The Middle

The pilot episode of the American television series The Middle, written by DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler and directed by Julie Anne Robinson, premiered on the ABC network in the United States on September 30, 2009. The pilot introduces viewers to the five central characters within the show who make up the Heck family: Frankie the working mother; her husband Mike; and their three children - teenagers Axl and Sue and their youngest child Brick. The show follows the characters as they deal with everyday challenges and family life, with Frankie serving as narrator. The critical reaction to the pilot episode were mostly favourable. The show held an aggregated score of 70/100 on the review website Metacritic. Many reviewers drew comparisons with another similarly named comedy series, Malcolm in the Middle.

Frankie and Mikes romantic anniversary get-away is ruined by various family matters, including Brick being sick, Sue being lovesick, Axl just getting his learners permit, and two psychotic aunts and their dogs.

Bricks teachers tell Frankie and Mike that he is "socially challenged". Mike believes that enrolling Brick on a basketball team is a good way to get him to interact with others, but the idea falls through. However, when Mike enters the neighborhood block-party lawnmower contest, he realizes that Brick has some special talents. Meanwhile, Frankie joins a booster club in the hopes of raising enough money for Axls football team to buy new jerseys, but Axl refuses to give his old one up.

Frankie accidentally hits Brick in the head with a beer bottle when trying to get the trash out before the garbage truck leaves. But when Brick innocently tells his school that the scratch was caused by his mother throwing a beer bottle at him, a social worker comes to evaluate the Heck family. Meanwhile, Bob helps Mr. Ehlert shoot a commercial for the car lot.

Frankie encounters two perfect siblings and vows to make her children stop fighting and become a loving family. Meanwhile, Aunt Edie makes a costly mistake at the quarry and Mike considers firing her.

A hormonally charged Sue wants a cool pair of jeans in order to fit in with her peers, resulting in Frankie and Mike enduring the unpredictability of teenagers, while Axl wants a car to impress a girl. Meanwhile, attempting to teach Brick about responsibility, Frankie and Mike reluctantly allow him to take care of Aunt Edie and Aunt Ginnys dog Doris for a few days.

Mike loses his job when the plant shuts down for scientific research after he discovers a dinosaur bone in the quarry. However, Mike starts to get irregular feelings when he discovers how drastically things have change technologically over the years when considering the terms of searching for a job. Meanwhile, Frankie feels she must once again come to Bricks rescue when he decides to run for school historian.

Valentines Day unexpectedly finds Frankie and Mike home alone and ready for a romantic evening while Brick is away at his first sleepover, Sue goes to her first boy-girl party, and Axl has a big date night planned with some friends. But Cupids arrow doesnt exactly hit the target, and the best laid plans soon begin to unravel.

Axl is heartbroken when his girlfriend (Alexa Vega) breaks up with him; Sue and Brick watch a scary movie.

Mikes dream comes to fruition when Frankies boss, Mr. Ehlert, offers him two tickets to the Final Four. Unfortunately, Frankies uncle dies and the funeral is set for the same day, leaving the two in a battle and Frankie making Mike chose what life event is more important to him. Meanwhile, Sue gets Brick out of going to a birthday party by impersonating Frankie over the phone, but the plan hits a bump when Frankie needs to call and tell them that Brick cannot attend because of the funeral.

Frankie is worried that Axls going to get his heart crushed again when his on-again/off-again girlfriend, Morgan (Alexa Vega, "Spy Kids," "Ruby & the Rockits"), re-enters his life and tries to mold him into the man she wants him to be. Meanwhile Brick learns what it means to be a mother hen when he has to watch over a baby chick for a school science project.

Frankie points out to Mike that his social ineptness has been passed on to Brick, leading Mike to decide that both he and Brick need to be more social, and the Heck family BBQ is the perfect time to try. Meanwhile, Axl volunteers to clean the family pool in an attempt to get girls to stop by and swim and Sue tries to raise money for a local parish because her new friend, Reverend TimTom might be leaving in order to keep costs down

Frankie comes up with a plan to stay on top of her kids schedules; Bricks new teacher (Doris Roberts) accuses Frankie of being overprotective.

