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Malcolm in the Middle
- 1918 statements
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Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })Malcolm in the Middle is Fox's first live-action Dom Com of the 21st century, which seemingly set out to outdo all existing "dysfunctional family" sitcoms—and did a pretty good job of it, something that hadn't been done since the days of Married... with Children and Roseanne, as live-action suburban dysfunctional sitcomsnote the animated ones like The Simpsons and Family Guy are still popular, even in the face of [adult swim]'s shows and South Park started to wane in popularity, with the likes of Seinfeld and Friends (which focus on wacky characters living in the big city) gaining popularity over them. It originally ran from 2000 to 2006, with a total of 151 episodes in seven seasons.The titular Malcolm is the frustrated and eternally-perplexed "middle" child of a middle-class home, who is discovered to have a genius-level IQ. The show follows his attempts to keep his head down and get through life despite the social stigma of being "smart" and the rest of his family: his sociopathic brothers, consisting of oldest brother Francis (who was shipped off to military school and often has his own B-plot in an episode), next oldest brother Reese (dense and violent school bully) and younger brother Dewey (self-sufficient and almost unflappable amidst all the chaos, and possibly even smarter than Malcom). Their behavior has rubbed off on Malcolm himself, and a newborn, Jamie, was born later in the show's run (with hints he may become the most conniving of all the kids). His parents include emotionally-immature father Hal and overbearing and perpetually-stressed mother Lois, against whom most stories involve the kids doing battle. Malcolm would also frequently break the fourth wall by giving an Aside Comment to the audience to explain various plot points or his thoughts on whatever was happening, though this became less frequent as time went on.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })The show had the advantage of being shot film-style rather than in front of a studio audience, and the added freedom allowed it to have tighter pacing and a surreal tone more reminiscent of an animated cartoon (though at its worst, could also create a frantic, confused mess). Also helping achieve this was that it was an early example of a live-action sitcom (especially on network television) that lacked a Laugh Track or Studio Audience - it, along with other sitcoms like The Bernie Mac Show, Scrubs, and Everybody Hates Chris led to the laughter-free, single-camera style becoming the sitcom standard going forward, with Malcolm sometimes cited as the Trope Codifier. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_10dcbe05 | type |
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_10dcbe05 | comment |
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Hal's family is actually really cruel to Lois, and while at a party the boys are at first oblivious but once they find Lois crying in a corner, they take revenge and get everyone kicked out. In turn, while Lois was previously very harsh to Francis' wife Piama, she started showing more kindness. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_116eeb4a | type |
Non-Residential Residence | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_116eeb4a | comment |
Non-Residential Residence: In the episode "Butterflies", Malcolm finds a man is living in the Lucky Aide. Malcolm lets him stay in return for information on an employee he has a crush on. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_11ad560b | type |
Control Freak | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_11ad560b | comment |
Control Freak: Lois. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_127fc252 | type |
Creator Cameo | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_127fc252 | comment |
Creator Cameo: Linwood Boomer appears as a loan shark in the finale. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1282bf4f | type |
No Celebrities Were Harmed | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1282bf4f | comment |
No Celebrities Were Harmed: Boone Vincent is for all intents and purposes Wayne Newton. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_12ffce31 | type |
Correlation/Causation Gag | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_12ffce31 | comment |
Correlation/Causation Gag: One episode starts with a gag where Reese is poking a doll while Hal is screaming of pain for unrelated reasons. Reese assumes he's harming Hal through voodoo. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_13d7a65e | type |
The Artifact | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_13d7a65e | comment |
The Artifact: Malcolm talking to the audience felt more organic in the early seasons when he was the clear main character and the show was told from his perspective. In later years his role and importance was reduced so that he was often just part of the ensemble, making the (less frequent) instances of this seem a little random. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1420a9b8 | type |
Scenery Censor | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1420a9b8 | comment |
Hal appeared naked but for a newspaper on the first episode while Lois was shaving him at the breakfast table. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1434e55c | type |
Amazingly Embarrassing Parents | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1434e55c | comment |
In "Vegas," the main plot is kicked off because Malcolm refused to inform Lois and Hal about the big science award ceremony because he feared they would embarrass him. In Las Vegas, Malcolm decides that since Lois would flat out refuses to speak to him about his comment, he goes and gets tickets to see Boone Vinvcent (played by David Cassidy), her favorite singer, where Lois is invited to his dressing room after the show. After talking to Vincent, Lois understands that all teenagers, including his own daughter, think that their parents are embarrassing, and she should consider forgiving Malcolm, since he at least got her tickets to see his show as a way to show he does regret his actions and wants to make amends. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1439161f | type |
Heroic BSoD | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1439161f | comment |
Heroic BSoD: After hearing Lois sincerely apologize for being a horrible mom in "Ida Loses a Leg", Francis is literally unable to process this (he's had fantasies of this moment, and Lois "said everything", but when it happens, he still filled with resentment). He winds up having a freakout, causing Lois to give him some money and Tic Tacs in order to help calm him down. Hal is so conflicted on whether or not to pull the plug in "Living Will" that he winds up making himself paralyzed from the waist up. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_14ed6ab7 | type |
Does This Remind You of Anything? | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_14ed6ab7 | comment |
Does This Remind You of Anything?: Malcolm's relationship with his car gets a twofer; it's treated like a drug addiction (complete with an intervention with the help of a man from AAA) and like an abusive relationship with Malcolm quickly saying 'It's my fault!' after the car gives him a black eye. When Cynthia grows big breasts, she starts being anti-social, snapping out at people, and acting troubled in general. When it's revealed that the source of angst is her breasts, she says something along the lines of "EVERYONE looks at me differently now." Combine the classic behavior with that one troubling word, and the whole thing was one line away from being a Very Special Episode about sexual abuse. And in another episode Lois learns that Dewey has been spending time with another mother. It is played out like he's cheating on her. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_154aa477 | type |
Big, Screwed-Up Family | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_154aa477 | comment |
Big, Screwed-Up Family: Basically the level of dysfunctionality that exists in this show's family. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1697f7a0 | type |
Straw Vegetarian | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1697f7a0 | comment |
Straw Vegetarian: We find out that Malcolm's class is full of these at the Krelboyne picnic, since the kids all agreed "not to serve anything that had a mother." Hal becomes a hero to the beleaguered non-vegetarian dads in attendance by sneaking in a cooler full of real meat, but chaos ensue when the Krelboynes discover that their "tofu burgers" are bleeding. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_16c3b640 | type |
Apple of Discord | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_16c3b640 | comment |
Apple of Discord: Dewey: This sort of behavior is his modus operandi throughout the series with the younger brother being generally quiet but interjecting the right line at the right time so that everybody else will react according to his plan. Dewey is one hell of a Magnificent Bastard. He does it to Hal's barbershop quartet group, asking the members why each of them has his own specific role within the group. They do make up (in the middle of a performance, no less), but presumably have problems again at the end, when Dewey starts in on them again. He also works on a couple that performed. Five minutes after Dewey started in on them, they were in a gigantic fight. Malcolm, Reese and Dewey once pose as political demonstrators to avoid being sent to their mother after an act of vandalism. When someone decides to send each of them a cupcake, Lois removes the cherries from two of the cupcakes so they'll fight over the remaining one. The boys eventually wise up to her plan and merely send the cherry back. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_18f2b2b | type |
Hypocritical Heartwarming | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_18f2b2b | comment |
Hypocritical Heartwarming: Every member of the family seems to pull this at least once (see Mama Bear for Lois' examples). Most triumphantly, when Lois is systematically humiliated by her Obnoxious In-Laws to the point that she locks herself in the bathroom to cry, all four boys wordlessly agree to wreak revenge, trailing a bemused Hal and Piama in their wake. And it is epic. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_19851b86 | type |
The Sociopath | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_19851b86 | comment |
The Sociopath: Francis and Reese, the latter with his inherent love of violence and destruction (once buying Dewey a toy plane and breaking it just to see the latter's reaction), and the former for various depraved actions he commenced, the earliest of which he tried to douse a teddy bear with lighter fluid and burn it in a manner similar to certain kidnapping organizations... while he was a toddler, as well as his hatred of his mother, and frequently commencing destructive revolts, rarely ever taking responsibility, and often hurting his brothers. Had this been real life, the first place Francis would have been placed in would probably have been a therapist's office or a psych ward. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1994ba0b | type |
Gone Horribly Right | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1994ba0b | comment |
Gone Horribly Right: In an early episode, the boys including Francis are left by themselves for a weekend, and friends of Francis manage to trash the house, so the boys clean it up. After they're done, they realize the house is TOO clean, as the house had always had a recognizable mess. How do they fix this? Intentionally make messes in the house, just not to the extent that they were before. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_19d1c1ae | type |
Always Someone Better | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_19d1c1ae | comment |
Always Someone Better: Child prodigy Barton appears in Malcolm's class for a while — his brain is "like a beehive, and every bee has a brain like yours". However, Herkabe's pressuring him causes him to quit at the end of the episode. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_19d1c1ae | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1b60dcba | type |
The Bully | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1b60dcba | comment |
The Bully: Reese, though he gets some character development later on. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1c6ded94 | type |
Wicked Cultured | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1c6ded94 | comment |
Wicked Cultured: Dewey is clearly the second most intelligent member of his family, the most cultured and sophisticated, and arguably the most devious. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1c79ae8c | type |
Those Two Guys | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1c79ae8c | comment |
Those Two Guys: Lloyd and Dabney. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1d3b3862 | type |
Suntan Stencil | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1d3b3862 | comment |
Suntan Stencil: In "Stock Car races", Hal sneaks the boys out of school to take them to the stock car races. However, he gets busted by Lois because the lettering on the visor he has been wearing all day has caused the word 'RUSTY' to be etched over his face. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1d9a2764 | type |
Reality Ensues | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1d9a2764 | comment |
Reality Ensues: Lois' perfect fantasy in "If Boys Were Girls" starts crumbling on her when the idealized, Gender Flipped versions of her boys begin to turn on her, explaining that they don't fear or respect their mother because, as girls, they know how she thinks. Poor Lois tries to force the delusion a few more times before giving up on the possibility of her kids ever being easy to deal with (though at the end, she still hopes Jamie will turn out be a girl). When Ida decides to sue Lois and Hal's insurance company, it's discovered that their insurance company had already canceled their policy, so she decides to sue them. However, her personal injury lawyer then quits. While he is more than willing to sue and financially ruin a poor family, he won't do it for what he considers a paltry sum. Lois tries to discipline Malcolm in a shelter after the whole neighborhood has been evacuated, in full view of other families and the cops. Apathetic Citizens is not in place during an emergency; the other families report her for being abusive and she gets kicked out, along with the rest of the family for her antics. It goes into Not Helping Your Case when she's arguing she has the "right" to discipline her child as Malcolm watches with satisfaction. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1e3a9a21 | type |
