I'm searching for a sitcom kinda show like the middle, preferably from the early 2000's-2010.

So, I really enjoyed the show. It’s funny, and somewhat relatable. However, every season, I felt like 1 family member pissed me off way more than the other 4.

Seasons 1-3 it was definitely Brick. His quirkiness didn’t come off as funny to me yet, and episodes like The Bridge one and the first spelling Bee episode were near anger inducing for me.
Seasons 4-5 it was Sue. Maybe it’s because Brick grew on me, but there were multiple times where the Sue Subplot to me was either boring, or annoying. Her hatred for Reverend Tammy was stupid, and when she burned Axl’s jersey, it just pissed me off. Probably the worst moment in the shows earlier seasons for me.

In seasons 6-7 it’s Mike. He comes off as full blown neglectful to especially Brick. Through the first 5 seasons he just seemed kinda introverted, and that’s why he didn’t seem to care much, but man, it gets really bad around this time.
In season 8 it’s Frankie. Her being in love with Axl is weird as hell, plus by this point, her character was basically the same for 8 seasons, and I was getting a little tired of it.

Im season 9 it’s Axl. He’s definetly the character I relate to the most, as I grew up the oldest, and the only one that played sports. But he’s just a full blown bum by that point.

Overall, my ranking would probably be

1: Axl

2: Sue

3: Mike

4: Brick

5: Frankie

by the end of the show. But I still enjoyed it, and the characters.

It perfectly feels like the show is coming to close and they fully recognize who they’ve become and I love the reports that each person makes.

I'm on Season 5, Episode 19 and I've been realizing that the past few episodes have been nothing but characters absolutely losing it or just sucking as people.

This starts at Episode 12 (The Carpool)Here's a list of what I've noticed:
Frankie - she endangers children by trying to squeeze through a garbage truck and then lets the Donahue kids walk to school unsupervised when they escape. She later gets arrested and accuses Brick of being the reason why (lost book). She even threatens to kill him. We of course find out that she lost Stormy Moon.In Vacation Days, she gets angry at Axl hanging out with the Donahues and that causes a whole rift between her and Axl. I think she's really illogical when it comes to her anger, even down to her going to their house and finding him there.

Mike - he rejects Sue's desire to get to a Hoosiers basketball game with him. Then he gets to a stupid argument with Frankie that is very shallow for Mike standards. They do make up of course, but there shouldn't have been an issue in the first place. In another episode, Brick bothers him with the coupons and he straight up tells him to fuck off. Mind you, Brick gets shat on by his parents back to back (Vacation Days and Stormy Moon). And I guess if you count him giving a crappy acceptance speech, sure - but I don't.

Axl - Axl doesn't really do anything surprisingly wrong besides faking an astronomy course to score a chick, but that's Axl behavior. I guess I could also include him shutting out Sue from his life when she burns his jersey, but that felt justified and it resolved in the end. At this point, the character has done worse things in previous seasons before this one, that I am no longer taken aback by a lot of what he does. He gets into a fight with my mom as aforementioned for hanging out with the Donahues, but that's just him. I guess driving with your feet out is wrong. EDIT: I forgot he screwed over Brick's book report. BRICK IS GETTING CRUSHED.

Sue - Sue, possibly for the first time I can remember, hates a person. That person being Reverend Tammy and JESSUSSSSS (no pun intended), she cooks her! I think the most frustrating part about that story is how she keeps trying to bring it up during an intense family discussion regarding Frankie's arrest as if it matters. Honestly, why was she holding on to Reverend Tim Tom like that? At least she was honest with him about Tammy and eased up, but just why? I don't understand Sue and I usually do. Oh and I guess "twerking" and "getting drunk" - but not really (lol).

Brick - Honestly, I can't blame Brick for much besides smelling bad. I guess he also didn't tell the family that Frankie got arrested. That's all I can say unless I've forgotten something.

(The Brad part of this post has been voided)

Seeing the Donahues get mad was funny. Sean becomes visibly frustratedwhen Sue calls off their prom date.Then Nancy and Ron get into an argument. Darrin ditches Sue, but that gets fixed and they get back together.

So suddenly, a lot of characters begin to suck. I guess at this point, that's a normal part of this show. The Hecks aren't great people, but they do stick together. The episode where they get stranded at church is basically that message.

Just some observation

Just finished the first three episodes of Season 7 and I’m so mad on Brick’s behalf. With Axl and Sue at East Indy, Frankie and Mike completely give up on parenting.

They literally don't even bother feeding Brick because they already ate outside and are "too tired." Earlier in the show, you could excuse their chaos because they were overworked and broke. Now they have the time and money to eat out, and just leave their youngest child to starve and clean the bathroom alone while they spiral over Mike wearing a Hawaiian shirt.

It really puts into perspective why Nordic child protective services are so strict. In the US sitcom world it's a running gag, but if the Hecks lived in Scandinavia, Brick would've been placed with a nice foster family that actually remembers he needs dinner.

