01x17 - The Break Up

Episode transcripts for the 2009 TV show "The Middle". Aired: September 2009 to May 2018.*
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"The Middle" follows the daily mishaps of a working class, middle-aged, Midwestern, married woman and her semi-dysfunctional family and their attempts to survive life in general in the city of Orson, Southwest Indiana.
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01x17 - The Break Up

Post by bunniefuu »

(Crows caw)

Frankie: Out here in the middle, we have a proud history of lending a helping hand, chipping in and doing what we can for the common good... We who don't have three kids and a job, that is.

(Telephone ringing)

That's why at our house, we have what I like to call my sucker list, 'cause only a sucker would answer a call from any of these people,

Jessica Kirkwood, auction chairwoman?

Let it ring. (Ring)

Reverend Hayver, church rummage sale.

(Ring) Let it ring.

Unfortunately, Mike lives in an old-fashioned world...

The phone rings, you answer it.


Hello? Hi, Sally.

Sally Meenahan, hospitality mom. (Mouthing words)

Yeah, of course we'll be at Axl's game.

Best season in a long while, huh?

Run the snack bar? Ell, Frankie's gonna be there anyway.

I don't see any reason she can't do it. Oh. I... (Sighs)

Okeydoke. Bye, Sally. She wants you to work the snack bar.

Yeah, I got that.

Sucker list, Mike.

Sucker list.

Are you blind?

I was gesturing wildly enough to land a plane.

Consider this payback for the time that you volunteered me to take the aunts to see Mac Davis.

(Indistinct conversations)

Hey. You can't stack 'em that way.

The new snack bar supervisor has crazy high standards. Oh.

(Gasps) Oh, my gosh. Here she comes. Look busy.

Okay, team snack bar!

For those of you that don't know me, I'm Morgan.

I promised the junior achievers that I'd finally make this snack bar profitable, and that is going to happen! (Chuckles)

Every dollar we earn is another step towards putting doors on the bathroom stalls. We can do this, right?

Right! Right.

I can't hear you! Right? Right.

So while I was in snack bar hell, sue was in a hell of her own babysitting Brick.

What are you watching? "Revenge of the Pod Zombies."

It's too scary for you. Go to bed. If you've moved up to a level where you can babysit me at night, then I've moved up to a level where I can stay up and a scary movie.

I have to call mom and dad and see if it's okay.

If you have to call mom and dad, maybe you're not mature enough to babysit me at all.

(Whispers) Mature.

Fine. Ten minutes.

So catch me up.

These zombies...

Why are they seeking revenge?



(sighs) I love watching my boyfriend warm up.

Oh. Which one is he?

Oh, there, he cute one with the dark hair... number 23.

Wait. Uh, that's your boyfriend?

The... that one there with the hair in his eyes?

Oh.

Since when?

Six weeks next Wednesday.

Six weeks?

Wow. Well, that's... that's plenty of time to, uh, you know, meet the parents and everything.

Oh, they're dead, which is okay, 'cause he said they were really lame.

I'm just messing with you, Mrs. Heck. I know who you are.

Oh. (Laughs) You do? Totally! Hi!

Hi. I actually wanted to meet you a while ago, but you know how Axl is. No, I-I don't. Tell me.

Oh, you know, he's just shy in that really adorable way of his.

But once you get to know him, he's so hilarious.

Axl Heck, number 23?

Oh, and every day he leaves a note in my locker telling me another reason he loves me. (Sighs)

Axl's been in love for six weeks?

In retrospect, I guess there were signs.


Mom, what rhymes with "tenderly"?

Mom, I think I'm in love.

Shh! No talking during the McDreamy scenes.

(Whistle blows)

(Gasps) Time to form a Cheer-A-Mid!

It was so great finally meeting you, Mrs. Heck. You, too.

Bye.

Hey.

(Whispers) Call me.

(Cell phone rings)

Six weeks.

