RETURNING: The Middle: The Start of the Year of Sue

I can’t believe that this series is in its sixth season already! I’m glad that it still feels fresh, and the characters are developing appropriately, but I’m also pretty curious as to what sorts of trouble the Hecks will get into this year! It’ll undoubtedly be a big year for Sue, who I really hope will be able to leave the nest and go away to school when she graduates, but I imagine for Brick as well. The youngest Heck didn’t really come out of his shell as he entered middle school, but now that he’s had his own room for a year, he might be starting to become more comfortable in discovering his non-reading passions, which would open up new opportunities for him. I’d like to see Axl get a new girlfriend, but I bet he’s going to be partying it up now that he’s off-campus. For Frankie and Mike, I imagine it’ll be a lot of the same ol’, same ol’, but I imagine their wonky families will again pop in here and there.

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The Middle "Unbraceable You" (S06E01): Boss Co. did landscaping over the summer, Brick took up croquet, and Sue counted down until she could get her braces off. [haha, I like croquet.] Axl and Brick’s hobbies seemed to be fleeting however, though Sue’s determination comes through (as always). In fact, Frankie demands the orthodontist remove Sue's braces after eight years, and the Hecks celebrate with candy and popcorn for dinner. [I would expect nothing less!] However, a day or two later, Sue’s teeth begin to shift, and she has to get a retainer. [I thought retainers were kinda standard for people who had braces?] On the bright side, she sees it as being completely different and her confidence level goes way up.

Sue really needed a win, however, because school sure got off to a rocky start for her. Frankie was a week off in realizing when the first day was, causing both Sue and Brick to immediately fall behind. [um, Sue doesn’t have a countdown to school starting? Carly and Brad didn’t bother to figure out where she was?!?] While Sue is crushed that she’s missed so many sign-ups, Brick struggled to figure out what he’d like to carry his books in this year. He tries a dragging messenger bag, a guitar case, and a baby carrier before settling on a pizza delivery bag he found in the dumpster. [hmmm… intriguing little gag.]

Axl has his own coming-of-age situation when he beats Mike at basketball for the first time, causing a rift in the father-son hierarchy. Fortunately, however, together they can still beat other father-son duos. [I was half wondering if Axl set up that neighborhood game, so I was kind glad that it didn’t come off that way.]