One of the biggest compliments that I can give The Middle is that it certainly brings the reality of family life through simple bits of comedy. I guess the reason why the show has lasted so long is because the possibilities of those realities is pretty much endless once the creators tapped into it properly. The amount of ‘I can relate to that’ moments viewers will experience (at least parent viewers) is what really makes the show worth your time. Season four of The Middle introduces some very valid realities, especially for this day and age, which makes it probably one of my favorite seasons out of the bunch.
Speaking of which, let me get straight to my favorite batch of episodes:
The Second Act – The second episode of the season really shines, as Frankie loses her job that she has had since the beginning of the show itself. She is fired and her family has to face some tough realities when it comes to cost cutting and putting together a successful budget. It’s never easy to have to tighten the belt when it comes to raising kids and maintaining a household, but it’s neat to see a comedy show tackle the subject with honesty and class. This is probably one of the toughest, yet funniest episodes in the bunch, and definitely one of my favorites.
Christmas Help – Been there, done that. Chrismtas is coming and Frankie and Mike have to break it to the kids that because of their financial situation they won’t have such a great set of gifts under the tree waiting for them on Christmas morning. While it’s an ongoing theme of the season (tight budget, not Christmas), it’s neat to see how the writers put together the kids’ reactions, how they solve the situation and how they involve Mike’s thieving brother in the mix (Norm McDonald). There’s a lot in this episode and it’s so well written and organized that you can’t help but enjoy it. Just like The Second Act, it’s tough in some areas, but it’s honest.
One Kid at a Time – Just when you think it’s a good idea to take kids out individually and give them proper amounts of attention, you regret it. Frankie and Mike decide that they haven’t spent enough time with the kids, so they ask each of the kids to make up a list of things they want to do on their special days. The differences in personalities and interests are astounding, and quite funny. It’s a great episode for the bunch and another example of watch out what you wish for in life when you’re a parent.
Wheel of Pain – Again, reality in a show. The kids accidentally break the living room window, but no one wants to fess up. Axl convinces Brick and Sue to work together as a group to keep from revealing the truth about the window from their parents. The entire episode revolves around Mike and Frankie trying to break the kids of their lie — even to the point where the couple puts together a wheel of pain. The climax of the episode is brilliant and it fits the overall mold of the entire show perfectly. As a parent of five, I’ve completely been here before. It’s amazing when the kids turn on you as a team.
These are just a few gems in the 23 episode bunch. Season four does a great job with tackling some tough family issues and, as usual, gets through them in a lighthearted, real style. I want this show to get more recognition and it certainly deserves it. As I stated previously, it’s one of the more ‘real’ shows on television and the cast really does buy into their roles perfectly. If you’re a parent or you have a really wacky family, then you’ll find plenty to love with The Middle: Season Four. It’s definitely worth a go for anyone out there looking for a change from the usual mundane, over-dramatized shows about families.
Shifting gears, while you get plenty of episodes, the DVD release is a bit short on special features. here’s what you’re looking at with season four:
– Deleted Scenes (13 episodes are included in this)
– Gag Reel
This show needs a solid featurette about how the show was created, why the show was created and what’s the inspiration behind the characters. There’s a lot of ‘real’ to these folks, so I would love to see how they were created. I need more information! What you get with season four is just some deleted scenes (though they span across 13 episodes) and a very short gag reel. I just wanted a bit more to the package.