The Middle Episode 2.08 Errand Boy

Everyone loves the weekend. Everyone except Frankie Heck. For her, the weekend is a time to do all the things she didn't finish during the week. Brick is tired of being his mom's wingman during her errand runs. He wants to channel his inner Macaulay Culkin and stay home alone. Yeah, that's not gonna happen. It's not that Frankie doesn't trust him… Wait a minute. Yes, it is.

In lieu of being Frankie's errand buddy, Brick agrees to spend the day with his aunts. Big mistake. If the secondhand smoke doesn't kill him, the sheer torture of watching Spanish-language soap operas will. Brick does a little digging to discover that both Axl and Sue were allowed to stay home alone when they were his age. Eventually, Frankie caves.

Frankie lets Brick hang home solo for 24 minutes while she runs her errands. What could possibly happen in 24 minutes? Well, in addition to roaming around the house while wrapped in tin foil, Brick gets hungry for pizza rolls. So he preheats the oven. Unfortunately, that's where Frankie keeps Aunt Pearl's quilt. She says, "Microwave is for pizza rolls. The oven is for bulky storage." It's just common sense.

The near-miss kitchen fire means Brick has been reinstated as Frankie's favorite errand boy. It's a huge source of tension between mother and son. The two of them are so busy arguing that they don't notice the windows are open as they roll through a car wash. It's a soapy, sudsy mess. It's also turns into tons of fun for both Frankie and Brick. Maybe it's not so bad doing errands together after all.

The guys on the football team are growing beards for the playoffs. Unfortunately, Axl's sporadic cheeks patches are a bit embarrassing. In order to save face (so to speak), he asks Frankie to back him when he tells his friends that his mom forbid him to grow a beard. No problem. But Frankie does want something in return. Looks like she found a new errand boy!

When Mike learns that some boys will be meeting Sue and her friends Carly and Shannon at the movies, he promptly takes a seat a few rows back. It's not that he doesn't trust the kids… Wait a minute. Yes, it is. When Sue heads out to scrape gummy bears off her braces, Shannon invites Carly to a sleepover with a few friends. Mike overhears Shannon's disingenuous reasons as to why Sue has been left off the guest list.

Mike wants Frankie to do something about the Sue situation. She's reluctant to get involved. Frankie says, "This is junior high girl drama we're talking about here. It's a minefield. Trust me you can't just go stomping in there or you'll get your legs blown off."

Mike can't stand idly while someone disses his daughter. He decides to have a special father-daughter movie night when sleepover time rolls around. Believe it or not, Mike's never seen Eclipse. But Twilight time looks like it may get put on hold when Shannon calls asking if Sue has a sleeping bag. Unfortunately, it's not to invite her to the party. Shannon just wants to borrow the bag.

Mike decides to personally deliver the sleeping bag to Shannon's house. He gives her father the scoop on what's been going on. Unfortunately, Shannon's dad is a total tool who kowtows to his daughter's every whim. Mike Heck doesn't play that way and ends up giving the guy a few unsolicited parenting tips.

Needless to say, the conversation doesn't end well. Mike knows he has just created an embarrassing situation for Sue that she'll have to deal with in the days to come. But for now, he'll make the most of movie night with his daughter. They'll kick back on the couch, munch on some popcorn and chat about Taylor Lautner's abs. Sounds like a fun night.