Frankie (Patricia Heaton) begins the episode by looking under the sofa for the Halloween candy she bought in March but hid from herself so she wouldn't eat it all. Yet, she still can't find it. Instead, the Hecks will be handing Easter eggs that Frankie put behind the frosting, thinking that by the time she was done with the frosting, she would be too sick for the eggs and she was right.
Sue (Eden Sher) needs money for college and has even created a suemometer to measure her earnings and so far she's not doing great despite having a job serving potatoes to people. So she comes up with an awesome plan that screams Halloween, showing It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown in a pumpkin patch. Brad (J. Brock Ciarlelli) loves the plan while Courtney and Debbie (Brittany Ross and Natalie Lander) spin it into their own idea. They will show Poltergeist in a graveyard. Now, to no one's surprise, people don't come to Sue's gig. Of course Brad shows up but after pulling on Sue's heartstrings with his plea on how much time he spent on his costume, she lets him go. But Sue doesn't give up. And, luckily, finally someone shows up. He (Jerry Hardin) couldn't figure out his TV because it had too many buttons. He even donates fifty dollars to her cause though she insists he doesn't have to. Despite this bust, she thinks that her plan for earning money is totally doable. She's crazy, but whatever.
Brick (Atticus Shaffer) invites his friend Cindy (Casey Burke) over to the house just to hang out and to Mike (Neil Flynn) and Frankie's shock, it seems to be working at first. They even put their arms around each other in an awkward fashion. But then, for some bizarre never explained reason, Brick goes trick-or-treating. Apparently, he did ask Cindy but she didn't want to go, so he went without her. Once he arrives home, his parents lecture him on how he should behave around women and how he must be chivalrous. What I didn't like is that, according to the Hecks, that means the man never gets to have his way. And it never ends.
Axl (Charlie McDermott) doesn't have that much to do but he is brilliant nevertheless. He needs to write a paper about Pearl Harbor and thinks that watching the movie is a great way to review. At his parents insistence, he goes to the library and finishes the paper with two whole minutes to spare. But then, he is locked in. This focuses him to spend some time alone, bonding with the Shakespeare sculpture that he calls LeBron. He's never been alone before, which scares him and he's worried about his future. He doesn't know about business and that's his major. But luckily, he falls asleep and then goes home to eat leftover Halloween candy and contemplate his future. Frankie and Mike assure him that he doesn't have to figure out his future right now; he's only a sophomore after all.
This was still a great episode, though the Halloween plots were quite odd and it bothered me that Brick never told anyone that he actually changed his mind. And Sue is always optimistic which is nice but unrealistic especially over something as unobtainable as college is for her but Axl actually wasn't annoying for once so there is improvement somewhere. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Cindy has an older sister and doesn't know what her parents do for a living. She's odd, maybe even odder than Brick which is really saying something.
-Brad's costume is fantastic. He's half Sandy, half Danny, from Grease, of course, and it took him eight hours to piece together that costume.
-Axl assumes that Shakespeare was a feather salesman because he was holding a feather in his hand.
-Axl can't dial the phone in the library because it is a rotary phone, ancient to him. A great gag scene.
-Where the heck is Darrin? He lost boyfriend points for not showing up to Sue's picture show, regardless of how stupid the whole thing was.
-Cindy only wants to eat shrimp, so Mike goes to Frugal Hoosier to buy some and they must be eaten within the hour. Unfortunately, after that whole ordeal, she only eats one of the shrimp.
-At the end of the episode, the family quizzes Brick on what he should do while waiting at a girl's house for her to get ready, he finally says that he should talk to her parents. He can't believe that that is the right answer, that was just his joke answer.
-Courtney and Debbie even dare to have kettle corn at their movie showing.
-Axl finishes his paper with a Ben Affleck quote.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
The Middle: The Table
Finally! An episode focusing on Sue (Eden Sher) and Darrin (John Gammon), but Darrin is Darrin and everything is ruined. Sure, they start off super sweet and cute and then, icing on the cake, Darrin gives Sue a key to his heart necklace which is so romantic. Deciding to do something nice for Darrin, Sue steals his phone so she can find a picture of the two of them together, but instead finds a picture of his ex-girlfriend, Angel, to whom he also gave the same necklace. Sue isn't pleased and breaks up with him, more or less in the heat of the moment as he gave that necklace to his mother as well. Later, Sue feels that she was too hasty, which she basically was because Darrin isn't the brightest bulb in the box and because Angel liked the necklace, he naturally thought that Sue would too, and she did. But she wants to be the only one with that key, and I don't blame her. However, her lines from John Green's The Fault in Our Stars fail to make an impression, she turns to The Notebook. But Darrin only wants to hear what she has to say, and she declares her love for him and he loves her too, they are back together. All is right in that world.
