The Middle – “The Cheerleader”
After watching the first two episodes of The Middle, the biggest comparison I can make to it is the show Malcolm in the Middle, and not just because they both have “the middle” in their names. The Middle is about a peculiar, lower-middle-class family of five from Indiana, of which Frankie, the mother played by Patricia Heaton, is the centerpiece.
The Hecks are just trying to make ends meet, but their already small world quickly comes crashing down around them. The parents, Mike and Frankie Heck, receive an abrupt wake-up call when they realize that all those dazzling items they bought with “no payments until 2009” have come back to bite them in the ass. Throw in a broken dryer, a job in crisis, and a dysfunctional family and you have the makings for a very hectic and pleasing episode.
There is extreme diversity between the different members of the family. Frankie is a stressed-out mother, Mike is a brutally honest father, Axl is the average lazy teen, Sue is a girl going through her awkward stage, and Brick is the youngest son who is in a world of his own. This eclectic mix of characters adds to the reality of a struggling family, while still maintaining a bevy of hilarious moments. The show is perfectly cast, and I can’t wait to see more next Wednesday.
Grade: B+
Modern Family – “Come Fly With Me”
Modern Family is definitely my favorite new comedy of the fall. Three completely varied groups of people come together to form one great big hysterically different family. The Dunphys are a family of five, with Phil, the father; Claire, the mother; Haley, the oldest daughter; Alex the daughter in the middle; and Luke the youngest son. Claire’s brother, Mitchell, is gay, with a heavyset boyfriend named Cameron and Lily, a Vietnamese baby they adopted. Finally, there is Jay, Claire and Mitchell’s father, who married the very sexy Gloria, who has a son named Manny. That’s a lot to take in right away, but trust me, it’s worth it.
The group is all mixed up today, with Phil spending time with his father-in-law, Jay, Gloria going shopping with Alex, Claire having deep, meaningful discussions with, Manny, her cousin(-in-law?) who is very mature for his young age, and Cameron showing Mitchell the miraculous store that everyone loves: Cost-Co. Phil and Jay’s day is spent with awkward moments and ends with Jay flying a model plane into Phil’s face. Gloria and Alex’s grandmother to granddaughter conversation is sure to make you crack a smile with the young girl asking some surprising questions and Gloria not hesitating to answer. It’s also funny watching Claire pour out her deepest feelings into her young cousin, who is supposed to be playing with Luke. Mitch and Cam’s spot in this week’s show isn’t as memorable as the previous episodes, but it wasn’t completely disappointing.
With so many branching storylines in this show, it’s hard to cover everything. I’m trying to keep these as “Quick Reviews,” so forgive me if you think a sentence per storyline is too little. The most important thing to remember is that it was a great episode; one that is sure to have you laughing. The variety of the stories makes the show extremely unique and a blast to watch.
Grade: A-
Jordan is a high school student and aspiring journalist. He loves playing/watching and writing about video games, television, and movies. 
