Little Brick was so adorable in this ep lol but poor thing didn’t speak in fear of Santa not giving him any presents 😭

Anyway that aside, i’ve been avoiding this sub and the show for a HOT minute because i’m on season 9 episode 14 and i‘m trying so hard to delay the inevitable (ie the ending of the show). i’ve even gone as far as watching 1 ep every two weeks when i used to watch it daily. it’s so bad out here i’m in the trenches LOL

Hey everyone,

I keep seeing a lot of posts and comments hating on Frankie Heck, and while I get that she can be chaotic, lazy, or make questionable choices, I have to be honest: she gives me such a weirdly comforting, grounded feeling.

There’s something so refreshingly real about her. She isn’t a polished TV mom who has everything under control; she’s just trying to survive the day-to-day chaos of a working-class family. It feels human and trustworthy in a way that modern "picture-perfect" TV households just aren't.

And speaking of moms on the show,

even Nancy Donahue! Normally, I can't stand hyper-organized, business-like helicopter moms or "perfect" neighborhood parents, but Nancy somehow feels different. Underneath all her baking and perfectionism, she actually cares.

Both of them, in completely opposite ways, give me this warm "safe space" vibe when I watch The Middle.

Am I the only one who feels this way despite all the Frankie hate? How do you guys view her?

First time watcher and still only halfway through this episode.... but gosh this is a REALLY hard watch. I want to turn it off every time Frankie and Mike are on screen with Brick. I get that it’s a comedy and everything’s exaggerated for TV, but honestly their behavior this episode felt like straight up neglect and abusive.

Is it really okay to ask a 13 year old to let you not parent for a few months because you just sent your daughter to college?! Like I get Sue leaving is a lukewarm deal (not big because she isn't Axl obviously!!!!!!!!!) but Brick is under their roof and a MINOR. He asked to be fed and they just did not care.

Ya ya ya we all know deep down they love their kids and show up when it matters but I didn’t get any of that this time so it just felt really sad.

I’m usually a Frankie apologist (Mike is the WOAT and I will die on this hill - no further questions please) but they took their nonchalance to a really uncomfortable extreme here. I'm sure the ep is going to end with a lesson learned by Frankie (never Mike!) and she'll show appreciation for Brick but the bad taste in my mouth will linger.

Just finished the series.

Initially, I see them as relatable, a bit chaotic but doing their best to get by.
But as the series progresses, I find them neglectful, lazy and financially irresponsible.

Mike is useless and disinterested from the start but at least offers a grounding presence.
Frankie starts off well meaning and definitely tries but quickly develops into someone who is self-centred, manipulative and fails to take accountability for absolutely anything. She makes rash and embarrassing decisions that create problems for everyone.

I’m not sure how a 2 parent household in a nice area who seem to have enough free time to engage with their kids extracurricular activities seem to constantly neglect responsibilities that have dire consequences for the kids AND they struggle financially (yet eat takeout every night).

By the time Sue and Axl are adults, they are unequipped for the world and struggle to do basic things people their own age should be able to do. At one point, they are both essentially homeless while at college!
Meanwhile Brick is dismissed as a weird kid but his attitude is a carbon copy of Mike’s while Frankie consistently enables his bad behaviour.
Yeah, the kids have their own flaws but being raised by helicopter parents who are simultaneously neglectful and set bad examples definitely didn’t help.

Skipping the whispering and the Sue Sue birth certificate. These are deeper cuts for anyone who's done all nine seasons more than once. Answers are under spoiler tags, and they get harder as you go.

1. Before dental school, Frankie sells cars. What's the dealership called?
2. Frankie's dentist boss, Dr. Goodwin, is played by someone you've definitely seen in another sitcom. Who?
3. What was Frankie's last name before she married Mike?
4. Brick's girlfriend Cindy has one of the best last names in Orson. What is it?
5. In the finale's flash-forward, what does Brick grow up to be, and who does Sue end up marrying? Half credit for one of the two.

Answers:

1: Ehlert Motors, run by Mr. Ehlert (Brian Doyle-Murray)

2: Jack McBrayer, aka Kenneth from 30 Rock

3: Spence. Her parents are Pat and Tag Spence

4: Hornberger. Cynthia Violet Hornberger, if you want the full thing

5: Brick becomes a successful author, and Sue marries Sean Donahue

Drop your score below. Anyone who got number 4 without looking it up knows Orson better than the Hecks do.

Do you think if anyone knew who she was in middle school and high school she would've been bullied?

She gets off pretty easy in school. Noone really notices her, but noone bullies her either, and she does have a few friends. Had this been reality, I think people would've noticed her quirks and been pretty mean. Kids in school can be very cruel.

He has so much charisma and always makes me laugh but did he not do many roles to avoid typecast?

I just started this show for the first time and only one season 3 but i love the “boring” aspect of it: and already bummed it ends
even when there’s dramatic stuff is never too much and is just mellow it’s perfect t for a comfort show. Wondering what shows to you feel compare to the middle.
I had just finished sopranos before and the middle is such a good show to follow all the sopranos drama w.

I just finished the show for the first time, and I honestly loved it. It was such an easygoing sitcom that I could watch 3–4 episodes a day without getting bored.
But I really didn’t like the ending. I know it’s natural for the kids to grow up and start their own lives, and I’m happy that everyone ended up doing well. But the way the ending was written made it feel like they were all going to go their separate ways and slowly drift apart. I wish it had emphasized that, even though the kids were starting their own lives, they would still remain a close-knit fam

I started watching The Middle recently, and somehow it's become my go-to comfort show without me even noticing.

For years, it was always Frasier or old Sherlock Holmes episodes playing in the background while I worked or wound down.

Now it's just The Middle, every time.

There's something so easy about it. The family feels real, the problems feel normal, and the humor never feels forced.

Frankie is permanently stressed. Mike barely reacts to anything. Sue stays optimistic no matter how hard life humbles her. Brick whispers random words to himself (lol).

It shouldn't work as well as it does, but it does.

Weirdly comforting.

Whispering "The Middle" like Brick!!!!