The Middle is a unique show. In the days of family television that deceptively paint an image of an above average family (pretty people with stupid problems), The Middle is a refreshing take on how family life actually is. If you haven’t seen the show then you’re in for a treat. The show features the talents of former Everybody Loves Raymond Patricia Heaton as Frankie Heck (the mom of the show). Neil Flynn, who is better known as the Janitor in Scrubs, as Mike Heck (the father). Following the parents are the three goofy kids played by Charlie McDermott as Axl Heck, Eden Sher as Sue Heck and Atticus Shaffer as Brick Heck.
Set in Orson, Indiana, the show follows the life of a lower middle-class family struggling with each other and with common everyday worries that a real family might have. For example, in season two you get the first episode called Back to School. For any parent out there this episode accurately depicts what the first day of school feels like. Frankie wakes up in a frantic pace trying to get everyone out of the summertime mood and into school form. It’s funny, it’s dysfunctional in a way and the episode pretty much nails what the first day of school is like for any parent. This first episode of season two pretty much defines what you would expect through out the season and the show. There’s nothing especially out of the ordinary from episode to episode, as the creators of the show are simply putting on paper perfect examples of what life is like as a middle income family just trying to survive.
As my wife and I were watching this show, we kept seeing examples of our own parenting run-ins with our kids. For example, there is an episode in this season called Taking Back the House where Frankie and Mike have had enough when it comes to cleaning up and catering to the kids. They vow to stop doing that and the kids’ lives spin into a frenzy. My wife and I have done this before, though our end results didn’t work out quite as well. Again, this is the show and this is how every episode carries itself. It’s not pretty, it’s not flashy, there’s no over-exaggerated goofiness; it’s simply the ugly truth to every middle-class family’s life.
This is why the show is good. It doesn’t do anything special, it simply tells the truth of family life. On top of the well-written episodes, none of the writing would work as well without the perfect cast. I’m happy that Patricia Heaton was willing to come back in the ‘motherly’ role. She did a great job on Everybody Loves Raymond, but it’s nice to see her character less whinny and irritable (like in Everybody Loves Raymond) and more of an actual mother. She brings a sweet and wacky demeanor to Frankie, which lends well when she’s interacting with her onscreen kids. Neil Flynn’s role as the father is a perfect way for this man to get his talents out there. He was undersold as the Janitor in Scrubs, and he’s blooming really well as Mike in The Middle. The guy is relaxed and funny, though when he gets serious it’s really stated. As for the kids, Edge Sher is a goofball, but she’s perfect as Sue. Charlie McDermott is a bit of a spazz (maybe too much of one on occasion), but is still fun as Axl Heck. Finally, Atticus Shaffer is the perfect nerd. His portrayal of Brick Heck is constant, which is hard to do with kids these days on television shows. One person I should mention, that is a minor character, yet still creepy-funny, is Chris Kattan as Frankie’s co-worker Bob. He’s scary, funny and just odd. He doesn’t show up in every episode, but he does a damn good job when he is in one. I liked him on SNL, though not so much in movies.
Anyway…
Is there anything bad about this? Well, as television goes this might be too much honesty for people to watch. As most people like to ignore how real life is, seeing it on screen sometimes doesn’t leave a good taste in their mouth. The lack of ‘pretty’ in the show and the lack of ‘over the top goofiness’ might leave some people scratching their heads. It’s not the normal formula that television show comedies generally follow, but it certainly does work for this reviewer.
Shifting gears, let’s talk features. You get 16 episodes on this season two set and only two types of features:
– Deleted Scenes
– Gag Reel
The deleted scenes are on specific episodes (15 and 16) and the gag reel is gold. I wish there was more here, though, as it deserves featurettes and even possibly commentary from crew and cast. I think that the special features were underwhelming a bit. Still, what you get is good, just not overall great. I’ve seen better features on lesser shows.