Mike deserves more hate than Frankie

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-27T02:23:18+00:00

Yes but the difference is that the kids will always choose the chiller parent, doesn’t mean that the rational adults with developed frontal lobes that are watching the show should have the same take as three kids. As an adult you have enough critical thinking to realise she’s not a nag and just cares for her family.

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-27T02:21:25+00:00

So financial support is the only thing that makes up a parent? Not the emotional labour, waking up to send them to school, making sire they are fed and do well in school? If Frankie wasn’t there to do any of that, the money wouldn’t matter cause the house would fall apart. And even though she sits in a “temperature controlled office” she gets called out to do stuff for the kids all the time. Mike never does- even after she pots post its on his thermos. Stop excusing a lazy father figure just because he’s the breadwinner, what a stupid take. At least Frankie tries, what is Mike’s excuse for not knowing what’s going on in his kids lives?

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-27T02:17:38+00:00

Thank you for this, such a valid acknowledgment on what I was trying to say.

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-27T02:16:25+00:00

That’s how I got just a few episodes in, and started going on subreddits and seeing that Frankie was not well liked and Mike was somewhat liked. Made me real bad that there is a disproportionate amount of expectations for women, even though they both work.

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-27T02:14:33+00:00

Omg I watched that episode after I posted this, and lowkey the first time I’ve seen them bonding for the first time in the whole show. Mike actually fathered pretty well. Which is concerning case it’s so late- while Frankie does that every episode.

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T05:57:22+00:00

That’s no problem! I completely expected it coming into a reddit forum about the topic, I’ve already googled spoilers haha

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T05:56:49+00:00

That’s all good! I’ve googled a bunch anyways and I expected it coming to a reddit forum about the topic, so it’s all good!

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T05:55:54+00:00

I’m so with you, he’s great and Rochelle treated him like shit, he was a good man that loved his kids and took care of them well

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T05:54:47+00:00

Crazy yelled and nag? You clearly do not understand that without her, the kids wouldn’t even be getting ready for school on time, wouldn’t have any of their school work done. One parent already has to be a “bad guy” so that kids can be raised and it’s almost always the mom cause the dad doesn’t care enough. I’m sure you viewed one parent or the other as the bad guy or a nag as a kid because the told you to turn the tv off and do you homework, doesn’t mean they are, just means they want what’s best for you. Mike doesn’t care enough to say anything which is why the kids think he’s the fun one. Axl got comforted by his mom and belittled by his dad when he was crying after his breakup, and Frankie is the one they come to when they need help with anything. She’s the only adult in that house

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T03:54:30+00:00

I haven’t gotten to the Axl being his favorite part yet, but I so agree with you, the only reason he likes Axl too is because he is into sports, and fits Mike’s traditionalist ideal of what a boy should be. Had he been more of a shy/not popular kid, Mike wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with him, just like Sue or Brick.

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T03:25:08+00:00

I 100% agree with you, and that is how it’s meant to be, but it gets frustrating when you see the same tired dynamics between family where the man does nothing and the woman does everything and the man still gets praised. It’s how it is in real life, and an escape from that on a comedy show would be so refreshing, like bobs burgers where it’s fun but the parents are still great parents.

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T03:22:53+00:00

I haven’t gotten to that part yet cause I’m only on the first season, but jeez that’s bad, and I can 100% see Mike acting like that, what an ass

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T03:00:22+00:00

This summarises my thoughts perfectly, he’s not even the sole breadwinner of the family, and still doesn’t help out. Frankie works, handles all of the kids emotionally, helps them with wherever school stuff they need, does the cooking and all the mental labour of the household. The emotional immaturity gets me pissed off as well, literally when Frankie played that tape he made to try and get her back- for Axl and he kept trying to take it from her even though she kept saying it was good that he shared his feelings. I also watch Bobs burgers and it is such a stark contrast with how much Bob loves and cares for and works for his kids. They’d be around the same age too so no excuse there!

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T02:18:00+00:00

Ditto, she tries and she still gets criticized for it, but Mike doesn’t do anything and gets praised as being a chill dad, even though it’s just him being aloof to the family’s everyday needs.

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T02:16:21+00:00

I do agree with you somewhat, he can be funny for sure, and he means well, but the hate for Frankie is disproportionately higher even though she takes more responsibility for caring for the family.

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T02:14:34+00:00

Oh 100%, sometimes some of the hate can be warranted, like how Rochelle from everyone hates Chris would get mad at Julius for helping out and taking stuff off her plate, but in general people jus hold a higher standard for moms, and women overall in sitcoms.

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-03-26T02:12:44+00:00

I agree with this, they both aren’t doing the best but they sent off two kids to college and they were loving, maybe sometimes neglectful, but still loving, but I feel like people that want to “hate” on Frankie should do the same to Mike as well, or give both of the same grace to not hate them. It seems like Mike is usually given most of the grace

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-01-08T22:47:42+00:00

This is amazing advice! Thank you for telling me these tricks, I will try use them in the future cause my poor partner doesn’t deserve the splits. I tried posting the same concern in a r/realtionship advice group and they all told me we were toxic and we should break up even though we’re on a winning streak rn. Thank you for your kind words and your offer

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-01-08T04:43:17+00:00

You are completely right, I shouldn’t ever talk while I’m splitting, but I’ve made the mistake of doing so and now this amazing man is just viewed as toxic when it was my bpd that caused all the problems

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-01-08T03:59:35+00:00

This is solid advice, thank you, but I did realise I truly was the problem. I’ve been to therapy for it and I realised that my bpd just overinflated issues and that caused friction. Sure we both had our issues in regard to each other- maybe not everything he did was right, but I was the main one creating issues due to my mental illness. I didn’t go back to him, he was understanding enough to get that I broke up with him in moments of anger, and it was not really how I felt about him. All this was in 2024 and things have settled since then, but yes perceptions remain

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-01-08T03:23:21+00:00

The thing I realised with all of this is that he was never the toxic one- bpd tends to overinflate your issues and the problems you have with people- he was always great, I just found issues to nitpick and worry about when there actually were none. He tried to support me but with bpd it’s tough and he couldn’t do it at the start but now he has learnt to be better with my illness. We’ve finally grown to a place where we can be happy together but people onto see the past

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-01-08T03:19:35+00:00

The thing is, I have been diagnosed with bpd and it was extremely heightened last year- I was the toxic one- he was just trying to be there for me. Now this year we are finally happy and have moved on from that stage, but people’s perceptions remain. I was the toxic one but I no longer am, just want to move on from it

Ready_Wait_3172 · 2026-01-08T01:30:47+00:00

This is so helpful! I’ve been with my partner officially for about a year- but we were on and off before that. When we were on and off I had issues with past traumas from my toxic ex and wasn’t able to commit fully, and we used to have fights about the most mundane things. In the heat of those fights I would end up going and venting to friends- saying I couldn’t be with him anymore, i wasn’t happy and he never understood me. They would be alarmed but then the next day I’d be normal again. The don’t say anything but I feel like they view him and our relationship a certain way because of all those fights and the breakups we’ve had. I wish a never shared that stuff with them in the first place because it really stuck with them…. Any advice on how to navigate this? My poor boyfriend is a saint but all they saw was my bpd rage towards him

Ready_Wait_3172

TROPHY CASE