The Middle: Season 1

2009 · 24 episodes · ★ 7.3

What Season 1 of The Middle

Frankie Heck keeps her family afloat in Orson, a fictional town in Indiana. She sells cars at a dealership without much success and, at the same time, takes care of the house, Brick's eccentricities and Sue's problems. Mike, her husband, runs a quarry and is her co-pilot in the day-to-day life of a lower-middle-class family, where money is tight and so is time. Axl, 15 years old, and Brick, 8, round out the household. Frankie tells it all with humor, even as responsibilities pile up and the Hecks try to keep their good spirits.

24episodes

Sep 30, 2009premiered

May 19, 2010latest episode

8.4 hrtotal runtime

Season 1 Episodes

1x01 Pilot
Sep 30, 2009 · 23 min · ★ 7.1
Meet the Hecks – an ordinary family struggling to survive each other and life in Middle America. PATRICIA HEATON stars as a working mother whose family life is one big happy mess.
Directed by: Julie Anne Robinson · Written by: Eileen Heisler, DeAnn Heline · Starring: Brian Doyle-Murray, Chris Kattan, Frances Bay, Amy Farrington
1x02 The Cheerleader
Oct 7, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.6
Facing financial disaster, Frankie tries to save her job; Sue fails swim team tryouts, then learns she needs glasses; and Brick starts reading his mother's steamy romance novels.
Directing: Lee Shallat Chemel · Writing: Eileen Heisler, DeAnn Heline · Starring: Brian Doyle-Murray, Chris Kattan, Garrett Ryan, Peter Breitmayer
1x03 The Floating Anniversary
Oct 14, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.1
Frankie and Mike's romantic plans for their anniversary are thwarted by a sick Brick, a lovesick Sue, a learner's permit-toting Axl, two crazy aunts and their diaper-wearing dog.
Directing: Gail Mancuso · Writing: Rob Ulin · Starring: Brian Doyle-Murray, Chris Kattan, Frances Bay, Jeanette Miller
1x04 The Trip
Oct 21, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.6
Frankie urges Sue to fight for her right to attend a class trip after making the grade by selling thousands of dollars worth of sausage and cheese; Brick gets his first girlfriend.
Directed by Lee Shallat Chemel · Written by Mitch Hunter, Jana Hunter · Starring Brian Doyle-Murray, Van Epperson, Chris Kattan, Michael William Arnold
1x05 The Block Party
Oct 28, 2009 · 20 min · ★ 7.4
After Brick’s teachers tell his parents that he’s “socially challenged,” Mike tries to help Brick make friends; while Frankie needs her son’s coveted football jersey.
Directed by Ken Whittingham · Written by Alex Reid · Starring Beau Wirick, Jen Ray, Jeffrey Wallace, Krista Braun
1x06 The Front Door
Nov 4, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.2
Mike insists that only Axl fix the front door after he knocks it down; Frankie must sell a car within a week; and its school picture time for a photographically challenged Sue.
Directed by Michael Spiller · Written by Russ Woody · Starring Brian Doyle-Murray, Chris Kattan, Riley B. Smith, Jeffrey Wallace
1x07 The Scratch
Nov 18, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.1
Frankie must create the illusion of a picture-perfect family when an accident causing a small scratch on Brick leads a social worker to visit the Heck household.
Directed by Wendey Stanzler, Alex Reid · Written by Eileen Heisler, DeAnn Heline · Starring Brian Doyle-Murray, Chris Kattan, Vicki Lewis, Mary-Pat Green
1x08 Thanksgiving
Nov 25, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.1
Frankie’s dream of the perfect Thanksgiving turns into a nightmare when Mr. Ehlert forces the staff to work on the holiday – and Axl loses Brick in a corn maze.
Directed by Michael Spiller · Written by Vijal Patel · Starring Brian Doyle-Murray, Chris Kattan, John Cullum, Frances Bay
1x09 Siblings
Dec 2, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.1
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.
Directed by Barnet Kellman · Written by Rob Ulin · Starring Beau Wirick, Chris Kattan, Frances Bay, Laura Ann Kesling
1x10 Christmas Mid-Season Finale
Dec 9, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.8
Mike takes over the responsibility of organizing the Heck family Christmas while Frankie practices for a solo that she is singing at midnight mass. However, she gets jealous when Mike seems to be doing a better job than she ever did. Meanwhile, Frankie and Mike help Brick get over a problem so he can get into the Christmas spirit.
Directed by Reginald Hudlin · Written by Roy Brown · Starring Chris Kattan, Joseph Whipp, Brock Ciarlelli, Dierk Torsek
1x11 The Jeans
Jan 6, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.5
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.
Directed by Jamie Babbit · Written by Mitch Hunter, Jana Hunter · Starring Mandy Musgrave
1x12 The Neighbor
Jan 6, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.9
When Sue has a run-in with her sons, Frankie fears that a confrontation with the trasy neighbor may be at hand. Meanwhile, Axl attempts to bribe Brick after he's asked to teach his little brother how to kick a ball for a gym requirement. However, Brick is the one turning the tables and it ends up bribing him for another favor.
