Spoiler: 11/29/16 episode AXL CONTINUES TO IGNORE FRANKIE AFTER SHE INADVERTENTLY ADMITTED HOW SHE REALLY FELT ABOUT APRIL, AND BRICK DEVELOPS A NEW QUIRKY TICK, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Look Who's Not Talking" – Although excited about finding a new discount store that sells oddly shaped fruits and vegetables, Frankie is devastated when Axl refuses to talk to her or even answer her texts after inadvertently admitting how she feels about April in front of him. Meanwhile, Brick develops a new quirky tick in the form of a repetitive phrase and lands in detention, and Brad surprises Sue by coming out for a weekend visit at her college, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29 (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 Dave Foley as Dr. Fulton, Robert Michael Morris as Stan Hoister, Brock Ciarlelli as Brad Bottig, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Aaron Hill as Dan, Karen Malina White as Mrs. Roberts, Ty Chen as Scott, Beth Triffon as Marcy, Jared Wernick as Indian Harry Styles, and Amir Aboulela as NYU acting Teacher. "Look Who's Not Talking" was written by Tim Hobert and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 12/06/16 episode RITA GLOSSNER TAKES A FRIGHTENED FRANKIE ON A ROAD TRIP TO AN UNKNOWN DESTINATION; MIKE TAKES A FALL AT THE QUARRY, AND SUE TRIES TO GET AXL TO END HIS ESTRANGEMENT WITH THE FAMILY, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Brooke Shields Returns as Trashy Neighbor Rita Glossner "Trip and Fall" – Trashy neighbor Rita Glossner (Brooke Shields) talks an apprehensive Frankie into taking a road trip to an unknown destination; Mike takes an embarrassing fall at the quarry and has to deal with even more embarrassment when OSHA is called in to investigate; and Sue attempts to convince Axl to end his estrangement with the family after learning their true feelings about April, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, DECEMBER 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 Brooke Shields as Rita Glossner, Malcolm Foster Smith as Dave, Troy Metcalf as Jim, Greg Cipes as Chuck, Ezra Buzzington as Wayne, Greer Grammer as April, Keaton Savage as Tyler, Brian Howe as Tom Hanson, Kurt Collins as Rodney Glossner, Hunter Daily as Vanessa, Adwin Brown as Joel, Chase Kim as Corporate Guy #1, Jon Curry as Corporate Guy #2, Al Coronel as Cop #1, and Jim Titus as Cop #2. "Trip and Fall" was written by Rich Dahm and directed by Elliot Hegarty.
Spoiler: 12/13/16 episode WITH CHRISTMAS APPROACHING, SUE KEEPS A HOLIDAY SECRET FROM THE FAMILY, BRICK HIDES FROM THE NEIGHBOR'S KIDS, AND MIKE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO REACT WHEN BILL NORWOOD GIVES HIM A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "A Very Marry Christmas" – As Christmas approaches, Sue keeps a holiday secret from the family; after agreeing to watch the neighbor's three kids, Brick finds himself trying to hide from them as they had such a good time that they keep wanting to come over and play; and Mike doesn't know how to react when Bill Norwood gives him a Christmas gift for the first time ever, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, DECEMBER 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 Emily Rutherfurd as Dierdre Peterson, Pat Finn as Bill Norwood, Greer Grammer as April, Beau Hart as Riley, Reagan Rundus as Gracie, O'Neill Monahan as Lucas, Ericka Kreutz as Sharron, and Michael G. Coleman as David. "A Very Marry Christmas" was written by Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 1/03/17 episode THE HECKS SPEND NEW YEAR'S DAY AT THE ORSON ESCAPE ROOM; SUE REVEALS A SECRET ABOUT HERSELF TO AXL; AND MIKE IS STUNNED WHEN FRANKIE REVEALS THAT SHE HAD A ROMANTIC DREAM INVOLVING FRANK SINATRA, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Escape Orson" – The Hecks find themselves spending New Year's Day attempting to stave off a zombie apocalypse in the Orson Escape Room, desperately trying to beat the Donahue's record of getting out with more than one minute, eight seconds to spare. Meanwhile, Brick is convinced that the mild-mannered man assigned to the family's Escape Room group is really the famous author of the "Planet Nowhere" books; Sue divulges a secret about herself to Axl that's she's been keeping since childhood; and Mike is stunned when Frankie reveals that she had a romantic dream involving Frank Sinatra, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017 (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 Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, Sean O'Bryan as Ron Donahue, Jelena Nik as Rowdy, Barry Livingston as Milt, Laura Ann Kesling as Dotty Donahue, and Kayla Madison as Shelly Donahue. "Escape Orson" was written by Roy Brown and directed by Jaffar Mahmood.