Angrish | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1e3a9a21 | comment |
Angrish: Hal is reduced to furious incoherence on a few memorable occasions. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1e6eb73 | type |
Birthday Party Goes Wrong | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1e6eb73 | comment |
Birthday Party Goes Wrong: Played with in the B-plot of one episode where younger brother Dewey manages to make friends with a new boy in the neighborhood. The boy's parents pull Dewey aside to get his help in planning their son's birthday, wanting to make his first one in a new home special. Dewey instead shanghais the party by changing it to be more to his tastes, replacing the space theme with a cowboy one, getting a bounce house, and even making the cake different. During the party, the birthday boy angrily confronts Dewey about ruining his day, though Dewey is too enamored with his success to care. Unfortunately for him, Malcolm undergoes a minor freakout in the A-plot and attempts to escape back into childhood, accidentally causing the bounce house bust and setting off a domino effect which leads to the party collapsing into panic and chaos. The last scene of the birthday boy has him smiling in satisfaction as everything goes to hell. Earlier in the episode mentioned above, a series of Flashbacks explains Dewey's motivation for hijacking the boy's birthday: Hal arriving late from golf a previous year and not knowing who's pary it is; Malcolm and Reese giving him a "birthday beating," (one punch forme each for every year Dewey is ols); and Lois and Francis, before he was shipped off to Military School, getting into (another) loud argument during Dewey's party. In the episode where Pyama is introduced, Francis and Lois get into a loud argument over the fact that he married her two weeks after their first date, and Hal resigns himself to having yet another birthday ruined. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_1ec3eb0a | type |
Take Our Word for It | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_1ec3eb0a | comment |
Take Our Word for It: Hal completes his masterpiece, a massive painting that stuns everyone with its beauty. Unfortunately the weight of 2-inch thick half-dry paint causes it to slump off and smother Hal before the audience can see it. Francis' aforementioned injury; see Noodle Incident. In the Cold Opening of "Water Park", Hal asks and offers money for one of the boys to take the fall for him, while you hear Lois in the background repeatedly and angrily shouting "Oh my God!". What exactly Hal did is left up to the viewer's imagination. At the end of "Hal's Birthday", Lois has agreed to stop yelling at the boys, and comes up with a new punishment system. When she finds Reese picking on Dewey, she silently writes something down on a paper, which she gives to Reese. We don't see what she wrote down, but it immediately causes Reese to apologize in a panicked tone, while Malcolm comments that they may want to return to the old system. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_20314beb | type |
Cousin Oliver | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_20314beb | comment |
Cousin Oliver: Very cleverly inverted with Jamie. His purpose was to add more chaos to the show. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_20860a0e | type |
Punch-Clock Villain | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_20860a0e | comment |
Punch-Clock Villain: The lawyer that Ida enlists to sue Lois' and Hal's insurance company. When it is revealed that the company has already canceled the family's policy, Ida elects to sue Lois and Hal directly. However, the lawyer - who now stands to gain only a share of the family's miserable house - immediately bails on Ida, explaining that while he doesn't mind throwing poor people out on the street, he won't do it for free. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_21bde5e8 | type |
The Tooth Hurts | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_21bde5e8 | comment |
The Tooth Hurts: Hal hurts his tooth while eating some snacks during a poker game, and one of his friends who works as a dentist treats it. However, after getting a huge bill (when he assumed it would be free because the friend said something along the lines of, "I'll take care of it"), Hal eventually rips out his tooth as protest, but passes out. He spends the rest of the episode swallowing his food whole. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_21bde5e8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_21bde5e8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_21bde5e8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_21d70919 | type |
Crapsack World | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_21d70919 | comment |
Crapsack World: Let's see, the main premise of the show involves a severely dysfunctional family that is implied to be abusive in every way (except sexually), the school definitely doesn't help with that, and Francis was implied to have done horrible things to his neighborhood just to spite his own mother. One of their neighbors has a strained marriage, with the wife eventually abandoning her husband and handicapped son, causing the latter to fall into a deep depression that leaves him even more crippled to the point of needing a machine to speak. The military school that Francis was sent to for his behavior is run by a rather sadistic Drill Sergeant Nasty whom Francis eventually places in a retirement home as a caretaker so he can commit all the Elder Abuse that he wants, and apparently the higher board doesn't catch on until after Francis quits school. The list goes on and on. Also, it turns out in one episode that nearly everybody in their neighborhood are a bunch of liars and Jerkasses (and in one case, criminals) who throw a party every year when the family is out of town because of all the trouble they cause....except in many cases the family was innocent, and everyone else was framing them for their own behavior and mistakes. The public revelation of this triggers a civil street war. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_21d70919 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_21d70919 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_21d70919 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_222dc873 | type |
Black Comedy | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_222dc873 | comment |
Black Comedy: Not as hilariously cruel as Married... with Children but the show makes it clear that, to quote the theme song, "Life is unfair." | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_222dc873 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_222dc873 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_222dc873 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_22a27b19 | type |
Alpha Bitch | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_22a27b19 | comment |
In "Lois Strikes Back", after Reese gets pranked by a band of Alpha Bitches, Lois briefly turns into a Vigilante Woman and torments the girls to the point that they lose the things they cherished the most, e.g. a girl named Kristin having her hair shaved off due to getting gum on her head. Malcolm wasn't pleased. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_22a27b19 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_22a27b19 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_22a27b19 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_22cf536c | type |
Chekhov's Gun | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_22cf536c | comment |
Chekhov's Gun: How Hal avoids jail for defrauding the company. On the night before the final day of the trial, Hal tells Malcolm that he was a bad employee, stealing office supplies, barely putting any effort, and not going to work on Fridays. He gives Malcolm a piece of advice before going to have sex with Lois for the last time until he gets released from prison. As Francis and Malcolm are having a discussion of how Malcolm should know how to forge Lois' and Hal's signature so he can be emancipated, Malcolm figures out how to show Hal is innocent. At the trial, Hal says that Malcolm figured out that every day he was accused of performing some kind of shady deal to steal from the company was a Friday, and has the evidence that he wasn't present at those deals in his "memory box," and shows ticket stubs, receits, programs and other evidence to show he was nowhere near where those deals had taken place durig those specific Fridays. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_22cf536c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_22cf536c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_22cf536c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_24181f1e | type |
Graduate from the Story | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_24181f1e | comment |
Graduate from the Story | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_24181f1e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_24181f1e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_24181f1e | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_24321e44 | type |
Only Sane Man | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_24321e44 | comment |
Only Sane Man: Malcolm played this role in the first few seasons, but then he became a Jerkass and as sociopathic as his brothers. Stevie, almost coincidentally, takes up the reins around the same time. Dewey also seemed to change from socially awkward little kid to a very bemused onlooker who simply observes the insanity go by. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_24321e44 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_24321e44 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_24321e44 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_25bc8511 | type |
Generation Xerox | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_25bc8511 | comment |
Generation Xerox: Francis' choice of spouse, and the kind of relationship he has with her, closely resembles his dad's. Lois' relationship with her own mother is shown to be just as dysfunctional as the boys' relationship with her. On several occasions, we see that whenever Lois isn't around to curb Hal's wild streak, he basically devolves into Francis. Similarly, after getting married to a wife than can rein him in, Francis slowly begins to morph into Hal. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_25bc8511 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_25bc8511 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_25bc8511 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_25dc6ef5 | type |
Apathetic Citizens | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_25dc6ef5 | comment |
Lois tries to discipline Malcolm in a shelter after the whole neighborhood has been evacuated, in full view of other families and the cops. Apathetic Citizens is not in place during an emergency; the other families report her for being abusive and she gets kicked out, along with the rest of the family for her antics. It goes into Not Helping Your Case when she's arguing she has the "right" to discipline her child as Malcolm watches with satisfaction. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_25dc6ef5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_25dc6ef5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_25dc6ef5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2686997a | type |
Gay Moment | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2686997a | comment |
Gay Moment: Hal with a new neighbor. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2686997a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2686997a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2686997a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_26eb6287 | type |
Funny Background Event | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_26eb6287 | comment |
Funny Background Event: After Malcolm excuses himself from the lunch table, the Krelboynes debate amongst themselves whether to exclude him because of his new girlfriend. Behind them, Malcolm full-body tackles an exchange student who was talking to his girlfriend and wails on the poor kid until the faculty manages to pull him off. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_26eb6287 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_26eb6287 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_26eb6287 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2835de61 | type |
Evil Power Vacuum | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2835de61 | comment |
Evil Power Vacuum: When Reese temporarily stops being the top-predator school bully, anarchy breaks out as several lesser bullies run rampant. Leads to We Want Our Jerk Back. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2835de61 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2835de61 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2835de61 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2848e7d2 | type |
Oblivious to Love | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2848e7d2 | comment |
Oblivious to Love: Hal's neighbor begins to fall in love with him while they spend time together at various gatherings, but tearfully "breaks up" with him in the end before their relationship can go any further. Hal, meanwhile, was just having fun with friends the entire time, and he doesn't pick up on her feelings because the thought of fooling around on Lois never once crossed his mind. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2848e7d2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2848e7d2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2848e7d2 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_28bbe844 | type |
Shoddy Shindig | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_28bbe844 | comment |
Shoddy Shindig: Hal and the boys (predictably) make a mess of Lois's birthday plans, to the point of driving her out of the house in frustration. They try their best to salvage the situation and (predictably) end up with one of these. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_28bbe844 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_28bbe844 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_28bbe844 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2969dda7 | type |
Nightmare Fetishist | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2969dda7 | comment |
Nightmare Fetishist: Reese likes his summer job at the slaughterhouse. Especially the "people swearing in Spanish". And then he tells his baby brother where veal comes from. When Ida was about to get married to a Chinese man in another episode and live with him in Hong Kong, she describes it as having "chickens in the streets, children in sweatshops, and everyone smoking", and calling it a dream come true. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2969dda7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2969dda7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2969dda7 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2a6a8e89 | type |
