One Family vs. The World: A Malcolm in the Middle Retrospective

[@TheRoyalKnightPain19]

The simplest detail I loved about this show is that is one of the few sitcoms where appears that actually people live in that house.

[@MrLuismancei]

And don't forget that they have a life outside the house, have believable friendships, work dynamics, that we see in camera

[@jlshadday6401]

Ikr. I hate sitcoms where the house just appears as a prop. But in Malcolm in the Middle, the house has it's own characteristics and actually looks like people live in it.

[@soandso3676]

Yes! I loved the clutter and grime. It doesn’t look like a set, or ikea room staging.

[@MrMitchbow]

I love how natural their guest appearances feel natural

[@av7831]

I agree. It really felt like my parents house and my family, which other shows just didn't show. Made me feel more normal about growing up as an out of place kid in a lower income family in a middle class neighborhood. It's an absolute favorite.

[@kylegonewild]

Hal crying when Reese finds a moment of happiness in a constructive outlet tears me up every time.

[@buddha3209]

Genuinely heartwarming.

[@boyroy4u]

Yeah its rare that men are allowed to just casually cry on television, especially crying out of happiness or pride. He's the best TV dad next to Bob Belcher lol

[@arthurdurham]

It's one of my favorite moments and reminds us that the parents legitamitely love their kids, even with all their faults they truly want the best for them and their happiness

[@Nuvizzle]

One of the themes of the show that resonate most with me is that, while Malcolm may be a super-genius and Dewey has inexplicable creative gifts, neither of their parents are really depicted as dumb - Lois is incredibly sharp, diligent and hardworking, pretty much portrayed as capable and in control in almost every situation, and while Hal often gets played for laughs as the goofball sitcom dad he still displays a high level of emotional intelligence that most TV dads lack and had some wild bouts of frenetic creative expression. It portrays the parents of this working class family as capable and competent, yet still stuck in perpetual poverty through no fault of their own - rather than the usual depiction of the working class as ignorant people who are poor because they're stupid and lazy.

[@truedarkness4052]

Also, Hal was essentially smart when he put his mind and heart into something. He made a masterpiece painting and built a robot that can shoot bees since he wanted to. The more I think about this show the more I truly appreciate it. It was one of the few shows that had a Native American characters in a semi-prominent role (don't know if the actress is) and how Hal's friends were all Black guys who were all esteemed professionals. It's crazy to think about how progressive this show was for its time, hell even now.

[@ngotemna8875]

@@truedarkness4052 Not only how progressive it was but how *natural* it was. It didn't feel forced at all

[@emilycruz3922]

Great analysis.

[@aidanb7782]

Every member of the family was a genius in some way, Reese was a culinary genius and Francis is a master at demagoguery and strategy, often coming up with elaborate plans and ending up amassing supporters for every on of them

[@iheartdevonandconnor]

I always really resonated with the episode where they showed the depth to Hal's OCD. and how he shares with Dewey that he understands the need to perform these intricate niche projects. This is one of my all time favorite shows.

[@lukelichtenthal5407]

I feel like people miss the point of the ending. Basically Lois is saying that Malcolm will never have a happy life unless he lets go of his ego which has always been a consistent obstacle for him throughout the show.

[@eliasalbarracin5549]

While I definitely agree with that direction in the story for Malcolm, I personally feel like the finale did not have the proper build up and character growth for that message to really drive home that moral. I mean, the PROM episode right before it has Malcolm basically admit that he is a smug asshole, which isolates him even among the rejects he associates with. However, this moment from Malcolm has happened numerous times already throughout the series, and he's never truly grown from those moments either. The show never provides a moment where Malcolm has to definitively reflect on his own behavior AND then change as a person from there on out.

[@rickymoen9482]

@@eliasalbarracin5549 great point

[@zekeiwa5837]

@@eliasalbarracin5549 the final episode alludes more to Malcolm realizing he never saw the bigger picture and was so focused on petty things like being liked by people he disliked that he never considered he had bigger things coming his way, to the point where being rich at a young age would still be a waste to his potential. Just like Lois said, Malcolm was never going to be accepted, no matter how hard he tried but that was exactly what he needed to focus on the people who really needed a person like him who knew what it was to be poor and disliked for no real reason. When Malcolm changes his speech to reference Paul McCartney he's basically accepting that Lois is right. He could have become rich easily, but then he'd be another 1%er douchebag while being a reject to the rest. While I agree it lacked more setting, it was still a solid message about letting your ego go and focus on what you can really do

[@bishopspechulure9821]

Yes, expect for the part where she willfully removed any and every advantage he had, dragging him down into the depths of the mud with the rest of the poor "because he needs to understand what its like" as if he hadn't grown up in that poor household all his life. Her plan of "work as a janitor until you become president" is so horrifically unrealistic and cruel, no (good or sane) parent would ever go about teaching that lesson in such a malicious, harmful way. What happened in the finale was not going to "make him a better person". It is going to make him into a miserable, hateful misanthrope who may never want to connect with his family again, if he can help it. I'm quite frankly disturbed that so many people can see what happened and go "Aw, that's just a wholesome message. The real world is a hard place sometimes you just have to grow as a person :) " and not "Malcolm had every opportunity torn away from him by parents who wanted him to suffer just as bad as they did". A parent's job isn't to make their child suffer to learn a lesson. Harsh lessons can be given, but not tearing away all of their children's opportunities. And to top it all off, the fact that Lois and Hal are having ANOTHER unexpected child only further enforces that these two have still failed to learn their OWN lessons, they're effectively just perpetuating the cycle of poverty and misery that they live in by carelessly pumping out more children they didn't want. Given Dewey's character arc, its going to be up to him to make sure his younger siblings don't fall victim to the same cycle.

[@megaflamer]

um...no, she brutally tore away a genuine opportunity to be successful and drag himself out of poverty and misery. A common trend with her, especially in the later seasons. Teaching hard lessons is one thing, what she did goes so far beyond that its sort of ridiculous. That might have been a once-in-a-lifetime chance, he is now most probably doomed to a life of poverty and misery due to his parents actively ruining his future. This has happened multiple times in real life and is an all too common occurrence

[@toxicginger9936]

Fun fact: The writers were playfully trying to figure out if they could suggest something that Brian Cranston wouldn't do... they didn't succeed. And that's how we got Hal covered in Bees.

[@AtlasBlizzard]

I was wondering how on earth he consented to that. What a boss.

[@cherylcampbell9369]

Brian Cranston is the best! And he just loved being in his skivvies. I laughed inappropriately when Walter White, in the first episode of BB, ended up only wearing his underwear, too!

[@someonerandom8552]

The clown episode was good. But I like the one where they visit Hal’s family and they treat Lois like shit, until she literally locked herself in her room to cry. The boys then banded together to enact revenge. Showing that while they are all annoyed and sometimes scared of her, they will still protect her at all costs. Even showed Lois learning a lesson by being nicer to Francis’ wife.

[@Coffeeisnecessarynowpepper]

I saw that episode!

[@jlshadday6401]

This is my favourite episode! It really shows how the family loves Lois along with the clown fight episode

[@Spectra651]

I scrolled down to post this exact comment, but it seems you beat me to it, ha ha. Yes to everything; this might just be my favorite episode of the series. The family was always at each other's throats, even in the episodes where they come off as a bit more unified, but this episode in particular had more of a 'Family vs the World' vibe which I really loved. I also loved how the boys didn't have to exchange a single word; all it took was hearing their mom crying and suddenly all three of them were on the exact same page, not showing a bit of hesitation when it came to raining down punishment.

[@chuckielover06]

The way Hal shouts at them in the car ride home is great too. He doesnt punish them, he just promises a punishment if they ever do the exact same thing again. He has to tell them what they did was wreckless and imature but poth parents are damn proud in that moment.

[@gskate117]

Yea that one was great. Felt the power of family.