Directing: Lee Shallat Chemel · Writing: Mitch Hunter, Jana Hunter · Starring: Mandy Musgrave, Blaine Saunders, Aimee Carrero, David Chandler
1x13 The Interview
Jan 13, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.6
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 Brick's rescue when he decides to run for school historian.
Directed by Ken Whittingham · Written by Vijal Patel · Starring Chris Kattan, Joseph Whipp, Steve Byrne, Rachel Quaintance
1x14 The Yelling
Feb 3, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.4
Frankie makes a deal with her kids, that if they do their homework and keep chores she won't nag them. Meanwhile, Mike takes a job as a night driver with Bob.
Directed by Elliot Hegarty · Written by Rob Ulin · Starring Chris Kattan, Monica Yudovich, Daniel Lewk
1x15 Valentine's Day
Feb 10, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.3
Valentine's 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 Cupid's arrow doesn't exactly hit the target, and the best laid plans soon begin to unravel.
Directed by Chris Koch · Written by Bruce Rasmussen · Starring Beau Wirick, Blaine Saunders, Suzy Nakamura, Devan Leos
1x16 The Bee
Mar 3, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 6.9
When Mike discovers that Brick is a spelling whiz and won the school spelling bee, he puts all his efforts into training him to win the regional bee, which could ultimately lead to competing in the Scripps Spelling Bee. But as the family gets set for their road trip to Chicago for the regional bee, Frankie and Mike are horrified when they realize they forgot one thing -- Sue's birthday.
Directing: Ken Whittingham · Writing: Eileen Heisler, DeAnn Heline · Starring: Brian Doyle-Murray, Chris Kattan, Harrison Thomas Boxley, Keith Gerchak
1x17 The Break-Up
Mar 10, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.4
Axl is heartbroken when his girlfriend breaks up with him; Sue and Brick watch a scary movie.
Directing: Wendey Stanzler · Writing: Vijal Patel · Starring: Brian Doyle-Murray, Alexa PenaVega, Sarah Rush, Azim Rizk
1x18 The Fun House
Mar 24, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.4
Frankie fears for her job when a motivational consultant comes to get the sale team into shape. While Frankie is putting in many extra hours, Mike has to deal with the children and their issues, including making the house more fun for Axl and his friends, giving advice to Sue's ex-boyfriend and helping Brick with a school project.
Directed by Chris Koch · Written by Roy Brown · Starring Brian Doyle-Murray, Beau Wirick, Amy Sedaris, Chris Kattan
1x19 The Final Four
Mar 31, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.2
Mike's dream comes to fruition when Frankie's boss, Mr. Ehlert, offers him two tickets to the Final Four. Unfortunately, Frankie's 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.
Directed by Alex Reid · Written by Rob Ulin · Starring Brian Doyle-Murray, Frances Bay, Jeanette Miller, Dierk Torsek
1x20 TV or Not TV
Apr 14, 2010 · 20 min · ★ 7.6
After failing to pay the electric bill on time, the electric company shuts off the Heck's power. This leads Frankie and Mike to cut down on their unnecessary expenses, including their cable TV. The kids take up other activities to fill the void, but Frankie and Mike have a hard time figuring out what to do. Meanwhile, Brick and his other socially-challenged friends have to go outside for recess when the school library shuts down.
Directed by Lee Shallat Chemel · Written by Vijal Patel · Starring Beau Wirick, Michael Kostroff, Frances Bay, Devan Leos
1x21 Worry Duty
Apr 28, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.5
Frankie is worried that Axl's going to get his heart crushed again when his on-again/off-again girlfriend, Morgan, 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.
Directing: Lee Shallat Chemel · Writing: Bruce Rasmussen · Starring: Brian Doyle-Murray, Chris Kattan, Alexa PenaVega, Peter Breitmayer
1x22 Mother's Day
May 5, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 6.4
Mother's Day for Frankie is anything but serene when she finds herself doing more for Mike and the kids and less for herself. But she learns that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree when she escapes the family for a few hours to go to her mom's and ends up acting like a child by making her mom wait on her hand-and-foot. Meanwhile, Sue feels guilty when she steals a motivational magnet from a store whose message actually enticed her to shoplift it.
Directed by Barnet Kellman · Written by Mitch Hunter · Starring Chris Kattan, Marsha Mason, Hilary Pingle
1x23 Signals
May 12, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.1
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
Directed by: Jamie Babbit · Written by: Eileen Heisler, DeAnn Heline · Starring: Beau Wirick, Paul Hipp, Chris Kattan, Devan Leos
1x24 Average Rules Season Finale
May 19, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.4
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.
Directed by Wendey Stanzler · Written by DeAnn Heline, Eileen Heisler · Starring Betty White, Blaine Saunders, Greg Cromer, Kiva Jump