The Middle (season 2)

The Middle (season 2)
Region 1 DVD cover
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	24
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	September 22, 2010 – May 25, 2011
Season chronology

The second season of the television comedy series The Middle aired between September 22, 2010 and May 25, 2011, on ABC in the United States. It was produced by Blackie and Blondie Productions and Warner Bros. Television with series creators DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler as executive producers.

The show features Frances "Frankie" Heck (Patricia Heaton), a working-class, Midwestern woman married to Mike Heck (Neil Flynn) who resides in the small fictional town of Orson, Indiana. They are the parents of three children, Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Eden Sher), and Brick (Atticus Shaffer).

Cast

Main cast

• Patricia Heaton as Frankie Heck
• Neil Flynn as Mike Heck
• Charlie McDermott as Axl Heck
• Eden Sher as Sue Heck
• Atticus Shaffer as Brick Heck

Recurring cast

• Brock Ciarlelli as Brad, Sue's ex-boyfriend.

Appeared in "The Diaper Incident" and "Super Sunday"

• Blaine Saunders as Carly, Sue's best friend.

Appeared in "The Diaper Incident" "Halloween" "Errand Boy" "Taking Back To The House (Cameo)" "Valentine's Day II" "Friends Lies And Videotapes" "The Prom" and "The Bridge"

• Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, the Heck's neighbor

Appeared in "Foreign Exchange" "Taking Back The House" "Spring Cleaning" "The Legacy" and "The Bridge"

• Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, Axl's friend.

Appeared in "Homecoming" "The Diaper Incident" "Halloween" "A Birthday Story" "Errand Boy" "Friends Lies And Videotapes" "The Prom" and "The Bridge"

• Brian Doyle-Murray as Don Elhert, owner of the car dealership where Frankie and Bob work.

Appeared in "Back To School" "Homecoming" "The Quarry" "Super Sunday" and "Mother's Day II"

Guest cast

• Doris Roberts as Mrs. Rinsky, Brick's third grade teacher. She appears in "Back to School", "The Math Class" and "Back to Summer".
• Matthew Moy as Takayuki, a foreign exchange student from Japan. He appears in "Foreign Exchange"
• Sarah Wright as Kasey, Axl's new manager at the movie theater. She appears in "A Birthday History".
• Norm Macdonald as Rusty Heck, Mike's brother. He appears in "Thanksgiving II".
• John Cullum as Big Mike, Mike's father. He appears in "Thanksgiving II".
• Marsha Mason as Pat Spence, Frankie's mother. She appears in "A Simple Christmas".
• Jerry Van Dyke as Tag Spence, Frankie's father. He appears in "A Simple Christmas".
• Mary-Pat Green as Mrs. Larimer, the principal of Orson Elementary. She appears in "The Math Class".