Spoiler: 1/10/17 episode FRANKIE IS ELATED WHEN SHE WINS FREE MAID SERVICE FOR A MONTH; MIKE AND RUSTY START LOOKING INTO ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES FOR BIG MIKE; AND AXL, HUTCH AND KENNY MOVE IN WITH SUE AND LEXIE IN THEIR TEMPORARY SCHOOL HOUSING, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Norm MacDonald Guest Stars as Mike's Brother, Rusty "Hoosier Maid" – Frankie is ecstatic when she wins free maid service for a month. But the Heck house turns out to be quite the frustrating challenge to clean. Meanwhile, when Mike and Rusty's (Norm MacDonald) dad, Big Mike, starts to have trouble taking care of himself at home, the brothers begrudgingly begin to look at assisted living facilities for him; and when the Winnebago gets too cold and dangerous to inhabit since snow is coming through a hole in the roof, Axl, Hutch and Kenny attempt to move in with Sue and Lexie in their temporary college housing, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, JANUARY 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 Norm MacDonald as Rusty Heck, John Cullum as Big Mike, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Tommy Bechtold as Kenny, Greer Grammer as April, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Aaron Hill as Dan, Ty Chen as Scott, Mary Gillis as Esther, Amir Levi as Bryan, Jennie Fahn as Agatha, and Christine Garver as Colleen. "Hoosier Maid" was written by Bruce Rasmussen and directed by Elliot Hegarty.
Spoiler: 1/17/17 episode AXL PANICS WHEN HE REALIZES THAT HE HASN'T SENT ANY JOB RESUMES OUT – AND HE ONLY HAS FOUR MONTHS OF COLLEGE LEFT; AND BRAD AGREES TO HELP SUE'S NO-CUT A CAPPELLA GROUP GET READY FOR A MUSIC COMPETITION, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Pitch Imperfect" – Axl begins to panic when he realizes that he only has four months of college left before he graduates, and he hasn't sent out any job resumes – something he should have started when he was a junior. Meanwhile, Brad agrees to lead Sue's no-cut a cappella group as they enter a music competition, and Brick desperately asks for Frankie and Mike's advice when girlfriend Cindy tells him that he reads too much, and if he doesn't stop, she'll break up with him, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, JANUARY 17 (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, Casey Burke as Cindy, Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Tommy Bechtold as Kenny, Pat Finn as Bill Norwood, Liam Cronin as Chase, Ashley Spillers as Hannah, Holly Pitrago as Paige, Will Collyer as Landis, Teagan Rose as Trish, Fayelyn Bilodeau as Female Student, Kelly Lamor Wilson as Girl in Line, Ryan David Tsang as Male Student #1, and John Duffy as Male Student #2. "Pitch Imperfect" was written by Rich Dahm and directed by Melissa Kosar.
Spoiler: 2/07/17 episode MIKE OFFERS TO HAVE HIM AND FRANKIE BABYSIT THE NEIGHBOR'S BABY AFTER FRANKIE IS TOLD BY HER DOCTOR THAT HER DAYS OF HAVING KIDS ARE OVER, AND SUE AND AXL ARE SHOCKED WHEN ROMANTIC SPARKS FLY BETWEEN SEAN DONAHUE AND LEXIE, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Ovary and Out" – Frankie becomes sad when her doctor informs her that her ovaries are shriveled up, which means her days of having kids are over. In an attempt to cheer her up, Mike offers to have him and Frankie babysit the neighbor's baby overnight, which puts some perspective on being an older parent. Meanwhile, Sue and Axl are a bit shocked when romantic sparks fly between Sean Donahue and Sue's roommate Lexie; and Brick tries his best to hone up on his font knowledge when he meets Gibson, a worthy font opponent, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 (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 Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Casey Burke as Cindy, Jovan Armand as Troy, Emily Rutherfurd as Deidre Peterson, Cooper Roth as Gibson, and Theo Taplitz as Judah. "Ovary and Out" was written by Ilana Wernick and directed by Elliot Hegarty.
