The Middle Season 7 Premiere - Wednesday, September 23rd at 8pm ET/7pm CT about Forget about athletes, movie stars and politicians. Parents are the real heroes—but we think Frankie Heck (Patricia Heaton), must be some kind of superhero. A loving wife and mother of three, she's middle class in the middle of the country and is rapidly approaching middle age. Frankie and her husband, Mike (Neil Flynn), 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 (Charlie McDermott), her semi-nudist teenage son conceived while under the influence of Guns N' Roses; Sue (Eden Sher), the awkward teenage daughter who fails at everything... but with the utmost of gusto; and their seven-year-old son Brick (Atticus Shaffer), 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. http://abc.go.com/shows/the-middle cast Frankie Heck Played by Patricia Heaton Mike Heck Played by Neil Flynn Axl Heck Played by Charlie McDermott Sue Heck Played by Eden Sher Brick Heck Played by Atticus Shaffer
Spoiler: Season 7 Premiere SEASON 7 PREMIERE SUE'S MOVE FROM THE HECK HOUSE TO HER COLLEGE DORM DOESN'T GO QUITE AS SMOOTHLY AS PLANNED, AND BRICK'S GIRLFRIEND CINDY WANTS TO TAKE THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE NEXT LEVEL, ON THE SEASON PREMIERE OF ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Two-time Emmy winner Patricia Heaton stars in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations. Middle-aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country in Orson, Indiana, Frankie Heck is a harried wife and mother of three who uses her wry wit and sense of humor to get her family through each day intact. Frankie works as a dental assistant, and her unflappable husband, Mike, is manager at the local quarry and her sardonic partner in the daily grind that is raising their average – yes, most definitely average – family. But will this year finally be the year of the Hecks? It just could be, as in their own way, each family member finds themselves breaking out of their comfort zones and navigating new situations than what they're used to. In the season 7 premiere episode, "Not Your Brother's Drop Off," Sue cannot contain her excitement over getting ready to move out of the house and into the dorm to start college. But Sue's excitement starts to give way to dread when she accidentally burns her hair and ends up having to cut it short, Axl doesn't want to join the family and help his sister move into the dorm, Frankie finds herself not feeling sad about Sue moving out of the house, and Mike overwhelms his daughter with learning financial and safety guidelines to keep her safe at school. Meanwhile, Brick doesn't know what to do when his girlfriend, Cindy, tells him that she wants to take their relationship to the next level, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Casey Burke as Cindy and Paul Bates as Tow Truck Guy. "Not Your Brother's Drop Off" was written by Tim Hobert and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 9/30/15 episode SUE ANXIOUSLY AWAITS THE ARRIVAL OF HER COLLEGE DORM ROOMMATE, AXL AND HUTCH FIND THEIR HOUSE BEING OVERRUN BY ANTS, AND BRICK GETS HIS OWN PERSONAL SCHOOL BODYGUARD, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Cutting the Cord" – Nervous about starting college and disappointed that her dorm roommate has not arrived yet, Sue begins to drive Frankie and Mike crazy with her multiple texts and calls at all hours. But when her dorm roommate finally arrives, Sue naively thinks that all of her worries are going to go away and that she'll make a new life-long friend. Meanwhile, Axl and Hutch find their house being overrun by ants, and Brick finds himself being protected by his own mysterious school bodyguard, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Lyndon Smith as Holly Haypek, Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Stephanie Merlo as Lindsey, Kimmy Shields as Wandering Girl, Tommy Bechtold as Kenny, Jerry Kernion as Coach, Lauri Hendler as Teacher, Jovan Armand as Troy, Nick Alvarez as Head Bully, Brice Fisher as Underling Bully, Amanda LaCount as Middle School Student at Pep Rally, and Danielle Macdonald as RA #2. "Cutting the Cord" was written by Rich Dahm and directed by Danny Salles.
