The Middle Series Finale Recap: Do the Hecks Live Happily Ever After?
Warning: The following contains spoilers from the series finale of ABC’s The Middle.
The series finale of ABC’s The Middle gives all the Heck kids their deserved happy endings — but not before one last family road trip.
The hour-long sendoff finds the Hecks preparing for Axl’s big move to Denver. Frankie has the most difficult time processing the news; she attempts to keep her cool in front of her son, but is otherwise freaking out. She nearly loses it when Mike gets a special moment with Axl, taking him aside to give him an old watch that once belonged to his grandfather. It’s inscribed with the coordinates to the family’s home, so he always remembers where he came from. (D’aw!)
Brick, meanwhile, doesn’t seem all that fazed by Axl’s imminent departure. Upon learning that his brother’s leaving, he immediately begins constructing a reading lounge on Axl’s side of the bedroom. On his last night in Orson, Axl finds Brick reserving a window seat in the family car, and asks why he’s not more upset. Brick admits he’s going to miss Axl a whole lot, and busying himself in the wake of his brother’s big announcement was his way of coping with it. Sue then joins them, and gets a very special moment with both of her brothers. She tells them that she loves being the middle child, because it’s allowed her to be both a big sister and a little sister.
The next morning, the Hecks gather Axl’s belongings and hit the open road on a cross-country trip to Denver. Upon exiting the house, Axl is greeted by friends and neighbors — including Lexie, Brad, Bill Norwood and all the Donahues — to bid him a fond farewell. Weird Ashley also shows up to see him off, but insists it’s not goodbye. Sean, meanwhile, is at the airport, set to depart for Ghana when security pulls him over and asks about the snow globe in his luggage. He takes it as a sign that he shouldn’t leave without telling Sue how he feels, then returns home to discover that she’s halfway to Denver. Sick of waiting, he gets in his car and catches up to her; on the side of the road, he professes his love for the girl next door. They seal the deal with a kiss, then Sue promises to wait for him until he returns from Africa in the fall.
Afterwards, the Hecks get back on the road. The kids are in the backseat, burning through phone data, and the ‘rents remind them that they can’t afford to go over their limits . Axl suggests that his folks take him off the family plan to lower the cost of their bill, which winds up being the thing that makes Frankie snap. She tells Mike to pull over and gets out of the car. “I tried, Axl,” she says. “I tried to be cool so that you’d come back and visit… but you know what? I’m not cool. I am not OK with this.
“This is it,” she continues. “It’s over. The five of us are never going to be together like this again. Axl’s leaving, Sue’s gonna take some hotel job, Brick will be sealed up in his room reading, and Dad will blow up [at the quarry] and I’ll find out from some grief counselor. It’s the end of an era, and it’s never gonna be the same again.” As she tries (and fails) to fight back tears, Mike smiles and says, “That’s the way it’s supposed to be.” They all go in for a group hug, then promise Frankie that they’ll always remain on the same data plan. Afterwards, they return to the car and continue towards Denver, but forget the blue snack bag on the side of the road. We’re then treated to a series of flash-forwards, revealing where all the Heck kids wind up:
* Axl eventually moves back to Orson, where he and Lexie settle down and have three children: all boys who are just like Axl.
* Brick grows up to become a successful author, penning a series of novels about a quirky young man who gets sucked into his magical microfiche machine and travels through time with his trusty backpack. Not only does Brick sport a magnificent beard, but he’s also wearing a wedding ring. (I’d like to think he winds up with Cindy.)
* Sean and Sue break up a bunch of times, but eventually get married in an outdoor ceremony officiated by — who else? — Reverend Tim Tom.
We then return to present day. Mike winks at Frankie, and she smiles back at him. We then cut to a wide shot of the car driving further away, and overhear the family arguing about the missing blue bag. Axl blames Sue, then Brick chimes in: “This is why I didn’t want to sit in the middle. [Whispers] The Middle!”
