When the decision was made to shine the TV Club 10 spotlight on The Middle, a great deal of thought and consideration went into selection the episodes that would make it into the final list. There was also a great deal of hesitation and procrastination, however, along with many occasions amidst the bursts of uncertainty when the question was posed to others, “So, uh, what are your favorite episodes?”
Among those asked: Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn, and Eden Sher.
Heaton and Flynn each offered up a list of their 10 favorite episodes, along with a one-liner explaining either what the plot was about or why they liked it. Sher’s enthusiasm, however, could not be restrained to a mere single sentence: not only did the plucky young comedienne quickly whip up her own list of 10 favorite episodes, but she dedicated a paragraph-long love letter to every single one of them.
Here, for instance, is her take on “The Map”:
“The cold open of this episode was a 7-page scene of the whole family just sitting in the car talking. Much like my feelings towards ‘Hecks on a Plane,’ I will always remember that hot, crowded car with unique fondness. I also think that cold open turned out to be one of the best cold opens, and really best scenes, we’ve ever aired. I am also pretty sure this was the day we were introduced to Neil’s unparalleled Gary Busey / “Sling Blade” impressions. I am also pretty sure we all might have been mildly psychologically disturbed from the lack of oxygen in that car. Neil always hogs up all the oxygen.”
Rather than attempt to shoehorn these lists into the TV Club 10 or bury them as a Stray Observation in the review of tonight’s season finale of The Middle, they can be found here, as part of your humble author’s weekly TV column for Bullz-Eye.com, “The Light From The TV Shows.”