Plot Synopsis

Middle-aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country, Frankie and Mike raise their kids with love and solid Midwestern practicality. Besides trying to get her family through each day, Frankie struggles at work -- first as the least successful sales woman at Ehlert Motors, the town's only surviving car dealer, and then as a dental assistant. Her husband, Mike, manages the local quarry. Axl, the oldest child, is an academic slacker who was enough of a jock to earn an athletic scholarship to college. Then there's Sue, their extraordinarily ordinary daughter who fails at everything she tries with great gusto -- even trying out for school mascot -- but is just happy to overcome small obstacles in life, like finally passing her driver's test on the sixth try. Brick, the youngest son, is an odd kid whose best friend is his backpack and who constantly whispers to himself. In the fifth season opener, against Axl's wishes, Frankie insists on having the entire Heck family along for the ride as they drive to his college to move him into his dorm. But the short drive turns into an eternity when Sue freaks out after discovering that Frankie forgot to fax in her essay to be a candidate for Junior Peer Leadership Advisor, and Brick proves once again that he can't be trusted when he keeps losing his new cell phone. In the Season 6 opener, "Unbraceable You," Frankie makes a giant blunder when she discovers that school started a week earlier than she thought, and Sue and Brick must scramble to catch up on the days they've missed and re-acclimate themselves to school life. Meanwhile, it looks like the "Year of Sue" might be starting off on a high when she finally gets her braces removed. Axl beats Mike at basketball for the first time in his life, and Brick gets creative in an attempt to find the perfect school book bag. THE MIDDLE returned for its seventh season on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at 8pm ET/PT on ABC, with each family member breaking out of their comfort zones and navigating new situations than what they're used to. In the season opener, "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. Season 8 of THE MIDDLE premiered on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT on ABC. This year, the kids find themselves breaking out of their comfort zones and navigating new situations than what they're used to -- which may or may not be very comforting to Frankie and Mike. In the season opener, "The Core Group," Frankie and Mike are excited to meet April-- the love of Axl's life -- but discover that love may indeed be blind when April reveals a quirky personality trait. Meanwhile, after getting bit by the acting bug while working at Dollywood over the summer, Sue wants to change her major to theater, and Brick is starting high school and making it his mission to try for a fresh start and not be considered one of the weird kids. The ninth and final season of THE MIDDLE premiered on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 @ 8pm ET/PT on ABC. In the season opener, "Vive Le Hecks," Axl returns home from his summer trip to Europe, sporting a man-bun and embracing a new, chill European outlook on life. Mike just wants him to clean up and look for a job, but Frankie thinks Axl will do this on his own and asks Mike to give him a little breathing room. Meanwhile, because Sue worked the entire summer at Spudsy's and missed out on having any fun, she decides to cram in a whole summer of fun in two days before going back to college; Brick makes the decision to break up with Cindy because he doesn't want to be tied down in a relationship when he's about to embark on the revelry of his "big sophomore year"; and Frankie desperately tries to come up with an item for a time capsule that's being buried under the Orson cow that will make the town remember the Hecks when it's opened in 100 years.
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On Tuesday, May 22, 2018 from 8:30-9:30pm ET/PT, ABC premiered "A Heck of a Ride," the one-hour series finale of THE MIDDLE. After nine hilarious and heartfelt seasons, a Heck leaves the nest as the family takes a road trip to Denver, where Axl will start his new job -- and new life away from home.Guest starring are Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Sean O'Bryan as Ron Donahue, Brock Ciarlelli as Brad Bottig, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie Brooks, Paul Hipp as Reverend TimTom, Pat Finn as Bill Norwood, Katlin Mastandrea as Weird Ashley, Laura Ann Kesling as Dotty Donahue, Kayla Madison as Shelly Donahue, Reagan Rundus as Gracie, O'Neill Monahan as Lucas, Beau Hart as Riley, Terrence Beasor as Mr. Johnson, Heather Olt as paramedic, Steve Trzaska as Randy, David Figlioli as security man, Luenell as security woman, Toby Grey as 11-year-old, Allan Fisher as 13-year-old, Josiah Cerio as 15-year-old and Corwin Allard as quirky kid.