And there you have it! After nine seasons, 215 episodes and at least half a dozen blue bags, The Middle has reached its end. What will you miss most about ABC’s unsung family comedy? Grade the series finale via the follow poll, then hit the comments with your thoughts.
I thought it was very good. I would have given Sue a winter wedding with snow falling.
I agree after all the snow globe stuff a winter wedding would have been perfect. Plus sue loves Christmas (but I guess she loves every season lol)
Excellant point! Plus I wish there had been NO break up but still loved the episode!
I’m a new fan!! What about sweet Darrin and I love the honorable intentions of the Kloster boy that loved Sue? What happened to these sweeties??
Oh my gosh that’s so perfect!! Sue should have definitely got married and the Crystal room while it was snowing!! She’s my favorite TV character for so many reasons her heart being the main one!! I love you Sue Heck!! You always make me laugh could always make me cry and will always be remembered !! As well all the Hecks!!
I agree, and I also wanted Sue to wear her grandmother’s ruby necklace at her wedding. A shot of Mike putting the necklace on Sue while Frankie cried would have been great.
I can’t believe it’s over! I haven’t loved a show this much in decades! And that finale was just about perfect, with the exception of not having an appearance from Rita and her boys, (especially the Glossner who’s still riding a big wheel in diapers as a teen,) but I guess they’re still suffering the legal consequences of finally getting their due. ;)
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Have to admit…they punked me when Sean wasn’t there to say good-bye, and I feared we wouldn’t get our moment after all…and deep down kind of hoped that was because they were saving that for “The Hecks: The Next Generation,” which they were going to abbounce after the glaring omission in the finale. But then…well, that moment was wonderful. Sean’s speech should go down in history as one of the most romantic of all times…”You gett excited about that muffin you just ate. You are walking Sunshine.” Forget the kleenix…I needed a Viva Towel!
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I so wish they hadn’t decided to end this wonderful show. But it sure DID go out on top! The Middle, how I shall miss ye!
Agree…Sean’s word were so touching and romantic….
That was beautiful! Just lik their sendoff.
I am going to miss this wonderful show about a truly, realistic ‘middle’ family. It was always consistently funny and heartwarming. Probably the most underrated, consistent show on tv in the last decade. It really has been a Heck of a ride! (And yay!! to Sue Sue Donahue!!)
Axl and Lexie are together. Sue and Sean are together. Brick and Cindy are together, (Presumably. Who else could it possibly be.) All is as it should be and I’m content. I will miss this show dearly, but I will gladly rewatch it, again and again. The Middle will be truly timeless. And Sue Heck will remain one of the greatest characters in TV history. How will we replace her boundless optimism. I know it’s unlikely, but I hope they do a reunion show, someday.
I completely agree about Sue. She is one of the greatest TV character ever. Eden Sher deserved an Emmy Award every season. My absolute favorite Sue moment was at her high school graduation ceremony when her missing year book was being passed through the audience to her and each student spoke aloud of what they wrote in her yearbook, how she always had a smile on her face, how she always greeted everyone with enthusiasm, how she encouraged students to try when they wanted to give up and how she made high school bearable for them. I always thought that Sue would make a great school counselor.
That was such a great Sue moment……one of the best. Funny about being a school counselor which I agree….remember her and Axl on their roof and she said she would like to go to college to be a psychologist….
Oh, yes. They should have changed her major from hospitality to something that would make her.a counselor. She was always so good at helping other people. Then too, there was Whoopee Goldberg as the school counselor and she was so much like Sue. I also thought Devin Levin was the best girlfriend for Axl. She was able to make him be his best. Lexie was cute and all, but she was always controlled by him.
How do we know lexi was with axel remember axel met lexi through sue so lexi being being at the wedding would be cause of Sue remember Ashley said she would see Axel soon.
Well, she was pregnant and standing with Axl.
Brick does end up marrying Cindy. Remember the time traveling Halloween episode.
Yes!!! Exactly! I feel like no one remembers that episode at all but they definitely end up together.
