Middling with Eden and Brock

We're recapping episode 316, "The Concert," with our director! Phil Traill ( All About Steve , St. Denis Medical ) chats with us about where Axl's speed limit storyline came from, the incredible acting on The Middle , and tells us a hilarious story regarding red or white wine -- and which one is "funnier." Plus we read a letter from an international fan! WE HAVE MERCH!  Get yours at: https://...

Today we're with Julie Brown ( Clueless , Camp Rock )! You know her as Paula Norwood, and she's here to breakdown episode 315, "Valentine's Day III." She tells us about her 1 line audition, her very "Sue" moment regarding French kissing, and what it was like to be a judge on one of the most famous episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race . Plus be sure to listen to her new podcast, "Just Say Julie," releasi...

The meaning behind Cindy’s name, the real-life trip and fall that inspired Mike’s stumble at work, and the origin of The Loneliest Locker . Our guest, Rich Dahm ( The Colbert Report ), shares these behind the scenes stories... and more! The man came prepared. A writer of some of your favorite episodes, Rich joins us to recap episode 603, “Major Anxiety.” Plus, we listen to an adorable voicemail fr...

Today we’re recapping episode 314, “Hecking It Up,” with Sean O’Bryan ( Princess Diaries , Olympus Has Fallen ), who played Ron Donahue! He tells us how he didn’t have to audition for Ron, the pranks Neil Flynn pulled on set, and how it was sometimes hard to remember which fictional child belonged to him. We also put him to work as we read out lots of deleted scenes from the episode! WE HAVE MERCH...

Today, we're recapping episode 313, "The Map," and it's just us! We talk about the bold choice to make the entire first act a single scene in the car, the brilliant casting of Moisés Arias ( Fallout , Hannah Montana ), and Brock shares some rehearsal videos of the Sue Heck chant put together by the wrestling team. WE HAVE MERCH!  Get yours at: https://www.bonfire.com/middling ! Whether you wa...

Orson’s favorite God-fearing Wrestlerette, Ruth, is with us today! Grace Bannon ( Grey's Anatomy, So Random! ) joins us to break down her debut episode: ep 312 - "Year of the Hecks!" We’re dishing on Ruth’s wig, Brock shares a story about his wrestling singlet (featuring double-sided tape and his nipples), and we even spot a very young Casey Burke (aka “Cindy”) appearing as a background actor in t...

WE'RE DOING A LIVE RECORDING!! Friday, December 5th, 2025 @7pm at the Stray Theater in Los Angeles!! We'll be recapping one of our (and maybe your!) favorite episodes in front of a live audience! Trivia, behind the scenes clips and videos, and lots of laughs. Tickets are limited, get them here: https://buytickets.at/thestraytheater/1922627 The most perfect neighbor in sitcom history is with us tod...

WE'RE DOING A LIVE RECORDING!! Friday, December 5th, 2025 @7pm at the Stray Theater in Los Angeles!! We'll be recapping one of our (and maybe your!) favorite episodes in front of a live audience! Trivia, behind the scenes clips and videos, and lots of laughs. Tickets are limited, get them here: https://buytickets.at/thestraytheater/1922627 We’ve got the fabulous director of today’s episode, Meliss...

WE'RE DOING A LIVE RECORDING!! Friday, December 5th, 2025 @7pm at the Stray Theater in Los Angeles!! We'll be recapping one of our (and maybe your!) favorite episodes in front of a live audience! Trivia, behind the scenes clips and videos, and lots of laughs. Tickets are limited, get them here: https://buytickets.at/thestraytheater/1922627 Blow up the air mattress and hammer the frozen Thanksgivin...

WE'RE DOING A LIVE RECORDING!! Friday, December 5th, 2025 @7pm at the Stray Theater in Los Angeles!! We'll be recapping one of our (and maybe your!) favorite episodes in front of a live audience! Trivia, behind the scenes clips and videos, and lots of laughs. Tickets are limited, get them here: https://buytickets.at/thestraytheater/1922627 We have a cast and crew favorite on the show today -- Tyso...

WE'RE DOING A LIVE RECORDING!! Friday, December 5th, 2025 @7pm at the Stray Theater in Los Angeles!! We'll be recapping one of our (and maybe your!) favorite episodes in front of a live audience! Trivia, behind the scenes clips and videos, and lots of laughs. Tickets are limited, get them here: https://buytickets.at/thestraytheater/1922627 "If you have one, you have none" is just one of the many l...

WE'RE DOING A LIVE RECORDING!! Friday, December 5th, 2025 @7pm at the Stray Theater in Los Angeles!! We'll be recapping one of our (and maybe your!) favorite episodes in front of a live audience! Trivia, behind the scenes clips and videos, and lots of laughs. Tickets are limited, get them here: https://buytickets.at/thestraytheater/1922627 We've got the wonderful Rose Abdoo ( Hacks , That's So Rav...