Her name's Morgan.

I'm gonna snoop out some more information from the other moms.

You work the stands and see if the dads know anything.

Who am I kidding? They won't. Oh, my God, Mike.

(Sighs) Can you believe it?

Our little boy's in love.

Woman: Aah! This is too scary.

I-I think we should turn it off.

No. If we turn it off now, we won't get to the happy ending part. Aah!

There is no happy ending part!

(Gasps)

(Pants)

So apparently, along with being head cheerleader, she's, like, on a zillion student committees, gets straight a's and founded the young hoosier honor society. Wow.

(Doorbell rings)

Yeah. But still, they've been dating for six weeks, and this is the first we hear of her?

I don't know if I trust this girl.

Hi, Mrs. Heck.

Hey, Morgan.

Now that we've officially met and my relationship with Axl is out in the open, I realize the awkward position we've put you in by not telling you about our relationship.

I'm sure you have a ton of questions.

Well, actually, I do. Come on in.

For starters, we're not having sex.

That's something I think we should wait for, at least until college.

We're young. We have to build a solid foundation before even thinking about doing stuff like that.

Frankie: I love her.


Hi, Mr. Heck. Morgan. Hi.

We didn't get to meet yesterday, but I brought you some muffins I made. Thanks.

Are these blueberry or boysenberry?

Both. (Chuckles)

(Mouths words)

(Mouth full) I'll go wake Axl.

Oh, actually, could I do it?

I really want to see his sleepy face. I bet it's really cute.

Oh. Don't worry. I'll just knock on the door.

It wouldn't be appropriate to go into his room. End of the hall.

I love her.

I love her more.

There's one thing that's kinda bugging me, though.

What's she doing with Axl?

Right? I mean, it's weird, right?

I... look, is that bad for me to say? I mean, I adore him.

No, I know.

It's just that she's so... Going places, and doesn't seem to want to go anywhere.

Heck curse.

We're irresistible, and we have a gift for luring in women who are clearly out of our league.

(Light tapping)

Aah! Aah!

What are you doing?

I was too scared to sleep, and is is the only room in the house where I got to keep the lights on all night.

(Sighs) I couldn't sleep either.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw zombies ripping the guts out of Taylor Lautner!

Maybe we should tell mom we saw the movie.

No, you can't tell mom! She'll think I'm a bad babysitter.

You are a bad babysitter!

You let me watch a scary movie I am too young for.

Besides, mom always makes it better when I'm scared.

Did the mom in the zombie movie make it better?

No. She ate her baby's face off.

(Mouth full) Hi, guys. Oh, my gosh. He was so adorable when I woke him up.

(Mouth full) Yep, morning's his most adorable time of day.

(Exhales deeply)

Okay, here we go.

(Eerie music playing) What are you doing? I don't want to watch it again!

Trust me. If we watch it again during the day, we'll see how silly it is, and we'll totally laugh about it, and the movie will lose its power over us.

Woman: Aah! Oh, my God!

I thought those zombies were eating hamburger last time.

They're really eating that nun's liver!

I just realized zombieism is just cannibalism in virus form.

This can actually happen!

Aah! (Pants)

Frankie: While my two kids who were usually happy were unhappy, my one kid who was never happy was.

He'd had girlfriends before, but this was something special.


The last seven weeks and two days have been so great.

I know, right?

But I don't think we should go out anymore.

You want to just sit in the car and explore our bodies?

Axl, what I'm saying is...

I think we should break up.

Wh-what?

Why? What... what did I do?

Nothing. It's just...

I don't know, like last week, we were at the library, and I was doing research and you just kept staring at that video game magazine.

It had a hologram of a dragon.

Which is cool, but a whole hour?

I...

Look...

You are really fun.

I just think that I may need someone a little less fun and more focused, you know?

But we're, like, in love.

Hey. Is Morgan staying for dinner?

No.