Frankie (Patricia Heaton) and Mike (Neil Flynn) are celebrating their twenty-something wedding anniversary and Frankie decides to buy this beautiful dining room table off of Craig's List. Mike decides that they are working so hard they deserve something nice. But this is the Heck family, it turns out to be a bust. It is a beautiful table but it's a doll table so that wonderful plan is ruined. They still have their nice moment when Frankie arranges a picnic on the dining room floor for Mike when he comes home because as long as he's around, it doesn't matter what sort of table they have. Mike throws the stuff off the tiny table and begins ravishing Frankie. Another sweet ending.
Axl (Charlie McDermott) and Hutch (Alphonso McAuley) need more money so they decide to get more people there and turn their house into a frat house. Like Frankie and Mike's plan, this turns out to a bust. Too many people and these people trash the house, and even break the old, aged Heck family dining room table. In the end, they get Kenny (Tommy Bechtold) back. Sure, he's super weird and only places video games, but he will pay his rent on time and leave them alone.
Brick's (Atticus Shaffer's) plot is minor but also hilarious. He starts a podcast discussing fonts, his passion. And he starts off truly believing that it will work but he quickly grows tired with the whole and cancels it after less than a week. Jimmy Kimmel is upset when it gets cancelled, but he is most certainly alone.
This is probably the strongest episode so far this season and who even cares what the key to my heart necklace was a metaphor for. At first I thought virginity, but then that would just be weird, giving it to his mother and all. I love happy endings and they are so great together. And Frankie and Mike are pretty great too. Grade: A
Side Notes:
-"Why do we have to pay for water? It falls from the sky. It's like they're stealing from God."-Axl to Hutch when they are wondering why they must pay for all their bills.
-Axl is glad that so many things are free at home, but Frankie says that will end next summer. Axl isn't worried, he knows that she won't follow through. Frankie reluctantly knows in the backroom.
-Italics demonstrate emotion, according to Brick.
-He ends his podcast on a classy note, as the type of font shows more of who are you than the words you are actually writing.
-Darrin fills Sue's room with balloons and they don't pop for a while but they worm through them to meet up with each other. He pops some balloons with his key necklace that he gives back to Sue.
-When Darrin says that he needs some space, he locks himself out of the house and wants Sue to go away so he can ring the bell for his mom.
-When will we meet Darrin's family? That should be hilarious.
-What is the thing with photo blankets? I think they are sort of lame, but whatever. I will forever root for that couple.
-That being said, they should probably give Axl a new love interest some time soon.
Frankie (Patricia Heaton) and Mike (Neil Flynn) are celebrating their twenty-something wedding anniversary and Frankie decides to buy this beautiful dining room table off of Craig's List. Mike decides that they are working so hard they deserve something nice. But this is the Heck family, it turns out to be a bust. It is a beautiful table but it's a doll table so that wonderful plan is ruined. They still have their nice moment when Frankie arranges a picnic on the dining room floor for Mike when he comes home because as long as he's around, it doesn't matter what sort of table they have. Mike throws the stuff off the tiny table and begins ravishing Frankie. Another sweet ending.
Axl (Charlie McDermott) and Hutch (Alphonso McAuley) need more money so they decide to get more people there and turn their house into a frat house. Like Frankie and Mike's plan, this turns out to a bust. Too many people and these people trash the house, and even break the old, aged Heck family dining room table. In the end, they get Kenny (Tommy Bechtold) back. Sure, he's super weird and only places video games, but he will pay his rent on time and leave them alone.
Brick's (Atticus Shaffer's) plot is minor but also hilarious. He starts a podcast discussing fonts, his passion. And he starts off truly believing that it will work but he quickly grows tired with the whole and cancels it after less than a week. Jimmy Kimmel is upset when it gets cancelled, but he is most certainly alone.
