The BEST episodes of The Middle
Every episode of The Middle ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Middle!
Frankie Heck and her husband Mike have lived in Orson, Indiana, their whole lives. A man of few words (every one a zinger), Mike is a manager at the town quarry and Frankie is the third-best used car salesman (out of the three) at the local dealership. She may not be a high-powered career woman, but when it comes to her family, she'll go to just about any length. And with kids like these, she had better. There's Axl, her semi-nudist teenage son conceived while under the influence of Guns N' Roses; Sue, the awkward teenage daughter who fails at everything... but with the utmost of gusto; and their seven-year-old son Brick, whose best friend is his backpack. Sometimes it seems like everyone is trying to get to the top, or struggling not to hit bottom, but we think Frankie and her family will find a lot of love, and a lot of laughs, somewhere in "The Middle".
#1 - A Heck of a Ride (2)
Season 9 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/22/2018
#2 - A Heck of a Ride (1)
Season 9 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/22/2018
A Heck leaves the nest as the family takes a road trip to Denver, where Axl will start his new job - and new life away from home.
#3 - Last Whiff of Summer (2)
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/26/2012
#4 - Last Whiff of Summer (1)
Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/26/2012
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.
#5 - The Walk
Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/26/2014
Frankie and Mike run into old acquaintances; Sue gets several dates to the prom; Brick gets Axl's help for a book report.
#6 - The Wonderful World of Hecks
Season 5 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/21/2014
A series of unfortunate events threaten to spoil the trip to Walt Disney World.
#7 - The 200th
Season 9 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/5/2017
Frankie remembers she has to come up with something to place in the time capsule; Bill Norwood informs Mike that he and Paula are separating; Brick tries to win Cindy back; Axl volunteers Sue to be his personal assistant
#8 - Average Rules
Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/19/2010
Parent-Teacher conferences cause Frankie to worry about the kids. In them she's told Axl is gifted but not applying himself, that her teachers still do not know who Sue is, and Brick may have to repeat the second-grade due to failure to return over 30 library books. Guest star Betty White as the school librarian.
#9 - Fight or Flight
Season 8 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/16/2017
Having finally graduated college, Axl tells Frankie and Mike that he's 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 doesn't 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.
Watch Now:Amazon#10 - The Guidance Counselor
Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/2/2012
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.
#11 - The Show Must Go On
Season 7 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/18/2016
After almost forgetting that Brick's middle school graduation is only days away, Frankie goes on a mission to right a wrong when Brick discovers that the song he was supposed to sing at the ceremony has been cut. Meanwhile, Sue needs to be at Dollywood to begin her summer job on the same day as Brick's graduation, and Axl takes a job as a country club counselor and finds himself being mocked by a 10-year-old carbon copy of himself.
Watch Now:Amazon#12 - Exes and Ohhhs
Season 8 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/14/2017
Axl is startled to run into nearly all of his former flames at a St. Patrick's 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.
Watch Now:Amazon#13 - Halloween II
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/26/2011
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 Brick's 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.
#14 - The Graduate
Season 6 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/13/2015
Sue prepares for her graduation and worries the day won't go perfectly. Meanwhile, Brick gets the opportunity to skip a year in school and Axl grows concerned about Devin's fun summer pictures she posted on social media.
#15 - Split Decision
Season 9 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/15/2018
Now that Frankie knows Axl was offered a job in Denver, she makes it her mission to sway him from taking it and moving away. Meanwhile, the usually overly optimistic Sue is depressed over Sean leaving for Ghana, without ever expressing her feelings for him; and Brick drives everyone crazy when he buys a huge amount of lawn chairs to replace the one he’s been using for nine years.
#16 - Bunny Therapy
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/10/2012
Brick is given a bunny to help him with a quirky new tic.
#17 - Halloween IV: The Ghost Story
Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/30/2013
Sue holds a seance with her friends; the football team stops Axl from attending the Halloween party in his room; the family tries to give Brick advice about girls.
#18 - Orlando
Season 5 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/21/2014
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.
#19 - The Christmas Tree
Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/11/2013
Axl wants to spend time with his friends when he comes home for Christmas; Sue's allergies threaten to ruin her holiday; Brick's lie is uncovered.
#20 - The Wedding
Season 3 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/23/2012
The Hecks are pleased to learn that Mike's brother, Rusty is getting married. However, the joy is short-lived, when they discover that the wedding is to be held at their house. Meanwhile, Brick cannot attend a party that same day, due to the nuptials.
#21 - A Very Marry Christmas
Season 8 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/13/2016
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,
Watch Now:Amazon#22 - The Jeans
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/6/2010
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 Ginny's dog Doris for a few days.
#23 - Life Skills
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/9/2013
Axl feels embarrassed when he and Sue are asked to work on a school project together; Brick's school therapist (Dave Foley) tries to help him make friends.
#24 - Twenty Years
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/12/2012
Frankie worries Mike is tiring of her as their 20th anniversary draws close; Sue tries to get Axl and Brick's help planning a party for their parents; Axl spoils the end of a book for Brick.
#25 - Guess Who's Coming to Frozen Dinner
Season 9 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/6/2018
Mike's wayward brother, Rusty, comes to town and presents Sue with an extravagant gift, which Mike assumes is stolen goods; Mike tries to figure out a way to reconnect with Sue; Axl blows his first paycheck on a big-screen TV.