Aw, that's too bad. I found a pan in the drawer.

I thought I'd try cooking something.

You know, we could always order in. (Sniffles)

Hey. Hey, what's wrong?

(Crying) She broke up with me. What?

Mom, I feel like I'm dying.

Oh. Oh, honey, I know.

I know. Shh.

Oh, God. I forgot how soft his skin was. (Sobs)

What's up with Axl?

He's crying.

There's only one logical explanation...

He's become a pod zombie!

Don't be ridiculous.

(Kisses)

Okay. That is weird.

Hey.

(Crying)

He what's this?

Or something?

No, I'm fine. Then why are you crying?

I'm not crying, okay? God!

(Sighs)

Way to go, Mike. We were hugging.
Ever since Mike made him feel embarrassed about crying, Axl was emotionally closed off.

Axl.

I want you to know there is nothing wrong with a man showing his feelings.

You got your hug. Now get off me, okay?

There's just something I want you to hear.

(Mike, crying) Frankie, it's me. (Rock music playing)

(Sniffles)

You hear that?

It's our song, baby.

It came on the radio and I...

Oh, I had to call you.

Please, Frankie. Please take me back.

I'm so lost without you.


Oh, God! Is that dad?

Yes. Yes, it is.

He left this on my machine after we broke up for a few weeks when we were first dating.

Are you serious?

♪ your baby needs someone to believe in ♪
♪ I'm gonna hold on loosely, but I won't let go ♪


See? Everyone hurts sometimes, even your dad.

Dude, he sounds like such a dork!

Is that how I sounded? God! (Mike sobs)

Who's the dork?

If you get this before morning, call my pager.

I'm at the Chi-Chi's on route 42, waiting by the pay phone.

The chi-chi's where we sat in back and fed each other nachos, remember?

(Crying)

I love you, Frankie.

I love you so much, my heart...


Frankie, what are you doing? Are you nuts?!

Where did you get that?! What... what even is that?!

I can't believe that you saved that.

Besides, I don't even think that's me.

Okay. I gotta go.

(Exhales deeply)

Mike.

What is the matter with you?

What? I think it's sweet.

It's not sweet. It's not anything.

Give me that tape.

No! I love this tape.

You even made up your own lyrics to 38 Special for me.

You said I was your angel from above. Where is that part?

(Mike, crying) My shirt still smells like your hair. Aah! La la la la la!

I miss your hair. I can't hear it.

So you love me. So what? Stop saying that! Give me the tape!

What, love? You want me to stop saying "love"?

Ma and you played it for our son?!

It's embarrassing.

It's embarrassing that your son knows that you loved his mother enough to cry?

That's what's embarrassing you? Hey, let's pull out some pictures of you and your giant perm.

I know they're in here somewhere.

(Continues crying) I didn't do this to embarrass you.

Axl is going through a really tough time, and he's never been that open with his emotions, and he just needs to see that it's okay to cry. But it isn't!

I think that tape makes that perfectly clear.

Oh, man.

Oh, God!

Frankie!


(Turns off tape)

Frankie: After days of avoiding Axl Mike realized he couldn't do it forever.

Hey.

H-hey.

Not much to eat.

Nope.

So, you know, Axl, uh, about the thing you heard the other day...

You mean the tape? We don't have to give it a name.

I just, uh, thought that I should say... about the thing you don't have to explain it....

Don't look at me. Just let me say that for whatever reason, women love it when men cry. I-it's why your mom sees every damn Sean Penn movie that comes out.

Yeah, she's pretty gay for him.

Yeah, so, you know...

What you heard, uh, on that thing that your mom played for you, kinda got me your mom.

So...

Yeah. I guess so.

I think I see some cheese back there.

Sweet.

Good talk.

Yep.

(Amplified voice) ♪ and the home of the brave ♪

(cheering)

Is there nothing she can't do? God, I miss her.