Spoiler: 2/14/17 episode AXL, SUE AND BRICK CALL A FAMILY INTERVENTION MEETING ON FRANKIE AND MIKE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEIR CONSTANT BICKERING IS NEGATIVELY AFFECTING THEM – BUT FRANKIE AND MIKE BEGIN TO THINK THAT THE KIDS' LACK OF SUPPORT MAKES THEM THE ONES WHO SHOULD BE SORRY, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Sorry Not Sorry" – Frankie and Mike frantically attempt to shut off the water and save some treasured items when the pipes burst in the basement. But after freaking out and bickering amongst each other, Axl, Sue and Brick call a family intervention meeting to let their parents know that their constant fighting and bickering is negatively affecting them. But while the kids feel like they can benefit from their parents' newfound realization, Frankie and Mike start to think that the kids' lack of support makes them the ones who should be sorry, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 (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. There are no guest stars in this episode. "Sorry Not Sorry" was written by Tim Hobert and directed by Phil Traill.
Spoiler: 2/21/17 episode MIKE CONVINCES DR. GOODWIN TO FABRICATE A STORY TO CONVINCE FRANKIE THAT HIS TEETH ARE OKAY – EVEN THOUGH HE'S BEEN SUFFERING FROM A TOOTHACHE; SUE ATTEMPTS TO LET GOLF CART DRIVER TYLER KNOW THAT SHE LIKES HIM; AXL DECIDES IT'S TIME TO SELL THE WINNEBAGO; AND BRICK TRIES TO WRITE A HISTORIC SCOTTISH RAP MUSICAL, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Jack McBrayer Guest Stars as Dr. Goodwin "Dental Hijinks" – After Frankie tries to get a stubborn Mike to go see Dr. Goodwin to take care of his toothache, Mike convinces the good doctor to leave his tooth alone and tell Frankie that everything was OK. But the two find themselves fabricating a story that's so ludicrous that they fear Frankie will figure out the truth. Meanwhile, since they are nearing the end of their senior year at college, Axl, Hutch and Kenny decide it's time to sell the fabled Winnebago; Sue tries her best to let college golf cart driver Tyler know that she likes him; and Brick attempts to write a historic Scottish rap musical – a la Hamilton – focusing on the life of Sergeant Charles Stuart MacKenzie, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 (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, Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Keaton Savage as Tyler, Will Green as Jeremy, Tommy Bechtold as Kenny, Jessie Sherman as Julia, Galen Howard as Man, Austin Levenson as Freshman #1, Nathaniel Stroud as Freshman #2, Jamaal Hepburn as Guy #1, and Kai Schultz as Guy #2. "Dental Hijinks" was written by Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 3/07/17 episode LEXIE CONFESSES TO SUE THAT SHE HAS A CRUSH ON AXL, AND MIKE HIRES HIGH SCHOOL COACH BABBITT AS A RINGER TO HELP PULL THE QUARRY SOFTBALL TEAM OUT OF THEIR SLUMP, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Swing and a Miss" – Lexie spends Spring Break with the Hecks and confesses to Sue that she has a crush on Axl; with the quarry softball team on a losing streak, Mike hires high school coach Babbitt as a ringer to pull the team out of their slump; and Frankie desperately tries to uncover what has happened within the Heck family to make Nancy Donahue exclaim that she must be very proud of one of her family member's achievements, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, MARCH 7 (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 Tink Babbitt, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Gia Mantegna as Devin Levin, Malcom Foster Smith as Dave, Troy Metcalf as Jim, Greg Cipes as Chuck, Ezra Buzzington as Wayne, Helen Slayton-Hughes as Eleanor, Pedro Correa as Todd, Chiquita Fuller as Ms. Prescott, and Michael S. Chambers as Olson. "Swing and a Miss" was written by Roy Brown and directed by Danny Salles.
Spoiler: 3/14/17 St. Patrick's Day episode AXL ATTEMPTS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE UNIVERSE IS TRYING TO TELL HIM ABOUT HIS LOVE LIFE WHEN HE RUNS INTO JUST ABOUT ALL OF HIS EX-GIRLFRIENDS AT A ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARTY, AND NOT KNOWING THAT SHE ALREADY HAS A DATE, SEAN DONAHUE OFFERS TO ESCORT SUE TO THE CHANCELLOR'S BALL, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Exes and Ohhhs" – After Axl runs into just about all of his ex-girlfriends while attending a St. Patrick's Day party – including Devin Levin, Cassidy and even Weird Ashley – Hutch tells Axl that the universe is trying to tell him something about his love life, and that he must speak with each of them to try and figure it out. Meanwhile, Brick discovers that Frankie and Mike aren't half as thrilled as he is when he buys an old microfiche machine at a library sale; and not knowing that Tyler is set to take Sue to the Chancellor's Ball, Sean Donahue pays her a surprise visit and offers to escort her to it, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, MARCH 14 (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 Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Greer Grammer as April, Galadriel Stineman as Cassidy, Katlin Mastrandrea as Weird Ashley, Gia Mantegna as Devin Levin, Keaton Savage as Tyler, and Dierk Torsek as Reverend Hayver. "Exes and Ohhhs" was written by Rich Daum and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 4/04/17 episode MIKE UPSETS FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR BILL NORWOOD WHEN HE POACHES HIS PLUMBER AT A REDUCED RATE, AND BRICK SPENDS THE WEEKEND AT AXL'S AND WANTS TO HAVE SOME FUN AND PAR-TAY! ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "The Par-Tay" – Bill Norwood is so upset with Mike for poaching his plumber at a reduced rate that their friendship could be at risk. Meanwhile, after having a fun mother-daughter picnic, Frankie is crushed when Sue – who usually tells her everything – won't divulge who the mystery guy is that she has a crush on; and Brick convinces Axl to let him hang out with him at college over the weekend – not to visit the library but to have some fun and par-tay! on "The Middle," TUESDAY, APRIL 4 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT), 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 Pat Finn as Bill Norwood, Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Jamie Kaler as Hudson, Josh Duvendeck as Liam, Ben Seaward as Roger, and Alanna Fox as Danna. "The Par-Tay" was written by Ilana Wernick and directed by Jaffar Mahmood.