This is probably the strongest episode so far this season and who even cares what the key to my heart necklace was a metaphor for. At first I thought virginity, but then that would just be weird, giving it to his mother and all. I love happy endings and they are so great together. And Frankie and Mike are pretty great too. Grade: A
Side Notes:
-"Why do we have to pay for water? It falls from the sky. It's like they're stealing from God."-Axl to Hutch when they are wondering why they must pay for all their bills.
-Axl is glad that so many things are free at home, but Frankie says that will end next summer. Axl isn't worried, he knows that she won't follow through. Frankie reluctantly knows in the backroom.
-Italics demonstrate emotion, according to Brick.
-He ends his podcast on a classy note, as the type of font shows more of who are you than the words you are actually writing.
-Darrin fills Sue's room with balloons and they don't pop for a while but they worm through them to meet up with each other. He pops some balloons with his key necklace that he gives back to Sue.
-When Darrin says that he needs some space, he locks himself out of the house and wants Sue to go away so he can ring the bell for his mom.
-When will we meet Darrin's family? That should be hilarious.
-What is the thing with photo blankets? I think they are sort of lame, but whatever. I will forever root for that couple.
-That being said, they should probably give Axl a new love interest some time soon.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Mystic River (2003)
This film was great. Dark, but brilliant.
Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn) is a murderer and he murders the wrong man, Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins).
Dave has scars from his kidnapping as a child where he was abused and held captive for four days. And when he shows up at his house at three in the morning with blood on him, he doesn't tell his wife, Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) the truth. In reality, he killed a child molester, but he tells his wife that he was mugged.
However, unfortunately, that same night, Jimmy's eldest daughter, Katie (Emmy Rossum) is accidentally murdered by the younger brothers of the guy she's seeing and the son of a guy who turned on her father and then he killed him. But Katie's murder isn't out of cold blood. The young boys just found the gun and wanted to scare her, yet, she ends up dead.
Jimmy is furious and sends out his goons to find out the truth and Celeste brings her suspicions to Jimmy instead the cops, Jimmy confronts Dave and he, reluctantly, admits that he killed Katie because he feels that it will save his own life but it doesn't. Jimmy stabs him to death anyway and then tosses his body out to the river, just like he did to his former partner who turned on him all those years ago.
The problem lies within the investigation itself. Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) is the third member of the trio of Jimmy, Dave and Sean and the most straight-laced of the three with a fancy job as State Police Detective but his home life is troubled. His wife, for reasons unknown, took off and calls him, saying nothing every so often and hasn't even had the courtesy to tell him what she named their daughter. Though they reconcile at the end, the reason is never explained as to why she left in the first place. That is mostly a personal nit pick of mine. Sean and his partner, Whitey (Laurence Fishburne) are on the case, shocked that the Markums knew nothing of Katie's plan to run away to Las Vegas with her boyfriend. Dave is the suspect that Whitey is focused on but it isn't until they finally listen to the 911 tape that the truth is revealed, just a little too late to save Dave's life. And though Jimmy basically tells Sean that Dave is dead because of him, no body is found though the murdered molester has been found and he wants to question Dave about that murder. So Jimmy gets away with murder and his Lady Macbethish wife, Annabeth (Laura Linney), seems fine. In fact, she's offended that Celeste would ever think that Dave was a murderer.
Though the plot is universally depressing and the happy ending is certainly not one in my book, the acting is fabulous. Penn and Robbins both deserved the Oscars they won and Harden more than deserved her nomination. Each has expressive faces and their eyes bore into the souls of their characters. The pained expressions on their faces tell the story and what each character is thinking. The film also has a gritty realism that I like, without the shiny polish Hollywood filled its films with.
However, if you want to watch a happy film, this is not the film for you though the acting is forever noteworthy. Grade: A
Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn) is a murderer and he murders the wrong man, Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins).
Dave has scars from his kidnapping as a child where he was abused and held captive for four days. And when he shows up at his house at three in the morning with blood on him, he doesn't tell his wife, Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) the truth. In reality, he killed a child molester, but he tells his wife that he was mugged.
However, unfortunately, that same night, Jimmy's eldest daughter, Katie (Emmy Rossum) is accidentally murdered by the younger brothers of the guy she's seeing and the son of a guy who turned on her father and then he killed him. But Katie's murder isn't out of cold blood. The young boys just found the gun and wanted to scare her, yet, she ends up dead.