She's back again! Our costume designer, Julia Caston, is here to tell us all about the wardrobe in episode 307, "Halloween II!" She talks about having to compromise with Eileen and DeAnn about bringing their very funny visions to life, the construction of the famous dice costume, and just how much work goes into a holiday episode. WE HAVE MERCH!  Get yours at: https://www.bonfire.com/middling...

A favorite of ours! Today we're breaking down ep 306, "Bad Choices!" We're playing our old rehearsal music, sharing a clever use of the split screen, and talking about how our friendship really started to solidify in real life during this episode. Plus, we answer a question from a fan who has a logic issue -- Eden's favorite! Remember, if you're wondering why we're skipping 305, it's because we al...

They're back again! The creators and showrunners of your favorite series, DeAnn Heline + Eileen Heisler, are here to recap one of their favorite episodes -- ep 304, "Major Changes!" Find out where the the infamous toenail story came from, who's the name sake of Pam Friggen' Staggs, and DeAnn even shares scrapped storylines from this episode. Plus, in a very Heck-coded mishap -- some technical diff...

WE'VE GOT A HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT: Eden's pregnant! She's pleased to announce she is with child -- with only ONE child this time!! After the big news, we dive into episode 303, " Hecking Order. " We chat about the adorable Chord Overstreet ( Glee ) guest-starring, a certain co-star who maaaybe arrived a little late to set, and the logistical chaos behind filming this episode. Plus, we answer a fan que...

Today, we're jumping ahead with Galadriel Stineman ( Sugar Creek Amish Mystery )! She played Cassidy Finch, but she's also telling us about the other role she played on The Middle . We break down ep 419, "The Bachelor," and talk about tennis lessons with Eden, what it's like to play the girlfriend - knowing it'll eventually end, and singing Bruno Mars. Plus we've got a fan voicemail asking about t...

They've got Emmys, they've got chemistry, and they've agreed to talk to us ! Today, we're chatting with none other than Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton ! These two have been making us laugh since the '90s on one of TV's most successful and funniest sitcoms, Everybody Loves Raymond - and now they’re back together to chat about their reunion on The Middle . We talk about Ray rewatching his own show a...

Next week: Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton reunite -- on this podcast!! You can catch them here or on YOUTUBE if you want to watch! That's on Sept 17th - you won't want to miss it. But for today, after we catch up and read some comments, we're breaking down episode 301, "Forced Family Fun Pt 1!" We point out a cameo from one of our writers, some crazy scheduling, and just how creative some of those...

Coming up on September 17th, we've got none other than: Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton on the podcast!! But for now, we're recapping our season 2 finale, episode 224, "Back to Summer." We're chatting about a flub that made it on screen, deleted scenes, and the non-stop laughing at "Barb Heckie." Plus we answer a question from a fan about the writing process. WE HAVE MERCH!  Get yours at: http...

Today, it's just us as we recap a fan-favorite moment from the series: episode 617, "The Waiting Game," AKA the one where Mike Heck gets caught singing "More Than a Feeling!" We were totally caught off guard that THIS was the episode where Mike lets loose. Find out what Neil Flynn thought about that moment, hear about Brock’s re-do interaction with Brad’s dad, and stick around as we answer some tr...

We're almost to the end of season 2 and we can't believe it! Today we’re joined by Roy Brown, a key figure in the writers’ room for all 9 seasons, rising from staff writer to executive producer. He's here to recap episode 223, "The Bridge," with us! We talk about a Big Mike storyline inspired by Roy’s dad, 19-year-old Eden’s thoughts on her swimsuit plot, and how this episode was the only one that...

Another fantastic, charismatic, and wildly talented guest today! We’re recapping episode 222, “ The Prom, ” with Shanley Caswell ( Power Book III: Raising Kanan, NCIS: New Orleans ) - and she does not disappoint. We talk about the time she pranked Josh Hutcherson on Punk’d , getting tough news right before a take, and Eden’s behind-the-scenes story about shooting that slow-motion sequence in the l...

Just us today as we break down episode 221, " Mother's Day II. " From uncovering a logistical hiccup (Eden’s favorite) to finally revealing what Mike actually said to Frankie on the ferris wheel - we’re covering it all. Plus, we read your comments and answer a voicemail from a repeat customer! WE HAVE MERCH!  Get yours at: https://www.bonfire.com/middling ! Whether you want the famed yellow C...

We can’t believe we’re saying this, but… we have the one... the only... Rachel Dratch ( SNL, Wine Country , 30 Rock ) on the pod today!! After we Middle some Minutes, we dive into the episode where Eden’s dealing with some serious PTSD from her poster board monologue, and Kenny maybe - just maybe - was meant to show his face a whole lot earlier than expected. Then comes our fantastic convo with Ra...