While shopping for baby diapers for Sue, who has run out of them on a baby-sitting job, Frankie is completely humiliated when a clerk assumes shes shopping for adult diapers. Meanwhile, after getting on Mikes case to get a physical exam because she thinks men tend to fall apart faster than women as they age, Frankie proceeds to throw out her back and hides it from Mike, who tells her he received a clean bill of health from the doctor; a clueless Sue falls for Axls friend, Sean, who barely notices her existence; and Brick begins to test all of the age-old urban legends parents tell their kids - such as not to swallow a watermelon seed for fear one will grow in their belly - after discovering Frankie has used these white lies on him in the past.

Against the familys wishes, Frankie invites a Japanese foreign exchange student to live with them, in the hopes of exposing him to American life; however, the Hecks get frustrated when he shows no interest in them or America.

Frankie and Mike are speechless when, on his ninth birthday, Brick demands to hear the true story about the day he was born, which has remained a mysterious Heck family secret. Meanwhile, Axls new manager at the movie theater turns out to be a conundrum - hot and dumb - which leaves a confused Axl wondering if her hotness trumps her incompetence.

Mike begrudgingly invites his brother, Rusty, who is temporarily living in a tent, and his father, Big Mike, who has recently broken his hip, to join him for the annual Heck family Thanksgiving. But when Frankie observes the macho Heck mens non-communicative nature, she encourages a not-so-receptive Mike to engage them in a real conversation and express their feelings. Meanwhile, Brick is ecstatic when he discovers that Bob is bringing his girlfriend, Linda - the local librarian who loves books as much as Brick does - to Thanksgiving; and Sue wants to start a mother-daughter tradition of baking a pie for the holiday, but ends up getting more sliced up than the crust.

After years of being at their kids beck-and-call and never having time for themselves, Frankie and Mike decide to take charge of their lives and regain control over the Heck household. But Axl, Sue and Brick dont plan on going down without a fight.

As the Super Bowl approaches, Mike is thrilled when Brick takes his advice and studies up on football in order to understand and talk the sport. But Axl thinks his little brother is taking over his turf by being Mikes football buddy - a position Axl used to cherish. Meanwhile, Frankie thinks her professional career is looking up when Mr. Ehlert chooses her to accompany him to a managerial seminar, and ex-boyfriend Brad asks Sue to be his dance partner for the schools annual Square Dancing with the Stars.

Frankie looks for a friend for Brick; Sue sneaks into an R-rated movie against Mikes wishes; and Axl and his band need a hot female for their music video and try to get stealth footage of their sexy biology teacher.

Frankie once again goes head to head with Bricks third grade teacher, Ms. Rinsky, when Brick gets a D on his math test and Frankie thinks poor teaching skills are to blame. But Frankie wonders whether or not she can make the grade when Ms. Rinsky requires that she and Mike attend a class to test their own math skills. Meanwhile, while begrudgingly watching over their crusty, old aunts, Axl and Sue mull over a plan to accompany Aunt Edie on a search for a time capsule she buried when she was young.

Max punishes Axl by forbidding him from playing in the last basketball game of the season. Meanwhile, Brick begins wearing his cousins hand-me-downs, and Sue wins a trophy.

Things dont go as planned when Mike and the kids give Frankie a day without the family as a Mothers Day gift.

Frankie and Mike attempt to cure Brick of his irrational fear of crossing over bridges. Meanwhile, Axl is pitted against nemesis Sean Donahue when a lifeguard position opens up at the local public pool, and Frankie is ready to pull her hair out when she tries to help an indecisive and emotional Sue pick out a two-piece bathing suit to wear on the pools opening day.

Frankie insists that the family go on vacation together before school starts; Mike and Frankie remember their honeymoon, which was ruined by Nicky (Ray Romano), a guy Mike knew in high school.

Mike learns that Brick has been skipping gym class, and goes to meet with his fourth grade teacher. Meanwhile, Axl plans a prank on Sue, who is now in high school with him.

Frankie learns that Axls PSATs are fast approaching and he hasnt been preparing for them. Sue sets her sights high and decides to try out for cheerleading, while Mike decides that Brick needs to toughen up when he gets bullied at school.

After being embarrassed over wearing a childish costume at a high school Halloween costume party and being ignored by the guys, Sue asks a flabbergasted Mike for his advice on what boys want when it comes to girls. Meanwhile, Frankie reluctantly volunteers to take Bricks socially awkward school social skills group trick-or-treating, and Axl and his friends devise a plan to trick rather than treat the neighborhood kids on Halloween.