Jimmy is furious and sends out his goons to find out the truth and Celeste brings her suspicions to Jimmy instead the cops, Jimmy confronts Dave and he, reluctantly, admits that he killed Katie because he feels that it will save his own life but it doesn't. Jimmy stabs him to death anyway and then tosses his body out to the river, just like he did to his former partner who turned on him all those years ago.
The problem lies within the investigation itself. Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) is the third member of the trio of Jimmy, Dave and Sean and the most straight-laced of the three with a fancy job as State Police Detective but his home life is troubled. His wife, for reasons unknown, took off and calls him, saying nothing every so often and hasn't even had the courtesy to tell him what she named their daughter. Though they reconcile at the end, the reason is never explained as to why she left in the first place. That is mostly a personal nit pick of mine. Sean and his partner, Whitey (Laurence Fishburne) are on the case, shocked that the Markums knew nothing of Katie's plan to run away to Las Vegas with her boyfriend. Dave is the suspect that Whitey is focused on but it isn't until they finally listen to the 911 tape that the truth is revealed, just a little too late to save Dave's life. And though Jimmy basically tells Sean that Dave is dead because of him, no body is found though the murdered molester has been found and he wants to question Dave about that murder. So Jimmy gets away with murder and his Lady Macbethish wife, Annabeth (Laura Linney), seems fine. In fact, she's offended that Celeste would ever think that Dave was a murderer.
Though the plot is universally depressing and the happy ending is certainly not one in my book, the acting is fabulous. Penn and Robbins both deserved the Oscars they won and Harden more than deserved her nomination. Each has expressive faces and their eyes bore into the souls of their characters. The pained expressions on their faces tell the story and what each character is thinking. The film also has a gritty realism that I like, without the shiny polish Hollywood filled its films with.
However, if you want to watch a happy film, this is not the film for you though the acting is forever noteworthy. Grade: A
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Jane the Virgin: Pilot
This was a delightful debut, certainly one of the strongest pilots I've seen.
Jane (Gina Rodriguez) has her life all planned out. She is waiting to have sex with her boyfriend, Michael (Brett Dier) because her grandmother (Ivonne Coll) has warned her throughout the years that once she loses her virginity, she will never be able to get it back. She is working hard as a waitress at a local hotel owned by Rafael (Justin Baldoni) whom Jane has kissed years ago, and she is also taking classes so she can become a teacher.
Unfortunately, life has other plans. Thanks to a frazzled and heart-broken gynecologist (and Rafael's sister), Dr. Alver inseminates Jane with Rafael's frozen sperm. She realizes her mistake almost immediately when she goes to see her next patient, Petra (Yael Grobglas), also Rafael's wife. But knowing that there is only a twenty percent chance that Jane will actually get pregnant, she says nothing, but that twenty percent takes hold.
Jane faints on a bus and thus goes to the hospital where she is informed that she is pregnant. Naturally, she doesn't believe the test and her mother, Xiomara (Andrea Navedo) insists that another one is taken but the result is the same. Her mother believes that it is an immaculate conception and starts praying at her daughter. Yet, at the same time, once the truth is revealed, she is fine with her daughter having the abortion, but everything is a lot more complicated.
Rafael is a cancer survivor and that is his only sperm, his only chance to have a biological child and Jane, herself, is the child of a teenage parent. Her mother was just sixteen when she had Jane and Alma (grandmother), despite being extremely religious, wanted her young daughter to have an abortion but luckily that didn't happen, though now she is forced to live with that guilt.
Michael does propose, moving up their time line, not because he wants to have sex with her, though he does but he also wants to spend the rest of his life with her, have children together and yes, have sex with her. Side Note: I thought you had to have sex first before you have children.
He is not thrilled when he hears her news and Jane gets it. Of course he doesn't want to raise another man's child, but he supports her final decision. Jane decides to have the baby but give it to the father because he is in a happy, loving marriage. Too bad that part isn't true. Petra might have stayed glued to Rafael's side during his chemotherapy, but now that he is healed and completely healthy, she is cheating on him and he wants a divorce though she is blackmailing him to stay in the marriage by saying that Jane won't give them the baby if something is wrong in paradise.
So Jane is engaged to Michael and everything is fine, for now, but you know it won't last, especially considering that Xiomara has just re-met Jane's biological father (Jaime Camil) now a famous telenovela star and he is furious that she kept her daughter from him.
