The Middle – “The Block Party”
The Hecks always have a lot to deal with. This week, Axl thinks everything is lame, Sue is trying out for the position of tennis ball-girl (which she predictably fails at), and Brick’s test results (not educational, mental). This episode’s storylines are divided into Frankie and Axl, as well as Mike and Brick, with Sue being put on the back burner. Frankie just wants to know that Axl is still the sweet little kid that he used to be when he was six, but their relationship is hurt even worse when Axl is the only football player that gives his old football jersey to a hot girl, rather than his mom. Moreover, after Brick’s $500 test results reveal that Brick is obviously bad at socializing with other kids, Mike tries to get him involved with other kids.
The Axl/Frankie storyline is very predictable, and in most of Patricia Heaton’s scenes, she seems like she’s constantly overacting. Axl is the stereotypical teenage boy, and Frankie is the stereotypical, overworked mother, who is tired of dealing with the stereotypical teenage boy. Mike and Brick’s scenes, on the other hand, make for extremely humorous situations. The flashbacks of Brick trying to interact with other boys his age sets this up for a great storyline. So in an effort to make Brick seem normal, Mike signs him up for basketball, but it unfortunately has the opposite effect. Brick’s mannerisms are really what keep the show fresh, even if his whispering-to-himself gag is becoming overdone. Brick is constantly reading on the basketball court, and Mike’s frustration with him just makes it even funnier.
So like I was saying, one of the storylines, Mike and Brick’s, really had a lot going for it, whereas Frankie and Axl’s storyline seemed to be lacking quite a bit. The show has been performing well enough, but it won’t be able to survive on Brick forever. The writers and actors need to really establish these characters and make them work well together.
Grade: B
Modern Family – “Run for Your Wife”
It’s the first day of school (I thought they were already in school, though), and each family is dealing with their own set of problems. Jay and Gloria have a conflict because Manny wants to go school in an authentic Columbian poncho; Jay thinks he should reconsider to save himself the embarrassment, but Gloria is (almost) always in support of her son. Mitchell and Cam are also facing an issue after Lily suffers her first bump on the head, but, being new parents, they very concerned and take a trip to the doctor. Finally, with the house empty, Phil challenges Claire to a race, which really turns into a competitive battle.
Like all of the show’s previous episodes, each storyline is hilarious. Gloria wants Jay to show Manny that he’s supportive of him, so he brings him his poncho. However, Gloria realizes that there are limits to how badly she’ll let Manny embarrass himself, and she subtly asks Jay to destroy his pan flute, so he can’t perform his dance in front of the class. Furthermore, the tension inside the Dunphy household makes more some fantastic moments between Phil and Claire, as they keep trying to one-up each other. My favorite moment happens to be when Mitch and Cam freak out after they accidentally lock Lily inside their car.
Modern Family continues to impress. I feel like I’m gushing over this show every week, but in all honesty, it really deserves it. All I can really say is make sure you put this show on your must-watch list.
Grade: A
Jordan is a high school student and aspiring journalist. He loves playing/watching and writing about video games, television, and movies. 