[@thisisside01]

I love that moment when Lois is sad because she’s perceived as the bossy mean parent and Hal gets to be the fun parent, and she announces to the boys that they get to do something fun - eat ice cream out of the good China - and she’s obviously just brimming with happiness and excitement and Hal signals to the boys to respond positively so they just go from confused to sharing her joy and telling her what a great idea it is. It’s that sweet family love and it so nicely demonstrates that small gestures that don’t cost a lot can mean so much

[@lewiskazinsky7334]

Funnily enough, Bryan Cranston would repeat that story beat with Anna Gunn in Breaking Bad. Both Gunn and Kaczmarek got hate IRL for playing pragmatic realists who spoil the fun out of concern for their families. These are roles that just attract venom from the henpecked and mommy issue communities lol

[@jujuonthatqueef5043]

@@lewiskazinsky7334 great point I’ve never thought of before! I remember the hate Lois got growing up and you need go no further than any breaking bad KZbin clip with skylar to see these people still hate her guts a decade later

[@lewiskazinsky7334]

@@jujuonthatqueef5043 Reading those comments is like swimming in a stew of beta toxicity. They don’t really hate Skylar, they hate how much of their mom/wife they can see in her. Also, your name made me snort ❤️

[@nwodmf]

​@@lewiskazinsky7334 you do know people can hate a charcter without having issues right? like you complain about "beta toxicity" but its pretty toxic of yourself to just preach anyone who dislikes/hates the chartcter has some innate mental issue i mean now that i have typed this out the fact you even used the term beta toxicity means you probably have some issues yourself so this is a moot point.

[@martinhorvath4117]

@@nwodmf idk mate, you both seem like you have issues. I mean, I do too.

[@itcouldbelupus2842]

Francis' special skill is being a parent, he's such a good big brother to the boys when they really need him and when push comes to shove he embodies the best of both Lois and Hal's parenting styles.

[@recarras]

Francis skill was that he was a leader. Remember all the stuff that he did in the ranch and in the military school.

[@She-Devil94]

@@recarras Yes and what else is a good parent if not a good leader to their children?

[@razkable]

him and piama are adorable

[@floris.927]

Anybody thinks Francis is a lot like a younger Hal? ... I mean even Piama and Lois have similarities...

[@synysterpain]

@@floris.927 I always loved him and Hal's relationship. I noticed it more as I got older and rewatched the series.

[@00Clank]

One of my most vivid memories of the show is a cold open. Malcolm, Dewey and Reese are calmly enjoying Mortal Kombat together. They compliment each other’s moves, ask politely to share the snacks and take turns. Lois comes in and gives a typical parent remark about how videogames are violent mindrot, shutting it off and telling them to do something else. Within seconds they are tossing food at each other, shouting and fighting like usual. Never trust any person who thinks the takeaway is that the game made them violent.

[@EbonyPope]

It also depicts the typical gender role as a boy in a fun way critiquing certain quirks without labeling it as "toxic". What the narrator in this video for wrong is that this episode he mentioned isn't trying to deconstruct anything but showing the troubles you go through as a boy trying to talk to a girl you like. They are merely describing the situation not critiquing it. In so far I totally disagree with that argument made in the video.

[@ephin3242]

I remember that scene too, but only because Hal says “nobody can beat sub zero” which I’m guessing is because it’s one of the only names the writers knew, despite it not making sense

[@00Clank]

@@ephin3242 You mentioning this had me questioning my precise memory of the scene. I was mostly accurate, though Mortal Kombat is not mentioned by name here and Lois actually changes the channel to some kiddie animation version of They Might Be Giant's "Why Does The Sun Shine". So why this connection to Mortal Kombat that I had inserted and you recalled? In a different scene two episodes later Dewey is describing a battle and then friendship he made with a monster. Reese dismisses this as blatant lying. Hal tells him there's no need to argue what Dewey says occurred. Then Reese complains that no one believes him when he says he beat the last level of Mortal Kombat and Hal replies "Because that's just ridiculous. No one beats Sub-Zero." You are correct this line is a bit strange, as the final boss of Mortal Kombat is Shang Tsung, not Sub-Zero.

[@CordeliaWagner]

The video games make kids violent bs endet in the 90s.

[@kadegetslaid634]

​@CordeliaWagner no it didn't, it's still going to this day

[@turkoizdog]

Another thing to point out is how despite all the chaos, Lois and Hal continue to have a happy, even passionate marriage. At the time it was so rare to see couples that didn't have severe marital problems, and though Lois and Hal have had disagreements on the show, it never felt like a threat to the relationship.

[@bandjolyn]

Hal and Lois are marriage goals.

[@seamusburke639]

In fact one episode has them in conflict BECAUSE they haven't had a chance to bang in a while.

[@highdefinition450]

yea its like the only thing i like about lois lmao she loves her husband and he loves her

[@scorto8751]

Its so great to see that Bryan Cranston still holds this show in such high regard

[@razkable]

i know the show is about the kids but the parents bond and the acting blew me away every time...they are the real life marge and homer for sitcoms imo..just the ideal couple

[@lapislazarus8899]

I love Hal, the little screams and the physicality of Cranston's performance 👍🏼

[@arthurdurham]

@@razkable I'd say they're better than Homer and Marge. Marge holds her tongue all the time and just let's Homer get away with so much shit. Hal and Lois legitmately communicate and hold each other responsible

[@Cletus-Hellfire]

If you see Breaking Bad, he embodies Hal at the beginning and then develops throughout into a more confident person and then ultimately someone who justifies killing those who do not deserve it. There is more to Walter but that is where he ends up unfortunately. Hence the name of the last episode 'Ozymandias'.

[@francolive5718]

It did sort of propel him into a position to take up a role in breaking bad. Malcolm in the Middle really got his career going.

[@secondengineer9814]

"The future is now, old man."

[@thesimpsonscouch]

In Spanish is El futuro es hoy, ¿oíste viejo?

[@joshuagraham2843]

the original meme from stewie

[@horticulturalist7818]

Francis is actually a perfect representation of what its like to be a the oldest child of a struggling family. Lack or resources and experience can cause major contention and limits on growth. As the parents gain experience they become more adept at cultivating potential with limited means

[@kait112]

Underrated comment

[@AlexKatzenstein]

As somebody who grew up as the oldest child in a similar family, I can 100% relate to Francis and agree with you!

[@TheLily97232]

to be honest I believe Francis literally ruined the family. He was that hard to educate lol

[@animelvr99]

​@@TheLily97232it's like you didn't read the comment and see the outside struggles of being the oldest kid in a struggling house hold

[@theoverthinkingalien224]

​@@AlexKatzenstein Completely agree. As the older of 2 brothers I used to call myself the 'test run kid' because that's often how I felt. Sadly, having 2 girls of my own now, I hate to say that I make similar mistakes with my older daughter. I'm human, but I try.

[@smartmouth4444]

I kind of disagree that Francis didn't have special gift. He wasted it, but he is a born leader. He's good at leading a mission, but not for running things in the aftermath.

[@lexiatel]

My thoughts exactly. He helped that ranch a lot... Without any experience...

[@jackleg6143]

Yeah for as much shit they have them Francis always managed to persuade the other boys at the academy go get it on his antics

[@ihavenoideawhatgoeso]

Something I really like about this show is that the parents actually truly love each other and continue to be in love. Weird to see Bryan Cranston play the part of an actual loving husband lol

[@marie-nm9jo]

No it’s weird to see Bryan Cranston NOT playing a loving husband in breaking bad

[@razkable]

yeah..like how marge and homer actively have sex all the time...regardless of the tension sex is the key factor that keeps couples together...is the female attracted sexually to this man child?....cause if so good if not then thats not good...if your not having sex and thus not attractive to each other anymore and dealing with issues then the stress will cause you to break up...for good..hal and lois never worried about their marriage falling apart cause they always could rely on sex..aka being in love so us fans never felt like they would get divorced despite all the drama they dealt with or how much they opposed each other..always an important message to send...

[@DestroyerOfAglets]

@@razkable what the hell?

[@maren8597]

Yeah it’s refreshing to see that’s it not the classic trope of a husband and wife staying together for the kids who basically hate each other

[@anonony9081]

I think Bryan Cranston was a loving husband in both shows however in breaking bad it was a story about how a loving husband could be turned into a monster by that very love.

[@MarillSweatshirt]

So we're not gonna talk about how Jane Kazcmarek never won an Emmy for her role........?

[@thenerddirector]

I don't even know how that's possible..

[@MarillSweatshirt]

@@thenerddirector same way it took till 2012 for Gary Oldamn to win an Oscar......

[@nettack]

José did. She even holds a record for most nominations without winning. So your statement is incorrect.

[@cheese4434]

That’s a robbery. Honestly she was soo good in that role and that episode when she was talking to Reese about how they are the same and she got emotional just made my jaw drop

[@MarillSweatshirt]

@@nettack it was meant to be a joke.....🤷🏿‍♂️

[@raulruizdevelasco6215]

“I think it’d be cool if they took the one dollar bill and changed it to a million dollar bill. That way no one would be poor and we’d all be millionaires.” That line cracks me up every time. I love how Malcolm rolls his eyes as soon as Reese tells him to say that.

