Well, Brick (Atticus Shaffer) I understand. I can't swallow pills either and I'm a whole lot older than you. Apparently, Brick had an ear infection and now must take a pill in order to get better, but that is something he is not capable of. Frankie (Patricia Heaton) tries many tricks, even putting it in a bowl of pudding but Brick is too smart for that trick. He picks it out of the pudding, licks the pill off and lays it down beside him and gulfs down the pudding. But when Frankie must sneak out of work to pick him up from school, she is livid and tries to tell him that adults have to do stuff that they never want to do. Brick compares it to her never, ever parallel parking. To prove a point, badly, she attempts to parallel park and it goes badly, but it finally forces Brick to swallow the pill. Hopefully he'll have better luck next time.
Sue (Eden Sher) has far bigger fish to fry. She forgot to renew her financial aid and thus, is not even enrolled in college anymore. Yeah, this makes the pill look like nothing. She missed the email to re-enroll and now there is nothing that can be done unless her parents can actually pay for college, which of course they can't. Mike (Neil Flynn) even decides to charm the burser, though he warns Sue he's not proud of it. But the deadline is firm one, set by the Department of Education. Of course Mike is mad at Sue and she's so disappointed. She's the one who doesn't get to go to college anymore.
Axl's (Charlie McDermott's) problems are also petty in comparison, he merely doesn't care about his housemates by driving the Winnebago back to Orson at the drop of a hat so he can visit April. That's a lot of gas money to do so. Hutch (Alphonso McAuley) wakes up somewhere else and nearly misses his classes which makes him very angry, understandably. But, as it turns out, he is most upset that he had to find out about Axl's wonderful relationship from Kenny (Tommy Bechtold) of all people. Hutch does love love, after all. Things are hopefully better between the two of them. But Axl does need to consider his roommate's needs also. It can't be all about him. But he has always been pretty self-centered.
Sue's problems aren't as easily solved. Without her financial aid, she is packing up her bags when she gets a miraculous email. She's back in college. And she's so grateful, though it doesn't last long, as her dorm room is the worst.
Frankie is thrilled that Mike solved the financial aid problem, only he didn't. He loves Sue so much that he sold his half of the diaper business and wrote out the twenty thousand dollar check for her tuition. Frankie is shocked and even I was too. He made a huge sacrifice for his only daughter. He does have a soft spot in his heart for her. She will never know how much he truly does love her.
It is a sweet moment and adds some needed gravity to the episode as Axl's and Brick's plot lines are stupid and petty in the long run, albeit realist. I can relate to both, though I never lived in a Winnebago and woke up in another town, yet it could happen.
The acting is top-notch as this episode was especially a highlight for Flynn. It wasn't as funny as most episodes are, but it was serious and real, both of which are also very important. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Frankie can take her bra off underneath her clothes and once that happens, she is done for the day.
-Mike can fake charming very well.
-Sue is boycotting her boyfriend, Jeremy (Will Green) as he sent the pizza delivery guy back as he didn't like where the pizza cheese came from. Color me not surprised. Sue shouldn't have been either.
-I wonder what would truly happen if you could and did harness the power of a young man in love.
-Booze is Frankie's opinion of a people treat.
-Brick can now finally be in the same room as scotch tape. There must be more to the story than just that. I would love to know more.
-April's eyes are the color of a lake and her hair smells like lemons.
-Great cut from Axl saying only losers introduce themselves to the professors to Sue explaining to the administration that she was introducing herself to all of her professors.
-Sue forwarded the email the cafeteria soup menu to her mother for whatever reason.
-Sue, you need to get another back-up plan. You are too good to work at Spudsys forever.
-Sue also loses checkers to her stuffed dog.
-Mike admits that the Hecks have no records, financially speaking.
-Mike really does suck up to the burser. We see a whole other side of him.
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