Sadist Teacher | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2a6a8e89 | comment |
In one episode, Malcolm is literally forced to join the Booster club by Mr. Herkable (he oversees the booster club and gets a bonus if another student joins) who threatens to withhold Malcolm's letter of recommendation. Malcolm doesn't get along with the other members of the booster club, finding them too cheery and thinking their ideas to raise money are stupid. When he tries to leave, Mr. Herkable uses Reverse Psychology to get Malcolm to not only stay, but to put more effort into raising money. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2a6a8e89 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2a6a8e89 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2a6a8e89 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2a7b0247 | type |
Could Say It, But... | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2a7b0247 | comment |
Reese joins the Army and meets one of these, who quickly warms up to Reese when he discovers that he literally doesn't have to think anymore. He does absolutely nothing unless he's ordered to (including chewing his food) and follows all orders without question. The Sergeant is ecstatic that he's found the perfect soldier and swaps tips with Lois when she arrives to get him back. Also subverted; the CO shows himself to be a pretty good guy when he surreptitiously breaks protocol and allows Lois to read classified documents showing where Reese was deployed. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2a7b0247 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2a7b0247 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2a7b0247 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b2249a8 | type |
You Wouldn't Hit a Guy with Glasses? | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b2249a8 | comment |
You Wouldn't Hit a Guy with Glasses?: Reese removes a kid's glasses and punches him when he tries this excuse. In the first episode, a bully who tried to hit Malcolm ends up accidentally hitting Stevie instead. The fact Stevie wears glasses was one of the reasons the bully was berated for doing that. When Reese reestablishes his status as school bully, one of his first acts is to grab a bully who had stolen and was wearing another boy's glasses, grab the glasses with one hand, and then punch him so hard that he falls back, with the glasses still in place where his head had been. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b2249a8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b2249a8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b2249a8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b5ea43c | type |
Bland-Name Product | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b5ea43c | comment |
Bland-Name Product: Hal and Craig join a "Jump Jump Dance Party" competition in one episode. In one episode Dewey, following Reese's example of trading their crappy stuff for the better stuff Donated for the Poor, trades a Game Boy for a Yo-Yo, when Malcolm points out that its an unfair trade, Dewey offers up a "Mighty Man", and holds up a Toa Gali without its mask. Malcolm creates a simulated version of his own family with a computer game called The Virts. Lois works at 'Lucky Aide.' | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b5ea43c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b5ea43c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b5ea43c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b7d29e1 | type |
Artifact Title | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b7d29e1 | comment |
Artifact Title: Somehow both played straight, as said above, and inverted - Malcolm stopped being 'in the middle' of the show around the time the family's fifth baby was born, thus making Malcolm the actual middle child. There's also an episode titled "Home Alone 4," which would become an actual direct-to-DVD film. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b7d29e1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b7d29e1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2b7d29e1 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2d4fa515 | type |
Ax-Crazy | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2d4fa515 | comment |
Lois' mother Ida is a racist, small-minded, controlling lunatic who constantly belittles her daughters and holds lifelong grudges for trivial offenses against nearly everyone in the family. She is obsessed with "the old country", which seems to be some lawless part of Eastern Europe, and once tries to make Reese marry a foreign girl after going through trials, one of which was beating up Malcolm, whom she has a low opinion of because she is anti-intellectual. Every Christmas, she buys the presents for the family that they all wanted just so she can not send them, making Francis consider her to be insane. The family hates her so much they generally stop their infighting whenever she comes around in order to focus on getting rid of her. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2d4fa515 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2d4fa515 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2d4fa515 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2d88e42c | type |
Gender Bender | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2d88e42c | comment |
Gender Bender: In one episode during Lois' pregnancy, she has an extended Imagine Spot where instead of three boys, she had three girls. It's initially blissful, but soon she starts realising that raising three teenage girls would have horrors all of its own. Eventually, it's revealed that the episode would have had the same end result, no matter what the gender of the children. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2d88e42c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2d88e42c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2d88e42c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e03fb64 | type |
Embarrassing Slide | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e03fb64 | comment |
Embarrassing Slide: Francis put some embarrassing photographs of Spangler into a slide show about STDs. However, Spangler actually bothers to check the slides before the show, and changes the ones that Francis put in with embarassing pictures of Francis. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e03fb64 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e03fb64 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e03fb64 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e154495 | type |
Shower of Angst | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e154495 | comment |
Shower of Angst: Lois, when Hal gets sued, followed by a scary Sanity Slippage. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e154495 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e154495 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e154495 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e735eb | type |
Nominated As A Prank | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e735eb | comment |
Nominated As A Prank: Reese and Malcolm enter Lois in the Mrs. Tri-County Pageant, a beauty pageant for middle aged women, as joke. When Hal finds out that the boys did it because they thought it would be funny to see Lois make a fool of herself in public, he forces them into seeing this through if they don't want to suffer another punishment should Lois find out why they signed her up. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e735eb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e735eb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_2e735eb | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3126c34a | type |
Insufferable Genius | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3126c34a | comment |
Insufferable Genius: Malcolm, of course. And Mr. Herkabe, who makes Malcolm look downright humble in comparison. Jason Alexander guest stars as one of these in Season 4. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3126c34a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3126c34a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3126c34a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31910835 | type |
I Was Born Ready | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31910835 | comment |
I Was Born Ready: The group attends Hal's family reunion and Hal's family is mean to Lois the whole time. After they trick her into missing the group picture, the boys run over the dinner table with a golf cart and drive it into the swimming pool. Before they start, Reese asks Dewey if he's ready and Dewey responds with "I was born ready." | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31910835 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31910835 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31910835 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_319e4a2f | type |
Even Evil Has Standards | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_319e4a2f | comment |
Reese when he turned nice, as it turns out the only reason Malcolm's smart mouth hasn't gotten him beaten up yet was because Reese was the school bully. Better still, the power vacuum created when he left resulted in dozens of wannabe bullies jockeying for his position and some of them crossing lines Reese wouldn't. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_319e4a2f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_319e4a2f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_319e4a2f | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31a2a33c | type |
Stuff Blowing Up | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31a2a33c | comment |
Stuff Blowing Up: Happens when Hal, Malcolm and Reese accidentally climb over an artillery range fence. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31a2a33c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31a2a33c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31a2a33c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31e94d5e | type |
TV Genius | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31e94d5e | comment |
TV Genius: Malcolm's classmates. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31e94d5e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31e94d5e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_31e94d5e | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_32768814 | type |
Kick the Son of a Bitch | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_32768814 | comment |
Kick the Son of a Bitch: The four girls that tortured Reese. And Reese himself. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_32768814 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_32768814 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_32768814 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_329a97a0 | type |
Apology Gift | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_329a97a0 | comment |
Apology Gift: In "Forwards Backward," the main plot revolved around Malcolm and Reese fighting an ever increasing prank war, which culminates in them being brought home from the hospital and Malcolm getting grounded on his birthday, while Lois and Hal ignore Dewey reminding them that he will portray Abraham Lincoln in the school play, a role that earns him a standing ovation. The following day, Lois and Hal give Dewey a brand new video game, but when that's not enough for him to forgive them for missing the play, Hal gives him Malcolm's former birthday gift, a rare, and expensive, comic book. Dewey takes his new possessions to the room and considers forgiving them, and wishes Malcolm a happy birthday while he and Reese perform menial labor around the house. In "Vegas," the main plot is kicked off because Malcolm refused to inform Lois and Hal about the big science award ceremony because he feared they would embarrass him. In Las Vegas, Malcolm decides that since Lois would flat out refuses to speak to him about his comment, he goes and gets tickets to see Boone Vinvcent (played by David Cassidy), her favorite singer, where Lois is invited to his dressing room after the show. After talking to Vincent, Lois understands that all teenagers, including his own daughter, think that their parents are embarrassing, and she should consider forgiving Malcolm, since he at least got her tickets to see his show as a way to show he does regret his actions and wants to make amends. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_329a97a0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_329a97a0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_329a97a0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_33818056 | type |
||
Malcolm in the Middle / int_33818056 | comment |
"Walk on the Wild Side" Episode: Malcolm turns his brain off for one episode in an attempt to get with a ditzy girl. It works fine until he gets into a situation where his brain would have come in handy. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_33818056 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_33818056 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_33818056 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_342f0ffa | type |
Discriminate and Switch | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_342f0ffa | comment |
Discriminate and Switch: Hal, in a poker game among a trio of new black friends, thinks he's being discriminated against because he's... not a professional like the others but instead is a blue collar worker. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_342f0ffa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_342f0ffa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_342f0ffa | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_34889673 | type |
Gender Flip | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_34889673 | comment |
Lois' perfect fantasy in "If Boys Were Girls" starts crumbling on her when the idealized, Gender Flipped versions of her boys begin to turn on her, explaining that they don't fear or respect their mother because, as girls, they know how she thinks. Poor Lois tries to force the delusion a few more times before giving up on the possibility of her kids ever being easy to deal with (though at the end, she still hopes Jamie will turn out be a girl). | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_34889673 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_34889673 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_34889673 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_35fb9016 | type |
Gratuitous German | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_35fb9016 | comment |
Gratuitous German: Otto and Gretchen Mannkusser, who occasionally lapse into Poirot Speak. Subverted from usual Teutonic stereotypes in as much as they're both quite kind and air-headed. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_35fb9016 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_35fb9016 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_35fb9016 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_36ae9f5d | type |