Sure, the show is completely crazy and fortunately, something like that could never happen in real life. Dr. Alver should not have gone to work that day because she can't focus but Jane didn't hear what she said about the insemination because Jane is also tired. Now, I'm certainly not blaming the victim because that mistake is absolutely horrible. Dr. Alver knows that she is in major trouble and Jane might sue her which I hope happens because that mistake is unacceptable.
But the acting is wonderful with Rodriguez being the stand-out, making Jane a fully fleshed out character and Xiomara is another one to watch.
Sure, the show isn't perfect, with one too many grilled cheese name drops and seriously, with everything else going on, you have to include Michael spying on the hotel manager (Michael Rady) who is also sleeping with Petra. FYI, Michael is a detective so it is on a professional level that he is spying and it is just odd that Jane's father is a telenovela star though that could certainly be interesting.
However, it shows both sides of the pro-choice debate, something that is so refreshing to see and something that rarely happens in Hollywood, though I knew going in that she was going to have the baby. I am worried about the direction this show is going in, because you know that she is going to fall in love with the bio dad and together they will raise the baby but I wish that she would stay with her fiance and have the baby with him, but alas. Either way, I'm intrigued and can't wait for the next episode. Grade: A-
Jane (Gina Rodriguez) has her life all planned out. She is waiting to have sex with her boyfriend, Michael (Brett Dier) because her grandmother (Ivonne Coll) has warned her throughout the years that once she loses her virginity, she will never be able to get it back. She is working hard as a waitress at a local hotel owned by Rafael (Justin Baldoni) whom Jane has kissed years ago, and she is also taking classes so she can become a teacher.
Unfortunately, life has other plans. Thanks to a frazzled and heart-broken gynecologist (and Rafael's sister), Dr. Alver inseminates Jane with Rafael's frozen sperm. She realizes her mistake almost immediately when she goes to see her next patient, Petra (Yael Grobglas), also Rafael's wife. But knowing that there is only a twenty percent chance that Jane will actually get pregnant, she says nothing, but that twenty percent takes hold.
Jane faints on a bus and thus goes to the hospital where she is informed that she is pregnant. Naturally, she doesn't believe the test and her mother, Xiomara (Andrea Navedo) insists that another one is taken but the result is the same. Her mother believes that it is an immaculate conception and starts praying at her daughter. Yet, at the same time, once the truth is revealed, she is fine with her daughter having the abortion, but everything is a lot more complicated.
Rafael is a cancer survivor and that is his only sperm, his only chance to have a biological child and Jane, herself, is the child of a teenage parent. Her mother was just sixteen when she had Jane and Alma (grandmother), despite being extremely religious, wanted her young daughter to have an abortion but luckily that didn't happen, though now she is forced to live with that guilt.
Michael does propose, moving up their time line, not because he wants to have sex with her, though he does but he also wants to spend the rest of his life with her, have children together and yes, have sex with her. Side Note: I thought you had to have sex first before you have children.
He is not thrilled when he hears her news and Jane gets it. Of course he doesn't want to raise another man's child, but he supports her final decision. Jane decides to have the baby but give it to the father because he is in a happy, loving marriage. Too bad that part isn't true. Petra might have stayed glued to Rafael's side during his chemotherapy, but now that he is healed and completely healthy, she is cheating on him and he wants a divorce though she is blackmailing him to stay in the marriage by saying that Jane won't give them the baby if something is wrong in paradise.
So Jane is engaged to Michael and everything is fine, for now, but you know it won't last, especially considering that Xiomara has just re-met Jane's biological father (Jaime Camil) now a famous telenovela star and he is furious that she kept her daughter from him.
Sure, the show is completely crazy and fortunately, something like that could never happen in real life. Dr. Alver should not have gone to work that day because she can't focus but Jane didn't hear what she said about the insemination because Jane is also tired. Now, I'm certainly not blaming the victim because that mistake is absolutely horrible. Dr. Alver knows that she is in major trouble and Jane might sue her which I hope happens because that mistake is unacceptable.
But the acting is wonderful with Rodriguez being the stand-out, making Jane a fully fleshed out character and Xiomara is another one to watch.
Sure, the show isn't perfect, with one too many grilled cheese name drops and seriously, with everything else going on, you have to include Michael spying on the hotel manager (Michael Rady) who is also sleeping with Petra. FYI, Michael is a detective so it is on a professional level that he is spying and it is just odd that Jane's father is a telenovela star though that could certainly be interesting.
