The Middle – Or he will freak out

I wasn’t surprised to learn that the Hecks are church-goers, although it’s always odd when “basics” like that don’t crop up for years on a series. We’ve heard plenty about Mike watching football on Sundays … you’d think it would have come up at some point that he always misses the pre-game show.

That said, I had visions of some Everybody Loves Raymond episodes early on during last night’s The Middle. First, I expected Mike to shame the family by skipping church for football; second was Mike’s elite group of ushers … I imagined some scenes along the lines of Frank Barone and his crew.

But that’s not the direction this show went in. Instead, another long sermon at their church — with Frankie stuck there alone while Mike and Axl hung out with the ushers, Sue worked in the toddler room, and Brick argued in Sunday school — drove the family to try out a different church, with a guest spot by Richard Gant as an inspiring preacher. And you could talk at the church!

Now, I’m not sure exactly what “Get your business done” means to you, but to the Hecks it had specific, and individual, meaning. Sue took it literally, and she set out to start her own babysitting business, Sue’s Babysutting Service; Mike realized that he’d never thanked his father for taking care of him and his brother after their mother passed away (took care of that with one quick phone call!); Axl determined to spend time with the less fortunate, AKA Brick; and Brick thought he was being told to get his “bedness” done, and decided to get himself a new bed because Mike and Frankie do nothing for the kids.

Throwing Axl and Brick together is one of the best things this great show does, and the pair were going strong with the ten-games-in-one table that was meant to double as Brick’s bed. I loved how despite that Brick ended up sleeping in the box, and watching him destroy Axl at air hockey (by sheer luck I think) was hilarious. Brick licking Axl’s guitar pick in secret? Awesome.

Sue babysitting a fourteen year-old was weird, but it worked. Is Sue even that old? Loved the list of things that make Tyler freak out — pop, ice, anything too violent or colorful on TV — and how he wears pull-ups at night but knows them as space pants. And Sue? Tyler making a move on you after seeing your headset and hearing about your bed wetting woes might make him a keeper!

Frankie’s story was annoying, and it’s kind of reflective of her as a character. She has no “business” in the same way that she’s the weakest member of the family, with no real interesting tale to tell. I mean, the super shelter for kids, animals, and old people was a funny idea, but did we need to see Frankie run around like a crazy person yet again? Not especially.

“You made your bed, now play me a game of pool on it.” – Axl to Brick

“The only one who benefits from my beading is me.” – Frankie

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Apr 12, 2012 @ 19:27 EST5EDT