The BEST episodes of The Middle season 9

Every episode of The Middle season 9, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Middle season 9!

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".

Last Updated: 4/3/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
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A Heck of a Ride (2)
star
8.64
280 votes

#1 - A Heck of a Ride (2)

Season 9 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/22/2018

Watch Now:Amazon
A Heck of a Ride (1)
star
8.35
499 votes

#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.

Watch Now:Amazon
The 200th
star
8.00
607 votes

#3 - 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

Writer: Roy Brown
Watch Now:Amazon
Split Decision
star
7.93
502 votes

#4 - 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.

Directors: Danny Salles
Writer: Tim Hobert
Watch Now:Amazon
Guess Who's Coming to Frozen Dinner
star
7.83
602 votes

#5 - 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.

Watch Now:Amazon
The Royal Flush
star
7.82
502 votes

#6 - The Royal Flush

Season 9 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/8/2018

Determined to end the family tradition of giving Frankie a lame gift for Mother's Day, Sue and Brick try to win a trivia contest in which the top prize is a trip to London to view the Royal Wedding. When their effort falls short, they come up with a gift idea that's almost as good. Meanwhile, Axl tells Mike about a job opportunity at a national sporting goods chain that has more advancement potential than his current position, but the job is in Denver. To keep Frankie from finding out, Mike has to make up one lie after another to cover for Axl's absence when he travels to Denver for the interview.

Directors: Phil Traill
Writer: Rich Dahm
Watch Now:Amazon
Toasted
star
7.82
567 votes

#7 - Toasted

Season 9 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/27/2018

Frankie takes Sue to a bar to celebrate her 21st birthday; Mike begrudgingly accompanies Brick to a "Planet Nowhere" convention; Axl and Hutch drive to attend Kenny's wedding.

Writer: A.J. Blum
Watch Now:Amazon
The Christmas Miracle
star
7.82
590 votes

#8 - The Christmas Miracle

Season 9 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/12/2017

Frankie and Sue are devastated when Axl informs them that he's 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.

Watch Now:Amazon
Great Heckspectations
star
7.81
506 votes

#9 - Great Heckspectations

Season 9 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/1/2018

Frankie insists that Brick ask Cindy to the prom, but her suggested "promposal" doesn't work. Brick's original idea to ask Cindy does work, and she accepts. Worried that Brick and Cindy will have no one to hang with at prom, Frankie organizes a pre-prom party with Brick's old friends from the socially-challenged group, including Arlo and Zack. This backfires when it becomes apparent that those kids have outgrown their quirks while Brick still hasn't. Brick and Cindy enjoy a private prom at the Orson Public Library, while Mike tells Frankie he is happy to have a child who doesn't think like everyone else. Elsewhere, Lexie scolds Axl for not getting Sue a 21st birthday gift. He gets Sue excited by telling her he is planning something special, but when the day comes, Axl is completely stumped. Sue is angry, but Frankie later tells her about how Axl doted on her when they were toddlers, lifting Sue's spirits again.

Writer: Roy Brown
Watch Now:Amazon
Bat Out Of Heck
star
7.79
576 votes

#10 - Bat Out Of Heck

Season 9 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/10/2018

Frankie is surprised but relieved when Dr. Goodwin agrees to buy all of the peanut brittle that Brick needs to sell for school. But the good doctor displays a bit of Mr. Hyde behavior when Frankie doesn’t deliver the product in an expeditious manner. Meanwhile, Axl is getting sick and tired of having Mike tell him how to run his life; and things go off the rails when Axl attempts to trade in the Winnebago and buy a car. Sue is more determined than ever to win a very prestigious and competitive hotel scholarship; and Frankie swears that she’s seeing something mysterious flying through the house.

Directors: Danny Salles
Watch Now:Amazon
Please Don't Feed the Hecks
star
7.79
779 votes

#11 - Please Don't Feed the Hecks

Season 9 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/10/2017

Frankie gives away unused items from the house in the hope of getting food in return; Sue and Lexie find their apartment is being inhabited; Axl's new job as a school bus driver gives him the opportunity to look after Brick.

Directors: Phil Traill
Watch Now:Amazon
Mommapalooza
star
7.79
555 votes

#12 - Mommapalooza

Season 9 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/16/2018

Frankie decides that she needs to find something new that she's passionate about – life's third act - and Reverend TimTom offers the perfect solution. Meanwhile, tired of hearing Sue and Brick argue because of the giant hole between their bedroom walls, Mike orders them to fix it; and after Axl refuses to let rich girlfriend Lexie pay for some extravagant outings, Lexie finds a way to fool him into thinking he's becoming lucky when money and other high priced items suddenly make their way into his hands.

