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The Middle
EpisodesSeason 8 Episode Guide
23 Episodes 2016 - 2017
The Hecks – Mike (Neil Flynn) and Frankie (Patricia Heaton) – face the inevitability of an empty nest, with their daughter Sue (Eden Sher) and son Axl (Charlie McDermott) in college and out of the house and their younger son Brick (Atticus Shaffer) in high school. A family crisis occurs when Axl gets involved with a not-too-bright girl named April (Greer Grammer). Because of his quirks, Brick finds high school life a challenge and struggles to maintain his relationship with Cindy (Casey Burke). Rounding out the cast of "The Middle" are Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Tommy Bechtold as Kenny, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Jovan Armand as Troy, Sean O'Bryan and Jen Ray as Ron and Nancy Donahue, and Pat Finn and Julie Brown as Bill and Paula Norwood. Brooke Shields, Dave Foley, Norm Macdonald, John Cullum, and Emily Rutherfurd return for guest appearances.
Episode 1
The Core Group
Tue, Oct 11, 2016 30 mins
In the eighth-season premiere, Frankie and Mike meet Axl's new girlfriend, who has a quirky personality trait. Meanwhile, Sue wants to change her major to theater after her summer spent at Dollywood; and Brick begins high school with a mission to change his image from weirdo to cool kid.
Episode 2
A Tough Pill to Swallow
Tue, Oct 18, 2016 30 mins
Sue's kicked out of college after forgetting to renew her financial aid, prompting Mike to visit the bursar. Meanwhile, Frankie struggles to teach Brick how to swallow a pill; and Hutch gets angry at Axl for taking the Winnebago without permission to visit his new girlfriend.
Episode 3
Halloween VII: The Heckoning
Tue, Oct 25, 2016 30 mins
Halloween looms near, as Frankie's surprised to hear the kids would rather live with Mike if they ever got a divorce. Meanwhile, Sue attempts to reclaim her bedroom from Brick; and Axl lashes out on his family after having to act nice around April.
Episode 4
True Grit
Tue, Nov 1, 2016 30 mins
Sue asks Axl for advice on how to break up with Jeremy; and Brick shows his school spirit in hopes of fitting in, but Troy steals the spotlight when he's drafted by the football team. Elsewhere, Frankie accidentally buys herself racy underwear.
Episode 5
Roadkill
Tue, Nov 15, 2016 30 mins
Frankie and Mike realize it's Brick's 15th birthday and time for their youngest to learn to drive, but Brick ends up running down an Orson landmark when Axl lets him drive the Winnebago. Meanwhile, Sue tries to choose a college major before the deadline and learns a shocking secret from Frankie along the way.
Episode 6
Thanksgiving VIII
Tue, Nov 22, 2016 30 mins
Frankie goes to great lengths to keep April out of the family's Christmas photo and must rearrange Thanksgiving dinner after learning Axl is attending April's holiday festivities that day. Elsewhere, Sue finds out her new Spudsy's co-worker is Brick.
Episode 7
Look Who's Not Talking
Tue, Nov 29, 2016 30 mins
Frankie's devastated that Axl refuses to speak to her after she revealed her distaste for April, but she's excited to discover a discount store that sells oddly-shaped produce. Meanwhile, Brick develops a new tick that lands him in detention; and Brad visits Sue at college.
Episode 8
Trip and Fall
Tue, Dec 6, 2016 30 mins
Rita Glossner convinces Frankie to go on a road trip to an unknown destination; and Mike takes an embarrassing fall at the quarry that leads OSHA to investigate. Meanwhile, Sue pleads with Axl to end his estrangement from the family.
Episode 9
A Very Marry Christmas
Tue, Dec 13, 2016 30 mins
Christmas looms, as Sue keeps a secret from the family. Meanwhile, Brick must hide from the neighbor's kids after he proves himself to be a fun playmate; and Mike's unsure how to react when Bill Norwood gives him a Christmas present for the first time ever.
Episode 10
Escape Orson
Tue, Jan 3, 2017 30 mins
The Hecks spend New Year's Day in Orson's escape room, where various secrets are revealed, including one Sue's been keeping since childhood and Frankie's romantic dream about Frank Sinatra.
Episode 11
Hoosier Maid
Tue, Jan 10, 2017 30 mins
Frankie wins free maid service for one month; and Mike and Rusty look for an assisted-living facility for their father. Elsewhere, Axl moves in with Sue and Lexie in their temporary housing after snow falls through the hole in the Winnebago's roof.
