The Middle – Why didn’t Brick try out to play a munchkin?

It’s unfortunate that, on last night’s episode of The Middle, Axl once again ended up as the odd-man-out, with little more than sideshow tricks to perform. The show works overtime trying to get everyone stories, but obviously someone’s got to give now and again. I just hate when it’s Axl.

Nevertheless, it was a great idea to actually give him something to do, something that carried him through the entire episode, albeit at times in the background of various scene. That set-up made it possible for him to “see all yet not be seen,” which was evident when he pointed out to Sue that Frankie was still in the play. I loved it when he repeatedly flicked coins at Sue. And even taking a backseat, Axl had the best line of the night, after Mike and Frankie punished him for driving blindfolded after a dare from his friends: “I’m not gonna share my accomplishments with you anymore if this is how you guys react!”

Sue, meanwhile, had her usual “disappointment wrapped in a bow” thing going, starting with the tried-but-failed attempt to make the lacrosse team. But this time things ended with a twist; this time it was Frankie who screwed her over — I’m no Frankie fan, but even I was surprised that she’d do something as mean as staying in the play after Sue got cut and asked her to quit in solidarity — and Sue finally found the courage to stand up for herself, she of the crazy eyes. It would have been great if Frankie had been unselfish enough to actually drop out, but what can you do. I hear Ozian #4 is a tough role to give up.

Brick’s story could have been great, but unfortunately he got stuck with a scrud like Uncle Rusty (Norm MacDonald). I was trying to figure out who the “special friends” are in Grandparents or Special Friends Day — are the special friends your grandparent’s “special friends?” — but I didn’t expect it to be Mike’s lump of a brother.

Okay, so when Brick came to the door looking for Mike’s father, and Rusty said, “I know you … from the time we ate turkey,” I laughed, even as the comment kind of encapsulated all that’s wrong with Rusty. But something was very un-Brick about the whole cutting school escapade. And it’s like, while the conversation about bowling and whatnot would have been great in another setting, with Brick in the car with Rusty I couldn’t help but hope that the police would save Brick from the scary stranger. Letting Brick drive home? Come on!

But the truth is that the plot kind of begs a larger question. With Rusty showing up for the play — Bob playing the Mayor of Munchkin Land was perfect casting — are we being told that he’ll start playing a role in the Hecks’ lives, and therefore on the show? Will we start seeing Rusty on holidays, or at least hearing about him as much as Frankie talks about her family? It seems kind of strange, if you think about it, that Rusty and Big Mike live so close, yet we never see them. Maybe this is a course-correction?

That’s yet to be seen. In the meantime, I hope Rusty’s ill-advised visit to Brick’s class while they were mid-test will at least help Brick out of the check/check-minus territory he’s been straddling. I love that kid!

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Nov 17, 2011 @ 09:00 EST5EDT