[@sega-megadeth1276]

It's even funnier if you're knowledgeable in politics and socioeconomics.

[@orangeinkius7257]

In that one episode where reese was taking advantage of hal's sleep walking and hal reveals that reese is "his guy" and he loves him just for being normal like himself really caught me off guard with how heartwarming it was

[@komi-creative]

Yeah and how Malcolm scares him!

[@Puerco-Potter]

@@komi-creative the smart one scares me

[@estebanrosas5103]

I think Francis' genius was meant to be his leadership skills. It's often his charisma and persuasiveness that rope other characters into trouble. But just like the rest of the characters he's stunted by the systems of authority that forces him to conform.

[@anonony9081]

Yeah he's constantly leading people into a schemes and getting them to go along with him. He's a charismatic leader who can get people to follow him

[@SirBlackReeds]

It wasn't the systems of authority that stunted him. He was a delinquent by choice.

[@notavailable4596]

​@@SirBlackReeds If anything, they made him a man. He might not have conformed in military school but he did grow up and learn to be less selfish and fight battles when they actually mattered. Hed have ended up in jail if they didn't take drastic action to straighten him out.

[@foxyfox9196]

@@SirBlackReeds he was "delinquent" because his mother is highly abusive and refuses to get any real parenting skills, let alone empathy. Shit parents always abuse and ruin their kids then look at the results and use that to justify more abuse, trauma "drastic actions" and escalations pointless power plays. Hence authoritarian, cruel, punitive, etc structures and parenting results in pipelines to prison, military, and if you're lucky,low paid interchangeable grunt work for megacorps. It's time those parents get called out and these behavioral cycles are recognized for the signs of a toxic home life that they really are. And it's time we recognize how important anarcha feminism and anarchistic childrearing really is. Let alone the whole option of unschooling being particularly great for neurodivergent individuals that often struggle noticeably in standardized education settings (including sped) and are prone to experiencing escalating abuse as the hurt, betrayal, confusion etc only fuels more anger, resentment, and even things like severe depression, eating disorders, anxiety and phobias, etc. Which tends to result in more unhealthy behaviors that abusive individuals like to treat as character flaws to further try to abuse and suppress out. I'm too Autisitc and too much an "oldest daughter" and too much a truth teller scapegoat to not point out how severely abusive and traumatic all of these "parenting choices" are, and how they CAUSE the very same behavior they use as an Excuse to justify it.

[@sorrydetka7285]

he is also the kindest of the boys, exemplifying the best traits of lois and hal

[@---ut6fk]

I cried when Reese was reenacting his day and told himself he hated himself.

[@pleaseshutup7053]

That was rough

[@j-skullz]

As someone who also struggled with school growing up that hit different

[@spimbles]

@@j-skullz it wasnt really a school issue specifically, it was more so his level of self awareness that goes just far enough for him to see his major flaws, and that messes with a kid like him who has trouble being social cuz of his instinct to be a jerk. its really tragic when you think about it

[@BMoney8600]

Lately I have been telling myself that for a couple years lately. How do I stop the negative self talk?

[@Feverm00n]

@@BMoney8600 good therapy, if you can get it, is a great place to start.

[@secondengineer9814]

My favorite scene in the movie is when the boys learn Lois is pregnant and they start complaining. Then one of them says they don't want a brother. Another says "how do you know it will be a brother?". Then after a moment of thinking, the kids get really into having a new sibling and they want to help out. It shows them going from thinking about how the new kid would affect themselves, to thinking about the new sibling as a person and what they will want. It was adorable.

[@sptony2718]

I loved the scene where Jaime brought Dewey a soda and Reese saw that; "How did you make him bring you a soda? I keep yelling at him, but he doesn't do anything." - "Oh I do nothing. I just treat him like I would treat my little brother; with love and respect."

[@eduazy]

Movie?

[@eyeamstrongest]

@@sptony2718 my mom is mad i can get my sister to do things like clean her area and throw out the trash and its exactly how reese acted

[@S0M3THING]

@@eyeamstrongest are you the one acting like reese, or is that your mom?

[@eyeamstrongest]

@@S0M3THING my mom doesnt understand the concept of treating people like people

[@dontuserachelslurs]

my headcanon is that francis is wearing someone else's uniform due to some hijinks that weren't shown so we actually never saw their real last name.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

my headcanon is this is the same continuity as Breaking Bad

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

and that Dewey grows up to be Frank Ermentraut

[@Rejoice.]

@@RoamingAdhocrat You mean Mike Ehrmantraut

[@TheRoyalKnightPain19]

Francis emancipated himself, so that could explain why he doesn't have a last name.

[@MrWillsonx]

exactly what i was thinking

[@Salari]

I always loved that bit in the final episode with Lois saying Malcolm has to become president. It showed that she (and obviously the writers) were aware that people like them and Malcolm shouldn't just try to make life better for themselves when they have the opportunity, but everyone else, too. She saw that Malcolm is capable of greatness, and how people like him can easily be corrupted by money and greed, but she didn't want him to forget that he needs to use that greatness to benefit everyone. I love this show, really glad to see you do a retrospective on it, great job.

[@slashb7836]

I mean, there's that, but doesn't it fall into the same kind of trap with Dewey and the special needs kids? A thrust of reaponsibility he never asked for because they decided they need it from him? It's just more manipulation.

[@crytkryssus9851]

I guess it could be considered that, but I think it's more a mother's faith in what her child can accomplish. I would fully agree it's manipulation if she just kept him in the dark forever, or if he openly said, "I can't do that!" and she still was like, "You don't get to choose anyways,". But saying, "You look me in the eye and tell me you can't." was her being vulnerable in a way and basically telling her son, how much faith she has in him and how proud she is of him. This is probably the most memorable part of the show for me and the last time I saw it was when the finale aired on Fox. Been meaning to re-watch it though. You watch shows growing up and enjoy them in the moment, but don't realize until a while later what really makes them special.

[@ngotemna8875]

@@crytkryssus9851 "You watch shows growing up and enjoy them in the moment, but don't realize until a while later what really makes them special" For whatever reason that really touched me. And i agree, some things are just more than nostalgia. For an ex-girlfriend of mine Rosanne was this kinda show and i never understood why until over a decade later I stumble upon a retrospective about this show from a youtuber called José (I know, what a plot-twist) and suddenly it all made sense: Why she identified so much with the characters and why this show resonated so much with her. The way I feel towards Malcolm in the Middle is how she feels about Rosanne, but I never would have known if it wasn't for José and his excellent analysis of both of them.

[@darkwood_8224]

@@slashb7836 I think the difference was that Malcolm, in the scenario where he became President, could change the system. The problem with Dewey taking care of that class was that he was still under the system and had no way to change it. If you can change the system for the better, and others around you can’t, Id say it’s your responsibility to do so. Edit: and while that IS manipulation, because the system should already be working for everyone, that’s unfortunately not the case in real life

[@captainmarvelous7678]

It was a great scene. It made me dislike Lois a bit for doing it though. Very bad thing to do to your child to decide their future for them and close a door without consulting them because it's not the one you want for them.

[@justthetruth3950]

This show is still MASSIVE here in Mexico, it's literally part of everyone's childhood in here. There are still reruns of the show on Canal5, a popular channel from open tv. It's still shocking to me the fact that it wasn't as popular in the US as it was here (I say this because I've seen people saying it's underrated while here it really means a lot to a lot of us, even meme mexican culture has a lot of references from the show). This show will always have a very special place in my heart, and the hearts of everyone I know lol.

[@juanxicali6957]

Maybe it's because Mexican families are more matriarchal and thus we tend to feel more identified with the characters, as well as the socioeconomic class being more similar to the average mexican family

[@eurekamreum5458]

Yo también soy mexicana y en mi familia amamos la serie justo porque mi abuelita era igual que Lois, y sus hijos fueron un desastre como Malcolm y sus hermanos jaja creo que a muchos en el país nos tocó vivir anédotas similares. Saludos desde CDMX!

[@oof.cheerios294]

My Mexican family watches this show RELIGIOUSLY its one of my favorite TV shows of all time.

[@DaShoopdahoop]

Iirc, the ratings in that channel plummet everytime they take off Mitm. I guess thats why I've been watching it for about 5 now lmao

[@rickymoen9482]

Thats really cool to know

[@landonbecker1745]

You mentioned Reese is a tough character to like, but I beg to differ. He was my favorite character! It's so hard to play dumb and not come off corny, he did it soooo well and had some great endearing moments, I think he just brought such a crucial part to the entire dynamic of the family and he was soooooo funny!

