With the bus drivers on strike, Principal Barker (Rachel Dratch) asks the parents to form carpools to get the kids to and from school. But with time management not being one of Frankie's strong suits, her carpool kids find themselves facing the possibility of being on the receiving end of some tardy slips - which could ruin their chances of being invited to the "No Tardy Party". Meanwhile, Axl hits the books and becomes an expert in Astronomy - a class he's not even taking - in order to tutor a hot student, and when Mike receives two IU basketball tickets, he tries to find someone to accompany him to the game, not realizing that Sue really wants to go with him.

Episode Viewers and Ratings

Season 5 Episode 12 of The Middle was watched by 8,040,000 viewers, resulting in a 2.30 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

Is The Middle Renewed or Cancelled for Season 6?

The Middle Season 5 Episodes...

• s05e01 - The Drop Off
• s05e02 - Change In the Air
• s05e03 - The Potato
• s05e04 - The 100th
• s05e05 - Halloween IV: The Ghost Story
• s05e06 - The Jump
• s05e07 - Thanksgiving V
• s05e08 - The Kiss
• s05e09 - The Christmas Tree
• s05e10 - Sleepless In Orson
• s05e11 - War of the Hecks
• s05e12 - The Carpool
• s05e13 - Hungry Games
• s05e14 - The Award
• s05e15 - Vacation Days
• s05e16 - Stormy Moon
• s05e17 - The Walk
• s05e18 - The Smell
• s05e19 - The Wind Chimes
• s05e20 - The Optimist
• s05e21 - Office Hours
• s05e22 - Heck on a Hard Body
• s05e23 - Orlando
• s05e24 - The Wonderful World of Hecks

The Middle Show Summary

Who are our modern day heroes? Politicians? Movie Stars? Athletes? Maybe... But what about the heroes of everyday life? Some of us think parents are heroes, and mothers are often super heroes. Meet Frankie Heck loving wife, mother of three and a car salesman at Jasper, Indiana's number one used car dealership. Frankie is middle class in the middle of the country and approaching middle age. Her super powers? Getting her kids out the door in one piece every morning! Jasper, Indiana is Frankie Heck's hometown a town nestled in between two factories. And depending on which way the wind blows, one day it will smell like snack cakes or another day, tires.

Frankie is trying to sell her first car at the local dealership while her husband, Mike, is a manager at the town quarry. Their oldest son, Elvis, just lost his best friend in an accident and is going through a bit of an identity crisis. Their daughter, Sue, is what you would call extraordinarily ordinary. However, this is not the case with their seven-year-old, Brick, who is different from other kids his age. Brick's best friend is his backpack.

The Middle gives you its take on life in the part of the country we don't often see. It may not be glamorous or showy, but it's a place where family comes first, and you do whatever it takes to keep your family together.