Sorry for not getting this review up sooner, I was still recovering from the holidays. But here goes:

After finally seeing Sue and Sean kiss on Christmas Eve, this episode continues with this storyline. Sue finally tells Frankie that she likes Sean and that they kissed, but she isn’t sure what it all means because she and Sean didn’t really talk about anything afterwards. Sue and Brad come up with an idea to create another kiss opportunity between Sue and Sean. They plan a New Year’s Eve party, and get Frankie’s help to organize it. During the party both Brad and Frankie try to keep everybody away from Sue and Sean so they can kiss at midnight. They succeed most of the time, but they can’t prevent Aidan, the post-mates delivery guy Sue has been seeing, from showing up as a surprise and kissing her exactly at midnight. Sean, who obviously sees this, storms out and tells Axl outside that he likes Sue and that he’s not giving up on her.

Meanwhile, Grandpa Big Mike invites Mike, Axl and Brick on a trip. While driving, Big Mike starts talking and tells the three guys all of his stories, including stories about Mike’s mom. They still have no idea where Big Mike is taking them, but eventually he makes them stop by a tree. This is the tree where he proposed to his wife, and now that he’s older and has told all his stories, he wants to be left there to die. Mike tries to convince him that it’s a ridiculous idea, but it seems like Big Mike won’t change his mind. So Mike, Axl and Brick leave, just to scare Big Mike. When they eventually turn around and go back, Mike tells him he still has many things to live for and finally convinces Big Mike that he will be much more of a bother if he actually dies, than if he stays alive. In the end, it does teach Axl and Brick something: their grandpa isn’t just a hoarding old guy, there is much more to him that they don’t know. So they decide to spend the rest of New Year’s Eve with him.

I liked hearing Big Mike’s stories. I think it’s interesting whenever the show explores Mike’s side of the family, especially because they don’t usually share that much of their history. So any story about his mom or his childhood is pretty interesting to me. And I don’t think John Cullum has ever had as much to say on the show as he did in this episode. And him singing was really great as well.

The other storyline also had some fun stuff. It was cool to FINALLY see Carly back, even though it was only for a very short time. We haven’t seen her in years, and now I really need to hear more about her and her baby. How the hell did that happen??

I am however a little disappointed that Sue and Sean are still not officially together. Not that I want them together so badly, but more because I don’t want this storyline dragged out any longer. I’m glad that Sean told Axl how he is feeling about Sue and that Sue is open about her feelings now as well. The ‘will they, won’t they’ thing has been going on long enough, so I hope it all gets resolved in the next episode, and I have good hopes considering Aiden will reappear on Tuesday.

The Middle returns this Tuesday January 9th at 8/7c on ABC!

Happy New Year!! (I just want to point out to you that we just entered the last year with new The Middle episodes. I’m sorry for making you sad about this, but at least I don’t have to be sad alone now.)

I posted my interview with Casey Burke on Christmas Eve, if you haven’t read it yet, check it out here!

In other, sad news, Jerry Van Dyke who played Frankie’s dad Tag has passed away on Friday. His last appearance on the show was over 2 years ago, alongside his brother Dick Van Dyke:

Rest in peace, Jerry.

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