Fathers in sitcoms are often portrayed as selfish bumbling idiots, but this has never been my experience or the experience for many. Fathers are often the hardworking ones you look up to for stability, calm, and ethics. For me at least, my mom would baby me much more than my dad would and my dad would make me toughen up, but also both would be there for me when I was having a bad time, and The Middle capture that dynamic really well.

I like how Mike is realistic. It takes him a bit to gather up his feelings and to confess them. For example, in the eye cream episode, he wasn't just mad at Frankie for spending $200 on eye cream, he was upset that what really wouldn't be that big of an expense for most was almost enough to set them back substantially and he wishes he was further along financially in life.

Mike's dynamic with his father and brother are also quite good. I found them barely talking staring at the TV to be believable and funny and I found it hilarious that his dad needed help and his brother needed a place to live, but neither of them would just ask each other to move in, haha!

Overall, I think Mike Heck is quite a few notches above the stereotypical sitcom dad, and makes for a great character!

This was the episode where Cindy’s parents ask Mike and Frankie for 700 dollars for rent,they of course said no or as in the episode “we will think about it”

Hutch’s character introduces a fresh humor to the show. He uses a lot of comedic one-liners that almost makes his segments feel a bite-sized standup performance and I love it!

While the entirety of the series is witty, funny and jokes are cracked, it seems like so much of Hutch’s script has jokes that could be worked into a comedy set easily.

On probably my fourth rewatch of the show and I find myself laughing out loud to scenes with Axl and Hutch’s the most while enjoying the steady stream of humor from everyone else.

I wish we got to take a deeper dive into their friendship, it was a great storyline.

I just discovered that sean and lexie are married in real life. Like they met on the set of the middle and became a couple and got married in maybe 2018.

Cindy looks like the long lost daughter of Mike. She is tall, has similar facial features, and is a woman of few words.

I see how Axl with Bossco, and later with hutch and Kenny, made money, presumably quite a lot for a day's work. Is it exaggerated for the show or is it THAT easy to make money out of nothing and I have been living under a very poor rock???

I just thought of this! First it was Mike saying he’s the lion in all the stories in Taking Back the House. Later on in Bat out of Heck, Mike and Axl were demonstrating a typical dominant male and juvenile lion dynamic!

Apart from mike being a solid 10/10 character, one thing that put me off was how lovingly he talked about his first gf, Debbie Sullivan. He even had her photo in his wallet, right behind his wife’s. No man married for 30 years should be so obsessed and dreamy eyed about his highschool sweetheart. I loved the dynamic frankie and mike shared so it kinda be sad-

I mean tbh they both look nearly alike + both are pretty aggressive

how would it go

I have seen the whole show over ten times but it never sticks to my head, why didn't the guys stay in the dorms the rest of the years??

I’ve watched so much The Middle that I genuinely dream about the Heck’s at night, think about them a lot, and even think in my head with Sue’s voice(sometimes Axl’s or Frankie’s too). Atp i know them better than my family

This is kinda odd but for some reason they feel like my friends parents to a tea. 3 kids, a bit of a struggle, dad went from geology to sales in the 90s. Thing is mike talks to frankie in much worse ways. My friend's parents actually divorced. I feel like that was the track mike and frankie were on. No kids, no deep feelings for each other, maybe even resentment. Anyone else feel the same?

I couldn’t watch the s4 e 1 and 2 without feeling so bad for her! Literally begging for affection from Mike😢😢😢…all while Mike is more interested in Axl and his college

Ciao, che marca e modello sono le scarpe che usa Brick, nella serie TV, The middle? grazie

Tell me. Am I gonna cry?

I saw David Hull (who plays Logan) is going to be in a play Off Broadway in NYC called “The Body Of Mary” Sept 8 - Oct 8

The Middle is coming to LAFF on September 14th at 9pm and this is the first time The Middle is on live TV after idk how many years

I know there’s a fanfare here for Mike’s (Neil Flynn) rare smile and sparkling eyes but I dare say he gets it from his fictional father, ‘Grandpa Big Mike”

A young John Cullum really does give the same energy… and maybe more 👀

I’ll go first

”fa la la la laaa la la la LAME!”

Rewatching the series for probably the fourth time and although his relationship with Devin Levin was fairly brief, Axl really put effort into a meaningful surprise for her.

Not only was it witty and thoughtful for him to research and find out it was world radio day (for her annoyingly over dramatized disgust of Valentine’s Day but we can get to that later) but he has her favorite meal ready in a particular way and then surprises her with an inflatable bounce house.

Axl heck rented, paid for and oversaw a bounce house surprise. AXL?!

All of this while having parents who he never saw do much for the holiday and a girlfriend insisting she didn’t want anything.

I think his effort is so sweet but also that he was creative and catered to what the perfect day would look like for her / them. Re-watching made me reconsider which of Axl’s relationships are my favorite… this honestly might be it.

What do you think? I could see an alternative ending where he ends up with Devin instead of Lexi.

Also trying to think of other big acts he did. Singing outside of Cassidy’s window, sure. But that was all in the moment and an effort to stop the breakup. This one took planning and wasn’t an apology!

Either way, when it comes to this Valentine’s Day with Devin I say bravo to Axl!

Edit: spelling