Ep 21. Clear And Present Danger

In Clear And Present Danger, the twenty-first episode of season eight of The Middle, Frankie feels a bit down after realizing that she wasn't able to accomplish anything significant over the past few years of her life. To make matters worse, while checking out her high school yearbook, she sees that her classmates have achieved notable milestones, like becoming lawyers, doctors, athletes, and business owners. All Frankie could do was become a mother of three children and hold a dead-end job.

Now feeling like she's not amounted to much, Frankie decides to take things to the extreme. She goes to a bookstore and starts scanning through books on different topics, including learning a foreign language, yoga, playing the guitar, and even skydiving! It's clear from the look on her face that Frankie is seriously considering trying out any of these, or maybe all, just to feel like she has accomplished something in her life.

Meanwhile, Axl is getting ready to graduate from college, but he's not quite sure what his next steps are. He's happy to have landed a new job at Sue's boss's car dealership, but he's still anxious about the future. Brick, on the other hand, is also dealing with his own anxiety. He's gotten into a state of panic over a book report he has to do after realizing he has lost the book he was reading to do the report. He finally manages to score a replacement copy, but it's in Braille!

As the day progresses, Frankie becomes even more determined to accomplish something, anything, as soon as possible. She finally decides to learn pottery and goes to a class. While she initially feels like she's not making any progress, when she sees others struggling with the same issues, she realizes that it's okay to take things slow and steady. She walks out of the class with a newfound sense of confidence and accomplishment.

Axl also gets a chance to shine when he lands a car sale at his new job, which helps him realize that he's good at making connections with people and selling them things. Brick, on the other hand, is still struggling to get his book report done, despite getting help from his family. In the end, Frankie and Mike also try to help Brick by reading the book to him, and the whole family comes together to help him overcome his challenges.

Clear And Present Danger is a heartwarming episode that showcases the difficulties that many people face when trying to find their purpose in life. Frankie's journey to find meaning is relatable, and her struggles help to underscore the importance of taking things slow and steady when trying new things. The episode also highlights the love and support of the Heck family, which is ever-present in each of their lives.