Come back next week for Season Five! And stay tuned tomorrow for a new Wildcard!