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Average Rules is the 24th episode, and season finale, of the first season of The Middle.


Summary[]

At Brick's year-end parent-teacher conference, Frankie and Mike find out that he might be held back because of 31 unreturned library books. Axl takes an aptitude test, and it reveals that he is academically gifted. Frankie stands up for Sue when none of her teachers acknowledge that she is in their classes.

Plot[]

The school year is coming to an end. It’s time to sign yearbooks, study for finals, and return any past-due library books. The Heck kids are up for all but three of those activities.

At a parent-teacher conference, Frankie and Mike learn that Axl’s aptitude test shows he’s academically gifted, though his grades indicate otherwise. His teacher says, “We rarely see this kind of gap between achievement and aptitude except in families where at least one of the parents is in prison.” Axl’s parents want him to start living up to his potential. That means he needs to stop using his history book as a plate and actually read what’s inside.

The school yearbook doesn’t feature a single picture of Sue, though there does appear to be a nice shot of her shoe. That’s great for Sue, but it has Frankie feeling that her daughter has become so accustomed to failure that it doesn’t even faze her anymore. She persuades the school principal to establish a “no cut” policy for the cross country team. An ecstatic Sue says, “I love cross country! That’s running, right?”

The school librarian, Mrs. Nethercott (guest star Betty White), invokes statue 482B of the school code. This would keep Brick from moving to the third grade unless he returns 31 missing library books, which Mrs. Nethercott considers her babies. No third grade means no fractions, no cursive, and no field trips to an Amish farm. Mrs. Nethercott warns, “You think you can make it out in the real world without cursive? You can’t.” Brick is given until Walt Whitman’s birthday (May 31) to return all overdue books.

Brick does a hard-target search of the house to round up all fugitive library books. He finds them in places such as in his and Axl’s messy room, shoved in junk piles, and even in the fridge! Mrs. Nethercott says he’s still one reference book shy of his goal. He has until Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday to find a missing atlas; otherwise, he’ll be getting a second run at second grade. Mrs. Nethercott is shocked when Brick shows up with the missing atlas in hand. Well, it wasn’t the missing atlas. He checked the same book out of the municipal library and returned it to the school library.

Even though he’s gifted, Axl can’t seem to get into his schoolwork. Mike says, “All right, I taught you how to burp the alphabet; I guess I can teach you how to study.” Mike and Axl pull an all-night study session only to get an early morning wakeup call from a noisy blender. Sue is making a power drink before heading out for her first training run, where she’s hit by a deer. Yes, you read that right. Sue didn’t hit a deer. She was hit by a deer.

Even after studying, Axl is still not living up to the standards set by his aptitude test score. That’s because the score wasn’t from his test. A clerical mix-up substituted his score with the smart kid sitting behind him in class. Axl is psyched to get back to operating at utterly average capacity.

Sue’s deer accident has put her in crutches. The doctor says she’ll be fine by August when the track season starts, but that doesn’t fly with the coach. He refuses to give her a jersey unless she makes it around the track five times. Sue gets angry, not because the coach won’t let her on the team, but because he doesn’t know who she is. She exclaims, “I am Sue Heck. And I had you for math last year!” She abruptly hobbles out of the office.

Yes, Sue is as mad as a Heck can get and not gonna take it anymore. Frankie gets a call saying that her daughter is slowly making her way around the school track, crutches and all. By the time the family arrives, Sue has completed four laps. She only has to go around the track one more time to make the team. A crowd gathers at the finish line. Chants of “Barb, Barb, Barb” fill the air until Frankie shouts at everyone that this courageous crutch-clutching runner’s name is Sue. Sue Heck!

Not even a sudden hailstorm, a dirt-spewing tractor, or two collapsing crutches can stop Sue from crawling across that finish line. As her family embraces her amidst a hail of cheers, not to mention a hail of hail, the coach tosses Sue her new track jersey. She did it! Sue made the “no cut” track team. Frankie couldn’t be more proud.