Traumatic Haircut | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_36ae9f5d | comment |
Traumatic Haircut: In "Lois Strikes Back", Kristin—one of the girls that picked on Reese—lost most of her hair after Lois put gum in her motorcycle helmet. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_36ae9f5d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_36ae9f5d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_36ae9f5d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_372bc105 | type |
Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_372bc105 | comment |
Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism: Extremely cynical to the point of misanthropy and nihilism, which a lot of people don't mind. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_372bc105 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_372bc105 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_372bc105 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_38d02d44 | type |
Batman Gambit | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_38d02d44 | comment |
Batman Gambit: Malcolm did a minor one to Reese in one episode. The episode opens up with Malcolm making the most disgusting sandwich imaginable (containing jam, relish, mayonnaise, and bits of gum scraped from the bottom of his shoe, amongst other things). He sits on the couch and prepares to take a bite, when Reese swipes it out of his hand and starts eating it. Then he tastes it, and runs to the bathroom to throw up. Malcolm grins at the camera and says, "It never gets old!" | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_38d02d44 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_38d02d44 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_38d02d44 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3a3489f | type |
Fourth-Wall Observer | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3a3489f | comment |
Fourth-Wall Observer: Malcolm frequently turns to the camera and comments on his feelings or the events taking place, generally in the manner of inviting the viewer to observe the shenanigans unfolding or to explain things to them. No one else ever asks who he keeps talking to. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3a3489f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3a3489f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3a3489f | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3aec9e5e | type |
Properly Paranoid | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3aec9e5e | comment |
Properly Paranoid: When Reese claimed that one of his teachers was out to get him and was deliberately failing his tests Lois told him to stop making excuses and work harder. She has Malcolm tutor Reese and eventually Reese composes a passable paper that is at least 'C' level, only for that to get an 'F' as well. Ultimately, since it seems that there is no way Reese can get a passing grade, they decide to simply cheat and have Malcolm take one of his tests for him. That test gets an 'F," and this clues everybody in to the fact Reese's teacher really is out to get him (See also Because You Can Cope above). | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3aec9e5e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3aec9e5e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3aec9e5e | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3b724476 | type |
Family Portrait of Characterization | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3b724476 | comment |
Family Portrait of Characterization: At a family reunion Hal's relatives mislead The Unfavorite Lois when she asks where to find a pair of dress shoes; this lets the family get their group picture taken without her. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3b724476 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3b724476 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3b724476 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3c0a4666 | type |
Noodle Incident | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3c0a4666 | comment |
Francis' aforementioned injury; see Noodle Incident. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3c0a4666 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3c0a4666 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3c0a4666 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3cb1d38d | type |
Bad Boss | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3cb1d38d | comment |
Bad Boss: Laverna. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3cb1d38d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3cb1d38d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3cb1d38d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3cd71723 | type |
Acme Products | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3cd71723 | comment |
Acme Products: Episode 4 has the kids and Hal dump a box of confetti supplied by ACME Party Supplies into a woodchipper. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3cd71723 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3cd71723 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3cd71723 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3d4d3dc9 | type |
Humans Are Bastards | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3d4d3dc9 | comment |
Humans Are Bastards: Basically the level of cynicism of the series. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3d4d3dc9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3d4d3dc9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3d4d3dc9 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3d59c9a0 | type |
Powered Armor | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3d59c9a0 | comment |
The time Stevie got revenge on Reese using his secret weapon comes to mind. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3d59c9a0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3d59c9a0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3d59c9a0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3fafbfd4 | type |
Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3fafbfd4 | comment |
Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome: Averted with Jamie who was born at the end of season four. He aged like a normal kid would through the rest of the series. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3fafbfd4 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3fafbfd4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_3fafbfd4 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_40c57041 | type |
Manipulative Bastard | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_40c57041 | comment |
In the first episode of Season 2, the family is stuck in massive traffic jam following a car smashing into a big rig while they were driving away from the waterpark. After nagging the roadside workers didn't get them to work faster, Lois high jacks a crane and tries to move the wrecks herself. A highway patrol officer tries to calmly talk her down, but she angrily yells at him to not patronize her. Having had other confrontations with her, he decides to let her know what he really thinks, and bluntly tells her that she's just another control freak who simply cannot accept that there are things that she can't manipulate into doing what she wants when she wants, and no matter how hard or loud she screams she's going to face the fact that the traffic jam will be eventually end without her help. Lois climbs down from the crane and furiously storms off back to the car. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_40c57041 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_40c57041 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_40c57041 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_41d50d81 | type |
Big Brother Bully | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_41d50d81 | comment |
Big Brother Bully: Francis is away from the family nearly the entire series, and he's more of a Big Brother Mentor during the series, but still has moments that fall under this trope. It is also implied that he bullied Reese much worse than he or Malcolm ever did to Dewey, even once stabbing Reese with a bayonet. Reese fills this role for Malcolm & Dewey for the majority of the series, although Malcolm gives as much as he receives and joins in (to a lesser extent) with bullying Dewey; and after the birth of Jamie, neither one bullies him & both assume similar roles to what they share with Francis. Dewey, being the youngest for most the series, doesn't fall under this but gets a few The Dog Bites Back episodes; and after Jamie's born, complains that it's not fair that Reese & Malcolm got the Cool Big Bro Francis when they were kids, but Francis left for military school before Dewey formed any memories of having a cool big brother - Francis then reveals that he has no idea why Reese and Malcolm idolize him so much since he was way worse to them than they are to Dewey. He even admits he stabbed Reese once. They actually don't do this to Jamie, since the boys want to be better big brothers. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_41d50d81 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_41d50d81 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_41d50d81 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_42c9f1ec | type |
Downplayed Trope | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_42c9f1ec | comment |
Cynthia, then the rest of Malcolm's Krelboyne friends save for Stevie, and finally Mr. Herkabe (though his last appearance is in the final season, so this is downplayed). | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_42c9f1ec | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_42c9f1ec | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_42c9f1ec | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_44fc28e8 | type |
Honor Before Reason | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_44fc28e8 | comment |
Honor Before Reason: Susan would rather die than allow Lois to donate one of her kidneys to save her, because it would mean giving Lois "the power to give her life". Subverted in that Susan, begrudgingly, accepts said kidney in the end. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_44fc28e8 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_44fc28e8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_44fc28e8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_454d9422 | type |
Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_454d9422 | comment |
Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies: Malcolm takes a Sims-esque game's refusal to play out like he had predicted very, very badly. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_454d9422 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_454d9422 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_454d9422 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_46118dc5 | type |
Adult Fear | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_46118dc5 | comment |
Adult Fear: Malcolm at first is the Only Sane Man of his Dysfunctional Family because he's a genius while his dad is bumbling, his mother is controlling, Reese is an idiot and Dewey is a kid. Over time, however, he suffers Character Regression and starts acting more like his family than he wants to be, and the series ends with him accepting his mother's control over him, even from afar. Amid the Black Comedy, it's a Gut Punch that Malcolm can't escape an emotionally abusive household. "Malcolm Babysits" has a truly creepy moment where Malcolm has been given permission by a rich family to use everything in their house, from the TV to the pool. The husband even tells Malcolm which remotes and cables can connect him to his channels. While doing this, Malcolm finds out he's being recorded and follows a camera cable to a secret closet. Inside, he finds a bunch of video cassettes labeled with what he was doing in his employers' house, including "using our bathroom" and "scratching himself". While Malcolm's response is more "they're jerks," and does a resignation video that is revenge, that is actually terrifying to know that your kid is being treated as voyeuristic entertainment. Goodness knows how Hal and Lois would have responded if Malcolm had bothered to tell them the details and they weren't distracted by the fumigation. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_46118dc5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_46118dc5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_46118dc5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_464ceda5 | type |
Pair the Dumb Ones | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_464ceda5 | comment |
Pair the Dumb Ones: In the episode "Stupid Girl", Malcolm has a crush on Brainless Beauty Alison. Following the advice of his dumb brother Reese, he tries to turn off his brain when he's around her. They tried to date but it didn't work out and, by the end of the episode, Alison starts dating Reese himself and they get along perfectly. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_464ceda5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_464ceda5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_464ceda5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_46e53efd | type |
Screams Like a Little Girl | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_46e53efd | comment |
Screams Like a Little Girl: Both Hal (frequently) and Francis (rather justifiably, when he's trapped under the floorboards as a swarm of rats engulfs him). | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_46e53efd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_46e53efd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_46e53efd | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4701a896 | type |
Meddling Parents | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4701a896 | comment |
Meddling Parents | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4701a896 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4701a896 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4701a896 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4781adbb | type |
Jerk with a Heart of Gold | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4781adbb | comment |
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Francis is a borderline example. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4781adbb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4781adbb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4781adbb | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_47e9e5c6 | type |
Smart People Know Latin | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_47e9e5c6 | comment |
