Well, just when spring and the nice weather finally arrives, there is a catch. In Frankie's (Patricia Heaton's) case, the new neighbors, the Petersons. They have three young, loud children and she's pregnant again. They ruin Frankie's good time. She tries, in vain, to get them to stay inside. She says that medical experts have changed their minds on TV, that it is actually a good thing and that ticks will be absolutely horrible this summer. Unfortunately, her next move isn't great. She gives them a flyer about a day camp and how they take the kids out into the county for some fresh air. Mrs. Peterson (Emily Rutherford) merely smiles and mentions the ticks. The look on Frankie's face is priceless. In end, Mrs. Peterson just says that the kids are just kids and are thrilled to have a backyard after moving from an apartment. Frankie decides to let the whole thing go. And now, when the kids fight over a cookie, she tosses some over the high hedge because she's not going to be the mean, old lady next door.
In the meantime, Brick (Atticus Shaffer) questions Mike (Neil Flynn) on why his co-workers helped him build the lanai, or patio, but Frankie just wants to sound fancier. Mike tries to convince Brick that it is because of their friendship though Brick firmly believes it is because Mike is the boss. The examples Brick gives support his cause much better than anything Mike could ever say. The last time the guys came over to hang out with Mike was to fix the hole in Sue's room and Mike did go to that basketball game with Jim (Troy Metcalf) but they were Jim's tickets. It ends sadly for Mike, at the end, he invites them over for a barbecue at some point in the future while the guys seem skeptical. He just wants the guys to hang out because he doesn't have many friends but the others, when they realize they aren't needed, opt to hang out at a bar instead, leaving Mike all alone, with the realization that his son is correct.
Though the show already has two big plot lines, Axl (Charlie McDermott) and Sue (Eden Sher) also have stuff to do, leaving the show feeling overstuffed, something that Modern Family does all the time, having too many plot lines and too many guest stars. Axl and Hutch (Alphonso McAuley) discover how wonderful Kenny's (Tommy Bechtold's) grilled cheese sandwiches are amazing and decide to form their own business out of their mobile home. This becomes an extremely popular business, and it makes Axl and Hutch a lot of money while it takes the passion out of the art of grilled cheese for Kenny and eventually he walks away, leaving Hutch and Axl floundering.
The business survives but greed gets the better of them. While they are busy counting their spoils, the camper's stove catches on fire, burning a rather large hole in the ceiling, though ever the optimist, they embrace it and it even gives them a new business idea: a convertible camper.
Sue, on the other hand, is mean for a change. She and Lexie (Daniela Bobadilla) pick a great number in the housing lottery. I remember those days. I got a horrible number my first year and had a room in the gross, older dorm for a whole year. But my roommate cancelled so I got a big room to myself.
Okay, back to Sue. She and Lexie decide that they want the flood room, which just got completely re-done as this one girl flooded the sink so everything had to be replaced. However, when they go there, the current residents don't want to leave as the one girl suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome. She plays the pity card well, and Sue and Lexie give in, saying that they will switch numbers. Then, they see the sick girl playing sports and completely call her out and make fun of her illness. Turns out, the girl had a twin, a healthy twin. Needless to say, the room they will be in next season is utterly horrible and wouldn't pass any sort of code. No student should be allowed to stay in it.
Okay, though each plot line was pretty good, they didn't connect well and each probably needed a little more time to be fleshed out more. Still, each actor was good and the guest stars were pretty good, which is always a relief. And it was funny, as these shows almost always are. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Mrs. Peterson tells Frankie that she is a twin and seeing as she's currently pregnant, her fingers are crossed. Frankie asks which way and Mrs. Peterson only responds with an odd look. I don't know which way Mrs. Peterson wanted it to go.
-Upon running out of grilled cheese, Axl makes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of mold covered marmalade and peanut dust. Still, people liked it.
-Sue doesn't know what a penthouse is. Yikes.
-Frankie tries to enjoy her lanai at five in the morning. That doesn't go well.
-Axl is skipping a class just to watch girls in their short shorts. Actually, he's skipping a test. That is certainly a horrible decision.
-I wonder what Sue's new boyfriend would say about the housing lottery.
-Sue and Lexie freak out over having six outlets in their potential new room for next year.
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