However, it shows both sides of the pro-choice debate, something that is so refreshing to see and something that rarely happens in Hollywood, though I knew going in that she was going to have the baby. I am worried about the direction this show is going in, because you know that she is going to fall in love with the bio dad and together they will raise the baby but I wish that she would stay with her fiance and have the baby with him, but alas. Either way, I'm intrigued and can't wait for the next episode. Grade: A-
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
The Middle: Major Anxiety
Axl (Charlie McDermott) actually has to figure out his life. Hutch (Alphonso McAuley) already has his life figured out; he's going to be an engineer. Axl first decides on Buddhist studies but naturally, his parents immediately nix that idea because he won't be able to find a job or make a living using that degree. He then decides upon engineering so he and Hutch can suffer together, but then he learns that engineers don't work on trains and also decides that that isn't for him. Apparently bridges and buildings just don't have the same ring to them as trains. Sue (Eden Sher), proving that she is the bigger person, even helps him find a major by making him take a girly quiz on Kicking It Teen Style.com which proves that he is a social person but the career chooses include manicurist and handbag stylist.
Later, they bond on the roof where Axl says that Sue isn't the worst sister a guy could have. She's good at helping people something that Sue loves to do. She wants to major in psychology and Axl steals that major. She is furious and then slips down the roof and is hanging on to the edge, threatening to go to his college. In the end, Mike (Neil Flynn) tells him that he will be majoring in business. All along, Axl wanted someone to tell him what to do and finally someone did.
In the meantime, Brick (Atticus Shaffer) decides that he wants to be popular. Frankie (Patricia Heaton) tells him that this means he must put down the book and actually talk to people. He tries this, barely. In shop class, he asks a girl to pass him a tool and she doesn't respond. But, nevertheless, he does decide to go to the Fall Fling. Mike and Frankie make sure he has his cell phone and ticket before dropping him off. I thought that they would just spend the whole night in the car and it's true, no sooner than they get home, Brick texts them saying that he's having a horrible time so they go to pick him up. When he finally gets in the car, he only has one shoe and has no idea where the other one is. He gets his romantic ending, just as I predicted. A girl, Cindy (Casey Burke), who is tall and odd looking comes to his house the next day to return his shoe and then promptly invites him out for fro-yo. He declines though Frankie pushes him to go out with her, snatching the book out of his hands. I think things just might work out between the two of them, after all she likes Planet Nowhere.
This was the best episode so far this season though I do have some nitpicks. First of all, I thought Brick worked out his relationship with that girl from North Carolina but I guess they dropped that plot line completely from the show, which I'm fine with, I just wish they had mentioned something about it. And Brick managed not to lose his cell phone for over a whole year, that's impressive.
That being said, it was still the funniest episode in some time with hidden little gags, like when Frankie is showing Brick how to dance with a girl and Mike mimicking her hand posture in the background. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Sue gets a great minor plot line. She starts drinking coffee and it has her bouncing off the walls. The funniest bit is when she dumps a huge lump of nutella in her mug.
-But she breaks the bad habit after a mere two days and she does crash pretty hard.
-Darrin (John Gammon) makes an experience during the Heck family talk show to help Brick. He believes that it will be good exposure for the band.
-Axl uses his book of majors as a plate. That's a good use for it.
-Axl even manages to give Brick some good advice, saying that he needs to start looking for friends at the bottom of the heap.
-"Over the years, I've become quite fond of you."-Axl's best line to Brick.
-Frankie and Mike decide to make out in the car when they wait for Brick, but Mike has to come to her because she hurt her neck while she was sleeping. It's cute, charming and endearing and fortunately, we don't get to see it.
Later, they bond on the roof where Axl says that Sue isn't the worst sister a guy could have. She's good at helping people something that Sue loves to do. She wants to major in psychology and Axl steals that major. She is furious and then slips down the roof and is hanging on to the edge, threatening to go to his college. In the end, Mike (Neil Flynn) tells him that he will be majoring in business. All along, Axl wanted someone to tell him what to do and finally someone did.