[@GLBizzie]

I even loved his character development over the years and him getting a job and one he actually loves was so satisfying

[@sugarcookie4315]

I absolutely agree, Reese was one of my favorite characters. I would also argue that he had one of the happiest endings, it’s not glamorous, but he was happy and enjoying life.

[@PeninsulaPaintings]

I think this is a testament to Justin Berfield if anything. This character does teter on annoying and unlikeable, but Justin makes it work...somehow. He has great comedic timing, expressions and delivery. Not to mention there were times when he was genuinely clever, my favourite being when he and Dewey smash a baseball through a window, to cover it up; Reese replaces the ball with a rock that has a note attached saying "Get out of our neighborhood. We hate your guts!" Hal and Lois immediately blame the Hacketts down the street!

[@notavailable4596]

​@@PeninsulaPaintings God I love that moment 😂

[@notavailable4596]

Yeah Reese is a complex character. His toughness is what makes him memorable in his younger years but then he runs out of battles to fight and becomes just another outcast to an extent. We see his earliest character development when he tries to be different to get a cheerleader to like him to the point he joins the cheer squad. He also sticks up for Dewey and becomes closer with him than with Malcolm. Reese never really got to be an actual kid. He got both the worst of Francis' torment and the absolute worst of Lois. I can actually relate to him a lot, except I'm not as willfully stupid as he is. He's also been taught by Lois to be very sociopathic. But he also proves to be the rock of the family more than once. He's very protective of Jamie and is always there to follow Francis and take orders when his family really needs him. It's not surprising how he is to Malcolm and Dewey when you consider how Francis was to him and the way he idolizes Francis. In a better family, he'd have been a completely different person. He might've even done well in school and excelled at sports.

[@JoshuaJayMusic]

Even though I love breaking bad it pisses me off that everybody thinks that's the best thing Brian Cranston did when they haven't seen him in malcolm. This is his best role ever

[@razkable]

he is so good in that bowling episode

[@ashleyshim2078]

Thank U!!

[@fatdaddy1996]

This is true Bryan Cranston is superb in this show.

[@TSFboi]

i saw people were shocked to see he's a good actor because of BB. how can you not notice how good he is in Malcolm

[@kylespevak6781]

Hal was good, Walter was great

[@mirithilrose54]

Lois was a force to be reckoned with, and everyone liked her. That's what I really loved about this show. Because strong female characters in comedy used to be rare.

[@Clay3613]

I hated her character, still kind of do.

[@briannawaldorf8485]

Clay3613 shes inspiring to adult women and dislikes by children for her strictness. Which is why she’s relatable to most people

[@trueblade3636]

Lois wasn't a good parent though

[@maxnovakovics2568]

This era had plenty of strong females i never understood the problem

[@sagichdirdochnicht4653]

"and everyone liked her". Uhm no, not really. Her family yesn't. She clearly rules with an iron fist and anyone is scared of her, including hal, who actually really loves her. Her kids are more or less in a love-hate relationship with her. Deep inside, they love her, and in some rare occations on the show, it is also revealed. Most of the times they are scared of her and try her best, that she doesn't find out. Except for Francis of course. Until the end he blames her for pretty much anything that ever happened to him, no matter what. Anything outside the family pretty much hates her (and the rest of the family) except for craig. And viewers? Hard to say, but "everyone" is pretty damn far stretched. As a Kid I absolutely hated her. She was the absolute worst and most evil villan in any show. Well since I've been grown up, I can see more trough her motives and why she does certain things. And since absolutely nothing helps on her horde of wild animals, I can also to some extend understand her constant anger and screaming. But in the end, I still absolutely dislike her. She's the kind of Person I'd stay as far away in real life as I ever could. And she really does a lot of things absolutely wrong. And honestly yes, I can see how Francis blames all of his problems on her. It is clearly NOT all her fault, but she propably played a role in it. I propably would have got PTSD after growing up with her.

[@ahmede3608]

You forgot to mention that Malcom In the Middle had an awesome soundtrack ... just a Who's Who of late 90's early 2000's Pop-Punk bands

[@budusbusham3324]

Trip Hop Wizard Tricky!

[@beatrizgaspar6697]

Lost my head when sum 41 played over Reese in a car chase with the police

[@ahmede3608]

Or when they played Sum 41 when they beat up the clowns

[@tommyvandame9575]

@@ahmede3608 and the drivers test music I think that was sum41 too

[@helenamirian908]

Awful era for music 🤣

[@PS-dm1dq]

"What all jobs pay... less than you're worth, and just enough to keep you crawling back for more." Damn, thats so true it hurts.

[@nicolemyers4506]

One of my favorite episodes is when Lois and Malcolm are both sick and have to stay in the parent's bedroom. They decorate the room and bond in such a funny but good way. Loved it!

[@cojinmango]

Very positive message as well is when Malcom decides to not take advantage of the drunk girl and then Francis reinforces how that was the right thing to do

[@emmahollow8898]

Idk if I found a drunk boy that was cute. I really can’t promise that I would have done the right thing. 😂

[@carybeweary7209]

They both were drunk though so I don't see why that was the right thing Other then the obvious fact he shouldn't have been having sex anyway Kinda weird how drunk Malcolm makes better choices then when he turned his brain off especially since being drunk usually feels like your brain is asleep lol

[@cojinmango]

@@carybeweary7209 these days sex and being drunk don't go well together unless they were a couple who consented on getting drunk together. Don't get me wrong, I understand your point, but there are laws in some countries were a man can get in jail even if they both were ok with doing it when they were drunk, but if she takes the opposite stand he can go to jail regardless . It's like that South Park episode.

[@cagataytufan9646]

@@carybeweary7209 as far as I can remember the girl was way more drunk than malcolm to the point that she almost passed out I think that might be the reason why it was the right thing.

[@thepeopleslast2579]

@@emmahollow8898 this is mad weird to fucking say, and r*pey wtf

[@bestatnba2k]

I’m a big fan of Malcolm in the middle, it’s sad that it’s so underrated. It’s way better than friends or any other sitcom from the era

[@Xondar11223344]

Pretty much everything is way better than friends.

[@eternalreturnal]

@@Xondar11223344 what? friends is great!

[@MrLuismancei]

Maybe it wasn't big in the US, but in Latin America, this show has a big following fan base, in Mexico it became one of the staple TV show, at a point that people rage in social media when they remove it for a week. And part of it success here is because is relatable to a lot of families with working class parents here. (And the reason Friends and others failed tremendously)

[@Florian-yn3ur]

what r u talking about i alway heard everyone talking about malcolm i d even say is overrated if it wast so good

[@jeremysiron9622]

Yeah I like the style a lot better than the laugh track sitcom styles made popular by shows like cheers....Although I think Seinfeld transcend it all that but yeah this is a totally different style of sitcom than friends it’s almost hard to compare the two

[@PkmnRayhak]

In Latin America, Malcolm is extremelly popular! aired still to this day on TV. Extremelly quotable and relatable, while this represents the struggles of the system against a poor US family, it resonates a lot with MOST of the Latin American families. Also mothers like Lois and fathers like Hal are much, much , much more common here. I just love this show man.

[@zshivkonezshivkov380]

Interesting. It is similar here in Bulgaria. Almost everyone knows about it and relates to it. I guess it is because of the way the second world is.

[@SirBlackReeds]

Bear in mind that Lous and Hal are lower middle-class because they poorly manage their finances.

[@davibookman4536]

A las 5 por el 5 😎😎😏👌🏻🔥😩🅱️

[@Zwegtube]

Same in Germany

[@Aster_Risk]

@@SirBlackReeds Yeah, being poor is your own fault!

[@Vi_Vi_1]

I'm glad you addressed the messaging that Dewey being responsible for his class is not healthy. That episode always bums me out because Dewey is just a kid but he's shouldering this huge responsibility that shouldn't be his, but has become his because the system and every other adult along the way has failed him and all the kids in that class.

[@a64719]

one small detail i appreciate about malcolm in the middle is how in a few episodes, the topic of being gay was used to contribute to the humor of the show, but it was never done in such a way where just "someone being gay" was the butt of the joke. army buddy & pearl harbor both focus more on the humor of misreading a situation, and the latter is also a kind of nice example of how malcolm’s family really do care about each other- with malcolm and reese both genuinely trying their best to make sure the other doesn’t feel alienated by their assumed sexuality.

[@MTL12561]

I still love that this show was so massively popular in Mexico too, lol. The family was just so relatable that almost anyone could see themselves in them, regardless of what country they're from.

[@matzmilan7780]

Yep, here in Mexico was a very popular.