Episode 12
Pitch Imperfect
Tue, Jan 17, 2017 30 mins
Axl panics when he realizes that he's graduating in four months and still hasn't applied for any jobs. Elsewhere, Brad leads Sue's a cappella group in a music competition; and Brick seeks his parents' advice when Cindy threatens to break up with him if he doesn't stop reading so much.
Episode 13
Ovary and Out
Tue, Feb 7, 2017 30 mins
Frankie's sad after she learns that she can no longer have children, so Mike attempts to cheer her up by offering to watch the neighbor's baby together. Meanwhile, Sue and Axl are surprised when romance blooms between Lexie and Sean; and Brick works on his font knowledge after meeting another smart kid.
Episode 14
Sorry Not Sorry
Tue, Feb 14, 2017 30 mins
Frankie and Mike's constant bickering in response to a burst pipe in the basement prompts the kids to organize a family intervention.
Episode 15
Dental Hijinks
Tue, Feb 21, 2017 30 mins
Mike convinces Dr. Goodwin to lie to Frankie about him having a toothache, but their fabricated story devolves into a tall tale. Meanwhile, Axl decides to sell the Winnebago; Sue flirts with the golf-cart driver; and Brick writes a Scottish rap musical.
Episode 16
Swing and a Miss
Tue, Mar 7, 2017 30 mins
Lexie reveals to Sue that she has a crush on Axl while spending spring break with the Hecks. Meanwhile, Mike hires Coach Babbitt to help out the quarry softball team; and Frankie tries to figure out why Nancy Donahue mentioned that she should be proud of one of her family members.
Episode 17
Exes and Ohhhs
Tue, Mar 14, 2017 30 mins
Axl wonders if the universe has a message for him about his love life after he runs into all of his exes at the same party. Meanwhile, Frankie and Mike aren't excited about a microfiche machine that Brick bought; and Sean Donahue offers to escort Sue to the Chancellor's Ball, but doesn't realize she already has a date.
Episode 18
The Par-tay
Tue, Apr 4, 2017 30 mins
Mike's friendship with Bill Norwood is at risk after Mike poaches Bill's plumber at a reduced rate. Meanwhile, Frankie is crushed when Sue won't tell her who she has a crush on; and Brick convinces Axl to let him hang out with him at college over the weekend to go to a party.
Episode 19
The Confirmation
Tue, Apr 11, 2017 30 mins
Frankie and Mike send Brick to Reverend TimTom's Wilderness Jesus Jam weekend camp to brush up on his religious knowledge in preparation for his confirmation, but Brick discovers his bunkmate is the boy who he was switched at birth with that was raised by his parents for the first month of his life.
Episode 20
Adult Swim
Tue, Apr 18, 2017 30 mins
Frankie takes Axl suit shopping for his upcoming interviews. Meanwhile, Mike threatens to get rid of the family pool if Sue and Brick don't start using it, causing the kids to worry that he and Frankie may take even more things from their childhood away.
Episode 21
Clear and Present Danger
Tue, May 2, 2017 30 mins
Frankie frantically searches the house for Axl's graduation gift that she bought months before and hid. Meanwhile, Sue makes a sweet video for Mike's upcoming birthday; and Brick turns to Axl to help get him into shape so that he can stick up for himself after Cindy embarrasses him by strong-arming and chasing away a boy who was bullying him.
Episode 22
The Final Final
Tue, May 9, 2017 30 mins
The Hecks notice that their luck has changed for the better after the Prairie Scouts accidentally paint the Donahue's address on their curb; Axl misses his final college test before graduation and pleads with his teacher to let him take it; Sue speaks to students at her former high school about college life; and a talk with Brad leads into an impromptu musical number about Sue's many accomplishments over the years.
Episode 23
Fight or Flight
Tue, May 16, 2017 30 mins
In the Season 8 finale, Axl tells his parents that he's planning on going to Europe over the summer, which Frankie thinks is a great opportunity, but Mike thinks he should be finding a job. Meanwhile, Sue panics after she scrapes a parked SUV and doesn't hear back from the owner after leaving several notes; and Brick discovers that his sudden onset of backaches is due to not sitting in his lawn chair, which was replaced by a normal kitchen-table chair.