Frankie is thrilled when she learns that the Orson Community Theater is putting on a production of "The Wizard of Oz," and that kids dont need to audition to be munchkins, as they will be automatically cast - which is a perfect scenario for a hapless Sue. But things quickly go awry when Frankie is cast in a singing role and learns the director is not happy with Sues performance and may cut her from the play. Meanwhile, Brick asks his unreliably quirky Uncle Rusty to attend his schools Special Friends Day - with disastrous results.

On a tipsy whim - and against Mikes wishes - Frankie decides to throw a Christmas Eve party at the house; Mike buys Frankie a much needed new dishwasher for Christmas, but has a hard time keeping it a secret when she begs him to replace the old one before the party; Sue calls on Reverend TimTom to explain the meaning of Christmas to Brick when he reads the Bible and begins to question it; and Axl gets annoyed with Bob when he tries too hard to be cool in order to befriend him while working together on a Christmas tree lot.

Aunty Ginnys funeral is the catalyst for Frankies vow to begin celebrating all of the familys major life achievements. Axl mistakenly eats Bricks school map project and Sue finds out that a boy on the wrestling team has a crush on her.

Frankie and Mike decide to try a fresh approach to Valentines Day by having dinner out with friends. But a clueless Mike angers Frankie by refusing to present her with a simple romantic gesture. Meanwhile, Axl cant think of a life-changing moment thats occurred in his life when hes assigned to write a school paper on the subject, Brick is tasked with writing a report on love, and a hapless Sue doesnt understand why her new boyfriend has suddenly turned into a bad kisser.

The kids have a meeting with Frankie and Mike about their parenting techniques, and they are thrown for a loop, when their parents attempt to change.

Brick takes a job delivering newspapers, in order to save up enough money to buy night vision goggles. Meanwhile, Axl tries to convince Sue that a long-distance relationship with Matt wont work. Elsewhere, Frankie discovers that Mike has been hoarding batteries.

Sue finds a kindred spirit in her awkward school guidance counselor, Jane Marsh (Whoopi Goldberg), who inspires her to reinvent herself. Meanwhile, Frankie is ecstatic when she and Mike buy a much needed new bed but is gobsmacked when her stubborn husband insists on assembling it himself; and Brick attempts to call the President to outlaw the Presidential Fitness Challenge, which would force him to accomplish some strenuous physical exercises at school.

Frankie gets Brick to snitch on his siblings, but Mike disapproves of the tattling. Meanwhile, Sue threatens to get Axl in trouble if he doesnt obey her commands; and Mike reluctantly goes to Bricks school for Parent Day.

Mike accidentally reveals that Axl is his favorite child; Brick tries to grow a giant tomato; Sue encourages her father to participate in a variety of activities with her.

After being fired from the car dealership and vowing not to take any job that comes her way, Frankie goes to tech school to get a real career; Axl begins his senior year of high school; sophomore Sue mentors a freshman.

A neighbor accuses Frankie of stealing her hose; Sue cancels a road trip to Cincinnati after seeing Mikes paycheck; Brick learns about the birds and the bees.

Frankie does not make a good impression on the first day of dental assistant school; Mike and Frankie ask Axl to get a tutor and improve his grades; Sue and Brick try to pawn an item they found in an old safe.

Mike helps his brother Rusty move some furniture into the Heck familys garage, only to realize the furniture is stolen; Frankie hopes to land a part-time job in a department store so she can get a discount on Christmas presents.

Axl feels embarrassed when he and Sue are asked to work on a school project together; Bricks school therapist (Dave Foley) tries to help him make friends.

Frankie tries to get Mike to spend time with a new neighbor who shares his interests; Sue demands a cheer-off between the Wrestlerettes and the cheerleaders.

Axl and his friends, Darrin and Sean, offer to help guys break up with their girlfriends; Sues ex-boyfriend, Matt, invites her to a Valentines Day dance at school; Mike accidentally sends a romantic text to a co-worker instead of to Frankie.

When Axl, Sue and Brick accidentally break the family room window, they decide to blame the Glossner children -- the bad seeds of the neighborhood; Frankie tries to land a prime dental rotation spot.

Disappointed with the finale of "The Bachelor," Frankie mopes for days; when Sue joins the schools tennis team, Mike tries to toughen her up by complimenting her opponents during matches; Cassidy and Axl consider the future of their relationship.

Frankie tries to make Sue appear more popular on Facebook; Frankies dad (Jerry Van Dyke) makes Mike listen to long-winded life stories; Brick and Axl try to create a viral video.