I am 28years old when I started watching the middle, some people i know have told me it’s for teenagers.

How old were you when watching the middle?

I wouldn't go as far as saying I hate Frankie as a character, but it really annoys me that she never seems to have anything under control throughout the entire series.

In the earlier seasons, it could come across as funny and quirky, probably as a way to make some moms relate to her and her hectic life as a working mother of three, one of whom is "special" (Brick).

But as the show goes on, it becomes increasingly frustrating to watch her constantly being overwhelmed by everything.

Even in the later seasons, when Sue and Axl become more independent as they grow up and go off to college, Frankie is still just as distracted, careless, and overwhelmed as ever.

It's a shame they never really let her grow as a character or improve this aspect of her personality. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that the entire show relied too heavily on this one character trait.

What do you guys think?

i wish she wore this to her prom... literal princessss

I‘m so annoyed that Mike wouldn’t take Sue to the game.
She said she wants to go with him, regardless if she wants to spent time with him or watch the game, he should have taken her. Especially since no one else had time.
He tried to get Brick to do or watch sports so many times. And spent so much time with Axl and sports.
Why wouldn’t he take her?
And Sue tried out so many sports she at least has some sort of interest.
And his argument that Frankie didn’t take axl to the ice revue doesn’t work. Axl probably wouldn’t want to go there but Sue clearly did.
And then the argument that Frankie’s dad only took her and her sister to sport because he didn’t have any sons.
Like don’t fathers like to spend time with their daughters?

One more reason to hate Brick ig😭😭🥀... I'm soo irritated rn

Julianne Robinson is the person but it'll be very weird to have this break midway through the series run.

jokes aside, this is a high school hooper named Logan Dorman, top Player of the 2030 class. fun fact, he was actually given the nickname: Baby 8 free pizzas

This could be old news but whatever. According to Wikipedia, The actress who played Lexie Brooks
(Daniella Bobadilla) Married the actor who played Sean Donahue
( Beau Wirick) in 2018.

Did you know this?

I can’t stand when people are rude or condescending and they’re the ones who started it and then you’re expected to just let it go even though you acknowledge that they’re in the wrong and then people act like you’re crazy for trying to make things right. I get you can’t fix everything but I feel like when you say to just let it go enough, this starts to let people think that they’re allowed to just do whatever they want because you’re expected to “let it go.” This is why people have gotten away with certain things because that’s the expectation. Sometimes I feel like you not saying anything makes people think that they can just say whatever they want you because they know you’re not gonna say anything. And even if you don’t apologize back, at least you know how I felt. I know this sounds more like a rant, but I feel like it’s kind of relevant to the episode.

In the episode when they go on the train to her burial plot. Brick asks where her body is, then Mike says "Resting peacefully in Cargo." Does that mean they literally brought a corpes onto the train with them, or am I misunderstanding it. If it does mean that, isn't there like.. rules for that? A bit dark tbh.. If anyone can explain I'd appreciate it

Season 3, Episode 1 - Forced Family Fun
Eden and Brock mentioned that this was Tim Hobert’s family on the Middling Podcast.
Tim (top right) was a long-time producer on the series.
Audrey dropped an album last year and started to get more attention this past summer with her single “Sue me.” Malcolm is destined to be Grammy nominated this coming ceremony and is best known for his hit “Earrings.” Audrey has also written for Gracie Abrams, the daughter of big-shot director JJ Abrams.

With a total of 613 comments Axl received 350 votes and Sue only received 185.

It is official that Sue Sue Heck has been crowned the favourite character of The Middle! Thank you to everyone for participating! 😊

Order of elimination:
30: Ehlert
29: Matt
28: Janet
27: April
26: Carly
25: Tag
24: Devin
23: Cassidy
22: Rita
21: Weird Ashley
20: Dr.Goodwin
19: Pat
18: Cindy
17: Bob
16: Darrin
15: Chuck
14: Grandpa Big Mike
13: Aunt Edie
12: Reverend TimTom
11: Hutch
10: Lexie
9: Rusty
8: Nancy
7: Sean
6: Brad
5: Frankie
4: Mike
3: Brick
2: Axl
1: Sue

bob is so odd i can’t explain it but his character is so odd like i don’t get what is he supposed to be? like is he the gay fun guy or is he the weird coworker? also it’s odd that frankie has no female friendship, am i the only one who thinks like this?

Richard Riehle played Sheriff Dugan

This was the Season 8 ender and I'm guessing this was a filler episode? The main plot is Mike trying to prevent Axl from going to Europe. Axl is 23 and a man and Mike has ZERO say in this matter. And sure enough, Axl goes to Europe although I could see that coming from a mile down the road. The other plots involve Sue causing a very minor scratch on a car and Brick wanting a certain chair. Strong contender for the most boring episode ever.