I can hardly begin to tell you how great it was to have The Middle back last night. There are a lot of shows that I sit down with week after week, but I didn’t feel the absence of most of them. In some cases it was even good to have a break. But not with The Middle.
The Heck family fuses together beautifully. Even if one person isn’t being given the most interesting of things to do, their contribution to the whole is always solid. It’s just a great show.
Despite Frankie’s assurances to the contrary, I am a parent and I’ve never experienced what she called “the 3:00 am shuffle.” Granted my son still can’t open the door to his room, but I’ve never been there. I love how Mike ended up in Brick’s bed — how’s he still sleeping in a toddler bed? Isn’t he ten?
I wasn’t sure if Sue said that cross country’s season is over or if it’s over for good — remember that it almost got shut down already this year — but the no tryout lunchroom follies sounded like the perfect thing for her to me as well. Now, I don’t know how I feel after having seen what her routine was or how no one pays any attention to the performers, but anything that’s no tryout (or no cuts) is perfect for her.
Despite the fact that the available knowledge is so overwhelming, I’m surprised that Brick enjoyed his first experience online. Unless you know how to research a subject, it’s rare to find anything as authoritative — or as accurate and complete — online as you would in a book. Plus he’s still missing the feel of the page. I see Brick as one of those people who would shun new technology. I mean, it was funny, but conceptually that whole thing didn’t make much sense to me.
I’m not sure how I felt about Frankie and Mike “taking back the house.” I understand their wanting to gain back some control and semblance of ownership, but I feel as if they went so far as to remove any semblance of children from their household. There’s cleaning up and then there’s putting restrictions on where your kids can keep their belongings; there’s putting your foot down when it comes to being run ragged, and then there’s ignoring your children’s needs; there’s saying no to unnecessary spending, and there’s saying no just to say no.
My father always used to tell me that life’s not black and white — there’s a happy medium to all things, including the class of citizens parents should be in their own home. We should come second, but not a distant second. On the other hand, if we always have to put ourselves first regardless, maybe it wasn’t a good idea to have kids in the first place. That might be a sign that you’re not ready.
Unfortunately the comedy of the situation seemed to require it be one extreme or the other for the Heck family, but I think it still could have been handled better. One suggestion? Start cooking dinner. Then everyone’s demands for something different won’t be as possible to fulfill. When the rules are different, reality will change too.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jan 06, 2011 @ 17:00 EST5EDT
I thought it was a funny episode. Maybe a little extreme and over-the-top as far as cutting the kids out completely, but that didn’t really work for them either in the end. And to answer your question, I’m sure they wouldn’t let Brick go (or drive him) but maybe Brick was toying with them when he said that.
*POST AUTHOR*
It’s always hard to tell with Brick when he’s cognizant of things and when he’s not. My guess is he’s too shielded from what “a man on the Internet wants to meet me” means.
Aryeh, I think you took it too serious. The Middle always goes over the top to tell their story. It’s a sitcom after all, not a feel-good family drama with a moral.
*POST AUTHOR*
While you’re right, I guess I felt like it became mean at times, which just seemed unnecessary. If left unchecked they might have crossed into “call social services” territory. ;)
I agree that the show crosses the line occasionally. However, in spite of all their faults, Frankie and Mike would never let Brick meet someone he met on the internet.