Spoiler: 10/07/15 episode FRANKIE IS SHOCKED WHEN FLANNEL-LOVING MIKE DECIDES TO WEAR A HAWAIIAN SHIRT, AND SUE SCARES DEVIN WHEN SHE ACCIDENTLY SPILLS THE BEANS THAT AXL IS IN LOVE WITH HER, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "The Shirt" – Frankie is speechless when Mike — whose entire wardrobe consists of long sleeved flannel shirts — decides to wear a short sleeved Hawaiian shirt when they go out to dinner with some friends. Meanwhile, while Sue excitedly finds herself signing up for as many no-cut college clubs as she can, she accidentally tells Devin how much Axl loves her, which scares Devin and leads her to question their relationship; and Brick gets a little too ambitious while tackling his chore of cleaning the bathroom, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Gia Mantegna as Devin, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Pat Finn as Bill Norwood, Julie Brown as Paula Norwood, Robert Mitchell as Waiter, Paul Culos as Randy Poteat, Sarah Yarkin as Girl and Steve Fisher as Guy. "The Shirt" was written by Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 10/14/15 episode FRANKIE IS SHOCKED WHEN MIKE WANTS IN ON ONE OF HIS BROTHER RUSTY'S CRAZY BUSINESS IDEAS, AXL GOES TO EXTREMES TO PROVE THAT HE'S CAPABLE OF RIDING MIKE'S NEW MOTORCYCLE, AND SUE RESORTS TO LIVING IN HER CAR TO GET AWAY FROM HER HORRIBLE ROOMMATE, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Norm MacDonald Guest Stars as Mike's Brother, Rusty "Risky Business" – Frankie is completely gobsmacked when Mike's brother Rusty (Norm MacDonald) pays an unexpected visit and offers him an opportunity to partner on one of his crazy business ideas — and Mike wants in. Meanwhile, Axl goes to extreme measures to prove to Mike that he can handle riding his dad's new motorcycle; and unbeknownst to her parents, Sue tells Brad that her college roommate is so horrible that she's resorted to living in her car, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Brock Ciarlelli as Brad Bottig, Norm MacDonald as Rusty Heck, Lyndon Smith as Holly Haypek and Michael Dempsey as Stan. "Risky Business" was written by Ilana Wernick and directed by Phil Traill.
Spoiler: 10/21/15 episode FRANKIE BECOMES CONCERNED WHEN MIKE SEEMS MORE QUIET AND DISTANT THAN USUAL AND CALLS ON REVEREND TIMTOM TO HELP FIND OUT WHAT'S WRONG, SUE BUMPS INTO THE SEXY ABERCROMBIE GUY WHILE GIVING BRICK A TOUR OF HER COLLEGE – AND LOSES HER LITTLE BROTHER, AND AXL'S HOUSE IS COMPLETELY OVERRUN WITH ANTS, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Land of the Lost" – Frankie becomes worried about Mike, who is being more quiet and distant than usual, and calls on Reverend TimTom to come over and try to find out what's troubling him. Meanwhile, Sue invites an excited Brick to spend a weekend with her at college, which includes a tour of the library. But when Sue bumps into Logan — the hunky Abercrombie guy who had asked her out to prom — and once again falls under his dreamy spell, she realizes that Brick is no longer with her and is now missing; and Axl and Hutch decide to take matters into their own hands by complaining to the city when their house is completely overrun with ants, and they discover that they may have even more problems than an insect infestation, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, David Hull as Logan, Paul Hipp as Reverend TimTom, Tommy Bechtold as Kenny, Mark L. Taylor as Mr. Callen and Hawk D'Onofrio as Logan's Friend. "Land of the Lost" was written by Roy Brown and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 10/28/15 episode THE HECKS ARE PLACED IN THEIR OWN "TWILIGHT ZONE"-LIKE STORIES IN A HALLOWEEN EPISODE THAT WILL PROVIDE BOTH TRICKS AND TREATS, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Brooke Shields Returns as Trashy Neighbor Rita Glossner "Halloween VI: Tick Tock Death" – Halloween finds the Hecks in their own Twilight Zone-type stories, with Brick providing an introduction to each, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Brooke Shields as Rita Glossner, Gibson Bobby Sjobeck as Diaper Glossner, Casey Burke as Cindy, Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Tommy Bechtold as Kenny, Pedro Correa as Skateboard Kid, Austin Mincks as Guy, Ellen Geer as Cynthia and Carole Gutierrez as Confused Lady. "Halloween VI: Tick Tock Death" was written by Tim Hobert and directed by Elliot Hegarty.
