This week’s edition of “For Your Consideration” features the laugh-out-loud funny and very relatable comedy, The Middle. The show premiered in the fall of 2009 on ABC, and you can catch its ninth and final season Tuesday nights this fall! Over the last nine years, creators Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline have created a homegrown masterpiece that relates to almost every American middle-class family.
The Premise
The Middle takes place in the small town of Orson, Indiana. It follows the Heck family as they navigate their everyday lives as a middle-class family. Head of the household are Frankie (Patricia Heaton) and Mike (Neil Flynn) and they balance each other really well. Mike is the tough take-no-BS-from-anyone man of the house who rarely shows his feelings, but still shows his family he loves them through his actions. Frankie just wants what’s best for her family, whether it’s getting her kids into college or just having a working microwave. She’s a working mom who is doing what she can to provide for her three kids.
As for the kids, we have Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Eden Sher), and Brick (Atticus Shaffer). Axl is the stereotypical older football star brother. He is the cool, yet lazy, guy who thinks he can get by on his looks. Throughout the last nine seasons, Axl has had to learn that his looks and football won’t get him anywhere as he’s navigated high school, college and now, the real world. Sue is the middle child who just wants to be involved. She is the optimistic one in the family who tries to cheer everyone up with her can-do attitude. Everyone needs to strive to be like Sue because when she doesn’t make a sports team or club, she brushes the loss off and prepares for her next endeavor. Lastly, we have the youngest child, Brick. Brick has always been the weird little brother. Over the years he’s grown out of his “ticks” and little quirks, like whispering things to himself or repeating what people say. He’s a book lover and also sometimes the forgotten child as it took almost six seasons for him to get a proper seat at the dinner table. These five characters make for one interesting family, but it’s a family many can relate to no matter how dysfunctional they can get sometimes.
Why You Should Watch
The Middle is one of the only shows on television where the house isn’t minimalistic white, clean, or even big. The Hecks live in a modest three bedroom home that is discolored and constantly messy. It’s a life a majority of Americans live and it’s relatable. Having The Middle set in Indiana wipes the slate clean of any glamour. It makes the show raw and real as the characters have to navigate their normal lives just like any other Americans do. They worry about money, if the car works, and their nosy “perfect” neighbors. Not to mention, Heaton and Flynn’s chemistry makes them one of comedy’s best dynamic duos. They are constantly bouncing off each other and their everyday arguments are reminiscent of my parents. When watching The Middle, anyone from a small town similar to Orson can relate and that’s what makes it worth watching. It’s sad to see a show so different than other network comedies coming to an end after nine seasons, but it’s been worth watching every episode along the way.
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