Directors: Phil Traill
Writer: Roy Brown
Watch Now:Amazon
Thanksgiving IX
star
7.78
633 votes

#13 - Thanksgiving IX

Season 9 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/14/2017

The Hecks take a hectic road trip to Frankie's sister's house for Thanksgiving; the kids must decide which one of them will lose their job at Spudsy's.

Directors: Phil Traill
Watch Now:Amazon
Hecks vs. Glossners: The Final Battle
star
7.77
564 votes

#14 - Hecks vs. Glossners: The Final Battle

Season 9 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/20/2018

When the Glossners steal Sue's car, the Hecks, along with the Donahues and Bill Norwood, declare an all-out war.

Directors: Elliot Hegarty
Writer: Tim Hobert
Watch Now:Amazon
Thank You For Not Kissing
star
7.76
560 votes

#15 - Thank You For Not Kissing

Season 9 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/3/2018

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

Watch Now:Amazon
Eyes Wide Open
star
7.74
661 votes

#16 - Eyes Wide Open

Season 9 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/21/2017

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 Mike's help to help convince a girl to give him a chance.

Directors: Jaffar Mahmood
Writer: Rich Dahm
Watch Now:Amazon
The Crying Game
star
7.72
527 votes

#17 - The Crying Game

Season 9 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/13/2018

Mike is offered the job of regional manager at the quarry; Brick suspects that he's being treated unfairly by his health teacher because of how horribly Axl treated her when he was a student.

Directors: Phil Traill
Writer: Rich Dahm
Watch Now:Amazon
Vive La Hecks
star
7.72
851 votes

#18 - Vive La Hecks

Season 9 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/3/2017

Axl returns home from Europe with a new outlook on life; Sue decides to cram a whole summer of fun into two days; Brick doesn't know if he should break up with Cindy; Frankie tries to come up with an item for a time capsule.

Writer: Tim Hobert
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Setup
star
7.71
629 votes

#19 - The Setup

Season 9 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/7/2017

Frankie's 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.

Directors: Victor Nelli Jr.
Writer: Tim Hobert
Watch Now:Amazon
Meet The Parents
star
7.70
763 votes

#20 - Meet The Parents

Season 9 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/17/2017

Frankie and Mike spend a weekend at the college with Lexie's parents, Tammy and Bennett. While Frankie has a good time, Mike says he feels like Bennett is acting superior. Frankie later gets Mike to admit he's jealous, and also embarrassed over not being able to give Frankie nice things. Meanwhile, Brick fakes being arrested for Sophomore Slammer weekend at Orson High, then needs Sue to bail him out because he has no friends to do so. Sue then tells Brick that Sophomore year isn't all he's built it up to be.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
New Year's Revelations
star
7.69
548 votes

#21 - New Year's Revelations

Season 9 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/2/2018

Sue admits to Frankie that she kissed Sean Donahue at the Christmas party; Mike forces Axl and Brick to take a drive with him and Mike's dad.

Writer: Tim Hobert
Watch Now:Apple TV
Halloween VIII: Orson Murder Mystery
star
7.66
740 votes

#22 - Halloween VIII: Orson Murder Mystery

Season 9 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/24/2017

As Halloween approaches, Frankie discovers that a woman had died in the bathtub of the Heck house close to 50 years ago, and Frankie and Brick become convinced that she was murdered and, much to Mike's chagrin, attempt to track down and find the murderer. Meanwhile, Axl and Lexie become frustrated over losing their alone time when Sue insists on hanging out with them wherever they go.

Directors: Phil Traill
Writer: Rich Dahm
The Other Man
star
7.64
610 votes

#23 - The Other Man

Season 9 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/9/2018

Now that Axl has a real job, he begins to bond more with Mike and spends a lot of time with him – leaving Frankie frozen out of their interactions; and just as Sue is about to break up with Aidan, Brad pleads with her to wait a beat until after he has a chance to win the affection of Aiden's handsome friend, Luke.

Directors: Victor Nelli Jr.
Role of a Lifetime
star
7.61
669 votes

#24 - Role of a Lifetime

Season 9 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/31/2017

Axl tries to invent a new beverage; Mike asks Sue to put together a romantic evening for his and Frankie's 25th wedding anniversary; Sue declares she won't be the person who does everything expected of her without complaint.

Writer: Roy Brown