In the meantime, Brick (Atticus Shaffer) decides that he wants to be popular. Frankie (Patricia Heaton) tells him that this means he must put down the book and actually talk to people. He tries this, barely. In shop class, he asks a girl to pass him a tool and she doesn't respond. But, nevertheless, he does decide to go to the Fall Fling. Mike and Frankie make sure he has his cell phone and ticket before dropping him off. I thought that they would just spend the whole night in the car and it's true, no sooner than they get home, Brick texts them saying that he's having a horrible time so they go to pick him up. When he finally gets in the car, he only has one shoe and has no idea where the other one is. He gets his romantic ending, just as I predicted. A girl, Cindy (Casey Burke), who is tall and odd looking comes to his house the next day to return his shoe and then promptly invites him out for fro-yo. He declines though Frankie pushes him to go out with her, snatching the book out of his hands. I think things just might work out between the two of them, after all she likes Planet Nowhere.
This was the best episode so far this season though I do have some nitpicks. First of all, I thought Brick worked out his relationship with that girl from North Carolina but I guess they dropped that plot line completely from the show, which I'm fine with, I just wish they had mentioned something about it. And Brick managed not to lose his cell phone for over a whole year, that's impressive.
That being said, it was still the funniest episode in some time with hidden little gags, like when Frankie is showing Brick how to dance with a girl and Mike mimicking her hand posture in the background. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Sue gets a great minor plot line. She starts drinking coffee and it has her bouncing off the walls. The funniest bit is when she dumps a huge lump of nutella in her mug.
-But she breaks the bad habit after a mere two days and she does crash pretty hard.
-Darrin (John Gammon) makes an experience during the Heck family talk show to help Brick. He believes that it will be good exposure for the band.
-Axl uses his book of majors as a plate. That's a good use for it.
-Axl even manages to give Brick some good advice, saying that he needs to start looking for friends at the bottom of the heap.
-"Over the years, I've become quite fond of you."-Axl's best line to Brick.
-Frankie and Mike decide to make out in the car when they wait for Brick, but Mike has to come to her because she hurt her neck while she was sleeping. It's cute, charming and endearing and fortunately, we don't get to see it.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
The Middle: The Loneliest Locker
Frankie's (Patricia Heaton) a bad mother. Even if a toy is noisy and ridiculous, you shouldn't take it off your son's lap and hide in the basement. But that's what she did, ruining Brick's (Atticus Shaffer's) childhood, forcing him to reading book after book because it is quiet.
Despite that, Frankie doesn't want to crush Sue's (Eden Sher's) dream of attending a private, perhaps out of state college. In order that her dream even has a chance of coming true, Frankie and Mike (Neil Flynn) get another job or pick up more hours. Mike picks up other hours at Little Betty (who knew he was still working there?) and Frankie works from home as a flight attendant which sounds a lot better than it actually is. Her kids are loud and don't understand that they need to leave her alone when she is on the phone. Mike believes that they should tell Sue the truth and crush her dreams while Frankie believes that she needs to have hope. Besides, crushing her dreams could send her down the wrong path while Mike believes that honesty is the best policy and thinks that Sue can handle the truth.
This ties into the play that Brad (J. Brock Ciarlelli) has tapped her to write. Her play should have had potential. It's about a new girl in high school suffering from a myriad of illnesses including both bulimia and anorexia. The play is just odd and horrible and they fight over the ending with Sue wanting a hopeful one while Brad prefers a sadder but realistic one which inspires the above mentioned debate Mike and Frankie have. Poor Frankie ends up missing the play because she has to re-route passengers. Naturally, Sue is furious and blows up at Frankie once she arrived home. She is mad, and Frankie is mad right back. Frankie finally admits that she is working so hard and missing everything so Sue can go to college. Sue is heart-broken that her parents are working so hard and knows that even if she wants to go to a private college, she knows that it is just a dream. She just wants her parents to be present because she loves them so much. Though Frankie and Mike agree that they would work less but secretly, they want her to have her dream because she is so sweet and kind and generous. But I think a third job will kill Frankie.
This episode was better than the premiere as it usually is and it nearly touched on something special, Sue realizing that dreams are wonderful but rarely happen in reality and though she normally has her head in the clouds, she does have a better grip on reality than her parents believe and wants attention more than money. A relationship more than monetary things. She is slowly growing up, too bad that probably won't last in this show. Unfortunately, the relationship she has with Axl is still just as childish as ever, arguing over stupid things like who stole the shower curtain? And Brick's plot line is basically left unfinished. He needs a better plot line, stat. Still, it was funny in sad, pathetic sort of way seeing the final product of the play which is potentially the worst thing I've ever seen. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Axl's apartment is unfurnished so he steals crap from around the Heck house all day long, even going as far as stealing the middle cushion from the sofa.