[@Siphonay]

It was popular in France too and it also did feel relatable to people here, at least that’s my impression!

[@alejandrocervantes3624]

Its all about that Matriarchy, i belive one of the reazons its stuck around in México for all this years in public sindication, is that mexican families see themselves in Malcom's family cause lots of mexican mothers are a refleccion of Lois.

[@cojinmango]

The latin dub is amazing as well!

[@greer545]

Im from New Zealand. I also grew up in a household of only women. Me my sister and my Mum. And yet our favorite show was Malcolm in the middle.

[@algi1]

I really liked when Lois was accosting teenagers kissing in the park telling them about "safety". The kids thought she's talking about using contraception, but she meant a broken heart.

[@jmeister3000]

"Bryan Cranston's career really took off when he played Walter White on Breaking Bad, a role completely unlike Hal." Me: *thinking about Walter freaking out and throwing a pizza on the roof* Me: Maybe not *completely*.

[@willemkruit6510]

But Walter ending up in his white underwear in the desert in the first episode has to be an ode to Hal.

[@Lazrael32]

@@willemkruit6510 I would say the ode to hal has to be the secret ending of breaking bad he filmed where it was all a nightmare Hal had.

[@dangnabbit2]

@@willemkruit6510 , I watched a few of the early episodes of Season 1 of Malcolm this week and there's an early episode where the family has to have their house fumigated. Hal and his wife go into the house wearing gas masks, bot in their underwear, in order to have relations. The family was living in a trailer while the house was being treated. I almost thought I was going to hear "Crystal Blue Persuasions", as they made their way into the house.

[@alejandroaguilar4693]

The moment when Walter White discovers Skyler took all his money is pure Hal.

[@razkable]

i will always remember cranston as hal...first...iconic father figure of the 2000's decade in a sitcom..no one comes close....he is what homer was for the 90's....

[@bransonallen2925]

I feel like Francis really got the short end of the stick as a character by the end of the series. He had some amazing growth throughout the series that then just gets kinda dashed. He has three distinct arcs where he shows a lot of growth and and then the last one where it feels like they shafted him for no other reason than to have him become a working class stiff. I hate shows that torture their characters for no other reason than to do so. Malcolm is generally really good about this as usually when something bad happens to the characters they either have some sort of justice in the end or they've done something to deserve it. In military school, Francis was constantly getting into mischief and creating trouble. He has a severe victim complex and it paints him as a whiny brat. However, that victim complex also urges him to fight towards unfairness or injustice towards those around him. In the episode with the hazing seniors, he sticks his neck out for a fellow classmate and tells them to knock it off as Marlin Academy is miserable enough as it is. In the episode where Hal visits him, he thinks Francis has done nothing worthwhile except cause trouble, until he finds out a lot of this "trouble" is actually Francis fighting for his fellow students. He has a lot of commupence in this arc due to his schemes, but it also paints him as someone who looks out for those around him. When Francis goes to Alaska to find work, it is his first wake up that the real world absolutely sucks. He has a shit job and makes absolutely no money while working himself to the bone. It's even here that he still tries to do his best to uplift and fight for his fellow workers, even though it doesn't work out well. He still occasionally has a few moments of mischief, but his job has him so beaten down that he rarely has the energy unless it is fighting against said job. Once Francis leaves and meets Otto, everything around him changes. He meets a wonderful person who is willing to give him a shot for no reason other than being nice. He's suddenly the boss at a job he has no experience in. It really speaks of his character though when the other employee talks about how stupid his new employer is and that they should take advantage of that, Francis fires him with his newfound power. This arc is peak Francis, as it really shows him growing into adulthood and making something of himself. He adapts and learns quickly to the job on the ranch to the point where he is actually an important figure. He also seems HAPPY. He stills makes mistakes at times but by now most of his schemes and mischief has dissipated. Even when he messes up and accidentally kills Otto's favorite cow he lies about the incident out of complete guilt. "Otto. You're the best boss I've ever had, and somehow the only one I've ever lied to." He's compassionate, and while he still struggles with taking responsibility, his victim complex has mostly dried up by now. This is where he should have stayed as a character. Unfortunately, they literally had him fired off screen in the next season. At this point he was appearing less and less so I wonder why they couldn't just leave his character at a place of happiness and consistent growth. Growth that he earned and worked towards. Instead his final appearances before the finale have him unemployed and living in a shitty apartment. Eventually he lands a normal white collar job like Hal, but I really feel like they should have left his character arc at Otto's Grotto. Anyways yeah I've been sick for a week and have had nothing to do but think about sitcom writing.

[@BL33NB]

Yeah and maybe have him and his Kids take it over at some point... it wouldve been so nice, but noo... some random BS gets him fired... its one of the very few things i hated so much..

[@SpoonyBard88]

It's terrible writing. They should have just cut the character from the show entirely instead of destroy his character growth.

[@zmainzak]

I was also confused by the sudden change in direction for his character during the final two seasons. There was really no point in changing his occupation if he barely appeared. The boys even respected his growth to an extent when they used to visit him on the ranch. That episode in season 7 were Dewey visits Francis really hurt to watch because it was like I watched a character that had some amazing developments regress.

[@BL33NB]

@@zmainzak Yes it was so undeserved.... if it were at least "yeah otto messed up taxes and got closed down/jailed/whatever"... but noo, it hat do be his own fault...

[@bransonallen2925]

@@BL33NB Francis could have been a great allegory for people that stumble a lot until they find their footing as a young adult. I mean they still kind of did that, but yeah they definitely didn't have to make it his fault that Otto got shut down. I understand Otto's actor was having some health issues and needed to leave the show, but that's all the more reason to just leave it on a positive note.

[@CherryBladeBun]

One of the best quotes came from an exchange between Malcolm and Craig. "At what age do you just accept that your life is a piece of rotten garbage and always will be?" "22."

[@outside8312]

I wish they had left Francis happy at the ranch and gave him kids so we could see him learn to be a parent himself

[@lyricsbyforelsket]

I think if the actor that played Otto didn't get sick, the storyline of the ranch will probably continue.

[@SirBlackReeds]

That would also explain Francis's diminished presence.

[@derkaderkamohamadallaackbarnut]

@@lyricsbyforelsket Yes, Otto (Kenneth Mars) was unable to return to the show and that altered Francis's sory line. He was sick with pancreatic cancer.

[@thatclaudiakid]

That would of been awesome to see Piama become pregnant and see how Francis comes to terms with becoming a parent.

[@CordeliaWagner]

So his children suffer from poverty too? He was in his 20s, that's too young to breed.

[@gp8189]

I think about the powerwalking episode at least once a day

[@completetechheads]

The tape sees all and i see the tape!

[@AxellchavezZ]

Best comment I’ve ever seen 👌👌

[@DaShoopdahoop]

Do you see thar Dewey? It's *air*

[@rickymoen9482]

Hahahaha

[@clarissamendoza8322]

Wow. Foe me it's that episode where Hal skated around the backyard.

[@blujaebird]

Lois' speech towards the end hits hard as someone in college who came from poverty. I'm expected to do similar things but not to that extent. Just working in some sort of social work or education to help underprivileged children.

[@matzmilan7780]

Yep, same

[@JJSMJ]

Interesting how Lois told Malcom to do it the hard way and reject the money....I guess Hal took that advice

[@SirBlackReeds]

Did you listen to that whole thing? She reached a new level of control freak.

[@dmetriusmarch]

Ur crazy if u think not taking the money “hits home” . He could go to college at any time but never get that opportunity again

[@maximos905]

College is a big scam

[@EzraDair]

One of my favorite episodes when Lois tries to convince everyone that she wasn’t in the wrong in the car accident and everyone thought she was delusional even us lol

[@KrisRN23935]

Personally, growing up in the 2000s I love surrealism in media. So whenever the show took a turn for the weird I would love it. Actually that’s the case for most shows. Probably why I also love My Name Is Earl.

[@annesaffer629]

I LOVED My Name is Earl!

[@thedp17]

One thing I noticed is that this show totally hates cops.

[@William-Morey-Baker]

One of it's many better qualities

Isn’t that a normal thing?

[@someguy3167]

@ Most shows before 2010ish over glorified cops

[@jimmyc42x]

​@ Generally speaking, no. On other sitcoms that aired at that time like "Everybody Loves Raymond" or "Friends" the cops would generally be helpful or at worst apathetic working stiffs. A cop doing something cruel like pulling over a cashier because she didn't let him get stuff for free is rare even by today's standards.

@@jimmyc42x rare in fiction, common in the outside world.

