Overview of 'The Middle' Season 3

Episode 1 - Forced Family Fun (1)

Release Date: 2011-09-21

Frankie insists that the family go on vacation together before school starts; Mike and Frankie remember their honeymoon, which was ruined by Nicky (Ray Romano), a guy Mike knew in high school.

Episode 2 - Forced Family Fun (2)

Release Date: 2011-09-21

Frankie insists the family take a few days of vacation before school starts. But Mike's suggestion of a camping trip brings back bad memories of their honeymoon camping trip.

Episode 3 - Hecking Order

Release Date: 2011-09-28

Mike learns that Brick has been skipping gym class, and goes to meet with his fourth grade teacher. Meanwhile, Axl plans a prank on Sue, who is now in high school with him.

Frankie has a meltdown and forces the family to make significant changes to their lifestyle. But just as she puts these changes into effect, she leaves them to spend a some time relaxing with her mother.

Episode 5 - The Test

Release Date: 2011-10-12

Frankie learns that Axl's PSAT's are fast approaching and he hasn't been preparing for them. Sue sets her sights high and decides to try out for cheerleading, while Mike decides that Brick needs to toughen up when he gets bullied at school.

Episode 6 - Bad Choices

Release Date: 2011-10-19

As the Heck home begins to literally fall apart, Frankie and Mike consider leaving homeownership behind and moving the family to an apartment. Meanwhile, Axl tries to fake Frankie out by pretending that he's sick in order to get out of taking a school test - and must later convince her that he's well enough to attend a party that evening; Sue and her ex-sort-of-boyfriend, Brad, volunteer to prepare a school skit about showing the dangers of texting and drinking while driving; and Brick tries to offer a little bit of levity by spouting off Shakespearian quotes.

Episode 7 - Halloween II

Release Date: 2011-10-26

After being embarrassed over wearing a childish costume at a high school Halloween costume party and being ignored by the guys, Sue asks a flabbergasted Mike for his advice on what boys want when it comes to girls. Meanwhile, Frankie reluctantly volunteers to take Brick's socially awkward school social skills group trick-or-treating, and Axl and his friends devise a plan to trick rather than treat the neighborhood kids on Halloween.

Episode 8 - Heck's Best Thing

Release Date: 2011-11-02

Frankie and Mike are convinced that slacker son Axl will blow his interview with a football scout, which could earn him a scholarship to college. Meanwhile, Sue and Brick begin a texting marathon - and rack up some serious charges - when they discover that Aunt Edie accidentally gave them her cell phone; and Frankie tries to be completely attentive to the family's needs when she realizes that she's more considerate to outsiders than her own kin.

Episode 9 - The Play

Release Date: 2011-11-16

Frankie is thrilled when she learns that the Orson Community Theater is putting on a production of "The Wizard of Oz," and that kids don't need to audition to be munchkins, as they will be automatically cast - which is a perfect scenario for a hapless Sue. But things quickly go awry when Frankie is cast in a singing role and learns the director is not happy with Sue's performance and may cut her from the play. Meanwhile, Brick asks his unreliably quirky Uncle Rusty to attend his school's Special Friends Day - with disastrous results.

Episode 10 - Thanksgiving III

Release Date: 2011-11-23

Frankie's parents, Pat and Tag, invite the Hecks to spend a few days at their house to celebrate Thanksgiving together. But the festivities begin to fall apart quickly when Frankie's sister, Janet, and her family also join in, and soon the siblings are at each other's throats over their widely differing parenting techniques. Meanwhile, Mike tries to offer some advice to Axl on how to pick up girls when he witnesses his son trying to impress a pretty mini-mart cashier - and fails miserably; Brick attempts to prove his innocence when he is accused by Janet of damaging her daughter's expensive toy; and Sue is stoked when Frankie, Pat and Janet invite her to take part in their gossip sessions.

Episode 11 - A Christmas Gift

Release Date: 2011-12-07

On a tipsy whim - and against Mike's wishes - Frankie decides to throw a Christmas Eve party at the house; Mike buys Frankie a much needed new dishwasher for Christmas, but has a hard time keeping it a secret when she begs him to replace the old one before the party; Sue calls on Reverend TimTom to explain the meaning of Christmas to Brick when he reads the Bible and begins to question it; and Axl gets annoyed with Bob when he tries too hard to be cool in order to befriend him while working together on a Christmas tree lot.

