The Middle : Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole family?

Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole family?

even if past thanksgivings weren't that awesome, he should respect his own family to set an example for april. it just rubs me the wrong way how he saw no wrong in spending a thanksgiving with a freaking babysitter over his own family.

axl remains my least favourite of the bunch coz he is aweful in every way. i am glad frankie outed her feelings. curious to see how this will play out in the future.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole family?

Kids grow up and sometimes spend Thanksgiving with in laws or even friensgiving. The Norman Rockwell of every linear descendant showing up at grandma's house every year is impractical. People who guilt their adult children to come home every Thanksgiving and Christmas end up unhappy or with unhappy children.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Agree, we take turns every year and go to one family's side and then the husbands side the next year. It is how things work once the kids grow up.

Damn the man! Save the Empire! Rave On, Rave On

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

I've just gotten to the point where I don't care for how cartoonishly dumb the April character is. That helped to make for a very awkward episode tonight.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

My guess is that it's going to turn out that April is a lot less dumb than she lets on. Her "dumbness" allows her to be extremely manipulative and get what she wants.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

From the sound of it, Frankie hadn't bothered to cook any Thanksgiving meals for years, so in that light I think we can overlook Axl spending the day with April's family. Come to think of it, she didn't prepare any Thanksgiving meal this year either, since they stole the Donahue's meal instead.

And for those who think April is cartoonish, I'd say the Hecks villainy stealing that meal was pretty cartoonish.

April reminds me a bit of the Gracie Burns character when it comes to being so dumb it's preposterous (for those among you who are either very old or students of television history).

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

I'm on Axl's side. Frankie's obsession with Axl, & her irrational hate for April, just makes me root for Axl & April all the way!

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

I'm not on either side. It wasn't just Frankie not liking April; Mike, Sue, and Brick also stated as such. I'm on the side of, if the writers hadn't created such a dumb character in April, this would have never happened, side. This whole situation just came across as mean and awkward on many fronts.

I know her character being dumb is part of the ongoing narrative, but it's just so dumb, it's over the top dumb. So where to they take it from here? They all make up and April slowly becomes part of the family and her dumbness is dumbed down? LOL They must be running out of ideas for the show.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

It seems to me that Frankie wants all the benefits of "family," yet she, herself, rarely contributes anything into the mix. She expects this, but won't provide that.

Someone wrote that Frankie hasn't prepared a Thanksgiving meal in years. That's absolutely true. I think the last time she did, two soldiers were there, and they left in a fright. Family stuff just never goes well when Frankie's involved, because she doesn't understand the concept of "giving."

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

The meal they had scheduled was from the Donahues? I wasn't quite sure if it was or not. I thought they just stole their food until Thanksgiving, but had their own for the day itself. But I don't know. It was kinda funny the clever way they stole that food. I had to hand it to them.

I wish they have written April differently. I am sorry, but I couldn't see anyone going out with her for too long before going insane. I don't care how hot you are or if she's awesome in bed. She is maddening. Maybe when she's with Axl alone, she isn't as dumb or something else. There has to be some secret or characteristic that they haven't shown that drew Axl to her. Has to be.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam


The meal they had scheduled was from the Donahues? I wasn't quite sure if it was or not. I thought they just stole their food until Thanksgiving, but had their own for the day itself. But I don't know. It was kinda funny the clever way they stole that food.

Frankie was shopping, so it appears that she made some of the food, or at least intended to. But when she ran into Axl in the grocery store, she told him he really needed to come because she had snuck out some of the Donahue's sweet potatoes and they were to die for. So clearly some of the Thanksgiving meal was from the Donahues. Knowing Frankie, she probably got carried away and ended up taking all of it.

I thought the act of taking all their Thanksgiving food was despicable. But I have to admit I also thought it was pretty funny. Mr. Donahue pulling up that flap of turkey skin to reveal the empty bird underneath, awesome.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam


April reminds me a bit of the Gracie Burns character when it comes to being so dumb it's preposterous (for those among you who are either very old or students of television history).

