The Middle: The Christmas Wall

Well, is a King Moonracer (a lion with wings) a misfit toy or not? That is the question. And this leads to the first shown fight between Axl (Charlie McDermott) and Sean (Beau Wirick). Axl believes so while Sean doesn't think that he is an actual misfit toy. They get into a huge fight, first with words and then with fists, destroying some lovely blow-up decorations they are putting up for other people. They decide to lock Darrin (John Gammon) away to watch the Rudolph special and will make the final decision. Their fifteen year friendship rests on Darrin's shoulders. Yikes.
Frankie (Patricia Heaton) is having tons of trouble getting into the holiday spirit. She's sick of doing everything expected of her: writing the Christmas letter, baking cookies, putting up the tree so she's  going on strike, sitting on the couch, in her underwear or pajamas, thrilled with doing nothing. Mrs. Donahue (Jen Ray) is horrified and can't understand her attitude, believing the world will end if she doesn't wrap her garage door as a giant Christmas present.
In the meantime, Brick (Atticus Shaffer) is thrilled to discover Christmas letters from people they barely know. He reads them like a story and can't wait until next year to get the next chapter. No, seriously, he can't wait, calling the Kirkwoods to find out more details, greeting them like they were old friends, wanting to know more about Dale's soccer or Emily's engagement. However, when he tries to write a Christmas letter for the Hecks, he can't come up with anything good. The truth is horrible and he can't lie. I don't think he ever finishes the letter.
When it comes time for Darrin to make a decision, he chickens out, running outside in the snow without a coat on. In the end, he agrees that King Moonracer is a toy, Sean is okay with the solution and then they have a disagreement over if snow angels are unisex or only female, but this ends peacefully.
Mike (Neil Flynn) is having issues of his own that aren't solved as easily as Axl's. He is having trouble finding a fake Christmas tree that is complete and not pink. In the end, they settle for one that is mostly green with a pink top because Mike is driving anywhere else to get another tree. Just when Frankie is satisfied with her own decision Mike pulls the sympathy card by just telling the truth. He didn't really have decorations growing up because his mother died young and then it was just three guys who didn't really care. In fact, he didn't celebrate Christmas until he met Frankie. This forces her to get off her butt and put up decorations though she does fail to wrap the presents, leaving them in their labelled paper bags. Fortunately, the kids are happy and so is she.
Frankie finally gets behind the real meaning of Christmas, making good memories with your family and having them enjoy the holiday because the stuff you think is pointless actually isn't. It is about family togetherness.
This episode should have done just a little more with the family Christmas letter, and Sue really wasn't given much to do, though this was still a good episode and certainly another solid holiday episode for the Heck family, who always do the holidays so well and realistically. Solid acting all around and some funny lines. Brick is really given some hilarious lines as of late. Hopefully that continues. Grade: A-
-"We're getting this tree. It's 50% off."-Mike, making the decision of which tree they should get easier.
-Frankie's mom gets a mention when she sends them some fudge in the mail.
-Brick's horrible Christmas letter includes some intimate discussions between Frankie and Mike, including if Sue was going to lose it with Darrin. Also, Axl's career ended just as soon as it began. I hope not, considering he's on an athletic scholarship. And there are always issues with money.
-Mrs. Donahue believes the smell of cookies is essential in the house.
-Naturally, when Frankie takes off her pants, Axl is horrified.
-When the kids offer her a general apology, Brick swears he will try to stop licking things. That is just disgusting.
-During Darrin's viewing of Rudolph, Sue runs out to report the play-by-play to the guys asking if he can look at outside sources (allowed) or if he can rewind (first impressions only) before making the final decisions.
-It is ridiculous that Frankie needs to drive to a separate store to buy Christmas paper and bows.
-Sue bought Darrin a three-foot tall bear he really wanted. How sweet.

The Middle: The College Tour

Well, when Sue (Eden Sher) lies and starts to throw up, you're in for an interesting episode.  She starts off the episode strong, waking Mike (Neil Flynn) super early so they can begin the endless weekend of college tours and at the first one, she receives tons of brochures on pow-wows and stuff like that because she believed herself to be a native american and that is what she filled out on her forms. Needless to say, she can't believe that she should have filled out Caucasian on the form. At the next college tour, she tries to overcompensate and makes it abundantly clear that she's white and is only interested in clubs for white people. I guess she is asked to leave the campus because Mike is driving in the car, muttering that it was out of their price range anyway. And then, not knowing which tray she should have picked, she drops in distress and runs away in shame and Mike just doesn't get it. Fortunately, her last college tour goes much better and she asks the great question of "If you could start out as a freshman, what would you wish you would know?" which solves the tray question, at least for that school. Along the way, they meet Maddie (Ashlee Fuss) and her super-involved father (Bil Dwyer) who is going to miss his daughter horribly. They make special daddy-pancakes and used to have tea parties, stuff like that. That forces Mike to think and he asks Sue if she wishes that he was more like Maddie's dad and she scoffs at that. She believes that Mike is the best dad in the world. I mean, why else would she have bought him a World's Greatest Dad Mug, mugs don't lie.
While Mike is busy dealing with Sue and her antics, Frankie (Patricia Heaton) gets a call from Axl (Charlie McDermott) stating that his coach is finally going to put in the game. Which does happen, only Axl manages to fumble the ball just nine seconds into his first game. Axl is humiliated and mopes around his apartment, forcing him to take advice from Frankie. It turns out he is so embarrassed because he invited Devin Levin (Gina Mantegna) to the game and that is the play she saw. Luckily, Frankie manages to actually give him some pretty good advice which he is desperate enough to take and calls her and charms her into grabbing some food to eat together. Frankie is pleased with what she has done.
Brick (Atticus Shaffer) gets a crappy plot line this week, but at least we get to see some characters that we seldom see much of. He is forced to stay at home, being watched by a variety of oddballs while he is supposed to work on a school project where he must build a car that can go at least fifty feet by itself. He does, only because he has help from these people.
All-in-all, this was a pretty good episode. Mike and Sue had some sweet moments, which are always lovely and it is also touching when Axl can be charming, even if he was prodded to be charming by Frankie. Sure, it would have been lovely if Brick would get a decent plot line, but the acting is always top-notch and there some funny moments. Grade: A
Side Notes:
-Brick's babysitters include the super religious Ruth (Grace Bannon), who wants a bowl of wheat and brings him some of her old toys, which are a block of wood and a rock. Chuck (Greg Cipes) is also there to watch Baby Mike and tells him that school is pointless and he left once he was told to where a shirt. Finally, Brad (J. Brock Ciarlelli) comes over and over glitters Brick's project car.
-Axl is disgusting as he has never cleaned his place which leads Frankie to buy cleaning supplies and label them as such.
-During their college trip, Mike and Sue stay at a variety of odd places owned by people that are distantly related to them because it is saving them money.
-Frankie foolishly cell phone tapes the fumble of Axl's which only makes things worse.
-Just when I thought we weren't going to see anymore of Devin Levin, she makes a quick appearance and mentions that she wishes Axl had some of this wit on the field.
-Frankie says that even though Mike is emotionless as an Easter island statue, she loves him anyway. And she does. Axl covers his ears, not wanting to hear how much his parents love each other.
-At least Brick didn't set the house on fire or something else crazy like that. We can be grateful for that.