The Middle Season 3

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

You know all those over-hyped, supposedly ‘edgy’ and daring comedies the critics insist all discerning TV fans SHOULD love and appreciate? Well, The Middle isn’t among them 😉 But while critics have given the show a lukewarm reception, all of the actual TV viewers I know have been immediately charmed and delighted by this underrated gem of a show.

The Middle doesn’t go out of its way to flaunt just how edgy and risque it can be. It doesn’t, like so many other critically lauded shows, feature wholly unlikable people doing wholly unlikable things while half-winking at the camera over just how zany they are. It doesn’t go for cartoonishly over-the-top wackiness or the kind of constant lowbrow sexual innuendo and fart jokes that you might unpleasantly associate with high school locker rooms.

Instead, The Middle simply tells the story of a family that’s likable and even admirable despite also being realistically, hilariously flawed. The humor stems from the strong characterizations, sharp dialogue and the clever insight peppered throughout. (You’ll be thinking “that is so true…it’s scary how well I can relate to that!” at least a few times per episode). We get flashes of heartwarming poignancy here too, but rest assured that it’s never too sappy or forced. It’s quietly uplifting, but in a way that feels earned rather than manipulatively sentimental.

This is one of those rare shows that successfully blends humor with heart, and I was pleasantly surprised to realize just how much I’ve come to love spending time with this family. I used to have a weird visceral dislike for Patricia Heaton and, for reasons alluded to above, rarely like sitcoms…but this show immediately reversed my opinion of Patricia Heaton’s acting abilities, and even gave me a renewed hope for the sitcom genre!

One major reason it’s worth owning on DVD: The vast majority of the episodes not only hold up with multiple viewings, but actually improve, as you notice subtle moments of awesomeness that you were too busy laughing to pick up on the first time around. So many shows *claim* to have struck that balance between wit and poignancy; to have created lovable yet hilariously flawed characters; to have written dialogue that’s sharp and memorable. This is one of the few shows that, in my clearly Middle-loving opinion, has actually succeeded in all those areas and more. It’s a show that provides mood-boosting humor, a steady supply of heartwarming charm, and razor sharp insight into what it means to be part of a family. I can’t wait to FINALLY get my fangirl hands on the Season 3 DVDs, and look forward to rooting for and laughing with the Hecks for many years to come!

-RR

We LOVE “The Middle”! I watch this with my older kids and we end up belly laughing at so much of this show. It’s so relatable that I think everyone can find themselves or their family member in some of the characters. As the seasons go on, we’ve noticed more casual swearing, “damn”, “hell’, ‘ass”, which makes this a show for older kids, probably 12+. Personally, I’d rather not hear it but the rest of the show is great that I chose to watch anyway.After watching several episodes, I felt like I was hanging out in The Heck’s living room while I watched this and found that so much of what happens in an episode could be taken right out of my life! I highly recommend The Middle. Give it at least 3-4 episodes before you decide. It takes a few times to get the pace and humor.

-busymom

I love the series, “The Middle,” which has Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Neil Flynn (Scrubs) as parents of three precocious children in fictional Orson, Indiana. The show is far better than Modern Family which gets awards.

Maybe the show is a little too blue collar or set in the middle of the country but it’s still one of the best comedies on television and in recent decades. Patricia Heaton should get more Emmys for her performance as Frances “Frankie” Heck and the same accolades for her onscreen partner, Neil Flynn as her husband, Mike Heck.

The actors who play the children are perfect. Charlie McDermott is a hoot as the oldest son, Axel, who takes off his shirt and clips his toenails in the chip bag. Eden Sher is wonderful as the always optimistic Sue Heck even in the worst of times. And I can’t forget Atticus Shaffer as Brick, the boy who prefers books to anything else.

This season was great and I look forward to the fourth. Marsha Mason and Jerry Van Dyke play Frankie’s parents. John Cullum returns as Big Mike and Norm McDonald plays Mike’s younger brother, Rusty. All in all it’s a great show that shouldn’t be overlooked and should be released entirely on DVD like the first two seasons.

– Sylviastel

DVD Wholesale Main Features :   

Actors: Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn
Format: Multiple Formats, AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Number of discs: 3
Rated: NR-Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: October 8, 2013
Run Time: 528 minutes
ASIN: B0053O89QU