Page 4 - TVTimes.12.10.17

4 December 10 - 16, 2017
El Dorado News-Times
cover story
Creating a legacy with ‘The Middle’
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By Kat Mulligan
TV Media
Family comedies are essential to prime-time television, though few manage to break through the fourth wall and provide a sense of genuine authenticity. It seems as if each decade graces us with one or two quality family sitcoms, the highs and lows of their experiences so familiar that we become a part of the family ourselves. Suchlegendaryseriesinclude“Allin the Family,” “Roseanne,” “Full House” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
Thankfully, the current generation has found its own iconic family to
join, though sadly the time has come to say goodbye.The final season of “The Middle” is underway, with a new, Christmas-themed episode arriving Tuesday, Dec. 12, on ABC.
“The Middle” made its way into homes across North America back
in September 2009.Throughout the pilot episode, mom Frankie, played by Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), provides the rundown on the Hecks, her family of five. There’s the eldest of her three children,Axl (Charlie McDermott, “Hot Tub Time Machine,” 2010), a carefree, athletic rebel; Sue (Eden Sher, “The Outcasts,” 2017), a klutzy yet optimistic and driven middle child; and Brick (At- ticusShaffer,“StevenUniverse”),the brainy, quirky youngest child who juggles exceptional smarts with ex- hausting boredom.
Dad Mike, played by Neil Flynn (“Scrubs”), rounds off the bunch with his towering height, level head and blunt honesty. As the family manages day-to-day struggles between break- fasts of frozen pancakes and fast food dinners around a glowing television screen, there is something incred-
ibly raw and endearing about them. There’s no need to try to impress, and no wanting for more than what is pos- sibleforthem.AstheHecksstraddle the line between middle and lower class, there is a sense that a reflec- tion is being sent back to millions of Americans who see their own reality playing out onscreen, week by week. Perhaps this is why the series has long endured, as families have grown up with, and alongside, the Hecks.
This growth is quite literal, with season 9 finding the family shifting toward an adult majority: Brick is now the sole teenager in the house, and entering his sophomore year of high school. Sue is a junior at college, while Axl has found his way home from Europe, greatly changed by the experi- ence (well, somewhat). Frankie and Mike confront the realities of having their adult children at home and the need for both of them, but especially Axl, to contribute to keeping the fam- ily afloat as they juggle daily bills and expenses.
Another notable element of the seasonthusfarisitsrecognitionofthe family’s journey — the lasting impact of the Hecks in their own universe and the world beyond the screen.The season 9 premiere made this theme overtly clear, with Frankie’s
obsessing over the town’s time capsule project, stressing to the fam-
ily the importance of finding just the right
way to commemorate their presence in the town, because, as Frankie frantically asks: “Will people remember that
the Hecks were here?”
It’s an obvi-
ous thematic
choice for a final season, but, as
the series does so skilfully, Frankie’s questioning and desire to know the family has had an impact is extremely relatable. Thankfully,
the series is helping Frankie to find the answer, by reflecting back on memora- ble events of “The Middle.” The credit scenes of the episode “Thanksgiving IX,” for instance, reflect on the past nine years of Heck family Thanksgiv- ings. Montages such as this one tug
at the heartstrings of fans, who have shared these holiday moments for nearly a decade with “The Middle,” and now accept the bittersweet con- clusiontosucharelatablejourney.
The desire to end the series with season 9 came as quite a shock to fans, who have only seen the show increase in depth and popularity. It would seem that the main reason for concluding “The Middle” at this point is to end the show while it still reso- nates with viewers, without experienc- ing a dramatic downturn in ratings or interest. In an interview on “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” Heaton addressed this: “We love the show, and we love each other, but you get this sense of when it’s time to leave the party. You don’t want to wait until it’s kind of already over.”
The series, still extremely relevant in a time when many families find mak- ing ends meet increasingly challeng- ing, could no doubt have continued to have quite a successful run, but leav- ing during this pivotal time ensures that the Heck family will not be easily forgotten. Heaton has also been very expressiveabouttheimpactofthe series and its relationship with its fans. While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, she emphasized that, for the cast, the crew, the writers and the fans, closure is essential. “There are so many people who have been so loyal ... and feel like these characters are
their family,” she said, “so we’ll all go on this farewell journey together.”
The journey of the Heck family may be coming to a close this
season, but it will forever have a place amongst those
legendary family sitcoms that weren’t afraid to serve a thick slice of
reality alongside their humorous main course. Reflect on the past eight
seasons and hold those memories close as you
enjoy some holiday cheer with the Hecks. An all-new Christmas-themed episode of
“The Middle” airs Tuesday, Dec. 12, on ABC.
Patricia Heaton stars in “The Middle”
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