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
25	1	"Back to School"	Wendey Stanzler	DeAnn Heline & Eileen Heisler	September 22, 2010	3X6501	8.81[1]
It's a day full of chaos as the Hecks attend their first day of the new school year.
26	2	"Homecoming"	Ken Whittingham	Rob Ulin	September 29, 2010	3X6502	8.35[2]
When she discovers that Sue's first cross-country meet is the same day as the homecoming game, Frankie's dream of escorting Axl across the field is put in jeopardy.
27	3	"The Diaper Incident"	Wendey Stanzler	Vijal Patel	October 6, 2010	3X6503	8.03[3]
During a mission to buy Sue diapers for the baby she is babysitting, a clerk makes the assumption that Frankie is the one who needs diapers, depressing Frankie.
28	4	"The Quarry"	Lee Shallat Chemel	Alex Reid	October 13, 2010	3X6505	7.97[4]
When Axl is suspended for skipping school, he hopes to relax at home, but Mike gets him a job at the quarry.
29	5	"Foreign Exchange"	Paul Lazarus	Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter	October 20, 2010	3X6506	8.54[5]
Frankie insists that the family host a foreign exchange student from Japan. When the serious, emotionless student does not take an interest in the family, Frankie plans a road trip for them, only for their car to break down.
30	6	"Halloween"	Jamie Babbit	Roy Brown	October 27, 2010	3X6507	9.54[6]
Frankie tries to persuade Mike to attend a neighborhood Halloween party. Meanwhile, Sue attends a church-sponsored Halloween event, Brick's costume is unrecognizable by most adults, and Axl and his friends try to make their way to a haunted house, but their car breaks down en route.
31	7	"A Birthday Story"	Ken Whittingham	Vijal Patel	November 3, 2010	3X6508	9.42[7]
For his ninth birthday, Brick wants to hear the story of what happened when he was born, which puts the family in an awkward position.
32	8	"Errand Boy"	Lee Shallat Chemel	Tim Hobert	November 17, 2010	3X6509	9.19[8]
Brick is tired of running around doing errands with Frankie, and wants to start staying home alone. However, Frankie won't let him. Axl tries to grow a beard. Mike overhears one of Sue's friends talking about her behind her back.
33	9	"Thanksgiving II"	Ken Whittingham	Rob Ulin	November 24, 2010	3X6504	8.25[9]
Mike invites his brother Rusty (Norm Macdonald) and his father for Thanksgiving. Frankie hears the men have a rather superficial conversation, and encourages Mike with his brother and father to talk about their feelings. Brick is very excited that Bob's librarian girlfriend Linda has an equally great love for books as he. Meanwhile, Sue bakes an apple pie with Frankie.
34	10	"A Simple Christmas"	Elliot Hegarty	Mitch Hunter & Jana Hunter	December 8, 2010	3X6510	8.68[10]
Frankie's parents (Marsha Mason and Jerry Van Dyke) are in town for Christmas and the pair soon interfere in their daughter's plans for a quiet Christmas. Frankie's Dad is constantly following Mike and annoying. Also, Frankie's mom keeps interfering and making Frankie angry. Elsewhere, Axl builds Brick an igloo, and along with Sue, they set out to defend it from the Glossner boys.
35	11	"Taking Back the House"	Barnet Kellman	DeAnn Heline & Eileen Heisler	January 5, 2011	3X6511	9.31[11]
Frankie and Mike attempt to regain complete control of the household by ignoring the kids' demands for rides, particular foods, and services, and focusing on their own needs, including what to watch on TV.
36	12	"The Big Chill"	Lee Shallat Chemel	Rob Ulin	January 12, 2011	3X6512	10.09[12]
Mike becomes mad at Frankie for accidentally spending $200 on eye cream; meanwhile, Axl must take care of an infant doll for health class, forcing Brick to bunk with Sue, where they accidentally make a hole in Sue's bedroom wall, which leads to them making the hole bigger by trying to fix it.
37	13	"Super Sunday"	Paul Lazarus	Vijal Patel	January 19, 2011	3X6513	8.32[13]
The Super Bowl is coming up, and the Heck family is planning to spend it together as a family. Sue and Brad enter a square-dancing competition, but Sue can't dance at all. Frankie's boss tricks Frankie into coming with him to a hospital appointment during the Super-Bowl. Mike encourages Brick to read about the NFL, but Brick goes crazy with reciting all of his facts, causing Mike's friends to leave the Heck's house during the Super-Bowl.
38	14	"Valentine's Day II"	Lee Shallat Chemel	Roy Brown	February 9, 2011	3X6515	8.84[14]
Axl starts dating a girl his parents aren't exactly pleased with, while Sue finds the boy who kissed her during a Halloween hayride. Meanwhile, Brick has a crush on a girl from his class, but Mike tells her, humiliating his shy son.
39	15	"Friends, Lies and Videotape"	Alex Reid	Tim Hobert	February 16, 2011	3X6514	7.85[15]
Frankie finds Brick a friend. Sue and a girlfriend sneak into an R-rated movie. Meanwhile Axl shoots footage of his sexy biology teacher.
40	16	"Hecks on a Plane"	Elliot Hegarty	DeAnn Heline & Eileen Heisler	February 23, 2011	3X6516	7.96[16]
Sue wins tickets for the family to visit New York, and the plane ride turns into a comedy of errors.
41	17	"The Math Class"	Alex Reid	Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter	March 2, 2011	3X6517	7.86[17]
Ms. Rinsky (Doris Roberts) asks Frankie and Mike to attend a math class after Frankie criticizes her teaching skills after Brick receives a D on a math test. Meanwhile, Sue and Axl consider helping their aunt find a time capsule she buried.
42	18	"Spring Cleaning"	Barnet Kellman	Vijal Patel	March 23, 2011	3X6518	7.05[18]
The Hecks spend spring break trying to clean out the house; Frankie finds an old, unflattering list Mike had written about her when they were dating; Brick opens an information stand where he sells advice for a dollar; Axl and Sue are caught dropping off items outside the thrift store after closing hours.
43	19	"The Legacy"	Adam Davidson	Rob Ulin	April 13, 2011	3X6519	6.14[19]
Frustrated by Axl's sloppiness, Mike keeps him from playing the final basketball game of the season, but then relents at the last minute. Sue wins a trophy for "punctuality". She and Brick have another run-in with the Glossner boys, and Brick gets locked in the Glossner's garage.
44	20	"Royal Wedding"	Ken Whittingham	Vijal Patel	April 20, 2011	3X6520	6.82[20]
The British Royal Wedding becomes Frankie's obsession - she borrows an enormous new TV in order to watch it as well as buying countless Royal Wedding paraphernalia. Meanwhile, the workers at Mike's quarry go on strike because he stops buying pretzels due to budget cuts, and Brick helps Sue audition for the school's news team.
45	21	"Mother's Day II"	Lee Shallat Chemel	Tim Hobert	May 4, 2011	3X6521	7.08[21]
Mike and the kids present Frankie with the perfect Mother's Day gift – a day to herself. While the rest of them enjoy rural festivals in another County, Frankie somehow gets none of the things done she had planned to at home. Mike offers to repeat the trip with her and the family the next weekend, but when they arrive a second time, many of the activities have closed.
46	22	"The Prom"	Ken Whittingham	Michael Saltzman	May 11, 2011	3X6522	7.25[22]
After learning that Axl accidentally text-invited the wrong girl to prom and plans to solve the situation by standing her up, Frankie and Mike demand that he meet the girl face-to-face in a timely manner to gently break off the date – or face the music and take her to the big event. Meanwhile, Sue and her friend, Carly, try in earnest to fit in with the school's "B" crowd during lunch, and after a successful first show, Brick begins to bore Frankie and Mike with his repeated, impromptu one-man plays in the living room.
47	23	"The Bridge"	Lee Shallat Chemel	Roy Brown	May 18, 2011	3X6523	7.68[23]
Frankie and Mike attempt to cure Brick of his irrational fear of crossing over bridges. Meanwhile, Axl is pitted against friend 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 shop and pick out a two-piece bathing suit to wear on the pool's opening day.
48	24	"Back to Summer"	Ken Whittingham	DeAnn Heline & Eileen Heisler	May 25, 2011	3X6524	7.33[24]
With only three days left until summer vacation, Frankie is ecstatic that she's made it through another school year with the family. But her happiness turns to panic when she and Mike learn that Brick needs at the last moment to write a daily journal and turn it in to Ms. Rinsky or risk not moving up to the fourth grade; that Axl hasn't fulfilled his required 30 hours of community service; and that, because of an error, Sue must prove that she never took a sick day from school in order to receive a perfect attendance award at her middle school graduation ceremony.

