Malcolm in the Middle - Why nobody is speaking about it?

[Racial Slurs the Movie]

The clown fight has lived rent free in my head for years, genuinely one of the best endings to any television episode I can think of.

 

[Travoltron]

I used to go back and forth on Hal and Lois with regard to if they're bad parents or just eccentric. But toward the end of the series there was an episode where Malcolm is mailed a check for a scholarship he applied for. Hal and Lois intercept the check and blow most of the money on themselves and give Malcolm the scraps that were left.
This is irredeemable. I don't care if this is a comedy, that is straight up evil shit and made me hate their characters. And then in the finale Lois seemed almost overjoyed that Malcolm would have no money and would have to do menial work to pay for tuition.

 

[ParasiteSteve]

Hal and Lois intercept the check and blow most of the money on themselves and give Malcolm the scraps that were left.

They also worked their bodies to the bone for the boys, and did everything they could to keep them on the straight and narrow. But the biggest defense is that its a comedy series in the dying moments, long after the best years had passed by.

I always liked how intimate Hal and Louis were with each other, and how they still wanted each other sexually as well. None of that dead marriage shit where they are both unhappy.

 

[cactus]

I always liked how intimate Hal and Louis were with each other, and how they still wanted each other sexually as well. None of that dead marriage shit where they are both unhappy.

I always found it funny when Hal was fattening Lois up when she was pregnant with Jamie because he wanted her butt to be bigger and then the time Lucky Aide pretty made her wear make up and when she came home, Hal was all over her and in the same episode when she stopped wearing make up.

I think one of my favorite episodes is when Dewey is writing a musical about Hal and Lois fighting over whether they need a bigger mattress all because Lois was scared of farting in front of Hal.

 

[ParasiteSteve]

I think one of my favorite episodes is when Dewey is writing a musical about Hal and Lois fighting over whether they need a bigger mattress all because Lois was scared of farting in front of Hal.

Or when she bent over and Hal made a fart noise and started to laugh, then realised he had fucked up. The boys of course bail on him to leave him to his fate. Such a great show, always brings a smile to my face.

 

[McMitch]

They also worked their bodies to the bone for the boys, and did everything they could to keep them on the straight and narrow.

This doesn’t justify stealing money from him. Frankly, they should have been overjoyed that he was not condemned to work himself to death at dead-end jobs like they do (ending notwithstanding).

I always liked how intimate Hal and Louis were with each other, and how they still wanted each other sexually as well. None of that dead marriage shit where they are both unhappy.

It’s pretty obvious in a few episodes that their love life is to an extent where it is a direct cause for the boys’ misbehavior. As soon as they start focusing on their children more than each other, they all quickly fall in line.

 

[Chilson]

And then in the finale Lois seemed almost overjoyed that Malcolm would have no money and would have to do menial work to pay for tuition.

This is the most ridiculous shit in the show. Malcom is a social luddite whose so wrapped up in himself that, even by some miracle he could convince enough people to elect him (let alone a single person), he would still be a terrible president. Not to mention he was basically given a pass to easy street without having to go to college, a place that he was already way too smart to benefit from and too much of a social retard to develop a network to make him a success afterward, and Lois just crapped all over that opportunity for her make believe fairy tale future for Malcolm.

I also flat out don't even know why he needed her permission. He was graduating from high school and was almost old enough to be a free adult to go do whatever the fuck he wanted. He could of just told the dude "yes, but only once I am 18 which is very soon" after his bitch of a mother said no on his behalf.

Its just an absurd plot point that was shoved into the finale to give the show some final big moment, which I always found to fall flat due to the absurdity of it.

 

[Travoltron]

I seem to remember that the show got canceled and they rushed that finale. The show really needed an entire season to wrap up everything, but only got one episode. Most of all, I wanted to see Malcolm finally tell Lois to fuck off and forge his own path. Well, I didn't get that.

The "we were always grooming Malcolm to be President" reveal never clicked with me at all. I know this is just some sitcom and all, but they're basically setting up Malcolm to fail since the odds of becoming President are astronomical.

 

[ForgedBlades]

Hal cracks me up in this scene.