Smart People Know Latin: In "Shame," Malcolm is heckled by a classmate named Kevin, who keeps repeating every sentence Malcolm says. Malcolm gets him to stop by speaking Latin. (Specifically, "De gustibus non est disputandum.") | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_47e9e5c6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_47e9e5c6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_47e9e5c6 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_47fea76b | type |
Butt-Monkey | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_47fea76b | comment |
Butt-Monkey: Craig. The whole family, though Lois and, in later seasons, Dewey and Jamie manage to avoid this for the most part. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_47fea76b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_47fea76b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_47fea76b | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_49a11c69 | type |
Commissar Cap | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_49a11c69 | comment |
Commissar Cap: Commandant Spangler wears one. In one episode Spangler takes away the cadets' TV, to which Francis encourages them to protest by having a hunger strike. After a few days without food, Francis is too weak to remember what they were protesting, negotiating a deal with Spangler to end the strike in exchange for his "magic hat". | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_49a11c69 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_49a11c69 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_49a11c69 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_49d5dd74 | type |
||
Malcolm in the Middle / int_49d5dd74 | comment |
"Cavemen vs. Astronauts" Debate: In one episode, Francis accidentally starts one by proclaiming he could eat 100 marshmallow peeps in a single sitting, causing all the students in his military school to debate whether or not a human could. He ends the argument by Proving he can, albeit he vomited a few back up Another episode starts with Malcolm repeatedly slamming a cabinet door against Reese's head while Dewey bites Malcolm's leg. They're fighting about which animal would win in a knife fight. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_49d5dd74 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_49d5dd74 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_49d5dd74 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4a6e9fd9 | type |
Obnoxious In-Laws | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4a6e9fd9 | comment |
Obnoxious In-Laws: Every single member of Hal's family hates Lois, despite the fact that she isn't that rude to them. They purposely steal her shoes and direct her away from the house, specifically to exclude her from the family picture, and claim she's just Wangsting about it when she protests. Despite their usual rivalry with her, when the boys hear their mom crying in the bathroom, all four of them decide to get revenge. Ida to Hal. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4a6e9fd9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4a6e9fd9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4a6e9fd9 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4ad1816a | type |
Everyone Knows Morse | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4ad1816a | comment |
Everyone Knows Morse: In a season 2 episode the family are playing March and Conquer without Malcolm (as Malcolm is in the hospital with appendicitis). Lois finds out Hal and the boys where ganging up on her when Hal accidentally taps Morse Code into her foot. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4ad1816a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4ad1816a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4ad1816a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4bc5e1e8 | type |
Unfortunate Implications | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4bc5e1e8 | comment |
Unfortunate Implications: In-universe, Reese claims that all women are jealous of their current positions, and that they all want to be like the stripper on the billboard, while Malcolm and Dewey attempt to preach feminism (namely to get themselves out of trouble from their mom), causing them to call Reese out on it. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4bc5e1e8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4bc5e1e8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4bc5e1e8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4c37b23 | type |
Third Line, Some Waiting | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4c37b23 | comment |
Third Line, Some Waiting: Most of the subplots involving the oldest son Francis, since he was never living with the family during the series. Played with in one episode; about halfway through the family has dinner together, and all the characters spend the entire dinner commenting on the separate subplots. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4c37b23 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4c37b23 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4c37b23 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4c9d2176 | type |
Formerly Fat | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4c9d2176 | comment |
Subverted. A one-episode babysitter, Patty, had the younger three kids tripping over themselves trying to impress her because she was so attractive. Turns out that she had a crush on Francis since they went to school together, because she was much heavier then, and he was the only one who was remotely civil to her. She calls him at school and drops hints about hooking up when he visits home, but he quickly turns her down without seeing what she looks like now. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4c9d2176 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4c9d2176 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4c9d2176 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4e690511 | type |
The Alleged Computer | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4e690511 | comment |
The Alleged Computer: Exaggerated. One of the family's neighbors gives the boys his "old laptop" in exchange for Malcolm helping him set up his new computer. His old laptop turns out to be one of the luggables from the 80s. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4e690511 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4e690511 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4e690511 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4e7c4536 | type |
Wham Line | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4e7c4536 | comment |
Wham Line: In part 2 of "Reese Joins the Army", after Hal admits to the court that Malcolm worked out that every date that he was supposedly doing illegal activities for his company was on a Friday, his lawyer asks him (as part of the cross-examination) why this is relevant. This then leads into an In-Universe one once he's asked if he can back this up: | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4e7c4536 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4e7c4536 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4e7c4536 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4edbce3e | type |
InterClassRomance | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4edbce3e | comment |
Inter-Class Romance: Hal comes from a very rich family that openly hates Lois. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4edbce3e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4edbce3e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4edbce3e | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4f4372e9 | type |
Early Installment Weirdness | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4f4372e9 | comment |
Early Installment Weirdness Early episodes of the series tended to focus more on Maclom's growth as a person and as such used to have An Aesop, that was all but directly stated to him by either Lois or Hal. It was Played With, however, since it often lead to other jokes. A Running Gag that started in the pilot, of Hal's body hair growing so profusely it had to be shaved once a month. It continued to be referenced mostly in Lois commenting on having to shave him, but seemed to be quietly forgotten about in later seasons, with Hal having a normal amount of body hair when he appeared shirtless. Hal and Lois appeared to be more lax with nudity, like having Hal being shaved next to the breakfast table and lifting the newspaper above his crotch, with the boys looking away or Lois walking around topless and even opening the door to Malcolm's teacher. Later episodes drop this, with nudity being mostly restricted to being in the shower or similar. In the pilot, Malcolm had a friend named Richard who walked with him to school; he was never seen or mentioned in any other episode (though it's likely he stopped talking to Malcolm after he became a Krelboyne.) Also in the pilot, it seemed it was planned for Malcolm to wrap up the episode in the credits roll with a summary of what happened afterwards. This was not used in the series aside from the pilot, which just plays the theme song instead. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4f4372e9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4f4372e9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4f4372e9 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4f84cdef | type |
Smug Snake | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4f84cdef | comment |
Smug Snake: Mr. Herkabe and Malcolm in later seasons. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4f84cdef | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4f84cdef | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4f84cdef | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4fb60159 | type |
Do Not Do This Cool Thing | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4fb60159 | comment |
Do Not Do This Cool Thing: An in-universe example combined with Accidental Public Confession. In "New Neighbors," when Malcolm states that he wouldn't want to spy on anybody anyway (no thanks to the new neighbor kid falsely telling the police that he did), Hal says it's not because of what the person looks like, and he goes into an incredibly detailed explanation about the thrill and appeal of being a Peeping Tom. One of the cops present looks at Hal very suspiciously. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4fb60159 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4fb60159 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4fb60159 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4ff6f484 | type |
Trash the Set | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4ff6f484 | comment |
Trash the Set: Reese makes the world's greatest mess in the finale so he can get work as a janitor. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4ff6f484 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4ff6f484 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_4ff6f484 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5049f19d | type |
Do Well, but Not Perfect | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5049f19d | comment |
Do Well, but Not Perfect: Invoked in "Home Alone 4", when Reese and Malcolm reveal to Francis that their parents are considering letting him come home from military school if he does a good enough job watching over them that weekend... causing him to realize they need to clean up the house, as he has essentially trashed it by that point. After they're done, it's recognized they made the house too clean, and promptly make a minor amount of mess in order to balance things out. This winds up causing a shelf to hit Malcolm in the head and cause a gash. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5049f19d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5049f19d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5049f19d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_50b05d30 | type |
Disproportionate Retribution | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_50b05d30 | comment |
In "Lois Strikes Back", when she tied Malcolm to her car, just for trying to talk her out of pulling cruel pranks on the girls that psychologically ruined Reese. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_50b05d30 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_50b05d30 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_50b05d30 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_51a24979 | type |
The Freelance Shame Squad | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_51a24979 | comment |
The Freelance Shame Squad: All the kids sitting on the benches at the water park start giggling derisively at Reese after Malcolm yanks down Reese's trunks in front of them. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_51a24979 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_51a24979 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_51a24979 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53136954 | type |
Book Dumb | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53136954 | comment |
Book Dumb: Reese. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53136954 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53136954 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53136954 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5313c266 | type |
Book-Ends | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5313c266 | comment |
Book-Ends: Both the first and last episodes end with the song "Better Days (And The Bottom Drops Out)" by Citizen King. In the first episode Malcolm claims that being a Krelboyne casts a symbolic force field around him that prevents anyone from getting near him (He even moves in the bench he's sitting on, showing how the "forcefield" pushes people away from him). The very same thing happens to the whole family, Piama and Ida included, in the last episode when Reese's putrid bomb explodes in the family's car on the way to the Graduation, making them smell so bad that they repel people away. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5313c266 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5313c266 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5313c266 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_534bc834 | type |
Escalating War | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_534bc834 | comment |
The reason why Malcolm and Reese's Escalating War in "Forwards Backwards" happened at all, revealed in a flashback at the end, was because Malcolm ate the blueberry Reese was saving. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_534bc834 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_534bc834 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_534bc834 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_537b29d1 | type |
Acquainted with Emergency Services | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_537b29d1 | comment |