It’s been nine years since Scrubs had write The Janitor out of their superfluous ninth season… wow…
Absolutely loved the finale with one minor annoyance. Where was Cindy?! I would have loved to have seen her.
Sean and Sue finally!!! Axl and Lexi stayed together, a big yay!!! Great to see Rev. Timtom.
Cried like a big baby watching it with my family! Sad to see my favorite show go. :(
If we are to believe the Halloween episode from a year or two back (when Brick and Mike seemingly go trick-or-treating at future-Brick’s house–what a cool idea!), Brick and Cindy enjoy a long and happy marriage, with kids of their own. Future Cindy seems quite normal, and Brick has become a world-class authority on fonts. I imagine that that does not conflict with also being a famous writer. :-)
I cried through the whole thing. Loved it. I am really going to miss The Middle.
I didn’t cry.. ’cause i’m dead inside… but every episode of this show have those special moments that really make you think about your family and your own personal journey to maturity (specially if you are not there yet). That moment when they get off the car was soo meaningful for all of us that at some point left our families and later realize that life never was the same again, that we never gonna have those sweet childish moments just with our parents and siblings in the car again. I’m also really going to miss The Middle.
I loved the show and finale. I have two kids and my daughter is exactly like sue and my son is axle. My son just graduated and is moving only an hour away but I can relate to the show and will miss it. My daughter will often say something and we point out it’s exactly what sue will say.
The finale was completely forgettable, and that’s the best way to end the show that last 9 seasons had very steady ratings and no one in the media or Hollywood seemed to care for. It was a perfect ending for the show. However I could have dealt without the flash forward because I want a revival or TV movies in the future. But Sue’s wedding scene made it worth it.
It will be missed.
I agree. The far-reaching flash forward was not the way to end The Middle. They should have just flash forwarded to the end of summer, with Sean returning and Axel coming home for a visit. Nancy hosts a BBQ for the neighborhood filled with jokes from past seasons. Afterwards, the Heck family goes home and sits down on the couch to watch tv together. Mike aims the remote at the tv. The show ends. Simple. The Middle.
That would have actually been a really good ending too! I don’t think we can/should start expecting every show to have a revival. I don’t want that! The actors may not want that. I’m completely happy for the show to be tied up in a nice bow at the end. BUT! IF they were to do a revival later…. you have to stick with the original ending. Or fit a new story into the time period we haven’t seen. None of this Will and Grace crap.
Will and Grace was crap, which is why the revival needed to come back and fix the show.
I like ianandjane’s idea, flash forward, but not so far forward. While every show doesn’t need a revival there have been TV specials for many shows throughout the decades. The Middle should be one of those shows. The ratings are always there, and people just love seeing this family grow. Not a revival, just an hour long Christmas / holiday special every few years.
I would definitely watch a Christmas special. But I will not be surprised if it never happens.
Will miss the Heck’s! A great sitcome with great actors. Never got the accolades it truly deserved! Best wishes to the cast. Hope to see them all again.
This show was like the little engine who could. It plugged along and kept going even though it never got the attention of Modern Family. I will miss The Hecks and all their quirks.
The BEST sitcom series finale I’ve ever seen! It continues to blow my mind how this show has spent 9 seasons not getting the recognition it deserves. One of the most underrated and under appreciated shows on TV! I hope the Emmy’s finally wakes up and honors this cast for the wonderful show they have provided us the last decade. My mom and I watched it weekly, often laughing through tears, and we did that for the final time tonight. Thank you cast and crew for a show for families, about families, and the gift to bond over with my family. You’ll be dearly missed! :(
If you would have told me this would be one of my favorite shows nine years ago, I would have rolled my eyes. But it was never just another sitcom. It was a reliably good time, every episode! I’m going to miss having 30 mins of a truly “walking sunshine” of a show to watch every week.
You typed it. This show has so much heart that no other current comedy has.
I agree.
It slowly became my favorite show and eventually became one of my rare appointment TV shows.
I LOVED The Middle! Always got a laugh, and occasionally, a tear or two. Will miss it!