-Because of that, Mike steals all three cushions from Axl's sofa and blackmails him back by forcing him to attend Sue's play. Each hour he sits there, he gets a cushion back.
-For the record, 8 x 8 equals 64, not 72 Axl, the look on Hutch's (Alphonso McAuley's) face is priceless. Axl, you're in college now, and yet you don't know simple math. I pity you and it confuses my brain a little. You need to learn.
-The play is completely horrible, with a dream within a dream sequence and multiple endings. Mike liked the third one best.
-I actually like the middle seat, Joan (a passenger Frankie is talking to on the phone) because that means I am very far away from the windows and can't really see outside them, thank goodness.
-Also, Joan, if you are taking a flight at the last minute, please at least attempt to be flexible.
-Did Darrin attend the worst play ever? He better have of else he loses brownie points from me.
-Of course you have sprinkles Frankie, you almost always do.
Despite that, Frankie doesn't want to crush Sue's (Eden Sher's) dream of attending a private, perhaps out of state college. In order that her dream even has a chance of coming true, Frankie and Mike (Neil Flynn) get another job or pick up more hours. Mike picks up other hours at Little Betty (who knew he was still working there?) and Frankie works from home as a flight attendant which sounds a lot better than it actually is. Her kids are loud and don't understand that they need to leave her alone when she is on the phone. Mike believes that they should tell Sue the truth and crush her dreams while Frankie believes that she needs to have hope. Besides, crushing her dreams could send her down the wrong path while Mike believes that honesty is the best policy and thinks that Sue can handle the truth.
This ties into the play that Brad (J. Brock Ciarlelli) has tapped her to write. Her play should have had potential. It's about a new girl in high school suffering from a myriad of illnesses including both bulimia and anorexia. The play is just odd and horrible and they fight over the ending with Sue wanting a hopeful one while Brad prefers a sadder but realistic one which inspires the above mentioned debate Mike and Frankie have. Poor Frankie ends up missing the play because she has to re-route passengers. Naturally, Sue is furious and blows up at Frankie once she arrived home. She is mad, and Frankie is mad right back. Frankie finally admits that she is working so hard and missing everything so Sue can go to college. Sue is heart-broken that her parents are working so hard and knows that even if she wants to go to a private college, she knows that it is just a dream. She just wants her parents to be present because she loves them so much. Though Frankie and Mike agree that they would work less but secretly, they want her to have her dream because she is so sweet and kind and generous. But I think a third job will kill Frankie.
This episode was better than the premiere as it usually is and it nearly touched on something special, Sue realizing that dreams are wonderful but rarely happen in reality and though she normally has her head in the clouds, she does have a better grip on reality than her parents believe and wants attention more than money. A relationship more than monetary things. She is slowly growing up, too bad that probably won't last in this show. Unfortunately, the relationship she has with Axl is still just as childish as ever, arguing over stupid things like who stole the shower curtain? And Brick's plot line is basically left unfinished. He needs a better plot line, stat. Still, it was funny in sad, pathetic sort of way seeing the final product of the play which is potentially the worst thing I've ever seen. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Axl's apartment is unfurnished so he steals crap from around the Heck house all day long, even going as far as stealing the middle cushion from the sofa.
-Because of that, Mike steals all three cushions from Axl's sofa and blackmails him back by forcing him to attend Sue's play. Each hour he sits there, he gets a cushion back.
-For the record, 8 x 8 equals 64, not 72 Axl, the look on Hutch's (Alphonso McAuley's) face is priceless. Axl, you're in college now, and yet you don't know simple math. I pity you and it confuses my brain a little. You need to learn.
-The play is completely horrible, with a dream within a dream sequence and multiple endings. Mike liked the third one best.
-I actually like the middle seat, Joan (a passenger Frankie is talking to on the phone) because that means I am very far away from the windows and can't really see outside them, thank goodness.
-Also, Joan, if you are taking a flight at the last minute, please at least attempt to be flexible.
-Did Darrin attend the worst play ever? He better have of else he loses brownie points from me.
-Of course you have sprinkles Frankie, you almost always do.
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