It's finally back! And Sue (Eden Sher) miraculously got her braces off.
Sue, poor girl, has been wearing her braces diligently for eight years. Yes, that should be a world record, and finally, Frankie (Patricia Heaton) is fed up. She's sick of the orthodontist sucking their bank account dry and the orthodontist (Richard Kind) is worn down. And she makes a huge point of pointing that her teeth are clear for the first time since she was nine. But her happiness is short-lived. She has weak, soft bones and after just two days, her teeth start shifting again. She is devastated and has never even kissed Darrin (John Gammon) with her straight teeth. Sue believes that the universe is against her and is completely and utterly defeated.
On top of this, Frankie pulls off her worst moment yet. She forgets when the school year is supposed to begin, meaning that Sue misses the candle ceremony and a bunch of other important stuff.
Mike (Neil Flynn) is probably the only one who isn't shocked by his wife's stupidity, but he has his own worries, with Axl (Charlie McDermott) beating him at basketball for the first time ever. At first, he is thrilled, but winning quickly becomes old when it continues to happen. It doesn't really comfort him when Brick (Atticus Shaffer) says that that is the natural order of things. It isn't until Bill Norwood (Pat Finn) and his nephew come over and the guys can play as a team that Axl and Mike feel better about the whole thing, though Mike is certainly aging, his bones are creaking.
Sue doesn't want to go back to the orthodontist, Dr. Niller, but she does and luckily, he has a solution that doesn't involve putting braces back on her teeth. She just has to wear a retainer for the next year. The Year of Sue as she has dubbed it. So despite her quick depression, Sue bounces back. She always does.
Though I love Sue's eternal optimism, I wish that just this once, her unhappiness would last for more than part of an episode. The world is always pushing her down and she bounces back up so quickly. I love that, but it is getting old because that is what always happens. It's predictable. I also wish I could have seen Darrin's reaction, that would have been priceless.
I also don't buy Frankie being that dumb. She isn't that smart, and missed too much of her dentist school but seriously, being a week off and then having no one notice until that Friday, that is just sad. In the past, the school has called the Hecks to tell them that one of their children is absent from school. And the Donahues are their neighbors, certainly, they would have noticed before Friday. And Brad (J. Brock Ciarlelli) should have called her. So that isn't funny, its stupid.
That being said, there were still several funny moments, all of which are appreciated. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Brick has an interesting plot line. Seventh grade is a big change for him and he feels that he needs a new book bag. He tries several, the funniest of which is when his huge guitar case falls down the stairs and opens, spilling the contents. He finally finds an old pizza delivery carrying case which he thinks will do the trick.
-Brick announces that Axl will replace Dad, Sue will replace Mom and because he's a mistake, he doesn't replace anyone. I think that this is pretty close to accurate, though Sue will never be as clueless as Frankie. And Axl isn't as humble as Mike though Mike also has his inflated moments.
-Once Sue's braces are removed, the family celebrates by eating all the bad things like caramel corn and gummy worms. Frankie insists that they eat something green, like the jolly ranchers.
-Sue still has enough confidence to run and win the position of Sergeant in Arms, leading the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
-When eating out at a restaurant, Sue loses her retainer in the garbage. The episode ends with the family digging through a dumpster to find it. Sue is gross and puts one in right away without washing it first, but its not even her retainer.
-The episode starts out with such promise. The Hecks finally know how to relax and not bother anyone else. Brick even took up another hobby of croquet, hitting a ball back and forth between one bracket.
-This season is going to be great, though I have a feeling that only Sue's plot lines will actually matter. I hope I'm wrong.
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