25 best Christmas TV episodes to watch this holiday season
The Middle – “The Christmas Tree”
Christmas is the time to be close to those you love, like your friends and family. But apparently if you’re Axl Heck, the friends are more important than the family part. Who hasn’t had trouble spreading out their time over the holidays to make sure to see everyone?
On the season 5 episode of The Middle dubbed “The Christmas Tree,” the Heck family is falling apart, as usual, and that’s why we all love and relate to them. Axl is home from college for Christmas break, and his family is excited (for the most part) to see him. Unfortunately for them, Axl would rather hang out with his friends over his family, and at Christmastime that’s just not acceptable! Frankie tells Axl that they have to come up with an agreement that will satisfy both of them so that he can see his friends and family while he’s back.
But Axl isn’t the only one struggling this holiday season. Sue has a major problem, too. She realizes that she has a severe allergy to the family’s Christmas tree! Sue of all people would never want to be responsible for ruining Christmas, and she refuses to get rid of the tree even though she was suffering. Sue is a real trouper, and I respect her for doing whatever she has to do in the name of Christmas, but maybe setting up camp behind a plastic sheet like a Bubble Girl is a bit much!
You might think Brick would be the level-headed one, even if he is a little quirky, but no, he has troubles of his own. He’s supposed to be selling wrapping paper as a fundraiser for his school, but lies about his sales. What’s a boy to do? Start a Ponzi scheme, apparently! Brick manages to pay the debt back with some unfortunate ideas — like stealing and selling flowers from the cemetery — but at least he breaks even!
This episode also brought us another Christmas miracle, which is seeing Mike get a little emotional. He’s happy that this Christmas, he can spend the holiday with just his family, no in-laws or guests, but when he goes to tell Axl he can go spend time with his friends after he gets in a spat with his mom, he quotes the always-heartbreaking song “Cat’s In The Cradle” to Axl. His voice breaks before he can finish the line, which gives us a little pang in our hearts. The Hecks aren’t usually an emotional family, but it looks like the holidays can bring out those feelings in all of us!