[@CheerfullySoberMedia]

There's a moment in the episode where Malcolm works with Lois at the grocery store that hit me hard as a teenager. When Malcolm asks her why he shouldnt just tell on her for smoking, she says "because thats not who you are". It shows that for some people, even if they acknowledge the situation as unfair, it isnt in their nature to throw under the bus and thats just the way society holds itself together. It really resonated with me as sometimes when life treats you unfairly it's easy to think "why dont I just act like everyone else" but you know your moral compass would never let you.

[@jdprettynails]

I once got into an extremely heated argument with my mum because she treats me differently to my sisters. I'm the eldest and when I was 15 my youngest brother was born (funnily enough the year Malcolm in the Middle was released). My mum relied on me a TON to take care of my younger siblings, particularly my brother. My younger sisters were extremely spoiled and never had any of the responsibility I had. Anytime my mum would try to make them do their fair share, they'd throw a tantrum and I would be forced to pick up the slack. Every. Damn. Time. The last straw was on my 20th birthday. My boyfriend took me to the cinema and we were on our way to a restaurant afterwards. I switched my phone back on once we were out of the cinema and I received a very angry phonecall from my mum saying how DARE I switch my phone off when she needed me. I explained that it was my birthday and my phone was off because...cinema. She said she didn't care, I needed to get home ASAP because no one is there to look after my 5 year old brother because once again, my sisters bailed and I had to save the day. I yelled at her that this was unfair, I asked that if I behaved like my sisters would I be allowed to do whatever I wanted like them?? She said, "Yes. But you won't." And she was right.

[@dtxspeaks268]

@@jdprettynails yet that still doesnt justify how mom treated you

[@jdprettynails]

@@dtxspeaks268 oh you're absolutely right. This is why I desperately need therapy. There's other shit I've repressed too.

[@katec708]

Yeah there’s some people that inherently act more selfishly, not caring about others and only doing whats in there best interest. There are so many times I’m like god damn I wish I didn’t care so much and could just be one of those people, but I can’t.

[@omgitsarjun]

That’s a really great take away from that moment Shane! I like this perspective a lot

[@diedfamous]

Reese’s cooking arc was my favorite of the series. Thanks for this retrospective José!

[@truedarkness4052]

That first cooking episode was crazy. It was also funny how the malcolm and Francis story converged when Francis and Eric were at Cynthia's party due to Francis' procrastination 😂

[@soandso3676]

It really laid the foundation for all of them having potential, and brilliance in their own ways.

[@Version0111]

I always felt like it was implied that they are all geniuses. Malcolm is just the only one who's genius was nurtured and allowed to grow.

[@FandralStar]

An interesting thing I noticed in my most recent time re-watching this amazing show that I'm honestly upset with myself I never caught before, is in the last episode or maybe the second-to-last episode when they boys deal with this "nuclear option" which was the evidence of the worst thing that they had ever done- trick Lois into thinking she had cancer. In this episode there is a flash-back to when the boys were very young, and it looked to be about the age they were in S1. Anyway, the flashback is Lois and Hal crying over an x-ray which showed cancer (x-rays we now know were faked) and the boys using their grieving state to blindly sign their report cards. Anyway, the easter egg is that in the actual pilot when they're eating dinner, Lois says "We have to talk about something" and Hal has a (at the time) throw-away line that is, "I thought we were going to wait until after the biopsy came back". I found this amazing because there is no way anyone would catch it unless they watch the pilot again after the finale of the show (like I dew) and it's really just the funniest thing ever that they connected a joke over the 7 years and made a callback to something that I'm sure was not going to be anything more then a throw-away joke at the time.

[@JoseBird]

That's a really good catch!

[@eduardo_corrochio]

Well, honestly I'm wowed at your powers of observation. That is impressive. The number of viewers who noticed that detail has to be in single digits! It never clicked with me.

[@alexisschiffer4830]

I never realized how tragic and lonely Reese was until you showed the clips in this video. He also never had a recurring friend character to my knowledge as well, aside from maybe that lesbian army friend but that was only for an episode. Perhaps I didn’t think much about it because I only saw him as merely being a bully, not that bright and a good cook.

[@simplyjuannie5128]

His wife cheated on him too. He was so oblivious, it's sad.

[@joaquinescotoaleman4320]

Malcolm in the end was his best friend. That was amazing!

[@anonony9081]

On the other hand he seems happy most of the time. Certainly happier than Malcolm. I think he's an example of ignorance is bliss

[@chrisryan91]

There’s a scene where malcom says this to dig at reese and he’s shook

[@dmetriusmarch]

@@anonony9081 he only seems happy in front of the family, when hes alone we see what he does

[@Whosaskin]

I'd love to see a take like this on Everybody Hates Chris

[@MasoTrumoi]

Would be lovely! I haven't seen it in a long time but I loved it when I was younger.

[@Whosaskin]

@@MasoTrumoi it's honestly one of my favorite sitcoms and I think it deserves more appreciation.

[@spicytotino445]

I'd love to see him do it. It's one of my favorite sitcoms.

[@jupiterjav9809]

same herreee

[@Black_pearl_adrift]

MAN that show was my jam back in the day. Absolutely loved it

[@ManOfUnknownWorth]

The fact that this show was written by a man whose surname is "Boomer" is pretty funny.

[@buddha3209]

Boomer is a dated phase that's already dead and was only a fad slang word. So would have only been funny for like a couple months.

[@themoviedealers]

@@buddha3209 Sorry we're all not updated on the latest hip lingo like you are, buddy.

[@buddha3209]

@@themoviedealers think the joke went over your head there

[@juliannehannes11]

And from Little House on The Prairie!

[@sonikku956]

He's literally a boomer

[@ZeranZeran]

33:04 "Hal's friend were there to help scare away a Lois' racist mom" I love the show, and I love that episode, but seeing it condensed like that for a infographic cracked me up again. This is so well made!

[@89cspell]

Why does no one talk about the look on Lois’s face while Malcolm gives his speech. She looks JUST like his mother who went through 18 years of shit to get to this moment. The smile, the tears, the pride you can feel from Jane’s face, it’s some of the best acting I’ve ever seen. She deserves so much more credit then she gets. Yes, Bryan Cranston is AMAZING but the show wouldn’t of succeeded without those two playing off each other. I just rewatched this show a couple weeks ago and I just love it.

[@kap1618]

One the I appreciate about Malcom in the middle upon rewatching is the character of Malcom. Frankly I like that he's an insufferable, smartass whose just as bad as the rest of his family despite his intelligence. I like that he isn't a Lisa Simpson (or rather what she became after years of flanderization) type of character.

[@razkable]

in season 7 he low key became really cynical and it bothered me

[@georgeliquor1236]

Nah, Malcolm became more unlikable as the series goes on. Especially in late seasons. He's just an asshole with an ego in late seasons, compared to the snarky yet charming nice kid from season 1 - 3.

[@oliviafagin293]

I like that they made Malcom arrogant and cynical in the later seasons because it's realistic given his circumstances. If you grew up as an unpopular nerd with a poor family that had huge expectations of you wouldn't your teen years have also become an obnoxious mix of self-righteousness and deeply rooted insecurity? I think this also paved the way for other characters like Dewey, Francis, and even Reese to step up and be the "good guy" of the episode.

[@juliannehannes11]

He's straight up Michael Bluth

[@miguelpadeiro762]

​@@georgeliquor1236That's honestly 100% realistic. A smartass kid goes through what Malcom went through and after puberty becomes a cynical ass.

[@NekoNyoko]

When I saw that Jose was making sitcom retrospectives I knew I needed this

[@TapDat52K]

It was a long time coming

[@judithkim4050]

Same and im so happy he finally did it

[@sinnsage]

these are my faves

[@user-zh4vo1kw1z]

It felt so natural he would do this I honestly thought I remembered watching him do this show before...

[@robinisomaa]

There's something refreshingly unamerican about the ending. Malcolm isn't rewarded with a scholarship, but is told he will have to work throughout his college years. He isn't given a choice; he simply comes to realize that his life and gifts are not his own. Sure, putting all of the eggs in the Malcolm basket is in a sense an example of American individualism, but that individualism is subverted through Malcolm's lack of say and agency regarding his future. Even a remarkable individual can't be trusted to find their own way to a position where they can, and actually want to, help the poor.