Exactly what I thought. (Gracie Allen, wife of George Burns)

April's lines and delivery are delightfully ditzy. Completly off the mark of what is being discussed.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

But even if Axl thought the last few thanksgivings sucked he should have told Frankie about his plans beforehand instead of springing it on her like that. Especially in front of April.

"I will not be strong armed by threats against my laundry"

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam


But even if Axl thought the last few thanksgivings sucked he should have told Frankie about his plans beforehand instead of springing it on her like that. Especially in front of April.


Axl did it that way because (a) he's a narcissist who thinks of himself first; (b) he's infatuated with this girlfriend, who must be great in the sack; he's got the mind of a glow-worm himself, so to him, April's a kindred soul and (d) he's selfish, rude, and thoughtless. He's ALWAYS been that way, except for very few (like maybe once or twice a season), where some of his humanity and empathy actually display themselves. I don't know why he has such a superior attitude. It's gotten him absolutely nowhere.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Yeah which is why Frankie yelling that he was a catch puzzled me because he's not. he's rude, he's thoughtless, he's lazy, his football career seems to be going nowhere, there is no news about a great internship or job. So how is he a great catch?

but also, because he did this in such a thoughtless way, it's baffling to me how many side with him on this. What he did was rude and thoughtless and Frankie not making thanksgiving food from scratch every year doesn't excuse that.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole family?

I don't think Axl was in the wrong in this episode. I think Frankie overreacted. Axl is an adult in a committed relationship and adults in that situation have to decide which family they are going to spend the holiday with. What will she do when Axl gets married? Will she expect them to spend every holiday with her? Will she expect Axl to be separated from his wife on the holiday if she wants to see her family? If Axl was still a teenager living at home then she would be justified, but Axl is an adult and can make his own decisions about who he wants to spend the holidays with. If she keeps trying to control him, she will lose him, as we saw at the end of the episode when he didn't bother to stop by.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Axl wanted to spend holidays with his gf, someone he really has feelings for. I thought frankie went to far in her expectations for the family to be all in when she isn't. Why wouldn't Axl want to be with April s family? The last few years they haven't done much and floated Thanksgiving plus it's clear he is smitten by april. Let him grow and enjoy

-
Is this Idaho? Because I will not limbo in Idaho.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

I agree with those who say that Frankie went too far.

Grown children want to spend time with their significant others. That's just the way it goes. While it's hard for a mother to "let go," she has to do what will bring harmony to the family or she risks losing her child.

It's not easy, but that's the way it is. Frankie's rant only makes it harder, all the way around. She should know better, but Frankie never does.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

It's not a problem that Axl wanted to have dinner with April's familythat happens when children grow up and have significant others. Frankie was at least willing to accommodate that, to the extent of moving dinner to 8 a.m. The problem with Axl and April was that they were actually putting a visit with April's old babysitter ahead of being with Axl's family. I can't blame the Hecks for being upset at that point.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

I agree, also because this babysitter was in Akron Ohio. I would be ticked as well.

#pennygetyourownwifi

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

And in the meantime, while Frankie's obsessing about April, the Hecks are eating all of the Donahue's Thanksgiving meal.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Since they're college kids and NOT engaged, his obiesance should have been to his family. He could have arranged to meet her for dessert at one of her nanny/cousin/aunt's homes but the meal should have been at his own family's.

HOWEVER, i get how angry he is at his mother and so, shy of ironing it out, I understand why he didn't show up at home.

The mere fact that Frankie did the insane rescheduling of everything was of course, part for humor, but also to "humor" him and his needs.

Bottom line: He should have been with his own family.

