The popular ABC comedy series, The Middle, kicked off its fourth season on September 26th with a one hour season premier. The show is about the Heck family of five unique people. Frankie (Patricia Heaton), wife and mother, finds family very important but often gets frustrated with her husband and three kids for lacking the spirit she has. Mike (Neil Flyn) is a laid back father and though he tries to avoid other people’s problems, he always comes through for the family in the end. Axl (Charlie McDermott) is an athletic, lazy, unintelligent, and selfish teen. He’s very popular at school and has played on several sports teams. Sue (Eden Sher) is a socially awkward teenager who often tries to get noticed at school, however most people don’t recognize her. Though very determined, she never gets in to clubs and teams she tries out for. Brick (Atticus Shaffer) is the youngest child of the Hecks and is very unusual. He is obsessed with reading and has several tics, including whispering words he previously said in a sentence.
The new season started off with the exciting new episode, “Last Whiff of Summer”. The hour long special displayed the Heck’s adventures throughout the entire summer. With surprising twists and character development, this is a must-see episode. Frankie tries to recreate her old summer memories with the family, Sue tries to spend time with her dad but gets neglected repeatedly. Axl has to take English in summer school and later gets his car wrecked by accidentally entering a demolition derby. Meanwhile Brick spends lots of time growing a tomato. The plot thickens when Frankie’s plans of making a terrific summer fail, and the three kids slip and reveal who their favorite parent is. The episode keeps audiences laughing throughout and leaves everyone satisfied when all turns out well in the end.
The season is only starting to get interesting in the first few episodes. Frankie goes back to college after getting fired from her job, while Axl starts his senior year in high school. Meanwhile, his sister Sue becomes a sophomore, excited to have moved up a notch on the totem pole. Now in fifth grade, Brick begins to develop more tics besides whispering. Along with an evil pet bunny, and Halloween around the corner, there’s plenty of comedy in store for The Middle.
The new season has so far had a high number of viewers. Though the show is not milk-out-the-nose funny, it is full of good humored jokes. Creators DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler have been putting material worth seeing on the show while keeping it appropriate for younger crowds. Anyone with an open evening on Wednesday nights should definitely consider investing time into this show.