Spoiler: 4/11/17 episode BRICK FINALLY MEETS BLAKE FERGUSON – THE BOY HE WAS SWITCHED AT BIRTH WITH AND RAISED BY HIS PARENTS FOR THE FIRST MONTH OF HIS LIFE, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Charlie McDermott Directed the Episode Monica Horan from Everybody Loves Raymond Guest Stars and Reunites With Patricia Heaton "The Confirmation" – After being reminded that Brick was never confirmed, Frankie and Mike send him to Reverend TimTom's Wilderness Jesus Jam weekend camp to brush up on his religious knowledge in preparation for the blessed event. But Brick is shocked to discover that his bunkmate is no other than Blake Ferguson – the boy he was switched at birth with and raised by his parents for the first month of his life, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, APRIL 11 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT), 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 Paul Hipp as Reverend TimTom, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, Brock Ciarlelli as Brad, Monica Horan as Anna Ferguson, Trent Garrett as Chester, Kevin Thomas Mitchell as Blake Ferguson, Mike Ostroski as Charlie Ferguson, Frank Gallegos as Man, Ethan Disalvio as Kevin, and Andy Taylor Kim as Student. "The Confirmation" was written by Tim Hobert and directed by Charlie McDermott.
Spoiler: 4/18/17 episode FRANKIE IS THRILLED WHEN AXL ALLOWS HER TO TAKE HIM SUIT SHOPPING FOR UPCOMING BUSINESS INTERVIEWS, AND MIKE THREATENS TO GET RID OF THE FAMILY POOL IF SUE AND BRICK DON'T START USING IT, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Adult Swim" – After discovering that he doesn't have a decent suit to wear for upcoming business interviews, Frankie is thrilled when Axl agrees to let her take him shopping to help him pick out a suit; and when Mike threatens to do away with the family summer pool if Sue and Brick don't start using it, they begin to worry that he and Frankie may take even more things away from around the house from their childhood that they don't use anymore as they edge towards adulthood, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, APRIL 18 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT), 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, Jovan Armand as Troy, Alan Rachins as Mort, Reagan Rundus as Gracie, O'Neill Monahan as Lucas, Beau Hart as Riley, Rob Mainord as Recruiter #1, Liz Eldridge as Recruiter #2, and Eben Ham as Recruiter #3. "Adult Swim" was written by Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 5/02/17 episode FRANKIE ANXIOUSLY SEARCHES THE HOUSE FOR AXL'S MISSING GRADUATION GIFT; SUE WANTS TO MAKE A SWEET VIDEO FOR MIKE'S UPCOMING BIRTHDAY; AND BRICK ASKS AXL TO HELP GET HIM INTO SHAPE AFTER CINDY SAVES HIM FROM A BULLY, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Clear and Present Danger" – Frankie frantically searches the house for Axl's graduation gift, which she bought months before and hid; Sue decides that she wants to make a sweet video for Mike's upcoming birthday – even though the family warns her that he probably won't like it; and after Cindy embarrasses Brick by strong-arming and chasing away a boy who was bullying him, Brick turns to Axl to help get him into shape so that he can stick up for himself, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, MAY 2 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT), 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, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Troy Metcalf as Jim, Malcolm Foster Smith as Dave, Chasen Banks as Dylan, Chase Kim as George, Cheyenne Wilbur as Ed, and Jack Impellizzeri as Random Guy. "Clear and Present Danger" was written by Roy Brown and directed by Phil Traill.