Why do you pronounce it of-Ten when you don't say lisTen or sofTen or fasTen?
It's just "offen"

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Axl is an adult and can do as he pleases but I'd say morally family comes before girlfriends or boyfriends. Yet this is Axl so it's no surprise he did this.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Well, as I see it: As an adult you can choose not to come for these family holidays, be it Thanksgiving or Christmas or other, if you dont feel comfortable around you family.

Axl clearly, understandably felt uncomfortable after his whole family, especially his mother, insulted his girlfriend and real love. Also, Frankie is a crappy mom, making most of the other Thanksgivings unbearable, so I can relate to Axl choosing not to come.

In family, Christmas was always an issue and I still dont really like Christmas. We have family coming in three waves, 24th - general family, 26th mother side, 28th father side. As kids, we always had to attend every wave`and I like that as an adult I now can choose whether to come or to do something else.

If I had no work around these dates, I would just fly away on the 23rd and come back to celebrate New Years eve with my friends and skip the whole Christmas issue completely.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

It was his choice. Guys go with their girlfriends for holidays all the time. Same with girls and their boyfriends.

Frankie has always held a death grip on her kids. She always wanted all of their time, love and affection. However, it's not hard to notice that she doesn't always put in the work to make that happen. She floats things, and as a result, her kids never learn to see anything as traditionalwhich is why Axl thought it was no big deal for him to miss their non-traditional Thanksgiving for a change.

Frankie can dislike April. She can even think the girl isn't good enough for her son. Still, did you notice that Frankie never asked Axl how April made HIM feel; not even once.

It was always about how April was taking away her son. How she wasn't good enough. How she was ruining their traditions (which they never have to begin with)

It was all about Frankieand also notice that the others only gradually admitted to hating her. They followed Frankie's leadand Mike only after he learned Axl might not make it back for the Colts' game.

If they try to force Axl to pick how they want him to pick, and he genuinely loves this girl, they're going to lose their son. Which is ironic because nobody has any reason to like most of the people in the Heck family. Sue may claim to like everyone, but she CAN be domineering when she feels something has to be a certain way; Mike only communicates to a point; Brick still has a tendency to dismiss things unless they interest him; Frankie seems to love her kids, but floats the crap out of her time with themthen still expects Donahue-level love fests.

None of them are perfect, so I find it incredibly ironic that Frankie would ever expect a perfect girl for Axl.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Of course they see things as traditional. Frankie and Mike even had their parents over on more than one occasion. Frankie even got angry with her mom once for not coming over for thanksgiving.

"I will not be strong armed by threats against my laundry"

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Frankie always liked the appearance of tradition more than the tradition, itself. While she likes the idea of family togetherness, the reality is, she doesn't do much to make it happen. She floats birthdays. She floats holidays. She forgets important milestones.

She isn't a terrible mother. She's just not a great one, either. Yet she wants to be one, and strives to be oneup until the point that it takes too much effort, then, "eh, why fight it/"

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Frankie is the mom from hell. She demands respect and fealty, but she rarely gives it herself. In EVERY instance, she takes the easy way out, from feeding her family to her job responsibilities and everything in between. That's not survival, that's just merely taking advantage of people and situations to satisfy some narcissistic need.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

I don't agree that she doesn't care about tradition. She always remembers thanksgiving and yes she may not do much when it comes to food she wants people to be there. She even got angry with her mother when she chose not to visit her for thanksgiving.


"I will not be strong armed by threats against my laundry"

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

You're welcome to disagree. Differing opinions aren't the bane of mankind (actually, they make for a good learning environment).

The reason I like the show is that they don't try to make Frankie perfect. A perfect tv mom would just make it all happen; in reality, there are mothers like Frankie all over the place who are too listless and too frazzled to be traditionaleven if they really want to have traditions.

That's why Frankie insists on taking Christmas pictures that never get sent out.

That's why they have a real Thanksgiving dinner one year, then King's Feast the next.

That's why Frankie was able to give up the Christmas decorations so easily one year.

She wants the appearance of traditionshe just doesn't always have the enthusiasm, nor the energy to make it happen.