Going to miss this show so much! It was one of the best half hours every week!
❤❤❤
The writers and actors hit it out of the park. Lots of tears, great memories and a happy ending. For long time fans of this under appreciated show, it truly is the end of an era. Thank you for all the entertainment for the past nine years!
Been sadly looking forward to this for a while, and it gets interrupted with election coverage. That’s what the news hour is for… and they’ve been running them on the bottom of the screen anyway, that should be sufficient!
Do you live in Atlanta? They did that here to report PARTIAL primary results. Angry tweet sent.
Yes! At 10% reporting, are you kidding?! I went a more old school route and found the contact us address on their website… yours is probably a little more effective these days hehe.
I live in Atlanta too and I was/am so angry they interrupted the finale with that dumb election update! I loved the finale, but that news break ruined it for me. (Only 10% reporting! Ugh. Haha) I will miss this great show!
I really wanted to pick up the phone, call and yell at someone!!! They broke in right as Axl was going to say goodbye to everyone. I think I saw Lexi there but really don’t know since 10% results was more important. Other than that I loved the finale and am so sad it’s over
They did the same thing in Corpus, with less than 10% of the results in for primary races! Sheesh.
I’m so sad to see this go, but it was the perfect ending! I love that we got to see all of their futures (I thought for a moment we weren’t going to find out who Axl was married to!) and I LOVED Brick’s whisper at the end.
Brick’s whisper at the end was serious series finale perfection!
Im gonna miss the middle. Such a great show.
Loved the finale!! It was great seeing how the kids turn out. But very sad to see the show end. Would have loved to see Mike and and frankie as emoty nesters
Loved the finale but why wasn’t Brick in the final wedding scene?
He was I saw him! He was just behind Mike kind of hidden
In the flash forwards were those different timelines? According to Frankie Axl had 3 boys and we saw all of them, but then at the wedding Lexie was very pregnant and I didn’t see any little kids with them so did they flash forward and then work their way back to the present with each kid? Or did they just not really consider the timeline when they filmed the flash forwards and it doesn’t quite make sense? I still loved the finale. I just binge watched Chuck and after that finale it was nice to see someone finally get the proper way to end a beloved series. Sean’s speech to Sue was amazing and I’m glad they mentioned all the stupid near misses and miscommunication issues and acknowledged how stupid it was to waste all that time. I feel like everyone was saying the same thing. Lol.
The flash forwards are not in chronological order. Axl has graying hair in the flash forward with his kids, meaning it’s many years after Sue’s wedding. Lexie is pregnant at the wedding, which is prop apply meant to imply that it’s their first. Brick is also considerably older, (and bearded), in his flash forward, than he was in Sue’s. You could assume that they are actually in reverse, although that distinction is hard to make, in relation to Brick and Axl’s. This isn’t science fiction, so it’s safe to assume it’s all the same timeline.
Timeline wasn’t the right word obviously. I knew it wasn’t an alternate reality or something. Maybe timeframe would have been a better word. Axl had grey hair and his oldest kid was probably a teenager so it was probably about 20-25 years in the future. Brick had a beard so he could have been in his 40’s, but he always looks young in the face so he could have also easily been in his 30’s with a beard and still looked the same. Sue was obviously the youngest in her flash forward. Clearly they didn’t take place all at the same time. I’m wondering if it they were shown in reverse chronological order leading back to the present (like 2o years later, 15 years later, 10 years later and then back at the present) or if it was just random order and we skipped around to different periods of time randomly. I don’t know if I’m explaining myself well. Lol.
It was simply highlighting each kid’s outcome. No time relation to each other.
I agree I think they did it a bit backwards. My take was flash forward for Axl and his kids probably 15-20 yrs out, Brick maybe 10-15 yrs out and then back to Sue and Sean within 2-3 years which would be a good timeframe for Axl and Lexie’s first baby. Plus everyone in the wedding scene seemed the youngest of the flash forwards. Loved the finale I really LOVED how Sue took the initiate to kiss Sean first when he was asking her to be very clear about her feelings for him…yay for Sue!!!!