Acquainted with Emergency Services: In one episode, Reese comes home pursued by the police. When his parents notice the sirens, Lois decides to start making coffee. Then Hal notes that the policeman is a guy called Hank, who only drinks decaffeinated coffee. In one episode, Malcolm is taken to the hospital to treat a serious head injury; the hospital is already familiar with Malcolm and all his brothers, and are not pleased to see them, as they have a history with their idiotic injuries. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_537b29d1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_537b29d1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_537b29d1 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53c3fa83 | type |
Granola Girl | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53c3fa83 | comment |
Granola Girl: Polly, the nanny Lois hired for Jamie. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53c3fa83 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53c3fa83 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53c3fa83 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53c9fc92 | type |
Flashback | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53c9fc92 | comment |
Earlier in the episode mentioned above, a series of Flashbacks explains Dewey's motivation for hijacking the boy's birthday: Hal arriving late from golf a previous year and not knowing who's pary it is; Malcolm and Reese giving him a "birthday beating," (one punch forme each for every year Dewey is ols); and Lois and Francis, before he was shipped off to Military School, getting into (another) loud argument during Dewey's party. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53c9fc92 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53c9fc92 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_53c9fc92 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5541da8c | type |
Lotus-Eater Machine | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5541da8c | comment |
Lotus-Eater Machine: The bed that Dewey and Malcolm find in one episode. Dewey even claims that it is eating Malcolm's soul. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5541da8c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5541da8c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5541da8c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_561dab6b | type |
Mistaken for Gay | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_561dab6b | comment |
Mistaken for Gay: Francis gets assigned to be the honour guard for a beauty pageant (and takes great delight in being surrounded by beautiful women). The contestants reasons he must be gay because he loves the theatre, is good at decorating and is obsessed with his mother. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_561dab6b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_561dab6b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_561dab6b | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_58626d87 | type |
Genius Ditz | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_58626d87 | comment |
Genius Ditz: Reese is a moron, but has an incredible talent for cooking. He's also got a gift for exploiting people: during an emergency (a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed) the town was stuck in the school's gym. Reese immediately began a black market and by the end had all of the toilet paper, blankets, and a number of assorted goods (he started an auction for the insulin between two diabetics). So it appears that when properly incentivized, Reese can be quite the evil genius. Dewey turns out to be an impressively skilled musician and performer, who also has much more advanced social skills than the rest of the family. In the finale, Hal mentions offhand that he's going to just drift through life being happy and successful. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_58626d87 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_58626d87 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_58626d87 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_59f5238 | type |
D-Cup Distress | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_59f5238 | comment |
D-Cup Distress: In "Cynthia's Back," Malcolm's friend returns from living in Europe for a while. She's mysteriously sullen, snappish, avoids people and she's taken to wearing big, baggy jumpers and hunching over. It's revealed the reason is that She Is All Grown Up and she doesn't like the way it's changed how people (especially adolescent boys) act around her. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_59f5238 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_59f5238 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_59f5238 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5a3b8032 | type |
The Un-Reveal | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5a3b8032 | comment |
The Unreveal: This was done with Jamie's gender initially, with "It's a beautiful baby..." (ambulance siren). A later cold opening looks like it's going to continue keeping it a secret, until Hal starts to change a dirty diaper and narrowly dodges a stream of pee. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5a3b8032 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5a3b8032 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5a3b8032 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5a6aeb9e | type |
How the Character Stole Christmas | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5a6aeb9e | comment |
How the Character Stole Christmas: Lois, of course. Only to discipline the kids (and it was revealed she was feeling like a monster for it). | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5a6aeb9e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5a6aeb9e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5a6aeb9e | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5b9b4a19 | type |
Almighty Mom | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5b9b4a19 | comment |
Almighty Mom: Lois has her moments, the best example probably being her reaction to Reese joining the army and getting sent to Afghanistan. She manages to bully the details of the mission out of a general, and the next we see of her she's set herself up as the leader of a gang of Afghan militants, who seem to be terrified of her. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5b9b4a19 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5b9b4a19 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5b9b4a19 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5ca80293 | type |
Pragmatic Villainy | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5ca80293 | comment |
Pragmatic Villainy: Ida's Amoral Attorney drops the lawsuit against her daughter's family when he finds out how poor they are. Not because Even Evil Has Standards, but because if they don't have anything to take, then there's no way for him to get paid. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5ca80293 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5ca80293 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5ca80293 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5dcb9d92 | type |
Less Embarrassing Term | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5dcb9d92 | comment |
Less Embarrassing Term: Dewey carries a handbag that he insists is a bookbag. When a group of kids make fun of him for it, he hits them with it. This is quite effective as he had filled it with bricks. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5dcb9d92 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5dcb9d92 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5dcb9d92 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5e50adfe | type |
Split Timelines Plot | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5e50adfe | comment |
Split Timelines Plot: "Bowling" bifuricates depending on whether Hal or Lois takes the kids out bowling. When Hal takes them, Malcolm has a good time and attracts the attention of a pretty girl, Reese fares poorly at flirting and attracts the ire of another patron, and Dewey (staying home) is unable to get around Lois's strictness. Meanwhile, Lois is overbearing and strict, making for a miserable experience for both brothers; Dewey, by contrast, tuckers out Hal, gets pizza, and watches R-rated movies on TV. The twist is that the mood suddenly flips near the end of both timelines - Malcolm ends up ruining Hal's perfect game (and Reese gets beaten up by the patron he angered), while the former at least gets a kiss from the girl in Lois's timeline. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5e50adfe | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5e50adfe | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_5e50adfe | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_60cc14ba | type |
Ruritania | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_60cc14ba | comment |
Ruritania: Malcolm's grandparents came from a vaguely East European country. From everything we hear about the history and customs, it seems to be a fairly horrifying place. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_60cc14ba | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_60cc14ba | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_60cc14ba | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_60fb097 | type |
Dick Dastardly Stops to Cheat | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_60fb097 | comment |
Dick Dastardly Stops to Cheat: When Reese's cooking class holds a competition, he happily sabotages the other competitors' dishes, even though he was by far the best chef there and would've won regardless. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_60fb097 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_60fb097 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_60fb097 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_61b8f9e2 | type |
Bunny-Ears Lawyer | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_61b8f9e2 | comment |
Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Reese eventually develops into this. He goes from being a brutal thug to a brutal thug who is very good at cooking. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_61b8f9e2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_61b8f9e2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_61b8f9e2 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_62dbbb82 | type |
Mexicans Love Speedy Gonzales | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_62dbbb82 | comment |
Mexicans Love Speedy Gonzales: An In-Universe example occurs in "Standee". Lois finds a standee in the store a racist caricature of black people and demands it be taken down. Not only does no one agree with her, but Hal's black poker buddies love the standee and it triples the stores black customers. Lois only leaves it up when she learns a racist coworker wants it taken down because she's sick of recent influx of black customers. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_62dbbb82 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_62dbbb82 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_62dbbb82 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_62fd5552 | type |
Bavarian Fire Drill | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_62fd5552 | comment |
Bavarian Fire Drill: Hal manages to trick an entire police and fire department that he's a bomb squad agent for several hours. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_62fd5552 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_62fd5552 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_62fd5552 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6375f746 | type |
Drill Sergeant Nasty | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6375f746 | comment |
Played straight when Francis was at military school; the Drill Sergeant Nasty headmaster was a total Jerkass who served as his Sitcom Arch Enemy. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6375f746 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6375f746 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6375f746 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_63b02752 | type |
Hair-Trigger Temper | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_63b02752 | comment |
Lois goes from a hair triggered tempered parent who uses Tough Love to keep her boys in line to a borderline-psychopath living vicariously through the only son who's smart enough to succeed in the world (Malcolm) as shown in some later episodes (i.e. Lois Strikes Back and the series finale). | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_63b02752 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_63b02752 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_63b02752 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_64e6f231 | type |
No Matter How Much I Beg | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_64e6f231 | comment |
No Matter How Much I Beg: When Reese is trying his darnedest to stay out of trouble so he cannot be punished and miss taking his driver's ed test, he has Malcolm tie him to his bed the night before as a precaution. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_64e6f231 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_64e6f231 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_64e6f231 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_65bc92fc | type |
Four-Temperament Ensemble | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_65bc92fc | comment |
Four-Temperament Ensemble: The four original sons fit into this with Dewey (sanguine), Malcolm (melancholic), Reese (choleric), and Francis (phlegmatic). | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_65bc92fc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_65bc92fc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_65bc92fc | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_660cf7ab | type |
Gag Boobs | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_660cf7ab | comment |
Also done with Cynthia, but with a focus on her Gag Boobs. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_660cf7ab | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_660cf7ab | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_660cf7ab | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_66dfe36a | type |
Missing Mom | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_66dfe36a | comment |
Missing Mom: Stevie's mom abandons her son and husband a few seasons in. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_66dfe36a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_66dfe36a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_66dfe36a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_66f59ad | type |
Balloonacy | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_66f59ad | comment |
Balloonacy: Reese sends himself up in a lawn chair. He eventually crashes through a church window. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_66f59ad | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_66f59ad | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_66f59ad | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_67711aa | type |
Company Town | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_67711aa | comment |
