The Middle: No Nagging... for a Short Time

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

You know how some kids habitually forget things? Like the whole "you'd forget your head if it wasn't attached" thing? I've never understood it. How can you not remember your coat or your bookbag? You use it every day!  /soapbox  Anyway, I thought that this episode was decent... every move was pretty much in-character and the actions followed what this series has deemed standard. I could have used a little more substance, but that's not the end of the world. It has only slight re-watching power, but I did find myself laughing quite a few times. I knew that we'd need to have an event that would set things back to status quo, but I also could have taken another episode with the kids running their own lives. You?

The Middle "The Sit Down" (S03E17): The family is running late in the morning, which is fairly normal for them. They're suffering from their normal hold-ups, like Axl refusing to get up or clean his room, and Brick and Sue forgetting to bring things home (specifically, a coffee pot and a coat, respectively). The next day, the

(ABC/RICHARD FOREMAN)

kids ask to have a meeting with the parents, claiming that Frankie and Mike are out of control... she nags constantly and he makes unreasonable punishments. [both true.] Frankie and Mike decide to let up, since the kids essentially want more responsibility. It starts off well, with Sue remembering her coat and Axl doing his homework, but nobody is around to break up an argument when Axl gets angry at Sue for bringing WeirdAshley to the house for wrestlerette practice. In fact, Mike and Frankie are doing things for themselves, like going bowling. [haha at the crack at the Duggars - let the kids police each other.] Sue loses her coat and Axl freaks out - wondering if this will blow their "sweet deal." [haha] Plus, Axl also has to read Of Mice and Men, so he has Brick read it and summarize while they drive around town to find the coat. [the idea was funny... but it didn't really come off that way in the end.] After a couple of false alarms, Sue thinks that her coat is at WeirdAshley's. While Sue is searching, Axl accidentally agrees to go to prom with her AGAIN. [this actually makes me angry... he better find a way to get out of this!] Brick realizes that he knows where the coat is - it's been at home the entire time. [the whole family really needs to remember to specifically ask Brick things in order to get accurate information!] The kids think that they're in the clear, but when a moth flies into Brick's ear, Axl calls Frankie for advice on which emergency room is best. [wow... what a way to freak someone out!] When they all meet up at the hospital, everyone gets upset, though a moth flying into brick's ear is a freak thing - nobody's fault. [...and that's that.]