That is also why I think Frankie is wrong in this case, and she will lose her son if she doesn't realise it soon. She has this idealised picture of her son that doesn't fit with the realityplus, at no point did she ask Axl why HE chose April.

I have a feeling it is more than just "lake eyes."

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

They went to Kings feast because their house was falling apart. So I get why they did that. I would have done that too if I didn't have a working sink and no dishwasher.

"I will not be strong armed by threats against my laundry"

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam


I don't agree that she doesn't care about tradition. She always remembers thanksgiving and yes she may not do much when it comes to food she wants people to be there.

But, that's the whole point about Frankie: She wants things HOW she wants them and WHEN she wants them with little effort or planning on her part and without considering the feelings of others. She does things half-assed. Then, she plays "the victim."

I've said all along, this character blames everyone else, but never sees that SHE is part of the problem maybe the biggest part, because it's usually the mother that sets the tone and holds the family together.

How can you blame the kids? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

But food isn't everything when it comes to thanksgiving. It's about being with family. It's why people travel across the country to be with them. It's about so much more than food. And the Heck's have always spent thanksgiving together.

And Frankie creates an atmosphere where her kids want to be home (why else would both Axl and Sue spend most of their time there). If they hated being around her and at home so much they would spend all their time at college. But they don't.

And
"I will not be strong armed by threats against my laundry"

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam


(why else would both Axl and Sue spend most of their time there). If they hated being around her and at home so much they would spend all their time at college. But they don't.

Because the writers are in a rut and don't know how to write for Axl and Sue in college.

It is THEY (the writers) who want to keep the family unit together. You are acting as if Axl and Sue are real people and have a choice in the matter.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

I know they aren't real but we are talking about them and judging them as if they are. And because of that I'm saying that these kids spend most of their time at home. Axl was home before the family had even gotten home from driving him to college.

"I will not be strong armed by threats against my laundry"

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

I gotta agree. That's why Axl will be back home next episode. He NEEDS home because that's what the writers want. The entire premise of The Middle isn't "the middle." It's FAMILY before anything else. That's why, no matter what influence moves into the very tight "Heck Circle," in the end, they're always together.

That's why April will soon be history. Even friends and relatives can't permeate the Heck bubble for very long. Mike's father and brother, Frankie's parents and siblings, assorted friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, neighborsthey're all on the outside looking in.

April will soon find herself in the same position. I've absolutely no doubt that when the series ends (and now that it's doing relatively well on Tuesdays, we can expect a 9th season), it'll end with everyone around the Heck table, eating and discussing.

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Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam


She floats things, and as a result, her kids never learn to see anything as traditionalwhich is why Axl thought it was no big deal for him to miss their non-traditional Thanksgiving for a change.

Great point. Frankie can't even remember Sue or Brick's birthday, and she has the nerve to be offended if Axl chooses to go to his girlfriend's family for Thanksgiving?

I don't think there's ever been an Axl birthday episode, has there? I'd be curious to see if Frankie would forget his birthday. I suspect she wouldn't. As someone noted, she seems to have a particular fixation with him.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Frankie has always favoured Axl. That has never been much of a secret. Sue felt the effects of it, and Brick felt it even stronger still. Axl was her first. He was the athlete Mike wanted. He was like a carbon copy of Frankie in many ways.

The problem is, now Frankie has to accept that Axl is going to make decisions that will inconvenience her, at times. He WILL miss the Colts' game, at times. He WILL go to his significant other's family home for holidays, on occasion.

These are things Frankie needs to grasp before she pushes her son out of their lives.

The first thing she needs to do is ask Axl why he is so into this girl. So far, she has been fixated on how April was changing her ideas for Axl, rather than asking him what his plans are now.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam


And because of that I'm saying that these kids spend most of their time at home. Axl was home before the family had even gotten home from driving him to college.