Company Town: In season 3, Francis moves to Alaska to get a logging job on the recommendation of Eric. Turns out that the job is horrible and Eric tricked Francis into coming in a desperate attempt to help him get out of crushing debt to his boss, Lavernia. Lavernia rules over the isolated workers with an iron fist and price gouges them so they have to work for her to pay off their endless debts. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_67711aa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_67711aa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_67711aa | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_680f950 | type |
Gilligan Cut | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_680f950 | comment |
Francis: Lois goes into labor during the wedding, and refuses to go to the hospital because she doesn't want the baby to be born out of wedlock, and after Hal missplaces him for a few seconds, Lois promises to never leave baby Francis' side, and in the present Lois tells a teen-aged Francis (who's visiting from Military School) to go away. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_680f950 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_680f950 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_680f950 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_68a171b6 | type |
Sadist Show | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_68a171b6 | comment |
Sadist Show: The series is wall-to-wall power struggles and emotional warfare. The rule on that show is that whatever makes the characters (especially Malcolm) the most miserable is what will happen. Just two examples: the episode that ends with Francis dragged naked behind a Zamboni on a skating rink (after trying to stop getting deeper in debt to his evil employer), and the episode that ends with Malcolm being insulted, a lot, by a girl, having a crying jag and drying his tears with poison oak. There was an in-universe example of this as well... In one episode, Francis babysits his brothers and sets up a "contest" to see which brother loves him most by doing random tasks for him. This quickly devolves into a brawl, and Francis briefly cuts in, saying something to the effect of "Whoa, whoa. This was supposed to be about love, and you've turned it into something ugly! ...Carry on." He then sits down with a drink and watches his brothers fighting, saying "This, too, pleases me." | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_68a171b6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_68a171b6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_68a171b6 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_69681e01 | type |
Big Brother Instinct | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_69681e01 | comment |
Big Brother Instinct: At the same time, when push comes to shove, the brothers will not hesitate to defend one another. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_69681e01 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_69681e01 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_69681e01 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_69cc2a27 | type |
Hilariously Abusive Childhood | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_69cc2a27 | comment |
Hilariously Abusive Childhood: Interestingly, it borders on this for the younger boys, who simply gripe about their mom lightly, but with Francis it's almost always averted and he has deep-seated hatred for her, acknowledging that psychological abuse is serious and long-term. Lampshaded in the episode "Reese's Apartment", when Lois and Hal kick Reese out. Francis finds out and is trying to convince his brothers and his parents that this is abuse, but they don't believe him. What makes it worse is that during the time they kicked him out, Reese was a model citizen and was getting perfect scores in all his classes. Unfortunately, Reese also had no concept of financial responsibility, carelessly racking up 10 grand in credit card debt. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_69cc2a27 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_69cc2a27 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_69cc2a27 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6b05b601 | type |
Jerkass Has a Point | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6b05b601 | comment |
Jerkass Has a Point: Ida correctly pointed out to Lois that a lot of their money problems come from Lois and Hal's inability to stay off each other. The episode "Therapy" has this as a joke: | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6b05b601 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6b05b601 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6b05b601 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6c22a57b | type |
Jumping on a Grenade | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6c22a57b | comment |
Jumping on a Grenade: The 'grenade in the refrigerator' variant. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6c22a57b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6c22a57b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6c22a57b | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6cc2137b | type |
The Scream | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6cc2137b | comment |
The Scream: Reese's reaction to learning that the diary he found and started reading, falling for the author in the process, is Lois'. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6cc2137b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6cc2137b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6cc2137b | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6d9bc945 | type |
Babies Ever After | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6d9bc945 | comment |
Babies Ever After: Confirmed with Hal and Lois. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6d9bc945 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6d9bc945 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6d9bc945 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6dc502d1 | type |
Big Brother Worship | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6dc502d1 | comment |
Big Brother Worship: All of the other boys towards Francis early on. They do mellow out about it a bit as they grow up, though. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6dc502d1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6dc502d1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6dc502d1 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6df4d991 | type |
Native American Casino | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6df4d991 | comment |
Native American Casino: Francis makes a casino out of half of his and his wife's house when he finds out that the one half is on reservation territory. In another episode, the family goes to an Indian casino, and Hal and Malcolm are caught counting cards. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6df4d991 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6df4d991 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6df4d991 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6e5c03dc | type |
Parking Payback | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6e5c03dc | comment |
Parking Payback: One episode saw Hal trying to get himself attacked so he can be a hero. He tries picking a fight by stealing a parking space...only to realise he stole a handicapped spot from a wheelchair user, who keys his car as he embarrassedly drives away. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6e5c03dc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6e5c03dc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6e5c03dc | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6f619fab | type |
Let's Split Up, Gang! | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6f619fab | comment |
Let's Split Up, Gang!: When the group gets left at the county fair after it closes, Malcolm points out it looks like the beginning of every horror movie he's ever seen. Reese suggests they split up. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6f619fab | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6f619fab | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6f619fab | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6fed1be4 | type |
Raw Eggs Make You Stronger | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6fed1be4 | comment |
Raw Eggs Make You Stronger: Hal trains for a race-walking competition by drinking a shake mixed with raw eggs, plus raw ground beef and some supplement powder. He prepares and consumes the concoction on-camera, in a single take. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6fed1be4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6fed1be4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_6fed1be4 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_714019ac | type |
Coffin Contraband | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_714019ac | comment |
Coffin Contraband: In a first season episode, Reese planned on disposing of Dewey's broken birthday present by hiding it in his great aunt's coffin. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_714019ac | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_714019ac | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_714019ac | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7220ed55 | type |
Token White | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7220ed55 | comment |
Token White: Played with. While Stevie is the token black of the main kids, Hal winds up becoming the Token White of his friends, who are all black. Hal's also a Twofer Token Minority since he's the only poor member of the group. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7220ed55 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_7220ed55 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7220ed55 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_725583e8 | type |
Good Feels Good | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_725583e8 | comment |
Good Feels Good: Reese, nearly word for word while wing-manning for Stevie...by "pimping a fatal disease to take advantage of a girl." | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_725583e8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_725583e8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_725583e8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_728298ef | type |
Vandalism Backfire | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_728298ef | comment |
Vandalism Backfire: Malcolm and Reese get into Escalating Wars of breaking each other's things on an almost daily basis, and Reese has been known to break his own things by accident. And Dewey's, of course, but who cares about that? | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_728298ef | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_728298ef | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_728298ef | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_72856b70 | type |
Godzilla Threshold | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_72856b70 | comment |
Godzilla Threshold: "Graduation" reveals that Malcolm, Reese, and Dewey have a system set up note evidence of the worst thing they ever did: tamper with a medical record and trick Lois into believing she had cancer to distract her from their bad grades in place to keep them in mutual check and discourage them from screwing each other over too severely, lest the victim, having nothing to lose, decide to take all three of them down. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_72856b70 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_72856b70 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_72856b70 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7374ab13 | type |
Once More, with Clarity! | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7374ab13 | comment |
Towards the end of "Stupid Girl", Malcolm decides to sneak away from the dance with Allison to go make out, armed with a six-pack... when he runs into Lois and Stevienote itself a nail, as they only arrived to the dance because Lois decided to take Stevie herself, in order to show he could still enjoy it despite being in a wheelchair in the parking lot. In an instant, Malcolm promptly acts like he was consoling Allison about how "that guy's a complete jerk", and how they should just get rid of the beer she was given and get her a ride home. And then... | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7374ab13 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_7374ab13 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7374ab13 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_738d1a0f | type |
Because You Were Nice to Me | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_738d1a0f | comment |
Because You Were Nice to Me: Francis' once fat, now gorgeous former classmate still loves him just because he once said to his bullying friends "she isn't that fat". | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_738d1a0f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_738d1a0f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_738d1a0f | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_73a7d1b3 | type |
Radish Cure | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_73a7d1b3 | comment |
Radish Cure: In an early episode Malcolm swears at his father, who is deeply hurt, and considers that it's hard to punish a child for swearing - 'if it was smoking I'd have him go through the whole pack until he was gasping for air'. This gives him an idea. Later, he hands Malcolm a long list of terms of abuse, and asks Malcolm to read everything on the list to 'the man who held you in his arms the moment you were born'. Malcolm gives up somewhere in the middle, but when Hal attempts to let him off, he quickly exclaims that he can finish the whole list. He does. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_73a7d1b3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_73a7d1b3 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_73a7d1b3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_746569a5 | type |
Embarrassing Cover-Up | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_746569a5 | comment |
Embarrassing Cover Up: Malcolm has to bring some comfort item to Craig, who is secretly living in Lois's workplace. When she questions him about having a pineapple, spare pants and a book with him, he explains that he is going through a very bad belly problem, justifying the need of fresh fruit, a book to read in the bathroom and well, spare pants. Self-inflicted trope. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_746569a5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_746569a5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_746569a5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_754df088 | type |
Put on a Bus | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_754df088 | comment |
