"A Christmas Gift" is the third Christmas episode of the ABC sitcom The Middle, produced and aired in the show's third season.
Synopsis[]
After having a little too much eggnog at a holiday party, Frankie emails everyone in the neighborhood to say she's having her own Christmas Eve bash. She worries about the neighbors seeing the big, gaping hole in the kitchen where the dishwasher used to be. Mike won't give in to her requests for a replacement. That's because he already got her a new dishwasher. His plan is to have it all hooked up for a Christmas morning surprise.
Frankie is relentless in her requests for a new dishwasher. When party time rolls around, she hits the eggnog hard. She takes some public digs at Mike. Soon the rest of the neighbors are also mocking him for being so cheap. It's a holiday massacre with Frankie leading a charge of verbal carnage. Then Mike rolls the new dishwasher into the living room. Suddenly, Frankie's heart feels two sizes too small.
Brick is reading a good book. Actually, he's reading the Good Book. Brick has questions about the accuracy of some of the stories he's coming across in the Bible. For instance, many of the animals on Noah's Ark would have been mortal enemies. And there probably wasn't a big enough pooper scooper back then to keep things clean.
Sue knows a person who can answer all of her little brother's biblical queries. He always comes to town this time of year spreading joy and happiness. That's right. Reverend TimTom is back, but Brick is less than impressed with his holy take on things. Sue later drags him out onto the ice rink where TimTom is leading a team of teens around as he strums another cool Jesus tune. He is just so versatile.
Once again, Brick isn't quite buying what TimTom is selling. Sue is crushed. Rev. TimTom stops by the Heck house on Christmas morning. He explains to Sue that not everyone is going to jump on the Jesus train at the same stop. Brick needs to find his own path. After that, TimTom heads off to spread the good word in a town where obsession with the Twilight saga has gotten out of hand.
Bob is desperate to bond with Axl after they start working together at Mr. Ehlert's Christmas tree lot. Things get awkward when he tries to pal around with his new coworker at the holiday party. Bob feels like a loser. He takes out his frustrations by punching the snowman on the lawn. That's unfortunate because Axl says they placed boulders in the head to ward off the Glossners. He also convinces Bob that he's not a loser in what's a nice little holiday moment from Axl.
Frankie and Mike eventually make nice after the party fiasco. The new dishwasher is a welcome addition to the Heck home. Too bad it doesn't fit into the spot where the old one lived. As for Brick, he's still not sure about the Bible. He does, however, think it's a really cool story.
Source music[]
- Uncredited
- "Good King Wenceslas"
- "Angels We Have Heard on High"
- "Deck the Halls"
- "Jingle Bells"
- "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
- "The Twelve Days of Christmas" - Patricia Heaton
- "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
Cast[]
| Actress/actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Patricia Heaton | Frankie |
| Neil Flynn | Mike |
| Charlie McDermott | Axl |
| Eden Sher | Sue |
| Atticus Shaffer | Brick |
| Chris Kattan | Bob |
| Paul Hipp | Rev. TimTom |
| Jen Ray | Nancy Donahue |
| Julie Brown | Paula Norwood |
| Ginny McMath | Darrin's Mom |
| Pat Finn | Bill Norwood |
| Brianne Howey | Emily |
| Malcolm Foster Smith | Dave |
See also[]
- "Christmas"
- "A Simple Christmas"
- "Christmas Help"
- "The Christmas Tree"
- "The Christmas Wall"
- "Not So Silent Night"
- "A Very Marry Christmas"
- "The Christmas Miracle"