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.
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