Episode 12 - Year of the Hecks

Release Date: 2012-01-04

After realizing that no one keeps their New Year's resolutions, Frankie decides that they will be assigned anonymously to each family member, and an all-you-can-eat buffet feast will be the reward for those who can abide by their chosen resolution for a week. But chaos soon ensues when Frankie must spend more time with Brick, Mike needs to smile more, Axl has to keep his bedroom clean, Sue needs to stop trying out for things she'll never make, and Brick must stop reading all of the time.

Episode 13 - The Map

Release Date: 2012-01-11

Aunty Ginny's funeral is the catalyst for Frankie's vow to begin celebrating all of the family's major life achievements. Axl mistakenly eats Brick's school map project and Sue finds out that a boy on the wrestling team has a crush on her.

Episode 14 - Hecking It Up

Release Date: 2012-01-18

With Indiana hosting the Super Bowl, Frankie is devastated when she hopes to land a plum assignment as an official volunteer and ends up with a less-than-stellar position. Meanwhile, the entire Heck household takes advantage of the Donahue's new car while they are out of town, and a scary, close call with the car causes Sue to profess her true feelings to her new boyfriend, Matt.

Episode 15 - Valentine's Day III

Release Date: 2012-02-08

Frankie and Mike decide to try a fresh approach to Valentine's Day by having dinner out with friends. But a clueless Mike angers Frankie by refusing to present her with a simple romantic gesture. Meanwhile, Axl can't think of a life-changing moment that's occurred in his life when he's assigned to write a school paper on the subject, Brick is tasked with writing a report on love, and a hapless Sue doesn't understand why her new boyfriend has suddenly turned into a bad kisser.

Episode 16 - The Concert

Release Date: 2012-02-15

Frankie pulls out all of the stops in an effort to get an over-excited Sue tickets to a Justin Bieber concert, Mike is thrilled over Brick's enthusiasm to win the school's spelling bee and coaches him for the event, and Axl and his friends attempt to break a road sign's 15-mile-per-hour speed limit - on foot.

Episode 17 - The Sit Down

Release Date: 2012-02-22

The kids have a meeting with Frankie and Mike about their parenting techniques, and they are thrown for a loop, when their parents attempt to change.

Episode 18 - Leap Year

Release Date: 2012-02-29

Sue wishes for a big birthday bash for her Leap Year birthday. Meanwhile, Frankie learns that Mike has been taking care of a stray cat, Brick develops a crush at school, and Axl becomes fascinated with vacuuming.

Episode 19 - The Paper Route

Release Date: 2012-03-14

Brick takes a job delivering newspapers, in order to save up enough money to buy night vision goggles. Meanwhile, Axl tries to convince Sue that a long-distance relationship with Matt won't work. Elsewhere, Frankie discovers that Mike has been hoarding batteries.

Episode 20 - Get Your Business Done

Release Date: 2012-04-11

Frankie is inspired by the pastor's sermon at the new church the family is attending. She decides to make it her mission that every family member completes their life's destiny before they die. As Mike, Sue, Brick and Axl come up with ideas as to their destiny, Frankie has a hard time figuring out what exactly she should be doing.

Episode 21 - The Guidance Counselor

Release Date: 2012-05-02

Sue finds a kindred spirit in her awkward school guidance counselor, Jane Marsh (Whoopi Goldberg), who inspires her to reinvent herself. Meanwhile, Frankie is ecstatic when she and Mike buy a much needed new bed but is gobsmacked when her stubborn husband insists on assembling it himself; and Brick attempts to call the President to outlaw the Presidential Fitness Challenge, which would force him to accomplish some strenuous physical exercises at school.

Episode 22 - The Clover

Release Date: 2012-05-09

Misfortune plagues Brick after he finds a four-leaf clover; Frankie seeks a caregiver for her aunt; Axl struggles with a prom-date dilemma and is also dismayed to learn that Sue is Darrin's prom date.

Episode 23 - The Telling

Release Date: 2012-05-16

Frankie gets Brick to snitch on his siblings, but Mike disapproves of the tattling. Meanwhile, Sue threatens to get Axl in trouble if he doesn't obey her commands; and Mike reluctantly goes to Brick's school for Parent Day.

Episode 24 - The Wedding

Release Date: 2012-05-23

The Hecks are pleased to learn that Mike's brother, Rusty is getting married. However, the joy is short-lived, when they discover that the wedding is to be held at their house. Meanwhile, Brick cannot attend a party that same day, due to the nuptials.

The Middle (2009)