(Amplified voice) Ehlert Motors is proud to sponsor the Thundering Hen division playoff with this very generous donation of $25!

So when shopping for your next car, remember the Ehlert motto...

Who cares? (Air horn blows)

(Speaks inaudibly)

(Crowd cheering)

Yeah!

Whoo! Oh, this is so close.

Let's go, Team Hens! Whoo!

Axl is on fire!

He keeps looking at Morgan. Well, he's channeling his heartbreak into his game.

I bowled a 280 the night you broke up with me.

Sue, I need you to take me to the bathroom.

I'm not missing the game.

Fine. Stay here alone with pod mom and dad.

I'm taking Brick to the bathroom. Okay.

(Chanting) Blue and white!

I'm pretty sure there's a boys' bathroom around here somewhere.

Oh, here it is.

(Crowd cheering in distance)

Brick?

Did you already go in?

(Wheels squeaking)

No one's allowed in the east wing after dark.

I'm just waiting for my brother. He's in the bathroom.

Couldn't be that bathroom.

It's been locked for two days.

(Nervously) Brick?

(Crowd cheering)

Way to rebound, son!

Make the sh*t! Let's go to state! Come on!

(Cheering fades)

Hey.

Why is he stopping?

Axl, what are you doing? I'm not afraid of my feelings, Morgan.

I love you, and I know you still love me.

So I'm not gonna sh**t until you take me back.

(Basketball bouncing)

Tell me, does this sound like the actions of a man not going anywhere?

Mike: Axl, get your head in the game!

(Crowd booing)

Go, you jackass! I got money on this game.

Axl! Now's not the time!

Brick, where are you?

Brick!

You could always check the basement. (Jingling)

(Shrieks)

(Electricity humming)

(Sighs)

There you are.

You scared me.

Brick?

Brick?

(Gasps) Oh, my God!

Aah!

Cuidado piso mojado.

(Shrieks)

Woman: Axl!

On the one hand, I was proud he was showing his feelings.

On the other hand, if we win this, we go to state!


Axl, there'll be other girls! sh**t the damn ball!

"I'm gonna hold on loosely, but I won't let go!"

Tell me you'll hold on, too, and I'll sh**t, and we all win.

'Cause our love is so strong, it's...

(Buzzer sounds)

(Crowd groaning)

Oh, man.

Well, this isn't too embarrassing.

Help! The Pod Zombies got Brick!

I'll get Brick.

You get the car.

(Horns honking)

That's it. I am never feeling anything again. Good boy.

Thanks for blowing our season, Romeo!

Hey, man!

Come on. He's a stupid teenager.

You know how they are.

Lock the doors. (Locks click)

Oh, no! Zombies! Don't eat my brain!

(Laughs)

Thanks a lot, Brick!

Why were you standing there, staring at me like a zombie?

I was memorizing the fire escape plan in case the zombies set the place on fire.

You idiot! Zombies are afraid of fire!

That doesn't even make sense.

Okay, what is going on?

You two have been acting weird all week.

I let Brick stay up and watch a scary movie, and now he's scarred for life, and so am I, and I am a horrible, horrible babysitter. Is that what this is all about?

If there really were zombies, don't you think it would be on the news or "Access Hollywood" or something? Come on.

See? I told you mom would make it better. (Knock on window)

Axl, that was so romantic, what you did.

Would you lose a game for me someday?

Uh, if coach ever lets me play again, I guess. (Chuckles)

Hey, want to get some pizza with us?

Axl: Oh! Well...

Okay. (Chuckles) (Both giggle)

Gotta eat, I guess.

(Door opens)

And just like that, he was blissfully f to his next heartbreak, leaving us to deal with the mess he left behind.

Hey, here's their car. Come on! Let's turn it over!

Hey. Whoa. Whoa. Uh, all right.

Everybody roll with the motion and avoid eye contact.

I've been on the other side of this.

They're gonna get bored and move on eventually.
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