 

[ChampFantana]

I used to go back and forth on Hal and Lois with regard to if they're bad parents or just eccentric. But toward the end of the series there was an episode where Malcolm is mailed a check for a scholarship he applied for. Hal and Lois intercept the check and blow most of the money on themselves and give Malcolm the scraps that were left.
This is irredeemable. I don't care if this is a comedy, that is straight up evil shit and made me hate their characters. And then in the finale Lois seemed almost overjoyed that Malcolm would have no money and would have to do menial work to pay for tuition.

Lois was a monster and in real life, her kids would be spree shooters and serial killers. Luckily, it's a sitcom so we don't have to worry about that.

 

[The Last Stand]

Not to mention he was basically given a pass to easy street without having to go to college, a place that he was already way too smart to benefit from and too much of a social retard to develop a network to make him a success afterward, and Lois just crapped all over that opportunity for her make believe fairy tale future for Malcolm.

I think Lois believed that if Malcolm suffered in life, it would develop him into a better person because his parents suffered as lower middle class. This is hinted at another episode where Lois kicks Francis out because he wouldn't tar the roof.

Her motif of "hard life creates a good life" falls flat when they expected Dewey to have the easy life. I feel it was Lois' overbearing parenting approach that wanted to spite at least ONE of her children one last time before sending them off.

 

[SynthwaveDeux]

I watched this show growing up, loved it. I watched it again last summer, loved it even more. It used to air after school and reminded me a lot of my own family, so I could relate.

From that time I also used to watch Freeks and Geeks (I still watch it annually) and the 70’s show. Isn’t the actor of Francis Danny Masterson’s brother? Correct me if I am mistaken but I think I read somewhere Cranston tried to keep the boys away from Christopher (during filming of the series) because he tried to lure them into scientology? Maybe this was Reddit.

 

[XYZpdq Jr.]

tried to keep the boys away from Christopher (during filming of the series) because he tried to lure them

sasuga Hollywood

into scientology?

woah holy shit that's just fucking wrong wtf

 

[Tinnitus]

For those who wonder who fucked over the children more i still remember quite a few things about the parents.

Hal does some very retarded things to avoid school father + son related stuff and stole Malcolm's credit card to buy a vacation for 8 people because his christmas presents looked like shit

Lois was the one who blew Malcolm's scholarship money, not Hal & Dewey and the scraps were just what they could scrounge up at the time.

Her motif of "hard life creates a good life" falls flat when they expected Dewey to have the easy life.

Dewey has no baby pictures, he's in the mentally disturbed class and would've had to share his birthday with Jamie.

Reason they expect him to get the easy life is because he isn't arrogant and his classmates need him around.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

I forgot that show existed until just now. Feels recent, but the last episode aired almost 20 years ago.

It's like remembering the ALF show from the 1980s in the late '00s.

 

[ForgedBlades]

Stevie being a Saturn kid makes so much sense.

 

[XYZpdq Jr.]

Caught part of an episode on tv. I forgot one of the Higgins boys was in it

 

[The Last Stand]

Stevie being a Saturn kid makes so much sense.

View attachment 7104749

Didn't the boys have an N64 as well? And how does that make sense?

 

[Kari Kamiya]

And how does that make sense?

Gotta... [takes breath] ...go fast.

 

[Get the rope Macaulay!]

And then in the finale Lois seemed almost overjoyed that Malcolm would have no money and would have to do menial work to pay for tuition.

That's the point, people don't realize because they assume that speech about Malcolm becoming president was prophecy but literally every poor family treats the genius son as their ticket out. Look at how pro athletes are treated by their family. That was part of the joke.

Malcom is a social luddite whose so wrapped up in himself that, even by some miracle he could convince enough people to elect him

The senator and governor ship is filled with social luddites. Honestly until a year ago even the concept of a white guy from a lower middle class background being able to become a senator or president sounded insane to me. Then JD Vance happened, he's obviously not an asshole like Malcom but considering his biggest accomplishments is the meme edits of his ugly face and bullying a boomer during a debate, it's not that hard to imagine he's not as socially fluent as people would assume.

Then you have guys like desantis who say their wife is a prime reason he became a lot more charismatic.

I could easily see Malcolm acting one way then reverting back once around family, I know tons of people like that