When it comes to my favorite show, The Middle wins for me. Hands down, it’s the most relatable and funniest sitcom I’ve watched. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, it deals with the Hecks, a struggling Midwestern family of five, who are simply trying to get by. During the show’s running time, they put out some episodes dedicated to navigating the struggles of St. Valentine’s Day.
Whether you think it’s a cute and harmless holiday, even if you don’t have a romantic partner, or you think it’s a scam “cooked up by the greeting card companies,” as Mike Heck says, these episodes are a great way to have a laugh while enjoying this holiday.
- “Valentine’s Day III” (S3, Ep. 15)
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Even though I like most of these, this episode is my absolute favorite. Brick and Axl struggle to write papers for school, while the middle daughter, Sue, freaks out when her boyfriend kisses her with tongue. Meanwhile, Mike and Frankie go out with their friends for Valentine’s, and Frankie gets mad when Mike “embarrasses her.”
Every plotline in this episode works out and makes me laugh every time. My favorite moment has to be when Sue explains what “French Kissing” meant (I will not say what she thought it was, but it was very wrong), or when Axl desperately ropes Brick into his project for school. All in all, it’s a hilarious take on the mishaps of February 14, with a very sweet ending!
- “Valentine’s Day” (S1, Ep. 15)
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The only reason this is in second place for me is because it’s hard to top the aforementioned episode. In this first Valentine’s episode, we see Sue excited to go to her first “boy-girl party,” Brick gets invited to a sleepover, and Axl and his friends try to get dates. This leaves Mike and Frankie alone for Valentine’s for the first time in years.
However, things don’t go as planned, and no one really has a romantic evening. I think my favorite part of this episode is Sue’s awkward blue eyeshadow — a staple of middle school couture — and her storyline in general. It really steals the show.
- “Valentine’s Day II” (S2, Ep. 15)
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For the longest time, this was actually my favorite on this list! I just love seeing Mike struggling as a class parent, while Frankie helps Axl get something for his date. We also see Sue trying to find the boy she kissed on Halloween.
Once again, we see all the Hecks awkwardly struggle through the holiday. My favorite part of this episode is the satirical take of Frankie and Axl going out for dinner as if they were a couple, rather than a mom and son duo, but I also love Mike’s tirade regarding Valentine’s Day. It’s just very lighthearted and funny throughout the entire run.
- “Valentine’s Day IV” (S4, Ep.15)
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I have to say that I am not too crazy about this episode. I’ll watch it, but it’s not my ultimate favorite. For this one, Axl and his friends become a “breakup” service for all the guys that want to dump their girlfriends, Sue unexpectedly gets a date for the dance, and Mike mistakenly sends a Valentine’s text to one of his coworkers.
I personally really like Mike’s storyline for this one, because his coworkers always make me laugh. The other reason I enjoy this episode is because it was the beginning of Sue and Darrin’s relationship, and they were my favorite couple on the show. It gives this episode a really cute and surprising ending!
- “Valentine’s Day VI” (S5, Ep. 13)
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For the last item of this list, we get the show’s last Valentine’s episode. Ironically, it’s the highest-ranking Valentine’s episode on IMDb. For this fifth season special, Axl is confused when his girlfriend says she doesn’t want to do anything for Valentine’s, and Brick is surprised to hear his equally quirky girlfriend wants him to kiss her. Meanwhile, Sue’s boyfriend takes her on a long-winded scavenger hunt.
The reason why I don’t enjoy this episode is purely because of the ending. It basically marks the end of Sue and Darrin’s relationship, which makes me really upset. It’s a memorable episode, but for the wrong reasons.
If you’ve never watched The Middle, I recommend simply starting with the first season’s episode. It’s up to you whether you want to watch these five episodes or the entire show! You won’t regret it.