You know how some shows’ series finales are so awful that they make you hate that you ever watched that show at all? Seinfeld and Lost, I am talking to you. Anyhoo, tonight at 8:30 on ABC, The Middle says goodbye with an episode that will not leave fans disappointed like those other shows.
The episode starts off with Axl (Charlie McDermott) telling his parents (Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton) that he is taking the job in Denver. Like my dad when I told him I was I going to the University of Miami, Frankie cried and cried.
Altough by the next morning she was fine, and now it is time for Axl to tell his siblings the big news. Sue (Eden Sher) breaks down in hysterics (the same way I did when I found out that this was going to be the sitcom’s final season), and Brick (Atticus Shaffer) can’t wait to have the room to himself. Sue wants her moment and Axl wants to know why his younger brother does not care that he is leaving.
Axl thinks he has a month before he has to move; but in a very Axl way, he only has a few days until he starts his new life. Now, the Heck Family has to pull together to get him ready for his new job several states away. Before he leaves, he has some things he needs to do and he has some sweet moments with his siblings.
Finally, is it time for a Heck road trip to Denver. Any fan of the show can tell you, their family road trips are the worst. That is what makes this show so special. Along the way, there will be a lot of tender moments that are throwbacks to the past and even one setting up for the future. The biggest takeaway from this last car tide together is a lot of tears.
Tears because you are going to miss this show that most importantly was about a family. No matter how many lemons they were handed, Sue would give them the sugar they needed to make the sweetest lemonade. I am going to miss the Hecks because each week they made me smile. They are just an American family struggling to make it through their daily lives. No matter how bad things got, they will always have each other.
This was the perfect the cast because they worked so well together, but I must highlight one of them. Out of all of the actors who have played fathers throughout the decades, no one has played a better one than Neil Flynn. He is the quintessential dad. He gave the best pep talks, the biggest hugs and the most useful advice. While he is not as awesome as my dad, he comes in a pretty close second. But I am also going to miss Frankie as all of our moms rolled into one. Axl as the cool older brother. Sue as the lovable, but extremely annoying middle sister. Finally, there is Brick the quirky baby brother that every family has. They were just an average family, but to many of us, they were so much more.
I am going to miss them all, but this one-hour long sendoff left me very satisfied.