While dressed in a lab coat for her dental assisting job, Frankie is mistaken for a doctor and receives special treatment; Axl talks Sue into ditching school for the day; Mike and Axls fishing trip goes awry.

Frankie becomes emotional as the Hecks send Axl off to college, Sue waits for an important call from school, and Brick gets a new cell phone.

Axl is fed up with his college roommate, Sue gets a job so that she can get a car, and Frankie and Mike get bad news about Brick from his middle school principal.

Sue holds a seance with her friends, the football team stops Axl from attending the Halloween party in his room, and the family tries to give Brick advice about girls.

Axl looks for the right time to share news about his college classes; Frankies dad reveals a gambling loss; Sue hides a secret; Brick determines to have lime-green Jell-O salad on Thanksgiving.

Axl wants to spend time with his friends when he comes home for Christmas. Sues allergies threaten to ruin her holiday and Bricks lie is uncovered.

Sue makes a discovery that leads to an ultimate prank battle with Axl; Brick tries to read a recommended biography on Debbie Reynolds.

Reverend Deveaux interferes with the Hecks plan to use their coupon for an all-you-can-eat buffet after church.

Brick makes it hard for Mike to relax during the vacation he was forced to take; Frankie is furious when she learns that Axl was in town without letting her know; Sue tries extra hard to please her customers after receiving a bad review.

Frankie and Mike run into old acquaintances, Sue gets several dates to the prom, and Brick gets Axls help for a book report.

Frankie begs Rita Glossner to take down her noisy wind chimes; Axl and Hutch try to figure out a way to retrieve a couch they found on the side of the road; Brick tries to come up with a new pretzel snack idea; Sue announces she is back with Darrin.

Frankie limits the hours during which the kids can voice their needs; Mike watches to make sure Darrin doesnt take advantage of Sue; Brick invites new friends over.

Sue looks forward to the trip to Walt Disney World; Brick begs his parents to take him to meet his online girlfriend; Axl waits to learn his final grades.

Sues senior year, the "Summer of Sue," begins with the premature removal of her braces. Meanwhile, Axl finally beats Mike in basketball and Brick tries to find the perfect backpack for school.

Frankie and Mike are shocked when Brick announces that he wants to go to his schools fall dance. Axl has a week to declare his major but has no idea what it should be. Sue attempts to show shes more mature by drinking loads of coffee.

Brick invites a girl over to the house for Halloween, Sue tries to raise money for college with a pumpkin patch screening of "Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," and Axl accidentally gets locked in the library.

Thanksgiving for the Hecks at a local restaurant buffet doesnt go well when Sue feels that Mike doesnt like her boyfriend, Darrin, and Brick invites his quirky girlfriend, Cindy.

Frankie loses her Christmas spirit, Mike unsuccessfully tries to exchange the new family Christmas tree, and a fight over Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer threatens to break up BossCo.

Frankie must work at Ehlert Motors for one day in order to collect her pay on an old paycheck, Mike offers Sue a part-time job at the quarry, and Mike’s dad attempts to persuade a lazy Axl to help replace the damaged kitchen sink.

Valentines Day aims its sights on the Heck kids when a nervous Brick finds out that his quirky girlfriend Cindy wants him to kiss her on the special day, Darrin asks Frankie and Mike to help out with an exciting scavenger hunt hes putting together for Sue, and Axl begins to question his girlfriend Devins request that he not give her anything for what she considers to be a lame tradition.

Frankie realizes that she and the family forgot to celebrate Bricks 13th birthday.

Frankie is anxious to find out whether Sue got into college, while Sue tries to relax by making sachets. Elsewhere, Brick evicts Axl from his bedroom so he can work on his novel in quiet; and Mike denies that he was singing loudly in his car.

Sue gets furious with Axl for forgetting a sombrero he promised to bring her, and Frankies attempt to resolve their quarrel only makes things worse. Elsewhere, Mike is astonished to discover that Brick was named Athlete of the Month at middle school.

When Frankies uncle contacts her dad hoping to make amends, Frankie and Mike are caught in the middle of their feud. Sue turns to Axl for advice when she is sent to detention for the first time.

Mikes incompetence threatens to ruin Frankies Mothers Day. Mike tells Axl, Sue, and Brick to put some effort into a gift for Frankie. Frankie asks the kids how they would differ from her as parents.