[@thelastjerkbender2505]

See here's the thing. As a non-American a part of this ending just feels uncomfortable to me. See in the culture where I come from a lot of parents will force their children through very specific paths in life, at the detriment of their own free will and often times their mental health. Now of course these parents are usually at least affluent and they use a lot of resources to achieve this but even less than affluent parents indulge in this practice. And I totally get having high expectations for one's child, I really do but becoming the POTUS is not the only way you can do good for society, like what if Malcolm later decides that he wants to be a NASA scientist or work with MSF. I don't know but given that this is a serious problem in my culture, I am not a fan of parents turning their children into vessels for larger ambitions, however altruistic they are.

[@megaflamer]

she did him probably the biggest kick in the nuts possible as a parent, she actively tore away his future choices and forced her own ideas of how his life 'should' go on him. And she did so in possibly the most blatantly cruel way possible, right in front of him, with him actively trying to get a say but being talked over.

[@WlatPziupp]

The Reese line "Women aren't that different from regular people" is perfect writing, not because it's a funny joke but because it's a very accurate depiction of an extremely pervasive subconscious view: That man is the default human

[@parzavaal5335]

Default is a bit much ain't it..

[@BlueTyphoon2017]

@@parzavaal5335well, wdym? Like, how is it too much?

[@parzavaal5335]

@@BlueTyphoon2017 I don't think a default man is extremely pervasive.. and it's pretty rude to suggest it too!

[@DastardlyDavid69]

@@parzavaal5335for the most part “straight white man” is the default man in a lot of peoples eyes. If you deviate from any of those it needs to be clarified. A white straight man is just a “man”. A black man is a black man, a gay man is a gay man.

[@edgysnarfbrownie5778]

@@DastardlyDavid69Well duh, it’s like that because you live in America. Straight white men are the default here. Gay men and black men are minorities. In Africa the default person is a straight black man but I don’t see you giving them shit.

[@anonony9081]

Going back and rewatching this series it's amazing how well it held up over time. The episode where they're trying to prove to the guidance counselor that Lois isn't a bad mom and Francis appears at the window begging to be let in is one of the funniest moments on TV

[@JorgeVasquez-tj5wv]

I liked how when the show progressed so did the children including Francis, youd think only Malcolm and Dewey were the only ones with talent, but they all had a talent besides the parents, Francis eventually grew up, Reese turned out to be a great cook, Malcolm is a genius, and Dewey is a great musician. I love this show so much. Wish Jane wouldve gotten at least an Emmy. Such b.s.

[@mytime991]

People in my high school said That 70s Show is better and more relatable than Malcolm in the Middle. That show relies too much on 70s nostalgia and the laugh track while malcolm is pretty much timeless, hilarious because of the acting and the visual comedy, and more relatable due to the family dynamics.

[@Nope2479]

70s show was idealistic teenage years, malcom was cold hard truth. It’s no surprise they would prefer the former.

[@emmahollow8898]

70s show was unfunny and corny IMO

[@carybeweary7209]

That 70s Show was great until Eric left

[@anonony9081]

70s show was pure camp. There's no comparison

[@SirBlackReeds]

It isn't timeless. As a matter of fact, MITM is still a product of the 2000s, probably the most 2000s show ever.

[@edavila7894]

I always thought that Reese's cooking ability was underutilized. He could have opened a food truck or even the school cafeteria cook or something else for the ending

[@SynchronizorVideos]

I feel like Reese was too much of a perfectionist and would not have enjoyed cooking as a job. Personally, I’m really into cooking, and I have people tell me all the time that I should work as a chef. My response is that cooking things day-in-day-out while constantly under the gun would ruin my enjoyment of cooking.

[@cp0343]

One of my favorite scenes has to be the flashback episode recalling pregnant Lois in the rain (after adolescent malcolm broke his chemistry set) and Hal telling her 7 things he loved about her. Showed how genuine their relationship really was through thick and thin

[@lounirs]

I just love the fact that Hal and Lois are deeply in love which each other. It would have been so easy to just make them always being angry at each other, but no, instead, their relationship is something anyone would look for

[@RDMacQ]

I love how Brian Cranston is still a booster for this show, even after all he's done.

[@SimianScience]

the bowling episode is one of the most brilliant episodes ive ever seen of any show.

[@raeganskelly5787]

it kind of reminds me of remedial chaos theory from community! u should check it out

[@SimianScience]

@@raeganskelly5787 i did

[@DigitalGringo]

@@raeganskelly5787 I came to say this

[@dianalovesbagelss8029]

I LOVE THAT

[@jeltje50]

@@raeganskelly5787 that episode is directly inspired by the bowling episode.

[@Cullinyan]

The "sometimes being right isn't enough" episode was so eye-opening when I was a kid.+

[@MoxieMcMurder]

This was a great watch. Something I always appreciated about Malcom's parents was that they had an active sex life and were clearly still very attracted to each other. That wasn't a normal thing to see at the time. Mums and Dads were fairly asexual beings.

[@DarkPaleUnicorn]

I hated AND loved the series as a child. it reflected my own life at home and I didn't want to see that at all. but it also comforted me to know that I'm not the only outcast who feels like they don't belong in their own family. a very complicated mix of feelings towards it, but always in the loveliest way nostalgia can offer.

[@missyc13]

Can we take a moment to appreciate Jane Kaczmarek, she's such an amazing actress and she looks amazing! She's in so many things and usually not even a main character.

[@razkable]

she was imo the 2nd star of malcolm ...thats close enough...

[@itsme924]

“That’s Dewey” is my favorite joke in this whole show

[@BrokenStitchesStudio]

wait what was the context lol

[@sycastells1212]

58:13

[@AI-mg3hy]

My older boys have discovered this show on hulu while they've been stuck at home during distance learning. When my 13 yr old (who very much views moral issues as distinctly black and white) sees Malcolm get into trouble, he always expresses his frustration with how Malcolm should know better than to do these things when he's so smart. I want to make some kind of observation connecting that idea with Lois putting all those future expectations on him at the end but I'm not awake enough for that. Great video! Another fine addition to the retrospective library.

[@jackleg6143]

Hal crying when Reese tells him how much the cooking class means to him is actually truly beautiful, that’s gotta probably be the best thing to hear as a parent

[@ActiveAdvocate1]

All four of the kids are geniuses in their own regard. Francis is a social genius, Malcolm is a LITERAL genius, Reese actually has the heart of the show in his hands, and Dewey has the music stuff going on. To his credit, too, Reese, like Francis, GETS people, which is why he's both an effective jackass and an effective good guy.

[@eduardo_corrochio]

Plus, Reese became a culinary genius when he found his love of cooking and baking.

[@Purpleturtlehurtler]

Hal at Burning Man cracks me up every time.

[@helenamirian908]

They wouldn't have been able to afford tickets.

[@helenamirian908]

Also...Hal and an exploding RV in the desert...foreshadowing

[@fatdaddy1996]

It's absolute genius!

[@nicolaskupernobrega7123]

I never knew Malcolm in the Middle had been this successful. I watched It with my family when I was a kid, but no one we knew watched It, so I thought It wasn't that famous. Then I stopped watching It and Just assumed It didn't last long... Really good to watch José talking about It, I really liked It ^^

[@TapDat52K]

Honestly, I enjoyed the show more than that 70s show. And they ended on the same day. (Jose might cover that, only 5 minutes in at this point)

[@GroundThing]

Yeah, I always got the sense while watching it that it was always on the verge of being cancelled for low ratings, only vaguely knowing what that meant, so it surprised me when Jose mentioned it went for 7 seasons. My guess is it was the single camera set up, at least for me. I never had cable growing up so most of the shows that I'd see shot like that were ones which were on their way out so had their budgets cut.

[@TheRoyalKnightPain19]

In Latin America is almost as popular as the Simpsons and Spongebob.

[@reecewebster3958]

One of my favourite title scene before the song was when Reese and Malcolm were bagging air-conditioned air from Stevies place and running home to sit on thier couch and enjoy it for 2 seconds then Malcolm goes "let's get some more!"

