Well, this was a weak season finale even though, given how the season went, it had so much more potential.
Sue's (Eden Sher's) plot was incredibly weak, especially since she miraculously found the snow globe Sean (Beau Wirick) threw into the trash outside of her apartment. IT just spoke to her. But it is only mentioned once. Her main plot line is that she accidentally backed into another car, leaving a minuscule scratch on it. But she leaves a note, and when that doesn't get the owner's attention, she leaves another and another until the owner finally meets her because she is just so nice and wonderful. Yeah, basically lame.
Brick's (Atticus Shaffer's) plot line isn't much better. His back is hurting because of his nice, matching dining room table chair so he hunts down the old lawn chair that is so familiar to him. He finds it and never lets it out of his sight again.
Axl (Charlie McDermott) actually has the main plot line of this episode and it is by far the best one of the show. He has finally graduated from college and has an excellent opportunity in from of him. Kenny (the unseen Tommy Bechtold) is going to Europe for some business venture and is offering to pay for Axl's ticket if Axl does all the public speaking for him. Mike (Neil Flynn) is livid, wanting Axl to find a job immediately, while Frankie (Patricia Heaton) doesn't want him to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. And I get it. He probably won't have another time to go, but Frankie backs up Mike, though her heart and brain aren't in it.
And then, Axl gives it up. He sucks it up and starts looking for a job, and it just breaks Frankie's heart so she throws his stuff into the suitcase so Axl can go and she doesn't care what Mike thinks. It turns out the real reason Mike didn't want Axl to go is because he wanted to spend one last summer with him before is able to afford his own place. But I do also think that Mike is a little jealous that Axl has this opportunity and Mike who has worked hard his whole life doesn't.
So Axl does go, even though the family car is blocked in by his Winnebago, but fortunately, the man whose car Sue hit is there and able to give them a ride and Axl makes his flight just in time and then Brick's lawn chair really scratches the gentleman's car though Frankie decides not to tell him until the ride home.
All-in-all this was a disappointment, no mention of Lexie (Daniela Bobadilla) or Cindy (Casey Burke). I'm glad Axl was able to go to Europe, and they left things open between Sue and Sean, but it was still a hollow episode, when it could have been so much better. Still, the performances are always excellent and there are many zingers throughout the show, I just wish this had been a better episode for Sue and Brick. Grade: B, Season: B+
Side Notes:
-When Mrs. Donahue (Jen Ray) threw her plastic silverware out after Frankie told her to, Mike immediately fished them out.
-Frankie also recycled the graduation banner from when Axl graduated high school.
-Axl thinks that Europe has the opposite seasons of the US.
-Brick finds his chair under Frankie's bras, and then a bird flies off with one of them.
-Mike reminds Frankie's mother of Henry Fonda, which is mostly true.
-Frankie does back up Mike on many things including the ridiculous price of theater snacks.
-Sue is showing some hoarder-like tendencies and Frankie is slightly worried about her.
-Brick will go anywhere, even prison if he can bring his chair.
-Axl can think of three ways to kill people with a toothbrush. Frankie can't find his, so she gives him Brick's to take to Europe.
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