Sues excitement about moving into the dorm to start college is tempered when she accidentally burns her hair and must cut it short. Axl isnt interested in helping with Sues move. Frankie discovers shes not sad about Sue moving out of the house while Mike overwhelms Sue with financial and safety guidelines. Brick is clueless when Cindy tells him she wants to take their relationship to the next level.

Frankie is shocked when Mike trades in his flannel for a Hawaiian shirt. Sue accidentally tells Devin that Axl loves her, leading Devin to question their relationship. Brick gets overambitious while cleaning the bathroom.

Frankie asks Reverend TimTom to find out why Mike is being distant; and Sue invites Brick to visit her at college, but she loses him after running into the handsome Abercrombie guy. Meanwhile, Axl and Hutch complain to the city about an ant infestation.

At the annual homecoming tailgate, Frankie worries that her mother will ruin things, Sue takes a familiar role, Axl is sick as a dog, and Mike asks Brick to help him win the cornhole tournament.

Frankie invites Mike to join her on a trip to Des Moines, Iowa for a convention about her dentist offices transition to a new owner; and Axl informs a disapproving Sue that hes moving into her dorm room. Meanwhile, Mikes dad agrees to watch Brick while the parents are out of town.

As Sue desires to join a sorority, Frankie feels useless when Brick decides to go shopping by himself. Axl helps Mike to use social media for his project.

Mike enlists Axl and Bricks help to throw a surprise party for Frankies 50th birthday. Meanwhile, Sue is mocked after posting a flyer for her missing sock in the dorm laundry room; and Coach Babbitt is determined to turn Brick into an athlete after he turns in a project about how he cant play sports.

While the Hecks take Brick to his first movie in a theater, Mike and Frankie fight over a conversation with friends, Sue runs into an old crush who has some surprising news, and Axl discovers that he shared an awkward moment with a friend.

Frankies excited to take care of Sue and Axl after they both have their wisdom teeth removed; and Brick lays down new house rules for his siblings while theyre back home. Meanwhile, Mike learns the diaper business was Rustys ex-wifes idea and becomes furious when he finds out she may be entitled to all their profits.

Sue develops a huge crush on one of her college professors and goes to extremes to get him to notice her, and Frankie and Mike agree to meet Bricks girlfriend Cindys parents, who end up being just as quirky as their daughter.

Frankies plans to have a peaceful backyard lanai are ruined by her new neighbors loud children. Axl and Hutch begin a new food business on campus. Sue and Lexie make plans for next year after they win the dorm lottery.

Frankie figures out a way to secretly track Sue and Axl after they refuse to abide by their curfew while theyre home for the summer. Meanwhile, Bricks determined to discover who else could be class valedictorian as middle-school graduation approaches.

Frankie and Mike are excited to be introduced to the love of Axls life, April and the family is surprised when she reveals an unusual personality trait. Sue decides to change her major while Brick begins high school and wants to change his image.

As Halloween approaches, Frankie is taken aback when she discovers that, if the circumstances ever arose where she and Mike got divorced, the kids would all choose to live with Mike. Meanwhile, Sue tries everything in her power to get her room back from Brick, and having to be so nice around girlfriend April all of the time leads Axl to lash out at his family,

Frankie and Mikes embarrassment over forgetting Bricks birthday turns to fear when they realize its time to teach him to drive. Sue learns something surprising from Frankie.

Frankie is upset that Axl refuses to answer her calls or texts after she unintentionally admits her true feelings about his girlfriend April. Brick forms a tick in the form of a phrase that causes him trouble; Brad surprises Sue.

As Christmas approaches, Sue keeps a holiday secret from the family. After agreeing to watch the neighbor’s three kids, Brick finds himself trying to hide from them as they had such a good time that they keep wanting to come over and play. Mike doesn’t know how to react when Bill Norwood gives him a Christmas gift for the first time ever,

Frankie wins a free maid service for a month and is excited for the break, but the Heck household might pose a bigger challenge than she expected. Mike and Rustys dad, Big Mike, begins to have trouble taking care of himself.

Frankie becomes sad when her doctor informs her that her ovaries are shriveled up, which means her days of having kids are over. In an attempt to cheer her up, Mike offers to have him and Frankie babysit the neighbors baby overnight, which puts some perspective on being an older parent. Meanwhile, Sue and Axl are a bit shocked when romantic sparks fly between Sean Donahue and Sues roommate Lexie; and Brick tries his best to hone up on his font knowledge when he meets Gibson, a worthy font opponent.