References

1. Seidman, Robert (September 23, 2010). "Wednesday Finals: 'The Middle,' 'Modern Family,' 'Cougar Town,' 'Undercovers' All See Small Gains". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
2. Gorman, Bill (September 30, 2010). "Wednesday Finals: Better With You, The Middle, Modern Family, Survivor, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: LA Adjusted Up; Cougar Town, Whole Truth Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
3. Seidman, Robert (October 7, 2010). "Wednesday Finals: Survivor, The Middle, Modern Family, SVU, The Defenders Up; Cougar Town, The Whole Truth Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
4. Gorman, Bill (October 14, 2010). "Wednesday Finals: Survivor, Middle, Modern Family, L&O:SVU, Top Model Adjusted Up; 20/20, Undercovers Down". TV By The Numbers. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
5. Seidman, Robert (October 21, 2010). "Wednesday Finals: Survivor, Buster Posey (NLCS), Criminal Minds The Defenders, Law & Order: SVU Adjusted Up; The Whole Truth Down". TV By The Numbers. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
6. Gorman, Bill (October 28, 2010). "Wednesday Finals: Survivor: Nicaragua, The Middle Adjusted Up; The Whole Truth Down". TV By The Numbers. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
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17. Gorman, Bill (March 3, 2011). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'American Idol' Adjusted Up; 'Better With You' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
18. Seidman, Robert (March 24, 2011). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'American Idol,' 'Modern Family,' 'Survivor,' 'ANTM' Adjusted Up; 'Mr. Sunshine' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
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20. Seidman, Robert (April 21, 2011). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'The Middle,' 'Modern Family,' 'American Idol,' 'Survivor' Adjusted Up; 'Cougar Town' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
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22. Gorman, Bill (May 12, 2011). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'American Idol,' 'The Middle' 'Better With You,' 'Modern Family,' 'Survivor' Adjusted Up; 'Breaking In,' 'Cougar Town' Adj. Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
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