Spoiler: 11/11/15 episode FRANKIE'S MOM DECIDES TO JOIN HER DAUGHTER IN THE ANNUAL HOMECOMING TAILGATE AND ENDS UP EMBARRASSING HER, AND WITH AXL OUT SICK, MIKE LOOKS TO BRICK TO HELP HIM WIN THE TAILGATE CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Marsha Mason Guest Stars as Frankie's Mom, Pat "Homecoming II: The Tailgate" – Frankie is looking forward to taking part in the annual homecoming tailgate. But she begins to feel like the event will become an embarrassing disaster when her mom, Pat, decides to come out and join in the fun. Meanwhile, with Axl down with a bad case of the stomach flu, Mike turns his attention to Brick to help him win the tailgate cornhole tournament trophy that has eluded him for so long, and Sue volunteers to be the class liaison for Homecoming at the event, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Marsha Mason as Pat Spence, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Sean O'Bryan as Ron Donahue, Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, Julie Brown as Paula Norwood, Pat Finn as Bill Norwood, Chris Darga as Mr. Farrar, Nick Peine as Burnout Tad and Josh Pafchek as Burnout Mitch. "Homecoming II: The Tailgate" was written by Ilana Wernick and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 11/18/15 episode AGREEING TO FORGO THE ANNUAL HECK THANKSGIVING GATHERING AFTER FINDING OUT THAT SHE'S OUT OF A JOB UNTIL JANUARY, FRANKIE PICKS UP A HOLIDAY POSITION AT HERITAGE VILLAGE AND FINDS HERSELF HAVING TO DEAL WITH CO-WORKER SHEILA, WHO TAKES HER JOB A BIT TOO SERIOUSLY, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Faith Ford Guest Stars as Frankie's Co-Worker, Sheila "Thanksgiving VII" – The Hecks agree to forgo Thanksgiving after Frankie finds out that she's out of a job until January and must pick up a holiday position, which requires her to work on Thanksgiving in order to make ends meet. Much to her dismay, she ends up once again having to portray an overworked 19th century woman back at Heritage Village during the Harvest Feast and finds herself going face-to-face with Sheila (Faith Ford), a woman who definitely takes her job too seriously. Meanwhile, Sue goes back to work at Spudsy's over her holiday break in the hopes that she'll once again run into Logan – the dreamy Abercrombie guy, Axl finds himself in foreign territory when he starts becoming emotional over how his life has turned out, and Mike and Brick find themselves needing to find a bonding experience when the electricity goes out at the house and they are forced to interact with each other, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Brock Ciarlelli as Brad Bottig, Faith Ford as Sheila, Rick Overton as Obadiah, Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, Jimmy Bellinger as Edwin, Steven Lee Allen as Bartender, Jane Casserly as Female Guest, Natalie Lander as Debbie, Brittany Ross and Courtney, Collin Christopher as Male Customer and Loretta Fox as Shopper on Floor. "Thanksgiving VII" was written by Rich Dahm and directed by Elliot Hegarty.
Spoiler: 12/02/15 episode FRANKIE INVITES MIKE TO JOIN HER ON AN ALL-EXPENSE-PAID TRIP TO DES MOINES WHERE SHE MUST ATTEND A CONVENTION AS PART OF THE DENTIST OFFICE'S TRANSITION TO A NEW OWNER, AND AXL INFORMS A DISAPPROVING SUE THAT HE'S GOING TO MOVE INTO HER DORM ROOM TEMPORARILY UNTIL HE FINDS A NEW PLACE OF HIS OWN, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Cheryl Hines and Jack McBrayer Guest Star "The Convention" – Dr. Goodwin (Jack McBrayer) informs Frankie that she must attend a convention on an all-expense paid trip to Des Moines as part of the dentist office's transition to being part of the Smile Superstars International team, headlined by the company's inspiring founder, Dr. Samuelson (Cheryl Hines). Thinking that her husband could use a break, Frankie entices Mike to join her on the trip to experience the luxuries of a free mini vacation. Meanwhile, Axl informs a disapproving Sue that he's going to move into her dorm room until he finds a new place of his own, and roles become reversed when Mike's dad, Big Mike (John Cullum), agrees to watch over Brick while Frankie and Mike are out of town, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Jack McBrayer as Dr. Goodwin, Cheryl Hines as Dr. Samuelson, John Cullum as Big Mike, Madison Kirkpatrick as Madison, Sarielle Arambulo as Kelly and John Colton as Professor. "The Convention" was written by Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 12/09/15 episode THE FAMILY IS ON BOARD WITH FRANKIE'S DECISION TO SKIP GOING TO CHURCH AND WATCHING A CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE AT HOME ON TV, BUT A STRING OF EVENTS MAKE THEIR EVENING ANYTHING BUT PEACEFUL, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Not So Silent Night" – Dreading the fact that they are always late to church and end up in the overflow room, Frankie makes the decision to have the family watch a Christmas Eve service on TV from the comfort of the Heck house. But a string of events make their evening anything but a peaceful, silent night, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue and Dierk Torsek as Reverend Hayver. "Not So Silent Night" was written by DeAnn Heline & Eileen Heisler and directed by Melissa Kosar.
