Best TV Show of the Week

  The Middle on ABC

By catherine Nailog

It’s fall and the kids are back in school, the weather is cooler, and a new season of prime-time television shows gets underway. The September 21st fall premiere of ABC’s The Middle, (Wednesdays, 8:00 p.m. ET) was a humorous and entertaining show for the whole family, and has been given the honor of Best TV Show of the Week. The first day of school for the Heck household shows that they have become abnormally emotionally attached to one another – a result of the family’s recent near-death camping trip.  Frankie wanted to go on a family trip after tending to vacationing neighbors’ mail and pets, and regretted not bonding with her kids, though the children were loving their stay-at-home summer: Axl was a lifeguard at the local swimming pool, where he could ogle pretty girls; Sue was at the mall with her friend Carly; and bookworm Brick was a librarian’s aide.  Frankie wanted to create family memories for her children before they grew up and left the nest.  When Mike suggested camping because it was affordable, the viewer learns through flashback why Frankie hates camping: Mike had surprised Frankie on their honeymoon by taking her camping, a trip Frankie remembers as the worst night of her life.  But in hopes of spending time with her family, Frankie relented.  Axl, Sue and Brick weren’t thrilled about spending their last weekend of the summer camping with their family, but Frankie and Mike insisted.

On the way to the campsite, Brick read mundane facts about the state of Indiana.  Axl forgot to bring shoes and hassled Sue in the backseat with his smelly, blackened and sun-baked feet, while she incessantly peppered Axl with questions about high school life.  Frankie still dreaded the idea of going camping because it reminded her of her horrible honeymoon.

While at the campsite, Sue confided in her mom about her concerns regarding high school, but Frankie assured her that she would do well.  Mike took Brick fishing, but he was more interested in reading about the lake.  Mike told Brick that experiencing something was more rewarding than reading about it.  Brick became excited when he caught his first fish.  Brick and Mike returned to the campsite with dinner, and Brick wanted to invite nearby campers, but Mike wanted it to be just for them.  Frankie remarked, “Oh, sure. NOW you wanna keep it to just us.”  A flashback showed that their camping honeymoon was interrupted by a  lost hiker, Nicky Kohlbrenner, who was Mike’s high school basketball manager.  Mike and Frankie wanted to be alone on their honeymoon, but Nicky was a sad lonely man, so they politely listened to what he had to say.  Mike then invited Nicky to stay for dinner, which bothered Frankie.

Back to the Hecks’ camping trip, Frankie was adamant that everyone play the board game that she brought on the trip.  However, the board game lacked its original parts, but did include parts from other board games such as Battleship, Boggle and Monopoly.  Frankie made up the rules of the game as they went along, and Sue continued to question Axl about high school. Brick read from a book in between his turn which made Mike, once again, point out the value of “participating in life.”   Brick didn’t understand Mike’s point and was sent to the tent.  Axl and Sue continued to insult one another and were also sent to the tent. Mike didn’t understand why Frankie wouldn’t let go of the bad memories of their honeymoon, saying, “Until you learn how to go with the flow, you’ll never get camping.” 

Frankie was upset that the family camping trip wasn’t going as planned and blamed Mike.  Another flashback of their camping honeymoon showed Mike, Nicky and Frankie around a fire.  Nicky continued to recount high school basketball stories until Frankie prompted him to leave.  Nicky was about to leave when it started raining.  Mike then invited Nicky to stay in their tent which caused an argument between him and Frankie.

In the present, Frankie was awakened by Sue, who told her that her period started and that she no longer was worried about high school.  They decided to keep it a secret between themselves until they heard a bear outside of their tent.  Frankie recalled Brick’s narration of bear facts in the car, which included bears being attracted to food and possibly menstruating women, whereupon Frankie shrieked, “Sue’s got her period and there’s a bear outside!”  Frankie, Sue, Axl and Mike ran to the car.  They realized Brick wasn’t with them, but he was already in the car reading about stars.  Brick used the car light to read and drained the battery.  The bear started to shake the car and Brick noted that bears do not like loud noises, so the Hecks sang “99 Bottles” which eventually made the bear leave.

On the first day of school, the Hecks gave each other a long goodbye hug.  Frankie was pleased with the vacation and finally understood camping, though she wondered how long the Heck love fest would last.  It didn’t last very long for Sue and Axl.

This episode was unique because the Hecks epitomized what many families go through as children get older, become independent, and start doing things that piqued their individual interests.  Though Frankie dreaded camping, she still wanted to create a perfect, memorable family vacation for her children like her neighbors and their families. However, their camping trip wasn’t perfect by any means.  Mike and Frankie argued, Sue and Axl argued, Brick was only interested in reading about things while Mike tried to persuade him to experience them instead, and the Hecks were almost killed by a bear.  It’s great to say that a vacation was fun and uneventful, but it’s even more interesting to say, “We fought all the time,” or “We were almost killed by a bear.”  The camping trip was done out of love, and anything done out of love is a memory to cherish, but imperfect moments like the Hecks’ camping trip make memories that last a lifetime.

Best TV Show of the Week

The Parents Television Council - www.parentstv.org