Mike Patterson: Overprotective Father.

Of course, there is a thing I overlooked last time: the very real possibility that the Mike of 2017 is probably cravenly grateful that Elly wanted to save him from Martha back when the vindictive idiot was taking her anger at being a wallflower out on a sitting duck antagonist. The same moron who blurbled witlessly about how a meaningless dalliance that wouldn't have survived past high school is a clear existential threat to his children's very existence (owing to his being the same noodlehead clod who thinks that his mother danced and sang in public with the specific intent of humiliating him) is probably right now being the same sort of punitive, panicky pinhead Elly was every time Meredith expresses interest in a boy.

Mind you, he won't actually come out and make the same fool of himself Elly might have and chanted "TOO FAST!!! TOO FAST!!!!" every time she displayed any hint that she was maturing but he wouldn't have to. He has a smug know-nothing know-it-all wife to simper about how Meredith can't know what love is yet for him. This allows him to have his cake and eat it to because he can be the good guy and the overweening nitwit at the same time.