[@jaredrichardson78]

9:00 That's me over Malcolm's left shoulder! (our right). Interesting little piece of trivia, I was the only background actor hired for the school scene at the start of filming, that was not fired by the end of filming. 9:03 you get a better look at 11 year old super pudgy me. My dad told me to get seen by the camera as much as I could and I was so good at it, that the director had to start placing me in specific spots and telling me not to move. 9:25, I am there in the middle of the group and who would end up being my first girlfriend 5 years after this, is the girl on the bottom left of the screen. Also, the whole crew was cracking up during this scene, they loved it and it was my first taste of being really liked by a big group and being popular and I loved it. I would go on to be an extra for several seasons, until I was injured and stopped getting called back. But I was as regular as some of the principle actors, my character had a name and I knew the whole crew and the main cast who had scenes at school. That's me again at 11:17, my first and only line, which was cut, but I still get paid residuals. 12:29 the red head with short hair sitting second on the couch, his character's name is "Eraser head" and is the part I originally auditioned for, which had me learn pi to 9 digits, when I was 10 and I didn't learn what pi was for a few years and it was interesting when I first read that number in a text book in high school. But the actor who ended up playing him was my best friend on set and I have many fond memories of hanging out with him and a few little pranks we played. 13:09 ws the day I got my character's name, which was very creatively, my name. I wore a name tag that day and we had to decide what to put on it. The show had a format the liked of scenes with 3 principal actors and 1 background. For the first few seasons, I was ALWAYS the 1 background actor, at least when Malcolm and his friends were in the shot Oh, and Bryan Cranston is such an awesome guy!

[@Ineedgames]

I love Lois's final speech to Malcolm. He will never be a happy person because everyone will always look down on him. But she has complete faith that he can accomplish good and can hold his head up high.

[@TheAkashachi]

Every time you release a new tv series analysis I'm impressed on how your channel didn't explode yet. Is by far one of the most thoughtful analysis of this type of content on this platform, and this one was once again a great job!

[@nettack]

While I totally agree, I think it is the form factor. A 60-90 minute in depth analysis is just too much for the average attention span. Sometimes YTs algorithm has to remind me, that I didn't finish watching an episode. Maybe it would be more successful if he'd split them up by seasons. Not that I would endorse it, since I prefer this to watching any movie instead.

[@jediyarahim-danford7592]

I graduated HS the same year as Malcolm.2006. I'm 32, and i loved "little shop of horror" since my mom showed it to me as a child. This was our show. Shout out to the gifted kids in the comments 🙌

[@juliannehannes11]

Same, I knew my movies since age 11, movies made years before I was born. I'm not gifted, just a kid whose mom bought out all the tapes of a closing video store to save on cable.

[@ninjanerdstudent6937]

I remember there was a security tape from across the street that proves her right. The family decides to burn it or destroy it without ever letting her know.

[@aidanmagill6769]

So many great actors in this series. Everyone, from major characters to minor roles, absolutely nailed their parts.

[@KaseyRacem]

I can't stop thinking about Aaron Paul as Francis "Yeah Military Bitch"

[@bigrich6075]

Mr White, I joined the Marines

[@rustyjames6131]

I remember watching this as a teenager and thinking the family was fairly well-off because they lived in a suburban home and the kids dressed like some rich kids I knew in real life.

[@kainedakillerv2704]

Same here (New Zealand)

[@j-skullz]

I'm British and I remember being confused why they were supposed to be poor when that house would be considered huge here lmao

[@igotktfobyafoot-stomper3979]

⁠@@j-skullzthey only had two bedrooms so i don’t think their house was that big

[@lastflunky]

I loved this show as a kid. Funny thing about the family surname because of the pilot SkyOne (the UK channel that aired Malcom in the Middle) always referred to the cast as the Wilkerson family. e.g. "Now let's see what situation the Wilkerson family have gotten themselves into, up next Malcom in the Middle."

[@TSFboi]

remember this. they'd say stuff like "a night with the simpsons and the wilkersons"

[@cheese4434]

Didn’t know what there last name until late 2019 when I saw Francis name tag and I watched it almost 15 times

[@aclockworkreview]

Man I remember that as a kid I found it weird

[@NinaFelwitch]

"Malcolm in the Middle" was such a huge part of my teenager years. I still get tears in my eyes today when I think about the show's ending. I was roughly the same age as Malcolm and I really was able to relate to him and the family.

[@juliannehannes11]

Same

[@boiicashthehizzle]

can’t believe you didn’t talk about bryan cranston and roller skating

[@Numantino312]

where he taught Malcom how to skate via disco? that was AWESOME!

[@RosieSquall]

“Francis never has any special skills” Excuse me? Francis is a natural born leader. He’s basically in charge of the ranch and was the one who rallied his fellow cadets, friends and brothers for good or mischief. He has very strong personal skills and charm. That’s his genius.

[@damienm.9677]

My favorite sitcom ever, thank you José. I related so strongly to Malcolm as a “gifted” student who was a middle child in a lower class family.

[@juliannehannes11]

Same

[@NaramSinofAkkad790]

What was great about Malcolm in the Middle growing up was the ability to relate to all the kids in some way.

[@LeggyLegends]

I cant believe you did an hour on malcolm without showing the scene where Hal leads around an army of body builders. This was really charming though thank you for the work as always!

[@SociaCin]

Lois's financial abuse when Malcolm got a job and her refusal to help in any way at Lucky Aid was just.. it soured things for me after that. Since Hal/Lois are their own worst enemies who's problems are largely their own fault doesn't help.

[@BL33NB]

Yeah how she controlled everything he does there... like, its Malcom, sure he would maybe rebel for stuff (like not folding stuff wheres he supposed to be as it was inefficient and he could do way more stuff if he just ignored that rule) but in the end he always has been a honest worker. Unlike Graig... It just felt like Lois wanted to make sure hes unhappy at ALL times lol

[@Shinsanity87]

She also doesn't let Malcolm take those high paying jobs. Instead she forces him to go to college while working as a Janitor

[@lucisferre6361]

Jane was also the voice of Judge Constance Harm on The Simpsons, which I always found to be quite apt based on the Lois persona.

[@TheKeyser94]

When I was a kid I really could relate to Malcolm, I was the outcast of the outcast, partially for a deformity in my face and partially because I had Asperger but it wasn't diagnose as the time, make me social inept, and the bottom of the bullying of everyone, let says that my teenage years were a literal hell, I was the weirdo that loved science and science fiction and non of my class mates, male or female could understand it, if I had friends, never lasted long, only a year at best.

[@carvaiio]

You're a fucking trooper. Keep it up.

[@jeremysiron9622]

Yes you are, you’re stronger than most people

[@theflashgordon193]

did it get better after that

[@TheKeyser94]

@@jeremysiron9622 I wouldn't say that, my teenage years let me scars, emotional and psychological scars, I had a very deep depression back then, and there only two ways to get it out, either you take pills or let your anger out, I try to first that only work for so long, so I only left me the second option, that left me deeply cynical and sarcastic, I not trust in people very much, it take them at least a year before I could trust them, also, I see actions more important than rhetoric, a politician can speak very well, but actions not match their words, he speaking bullshit.

[@jeremysiron9622]

@@TheKeyser94 Don’t trust people, trust God he will help you out of this I promise he will if you ask him to

[@robinisomaa]

I've enjoyed all of your sitcom retrospectives, even though I hadn't watched a single episode of the other shows. I loved MITM as a kid and it was interesting to see which episodes you decided to highlight. While I totally agree that most of Malcolm's love interests are interchangeable blondes, but there's one that I'll always remember. Hayden Panettiere appeared in four episodes as Jessica, a manipulative girl from a troubled family who goes toe-to-toe with Malcolm, Reese, and Dewey. She had agency in the plots and didn't just react to whatever stupid thing Malcolm and Reese did. Also, you forgot the episode where Malcolm and Reese are forced to compete against one another in three weird challenges by their grandmother. Cloris Leachman at her finest.

[@levi1929]

Oh yeah, I remember her! She was a good addition to the show. If they had a sister, it would be like that I felt. (Without any creepy romance aspects of course)

[@ngotemna8875]

God, I hated this girl so much for manipulating Malcolm into breaking up with his gf. The episode with Lois and her mother having this dance competition ritual to celebrate some holiday of 'the old home' was also very hillarious.

[@gabrielrussell5531]

The lack of Ida in this irked me. Overall good though. The episode "The Buseys run away" is interesting to me because of the b-plot where Hal mentors a group of body-builders who never "learned to person" because it was tonally such a departure from the early series that I just stood back and said "When did I start watching a different show?". I mean that in a good way.

[@KrisRN23935]

One of my favorite episodes.

[@thehza2592]

I like the Hal b-plots because they're often about how he's just a likable guy who can make friends with all kinds of different people.

[@Kamakiri711]

The Francis montage immediatly sold me on the show. To this day one of my favorite TV moments :)

[@ZeranZeran]

This show, and Rosanne, were such a big deal to me as a kid. It was so nice to see a struggling family, middle to low class, just trying to make it. Roseanne is really smart for tapping into that and knowing its what the majority of America is. Malcolm writers too. Rosanne is heartwarming, but Malcolm in the Middle teaches more real life lessons... and is hilarious! Great job on this video! You got a new fan today.