From little things like expiration date soup night to Mike’s always classic quotes (“Everyone gets teased around here. That’s how we show affection.”), this was another hilarious episode of The Middle. Axl’s facing the harsh reality of college, while Sue is trying out for another team. Frankie finally got a storyline of her own this season, and it was by far my favorite part of this episode.
The way the Heck kids pick on their mom, like when they notice she’s wearing nail polish for a change, hit so close to home for me. I actually think I may have teased my own mom about her choice of nail polish before, not to mention a million other things. As a matter of fact, I was watching this with my mom and we were both cracking up because the writers might as well have hidden cameras in our house. Frankie then saved an adorable dog that she named Colin Firth, and found all the delights in owning a dog. He gave her all the love and attention she needed after feeling so beaten down by her family. I’ve missed Doris the Bassett hound with emphysema that belonged to Frankie’s elderly aunts in the earlier seasons, so it was cute to see another dog on the show!
Sue is always at her best when she’s trying out for a new team at school. Surprisingly, she’s never tried out for volleyball before until now. She miraculously even makes the team, but it turns out only because the school is covering their own butts after Sue fell through the gym floor during try-outs. Poor Sue! When the coach called the house to let Frankie and Mike know that Sue made the team, they need to sign waiver forms for any potential legal action they may consider bringing against the school. It only got funnier when Mike went to her first game, and was chanting her name from the stands. The coaches were nervous and thought he was threatening to sue, so they put Sue in the game. She gets knocked down almost instantly and the ball keeps bouncing off her head, leading their team to win the game. It’s this knack for physical comedy that makes Sue one of my favorite characters and Eden Sher one of the most constantly underrated actresses on TV.
Axl was told he’s in danger of failing 3 of his 4 classes, so of course he consults the smartest person he knows: Brick. Brick, who just started middle school, tries his best to tutor his older brother in college level math, but nothing is sticking in Axl’s brain. The most help Brick can be is to help him fill out the forms to drop all 3 classes. Remember that Axl is only in college on a football scholarship, so unless he adds more nonsense classes like Music Appreciation (which he is only barely passing), he’ll be forced to drop out. I know this just means that he’ll move back home, but I wish the writers could have kept him in college. Modern Family had Haley get kicked out of college last year to still keep her relevant on the show, but I think The Middle could have kept Axl in school since he was, after all, only 42 minutes from home and still relevant in most of his family’s storylines.
Frankie reaches a breaking point when the family pressures her to put up fliers to find Colin Firth a new home because he’s nothing but evil to the rest of them. He snarls at Mike in bed, constantly barks at Axl and Brick, and attacks Sue’s volleyball when she’s practicing at home. The family sees how Frankie is so upset at their teasing, and they apologize. In the end, Frankie delivers a truth in her voiceover about family. Sometimes they can tear you down, but they’re also able to pick you back up again. I just hope they end up keeping Colin Firth!
[Photo via Michael Ansell /ABC]
Follow Us
