Ever wondered why The Middle series was successful? Set in Indiana, the series’ story is quite relatable to an average American family. The series is about a lower-middle-class family who has to struggle daily to make ends meet. Add that to the stress of growing teenagers and sibling squabbles, and you’ve got, on average, everybody’s life.
Although the series ended in 2018, if you’re looking for a hilarious sitcom to binge on, you may want to check out ABC’s The Middle. From its first episode release on September 30, 2009, the series ran for 9 seasons with a total of 215 episodes. But in all, we cannot downplay its amazing cast that kept us laughing and glued to our seats. To the amazing cast, we can only say thank you!
Frances “Frankie” Heck (Patricia Heaton)
Credit: The Middle
She’s the unmistakable mother, wife, and protagonist of the show. Patricia Heaton, who is no stranger to successful sitcoms (especially with her role in Everybody Loves Raymond) also provides voice-over narration for most of the show. It’s hard not to give credit to the amazing acting prowess of Patricia Heaton. Frankie is a working mom and housewife who’s too lazy and busy to be involved in raising her kids daily and caring for her husband.
At the beginning of the series, she worked as a salesperson at Ehlert Motors. Later on, she becomes a dental hygienist. She’s burdened with working to support the family’s ever-growing finances and raising three demanding kids. Her husband, Mike, just wants to be spared from the house’s troubles and focus on providing for the family.
Axl, her first child, is a teen who wants to be treated as an adult but doesn’t want to be burdened by its responsibility. Sue, her second child, and only daughter is as awkward as a child can be. Then there’s Brick’s oddities and irregularities to deal with.
Michael “Mike” Heck Jr (Neil Flynn)
Credit: The Middle
Neil Flynn plays the character of Mike, Frankie’s husband. As the family’s patriarch and father to three special kids, he tries his best to keep things in order. As a result, he gives off this straightforward stern-looking demeanor. Part of the series’ plot is centered around his apathetic attitude and inability to process emotions. But, like many father figures, this demeanor masks his kind-hearted and loving personality.
As the home provider, he works as a quarry manager in Orson. He’s also not one to make friends and can be regarded as a hermit. Mike and Frankie argue a lot, from the kids to social events, money, etc. Mike is introverted, and Frankie is not. Yet, despite their bickerings, they’ve managed to stay together through tough times and still love each other.
Axl Redford Heck (Charlie McDermott)
Credit: The Middle
Undoubtedly, Axl is one of the reasons the series is interesting. It’s hard to get away from the facial expressions of Charlie McDermott as he delivers back-to-back superb performances for his Axl character. To put things mildly, Axl isn’t the brightest of kids out there; the kid repeated kindergarten!
As a teenager, Axl can be quite rebellious, mischievous, and lazy. However, as a sports-inclined person, he’s quite athletic. He’s always at loggerheads with his siblings but seems to prefer his younger brother, Brick, over his sister Sue. However, he has shown he’s got a good heart and would go out of his way for his sister or any member of his father.
Sue Heck (Eden Sher)
Credit: The Middle
Eden Sher’s character, Sue Heck, is the second and middle child in Heck’s family. Sue is quite the optimist and tends to see the good in everyone and everything. Yet, strangely, she’s often overlooked by her parents. In one of the series episodes, she proved that no one would notice her absence if she disappeared; she was right.
In earlier seasons, she doesn’t bond well with her older brother Axl. They both have different personalities and can sometimes be embarrassed by her. However, later on, they grow to understand themselves and form a tighter bond. Since she and her younger brother Brick are socially awkward, they have an easy relationship.
Brick Heck (Atticus Shaffer)
Credit: The Middle
Atticus Shaffer is a face that’ll forever be remembered in the series. Shaffer plays the character Brick, who’s exceptionally smart and the brightest of the Heck’s kids. He’s the last child of the family and displays weird behaviors.
Some of his abnormal behaviors include whispering to himself, unusual speech patterns, a crazy obsession with fonts, and occasionally making “whoop” sounds. Also, Brick loves to read and is intelligent but often forgets to do his homework. Since he’s socially awkward, he hardly makes or has any friends.
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