The Middle Episodes
Season 1
PilotThe CheerleaderThe Floating AnniversaryThe TripThe Block PartyThe Front DoorThe ScratchThanksgivingSiblingsChristmasThe JeansThe NeighborThe InterviewThe YellingValentine's DayThe BeeThe Break-UpThe Fun HouseThe Final FourTV or Not TVWorry DutyMother's DaySignalsAverage Rules
Season 2
Back to SchoolHomecomingThe Diaper IncidentThe QuarryForeign ExchangeHalloweenA Birthday StoryErrand BoyThanksgiving IIA Simple ChristmasTaking Back the HouseThe Big ChillSuper SundayValentine's Day IIFriends, Lies and VideotapeHecks on a PlaneThe Math ClassSpring CleaningThe LegacyRoyal WeddingMother's Day IIThe PromThe BridgeBack to Summer
Season 3
Forced Family FunHecking OrderMajor ChangesThe TestBad ChoicesHalloween IIHeck's Best ThingThe PlayThanksgiving IIIA Christmas GiftYear of the HecksThe MapHecking It UpValentine's Day IIIThe ConcertThe Sit DownLeap YearThe Paper RouteGet Your Business DoneThe Guidance CounselorThe CloverThe TellingThe Wedding
Season 4
Last Whiff of SummerThe Second ActBunny TherapyThe HoseHalloween III: The DrivingThe SafeThanksgiving IVChristmas HelpTwenty YearsLife SkillsOne Kid at a TimeThe FriendThe SmileValentine's Day IVWinners and LosersWheel of PainThe NameThe BachelorDollar DaysFrom Orson with LoveHallelujah HoedownThe DitchThe Graduation
Season 5
The Drop OffChange in the AirThe PotatoThe 100thHalloween IV: The Ghost StoryThe JumpThanksgiving VThe KissThe Christmas TreeSleepless in OrsonWar of the HecksThe CarpoolHungry GamesThe AwardVacation DaysStormy MoonThe WalkThe SmellThe Wind ChimesThe OptimistOffice HoursHeck on a Hard BodyOrlandoThe Wonderful World of Hecks
Season 6
Unbraceable YouThe Loneliest LockerMajor AnxietyThe TableHalloween V: The HangingThe SinkholeThanksgiving VIThe College TourThe Christmas WallPam Freakin' StaggsA Quarry StoryHecks on a TrainValentine's Day VIThe AnswerSteaming Pile of GuiltFlirting with DisasterThe Waiting GameOperation InfiltrationSiblings and SombrerosFood CourtingTwo of a KindWhile You Were SleepingMother's Day ReservationsThe Graduate
Season 7
Not Your Brother's Drop OffCutting the CordThe ShirtRisky BusinessLand of the LostHalloween VI: Tick Tock DeathHomecoming II: The TailgateThanksgiving VIIThe ConventionNot So Silent NightThe RushBirds of a FeatherFloating 50Film, Friends and Fruit PiesHecks at a MovieThe Man HuntThe Wisdom TeethA Very Donahue VacationCrushedSurvey Says...The LanaiNot Mother's DayFind My HecksThe Show Must Go On
Season 8
The Core GroupA Tough Pill to SwallowHalloween VII: The HeckoningTrue GritRoadkillThanksgiving VIILook Who's Not TalkingTrip and FallA Very Marry ChristmasEscape OrsonHoosier MaidPitch ImperfectOvary and OutSorry Not Sorry Dental Hijinks Swing and a Miss Exes and OhhhsThe Par-tayThe ConfirmationAdult SwimClear and Present DangerThe Final FinalFight or Flight
Season 9
Vive La HecksPlease Don't Feed the HecksMeet the ParentsHalloween VIII: Orson Murder MysteryRole of a LifetimeThe SetupThanksgiving IXEyes Wide OpenThe 200thNew Year's RevelationsThe Other ManMommapaloozaGuess Who's Coming to Frozen DinnerToastedThe Crying GameHecks vs. Glossners: The Final BattleThank You for Not KissingBat Out of HeckGreat HeckspectationsThe Royal FlushSplit DecisionA Heck of a Ride
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