Yeah, it's understandable that they want to keep the kids home. But if they knew they were going to go this route, why didn't they just send them off to a community college and the kids could have lived at home while going to college? The way it is seems too contrived.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

I know, and of course, you're right. A community college would've been the perfect thing for both of them; then they could live at home and still have the college life. But, for some reason, they wanted Axl to have a football scholarship (that went nowhere), and then they wanted Sue to go through this whole hoopla of "looking at" different colleges, when we all knew she'd end up with Axl. Axl couldn't wait to ditch his family at school, but he beat them home the very first daywhich made absolutely no sense. Just like when he was returning home for Christmas break, and Frankie acted like she hadn't seen him in monthsyet, he was home only the episode before. Huh?

Now, Sue's home and "working," though Thanksgiving break is usually only from Wednesday night till Sunday afternoon, when everyone returns to college. I can understand her going back to Spudsies for Christmas but for two days at Thanksgiving? That made absolutely no sense.

I've a feeling the writers don't have a clue how to develop the characters, because they never thought The Middle would make it and become one of ABC's most durable sitcoms. It was probably conceived to last two seasons, tops. When it didn't, the writers had to scramble, and they've been scrambling ever since.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

I agree with you in general in general but I don't see a problem with her working at Spudsies for the weekend. Spudsies was shorthanded and a lot of the kids who work there might be away that weekend or just want to be off. If someone is home from college for the weekend and wants to work they would probably be glad to have her.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam


But if they knew they were going to go this route, why didn't they just send them off to a community college and the kids could have lived at home while going to college?

I've been saying this all along: If the writers want everything to center around the Hecks as a family unit, writing the kids off to college was just dumb.

They don't seem to know how to write for both college and home. You can't have it both ways.

I agree with Mary: They never expected the series to last this long, now they've painted themselves into a corner.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole family?

I think him not showing up was fine because his mom hurt him.

But he's an inconsiderate son and his treatment of the family thanksgiving initially was pretty bad. Even if he were married to April, he's local, they should fit the Hecks in. I've never heard of a daughter-in-law keeping her husband from his family on a holiday if they are in the same townunless there's major family drama.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam


I've never heard of a daughter-in-law keeping her husband from his family on a holiday if they are in the same townunless there's major family drama.


Family drama or selfishness. My best friend's father remarried a few years ago and his new wife has alienated his whole family. He isn't "allowed" to spend holidays with his family because she demands they go to her family & he's not fighting for the right to see his own family. He wants to make her happy even if it causes his daughter pain. She can't understand why he won't stand up to her. Some people are after their own happiness and it doesn't matter who they hurt.

"Sometimes life hands you lemons that are worth 2 in the bush, I like kittens."

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

IMO it was understandable that Ax would not attend Thanksgiving dinner at his family's however he should of told them. The family sitting around in the early morning while the food got cold waiting for Axel and April, not good

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Actually, the way things went down, I would have been surprised if Axl had showed up. That said, I do think it would have been better if Axl had told Frankie he wasn't going to be coming to the Thanksgiving dinner, at all. He could have told her weeks in advancethough knowing Frankie, she still would have pitched a fit and still would have demonised April without ever asking Axl if it was his call.

Re: Do you side with Axl on spending thanksgiving with april's whole fam

Aprils family invited him. Frankie didnt invite April until she thought she couldnt come.

Axl is clearly at the point in this relationship where he feels close enough to April that he thinks she belongs at family gatherings, wants to spend holidays with her ect, ect. No one can say how long a couple needs to be together before thats appropriate because its different for every couple. Frankie was in denial until the last minute. Instead of trying to make Thanksgiving work she should have tried to lock down Christmas.

Also, a babysitter who has been close to the family, been watching the kids since they were small (possibly even full time) and watched them grow up can be very much a part of the family. Clearly they have a family tradition of spending time with her on Thanksgiving and April wanted to share that with Axl.

The only thing I blame Axl for is not giving his family a heads up since it is the first time.

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