Middle: Season 3

Season 3 finds the hectic life of the Heck house finally breaking Frankie (Patricia Heaton as she heads for mom's to decompress after discovering Axl's (Charlie McDermott) toenail clippings at the bottom of a bag of chips. Happier days follow for the tireless matron of this hilarious and heart-felt middle-class sitcom, including proudly volunteering to work at the Super Bowl; pouring herself into a local performance of "Wizard of Oz" even though Sue (Eden Sher) was cut from the cast; and re-evaluating her life's "business" after an inspired sermon at a new church. As usual, Mike Neil Flynn is a calming influence for the clan, providing dating advice for Axl; Halloween costume tips for Sue when he discovers she is "growing up"; and drills to help Brick (Atticus Shaffer) prepare for a spelling bee.