The Middle

Meet the Hecks - an ordinary family struggling to survive each other and life in Middle America. PATRICIA HEATON stars as a working mother whose family life is one big happy mess.

Facing financial disaster, Frankie tries to save her job; Sue fails swim team tryouts, then learns she needs glasses; and Brick starts reading his mother's steamy romance novels.

Frankie and Mike's romantic plans for their anniversary are thwarted by a sick Brick, a lovesick Sue, a learner's permit-toting Axl, two crazy aunts and their diaper-wearing dog.

Meek daughter Sue finally succeeds in doing something right by selling thousands of dollars' worth of sausage and cheese samples for the school, which makes her eligible to travel to the state capitol. But when the school fails to recognize her achievement, Frankie urges her daughter to fight for her right to collect her well-deserved prize. Meanwhile, Brick discovers that love isn't all it's crac

After Brick's teachers tell his parents that he's "socially challenged," Mike tries to help Brick make friends; while Frankie needs her son's coveted football jersey.

Mike insists that only Axl fix the front door after he knocks it down; Frankie must sell a car within a week; and its school picture time for a photographically challenged Sue.

When the Heck family goes into a cleaning frenzy in order to get the trash out to a passing garbage truck, Frankie accidentally hits Brick with a beer bottle as she attempts to toss it into a bag - causing a small scratch. But when Brick innocently informs his school that his scratch was caused by his mother throwing a beer bottle at him, a social worker is called to look into the matter - sending

Frankie's dream of an idyllic family Thanksgiving is thwarted when Mr. Ehlert forces the staff to work on the holiday. Meanwhile, Frankie and Mike approve of a clueless Sue's first boyfriend - who turns out to be a safe choice - and a panicked Axl loses Brick in a corn maze.

Frankie vows to make her kids stop fighting with each other and interact as a loving family, while Mike contemplates firing Aunt Edie after she makes a costly mistake.

While Frankie focuses on rehearsing for a solo in her church's midnight Christmas mass, Mike takes over handling the chores of setting up the Heck family Christmas. But Frankie becomes a bit jealous when it seems that Mike is doing a better job at organizing the holiday than she would have done. Meanwhile, Frankie and Mike try to help Brick overcome a problem in order to get into the holiday spiri

Frankie buys a hormonally challenged Sue an expensive pair of jeans so she can fit in with her peers, and Mike helps Axl get a car to impress a girl.

Frankie must decide whether to confront her trashy neighbor and nemesis, Rita Glossner (guest star BROOKE SHIELDS) after a fight between Sue and Rita's sons erupts.

Mike finds himself out of work and lacking the technological skills needed in the 21st century to search for a job. With Frankie's help, Brick runs for school historian.

Frankie vows to stop yelling at and nagging her kids if they agree to follow-through on their schoolwork and chores without her intervention. Meanwhile, Mike reluctantly takes a night job as a driver delivering snack cakes with Bob.

Valentine's Day unexpectedly finds Frankie and Mike home alone and ready for a romantic evening while Brick is away at his first sleepover, Sue goes to her first boy-girl party, and Axl has a big date night planned with some friends. But Cupid's arrow doesn't exactly hit the target, and the best-laid plans soon begin to unravel.

Frankie and Mike focus on taking the family on a road trip to Chicago for Brick's regional spelling bee, but are horrified to realize that the forgot about Sue's birthday.

Frankie & Mike must console a broken-hearted Axl after his girlfriend (ALEXA VEGA) breaks up with him; And Sue and Brick are on the lookout for zombies after watching a scary movie.

Frankie's job may be on the line when a hardcore motivational consultant (AMY SEDARIS) is hired to whip the sales staff into shape - leaving Mike to deal with issues at home.

Mr. Ehlert takes a liking to Mike and presents him with two tickets to the Final Four - Mike's dream come true! But when Frankie's uncle passes away and the funeral is set for the day of the game, a battle begins to brew as Frankie forces Mike to choose which life event is most important to him. Meanwhile, Sue attempts to help Brick get out of going to a birthday party by impersonating Frankie ove

After having their power turned off because they couldn't afford to pay their electric bill on time, Frankie and Mike decide to cut out unnecessary expenses - starting with their cable TV. But while the kids adapt to the change by doing other activities, Frankie and Mike find themselves not knowing how to fill in the time they used to spend in front of the tube. Meanwhile, Brick and his fellow soc

Frankie is worried that Axl's going to get his heart crushed again when his on-again/off-again girlfriend, Morgan (guest star ALEXA VEGA), re-enters his life.

Mother's Day for Frankie is anything but serene when she finds herself doing more for Mike and the kids and less for herself. But Frankie learns that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree when she escapes the family for a few hours to go to her mom's (guest star MARSHA MASON - The Goodbye Girl, Chapter Two) house and ends up acting like a child by making her wait on her hand-and-foot. Meanwhile

At the spring Heck family BBQ, Mike decides that he and Brick need to try and become more social when Frankie points out that Mike's social ineptness was passed on to Brick.

After attending year-end school parent-teacher conferences, Frankie and Mike are shocked to discover that Brick may be held back from going to the third grade because the school librarian, Mrs. Nethercott (guest star BETTY WHITE), has it out for him due to 31 unreturned books; and Axl's aptitude test results reveal him to be academically gifted. But Frankie makes it her mission to get an overlooke