I loved the finale, but it would’ve been nice to include Darrin somehow–especially since he was not only Sue’s boyfriend but Axl’s friend. And where was April, the “love of Axl’s life?” Gone. And Carly? And Frankie’s mom and Mike’s dad and brother? Oddly missing. And Brick’s font friend, the kid who became a football player? Gone. I think they pretty much dotted every “i” and crossed every “t,” otherwise…but the exclusion of Darrin really annoyed me. What, did the actor tick off the producers or something? They dumped him like a hot potato, and he was Sue’s knight in shining armor many times. Still, it’ll be sad not to have The Middle as part of my weekly schedule. I’d grown quite used to visiting with them every week. Onward and upward!
The Middle already did a special episode with Darrin and one with April LAST season. And we saw Carly in an episode this season. Two episodes focused on Frankie’s mom, and one episode focused on Mike’s dad, etc.
Yeah Carly’s cameo was brief and it was revealed she had a baby.
Not to mention Bob – Chris Kattan was a series regular for three seasons!!
I once heard some rumors he was not well liked. Did you know he and Norm McDonald really hate each other?
What was the special episode with Darrin? I can’t recall. Did we see him married with kids? I always hoped we would see that because it seemed odd that neither Sue or Sean would want Darrin’s blessing given how close he and Sue were and that he was one of Sean’s best friends. They seem like the type of people that wouldn’t want to hurt him and would make sure to at least tell him so he didn’t hear about it from anyone else.
What are you talking about? The Middle never did a special episode with Darrin. He was last seen in 2015. I liked him a lot and was disappointed that we just never saw him again.
You’re wrong in regards to Darrin. He hasn’t been seen since Season 6 and you can verify that by checking out the IMDB page of the actor who played him. I personally always liked Sue and Darrin together. They seemed to have a lot in common and I liked how Darrin was willing to stand up to his friend Axl because of how mean he was to Sue at times. I had hoped they would find their way back to each other after they had both matured more and spent time meeting other people, but even if that wasn’t going to happen you would have thought maybe he’d come back around at some point just for us to see that he had maybe started his own air conditioning company and had a family.
I didn’t expect April back. Last year they had the episode where Axl ran into all his old girlfriends. When they did that, I knew the intention was for there to be closure, so that Axl could move forward. It was pretty clear, even then, that Lexie was meant to be his one. They’ve been running through a checklist of reasons why, ever since (first being the simple fact that she is Sue’s best friend). And honestly, Lexie is an absolutely adorable girl. I don’t think he could do much better.
I respect the writers for ditching April. They read the comments and listened to the fans and got rid of her. I love The Middle but she was a huge mistake.
It has been bugging me about how they announced April was the love of his life then they split up. So much for that…
I agree with you about Darrin – he had a really special part in the show for a long time. However, I don’t think it’s important for every ex boyfriend or girlfriend to show up in the finale… if their story is over, it’s over! It doesn’t always make sense for people’s exes to be popping back up in their lives. That’s perhaps one of the reasons why Weird Ashley is known as WEIRD Ashley. It’s WEIRD that she keeps showing up ;)
When it was revealed Carly had a baby, I formed a headcanon that it was Darrins.
Loved it, although this recap is pretty weak…there are several others online already that are much note detailed and nuanced, commenting on lines, facial expressions, and emotions. This is exactly what you want from a series finale… inside jokes, heartfelt emotions, laughter, tears, and closure. Reminds me if classic series enders like Mary Tyler Moore and Barney Miller…it ended before we got tired of it instead of going too long and losing its heart. I’ll miss The Middle.
To me, the nicest touch came right at the very last moment, when the car disappeared and the plane flew across the screen. It may have been the very first episode where Frankie explains that they live in The Middle – as in the middle of America – the kind of place where airplanes fly over going to somewhere else. And then there was one last crow’s caw and fade to black. Not sure how many noticed this, but it was my favorite part of the ending.