Frankie gets Mike to go see the dentist about his toothache, and the two collude to convince her that theres nothing wrong with his teeth; Axl, Hutch and Kenny decide to sell the Winnebago; Brick works on writing a historical musical.

Axl is startled to run into nearly all of his former flames at a St. Patricks Day party leaving him to wonder if it is a sign about his love life; Brick buys an old microfiche machine at a library sale, leaving Frankie and Mike less than thrilled.

Frankie and Mike send Brick to Reverend TimToms Wilderness Jesus Jam weekend camp to brush up on his religious knowledge in preparation for his confirmation, but Brick discovers his bunkmate is the boy who he was switched at birth with that was raised by his parents for the first month of his life.

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Having finally graduated college, Axl tells Frankie and Mike that hes planning on going to Europe over the summer with Kenny. Although Frankie thinks this is a great once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Mike is less than pleased and thinks his slacker son should be putting all of his summer efforts into finding a job. Meanwhile, Sue begins to panic after she barely scrapes a parked SUV and doesnt hear back from the owner after leaving several notes on the windshield, and Brick discovers that his sudden onset of backaches is due to not sitting in his lawn chair, which was replaced by a normal kitchen-table chair.

After Frankie gives neighbor Nancy Donahue an old scarf that is just sitting around gathering dust, Nancy returns the favor by baking her a delicious apple pie. Believing she’s stumbled upon a way to get free and tasty meals, Frankie makes it her mission to find miscellaneous items around the house to give to her in exchange for some culinary delights. Meanwhile, Sue and Lexie prepare to move back into their college apartment but find that it’s been sublet to a man who refuses to leave; and Axl’s new job as the school bus driver gives him a chance to see how Brick’s high school sophomore year is treating him, and he discovers that Mike has refused to speak to Brick’s class on Career Exploration Day.

Frankie discovers that a woman had died in the bathtub of the Heck house close to 50 years ago.

Frankies mom stays with her after becoming ill; Sue suggests to Sean that they should set each other up on dates; Axl and Brick ponder what Mike actually does at the quarry.

When Axl visits Hutch, he discovers his friend has turned into a responsible adult; Sue is unable to sleep after watching a horror movie by herself; Brick enlists Frankie and Mikes help to help convince a girl to give him a chance.

Frankie and Sue are devastated when Axl informs them that hes not going to church; Mike goes to war with the Glossner kids after they keep defacing his giant inflatable snowman; Brick attempts to wrap his first present.

Axl starts to bond more with Mike now that he has a real job; Frankie feels ignored; Brad pleads with Sue to introduce him to Aidans handsome friend.

Mikes wayward brother, Rusty, comes to town and presents Sue with an extravagant gift, which Mike thinks is stolen goods. Meanwhile, with Sue now older and living the college life, Mike feels like hes not as close to her as he used to be and tries to figure out a way to reconnect; Axl blows the money from his first paycheck on a big screen TV and blames his spending spree on years of learning from Frankies lack of financial wisdom; and Brick is stumped, but delighted to discover mysterious, unmarked gifts being left at the front door of the house.

While Frankie feels the need to have a good cry after having a bad week, Mike shares the good news that, after 25 years as manager at the local quarry, he is being offered the job of regional manager but feels uncomfortable saying goodbye to his co-workers. Meanwhile, Brick suspects that hes being treated unfairly by his health teacher because of how horribly Axl treated her back when he was a student.

Dr. Fulton tells Frankie and Mike that Brick and Cindy have been making out all over the school. Mike tries to teach Brick proper dating etiquette; Sue attempts to give Sean the snow globe, and tell him how much she likes him; Frankie finds a box of unfinished thank you letters, she orders Axl to finish them, and mail them all out.

Frankie has to force Brick into asking Cindy to the high school prom but worries that his quirkiness could spoil the happy event; Lexie talks a clueless Axl into giving Sue a belated 21st birthday present; and Mike becomes frustrated over how to get used to a new TV remote.

Frankie makes it her mission to sway Axl from taking the job in Denver; Sue is depressed over Sean leaving for Ghana; Brick buys a huge amount of lawn chairs to replace the one hes been using for nine years.

The series concludes as the family escorts Axl to Colorado. Meanwhile the long affair of the snow globe and its relation to Sean and Sues relationship comes to a head.