Spoiler: 1/06/16 episode SUE TAKES PART IN THE COLLEGE'S SORORITY RUSH IN HOPES OF BEING ACCEPTED INTO A HOUSE AND BECOMING PART OF A SOCIAL CIRCLE, AND AXL ATTEMPTS TO INTRODUCE MIKE TO SOCIAL MEDIA, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "The Rush" – The ever optimistic Sue decides that she wants to become part of a social circle and thrusts herself head first into the college's sorority rush in the hopes of being accepted into a house. Meanwhile, Axl tries to connect Mike into social media in an attempt to help generate awareness of Mike and Rusty's baby-diaper business, and Frankie begins to feel like she's not needed as much in her son's life when Brick goes shopping for a pair of pants by himself for the first time, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, January 6 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Jovan Armand as Troy, Patty Guggenheim as Whitney, Stacy Barnhisel as Kristy, Teagan Rose as Trish, Nicole M. Kramer as Jackie, Katherine Neff as Gamma Sorority Girl and Leah Clark as Girl. "The Rush" was written by Roy Brown and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 1/13/16 episode AXL GETS A TASTE OF THE REAL WORLD WHEN HIS FIRST DAY AS A BUSINESS INTERN AT LITTLE BETTY DOES NOT GO AS PLANNED, AND SUE'S PROFESSOR CHALLENGES HER TO STOP SEEING THE WORLD THROUGH ROSE-COLORED GLASSES FOR A WRITING ASSIGNMENT, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Birds of a Feather" – Axl has big plans for his first day as a business intern at Little Betty. But his dreams of coming up with new ideas for the snack-making company go out the window when he’s reduced to doing menial tasks for an ungrateful boss. Meanwhile, while having to listen to Frankie complain about how much she hates working for the new dental-office owners, Smile Superstars International, Cindy informs Mike that she has kissed another boy and that he has to break the news to Brick; and Sue's professor challenges her to stop seeing the world through rose-colored glasses and really open up and hone in on her critical thinking for a writing assignment, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, January 13 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Jack McBrayer as Dr. Goodwin, Josh Cooke as Professor Grant, Alan Ruck as Jack Kershaw, Casey Burke as Cindy, Will Green as Activist, Carolyn Wilson as Female Employee, Melanie Haynes as Angry Patient and Jaret Martino as Student #1. "Birds of a Feather" was written by Tim Hobert and directed by Victor Nelli.
Spoiler: 1/20/16 episode MIKE ENLISTS AXL AND BRICK TO HELP HIM SET UP FRANKIE'S 50th BIRTHDAY SURPRISE PARTY AFTER FEELING GUILTY OVER FLOATING THE SPECIAL DAY FOR TOO LONG, AND COACH BABBITT MAKES IT HER MISSION TO TURN BRICK INTO AN ATHLETE, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Floating 50" – Feeling guilty over floating Frankie's 50th birthday for too long, Mike enlists Axl and Brick to help him set up a surprise party for her. Meanwhile, Sue finds herself being mocked after posting a sign in the dorm laundry room to help find one of her lost socks, and after Brick turns in an "I Can't" project at school and indicates that he can't do sports, Coach Babbitt makes it her mission to turn him into an athlete, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Brooke Dillman as Coach Babbitt, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Julie Brown as Paula Norwood, Sean O'Bryan as Ron Donahue, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Pat Finn as Bill Norwood, Stephanie Merlo as Lindsey, Mat Botuchis as Chris, Lyle Kanouse as Mr. Repsholdt, Mackenzie Smith as Megan and Cade Canon Ball as George. "Floating 50" was written by Rich Dahm and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 2/10/16 episode BRICK BECOMES A TYRANNICAL DIRECTOR FOR A SCHOOL PROJECT; SUE'S NEW ROOMMATE SPONTANEOUSLY BUYS NEW THINGS FOR THE DORM ROOM – AND CHARGES A PENNILESS SUE FOR HALF THE COSTS; AND AXL'S BOSS CONFIDES IN HIM THAT THE FRUIT PIE DIVISION MAY BE SHUT DOWN, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Alan Ruck (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) Guest Stars as Axl's Boss "Film, Friends and Fruit Pies" – While Frankie and Mike try to figure out which household appliance a piece of plastic belongs to, Brick becomes a tyrannical director when he casts Cindy and Troy to re-enact scenes from Knots Landing for a school project; Sue's excitement over having new friend Lexie become her college dorm roommate quickly sours when she finds herself being charged for half of the new things that Lexie is spontaneously buying for the room; and Axl finds himself becoming stressed out when his boss (Alan Ruck) befriends him and tells him that the fruit pie division is on the verge of being shut down, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, February 10 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Brock Ciarlelli as Brad Bottig, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Casey Burke as Cindy, Jovan Armand as Troy, Alan Ruck as Jack Kershaw and Jim Hanna as Mr. Reed. "Film, Friends and Fruit Pies" was written by Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter and directed by Blake T. Evans.