Ditto for Malcolm's previous teacher, Caroline. She had a baby and got Put on a Bus in the form of extended maternity leave. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_754df088 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_754df088 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_754df088 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_762b9223 | type |
Played for Laughs | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_762b9223 | comment |
Played for Laughs in "Goodbye Kitty". Otto and Francis wield shotguns with no regard for safety, closing their eyes while aiming the weapons, with their fingers resting on the triggers. The guns end up accidentally pointed at each other, with both men counting down to shoot with their fingers on still on the triggers, all without opening their eyes. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_762b9223 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_762b9223 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_762b9223 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_771f6307 | type |
Brother–Sister Incest | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_771f6307 | comment |
Brother/Brother Incest: In the episode "Pearl Harbor", Jessica convinces Malcolm and Reese that the other is gay. When she reveals her lie, Reese's first idea to get back at her involves him kissing Malcolm's neck so hard that a huge hickey is left. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_771f6307 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_771f6307 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_771f6307 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_776a49bc | type |
Cathartic Chores | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_776a49bc | comment |
Cathartic Chores: In episode "Boys At Ranch", Hal, Reese, and Dewey visit the ranch that Francis works at. When Dewey breaks a display doll, Gretchen tells him that he can "work off" his guilt by cleaning part of the hotel; for the rest of the episode, he keeps remembering other bad things he did and keeps cleaning. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_776a49bc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_776a49bc | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_776a49bc | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_77e1687a | type |
Super OCD | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_77e1687a | comment |
Super OCD: Chad from the Busey class takes this trope to Ax-Crazy levels. With an actual ax. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_77e1687a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_77e1687a | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_77e1687a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_77e73dc7 | type |
Food as Bribe | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_77e73dc7 | comment |
Food as Bribe: Reese's own subconscious did this to him in "Reese Comes Home." When he collapses from exhaustion in the Afghani wilderness, a hallucination of Mr. Waffles, a mascot for his favorite waffle mix, encourages him to get up and find a way back to America. None of the more inspiring words work, so Mr. Waffles says that his brand's mix will have more blueberries. At this, Reese forces himself to drudge forward, still chatting with Mr. Waffles. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_77e73dc7 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_77e73dc7 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_77e73dc7 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7842867 | type |
Vengeance Feels Empty | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7842867 | comment |
Vengeance Feels Empty: In "Forwards Backwards," Lois and Hal bring Reese and Malcolm home from the hospital after they tied in a Game of Chicken at the go kart track, and Hal tells Malcolm to cancel his birthday plans because he's grounded. As Malcolm blames Reese for ruining his birthday, Reeses says that he was grounded on his birthday too, and Lois asks them what they remember doing on their previous birthdays, only for them to remeber not doing anything because they did something to the other that got them grounded. Lois than calls them out on their obsesion to get payback for wathever slight against them has resulted in them not having a happy memory to look back on because they have had to deal with the consequences of their actions. Later, Lois and Hal try to smooth things over with Dewey, because they missed his leading role in the school play, by giving him a new video game, but when that isn't enough, they give him Malcolm's (former) birthday present, a rare, and expensive, comic book. Dewey takes his new gifts and wishes Malcolm, who is doing manual labor arond the house with Reese, a happy birthday. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7842867 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_7842867 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7842867 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_79190971 | type |
Karmic Trickster | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_79190971 | comment |
Karmic Trickster: Malcolm in the early seasons, but less so as the series went on, Dewey in the later seasons, In "Lois Strikes Back", after Reese gets pranked by a band of Alpha Bitches, Lois briefly turns into a Vigilante Woman and torments the girls to the point that they lose the things they cherished the most, e.g. a girl named Kristin having her hair shaved off due to getting gum on her head. Malcolm wasn't pleased. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_79190971 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_79190971 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_79190971 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_794fd8a4 | type |
Popular Is Dumb | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_794fd8a4 | comment |
Popular Is Dumb: Malcolm gets paired up with a popular girl on chemistry class he already awaits with annoyance, thinking her silliness will burden him. However, she turns out to be smart, only Obfuscating Stupidity for the popular company. They even start a secret relationship which ends because of Jessica's scheming. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_794fd8a4 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_794fd8a4 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_794fd8a4 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_79a60aec | type |
For Want of a Nail | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_79a60aec | comment |
For Want of a Nail: The premise of "Bowling" is that we get two versions of Reese and Malcolm's night of bowling with some kids from school: one where Lois drove them, and one where Hal drove them. This also applies to the subplot with Dewey as whoever didn't take them had to stay home with him (he was being punished). Dewey is the true nail here: the only reason he was being punished was because he killed the neighbor's bird. The most noticeable effect of this can be seen in Malcolm: in the "Lois" version, he keeps getting gutterballs. In the "Hal" version, although he isn't being forced to bowl, he gets a strike the one time we see him actually bowl. The reason why Malcolm and Reese's Escalating War in "Forwards Backwards" happened at all, revealed in a flashback at the end, was because Malcolm ate the blueberry Reese was saving. A flashback in "Lois Battles Jaime" reveals why Lois became so controlling and strict: as a kid, Francis got out of his high chair, and got ahold of lighter fluid and some matches. It was only because of Lois (who was on the phone with a pediatrician) turning around when she did that Francis did not die. There's also the punchline to the episode: it turns out the reason why Jaime was antagonizing Lois so much this episode... was because Reese had been giving him soda, 3 to 4 cans per day. What ultimately becomes a key moment in Francis' life, the thing that leads him to get himself emancipated and leave military school, is him knocking a payphone off the wall and onto his foot. Towards the end of "Stupid Girl", Malcolm decides to sneak away from the dance with Allison to go make out, armed with a six-pack... when he runs into Lois and Stevienote itself a nail, as they only arrived to the dance because Lois decided to take Stevie herself, in order to show he could still enjoy it despite being in a wheelchair in the parking lot. In an instant, Malcolm promptly acts like he was consoling Allison about how "that guy's a complete jerk", and how they should just get rid of the beer she was given and get her a ride home. And then... The plot of "Block Party" only happens because the annual family vacation to the lake was forced to end abruptly, causing them to come home three days early, after Malcolm, Reese and Dewey were attacked by leeches after attempting to swim in the lake. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_79a60aec | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_79a60aec | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_79a60aec | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7a0a54b1 | type |
Mighty Lumberjack | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7a0a54b1 | comment |
Mighty Lumberjack: Played with for a while, with Francis and his friend from military school believing they would be able to run off to Alaska and become manly lumberjacks relatively easily. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7a0a54b1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7a0a54b1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7a0a54b1 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7c9dcc1 | type |
THeUnfavorite | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7c9dcc1 | comment |
Lois herself was The Unfavorite for Ida who always liked Susan better. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7c9dcc1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7c9dcc1 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7c9dcc1 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7d34f23a | type |
Reckless Gun Usage | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7d34f23a | comment |
Reckless Gun Usage: Played for Laughs in "Goodbye Kitty". Otto and Francis wield shotguns with no regard for safety, closing their eyes while aiming the weapons, with their fingers resting on the triggers. The guns end up accidentally pointed at each other, with both men counting down to shoot with their fingers on still on the triggers, all without opening their eyes. Played straighter when Malcolm discovers a gun in one girl's purse. He takes it upon himself to destroy it instead of going straight to an adult, and in spite of having an incredible wealth of knowledge about how stuff works, he doesn't think to unload the thing first. After he discharges it and the authorities are called, one cop hangs a lampshade on the situation: | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7d34f23a | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_7d34f23a | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7d34f23a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7d89315b | type |
||
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7d89315b | comment |
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: In the first episode of Season 2, the family is stuck in massive traffic jam following a car smashing into a big rig while they were driving away from the waterpark. After nagging the roadside workers didn't get them to work faster, Lois high jacks a crane and tries to move the wrecks herself. A highway patrol officer tries to calmly talk her down, but she angrily yells at him to not patronize her. Having had other confrontations with her, he decides to let her know what he really thinks, and bluntly tells her that she's just another control freak who simply cannot accept that there are things that she can't manipulate into doing what she wants when she wants, and no matter how hard or loud she screams she's going to face the fact that the traffic jam will be eventually end without her help. Lois climbs down from the crane and furiously storms off back to the car. An old friend from Malcolm's past whom he's had a crush on giving a pretty brutal one to him after he kept pushing her on why she didn't like him in return. To the point where she made him cry. An RA tells Lois that she's a desperate control freak trying to live vicariously through her son to live her unfulfilled dreams, and if she isn't sure, she can ask the other (nonexistent) parents sleeping in their children's college dorm rooms. After failing to break into a party they weren't invited to, Malcolm and Reese demand "Why don't you like us?" One scene transition later, they walk out calmly, stating "They had some strong points." | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7d89315b | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_7d89315b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7d89315b | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7f9bfc3f | type |
Human Mail | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7f9bfc3f | comment |
Human Mail: Reese wants Dewey to mail him somewhere. Dewey packages him up and pretends to mail Reese by simulating movement and sounds. Reese falls for it. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7f9bfc3f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7f9bfc3f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7f9bfc3f | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7fefc3f1 | type |
Freudian Excuse Denial | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7fefc3f1 | comment |
Freudian Excuse Denial: And Hal denies having any of the Freudian excuses above whenever asked about it. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7fefc3f1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7fefc3f1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_7fefc3f1 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_808cbaeb | type |
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_808cbaeb | comment |
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Francis was sent to military school for a series of wrongdoing events, including being busted by the police, sleeping with a girl in his parents bed, wrecking a car to the point where it burns, and... getting his nose pierced. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_808cbaeb | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_808cbaeb | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_808cbaeb | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8107ca6a | type |
School Forced Us Together | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8107ca6a | comment |
School Forced Us Together: In one episode, Malcolm is literally forced to join the Booster club by Mr. Herkable (he oversees the booster club and gets a bonus if another student joins) who threatens to withhold Malcolm's letter of recommendation. Malcolm doesn't get along with the other members of the booster club, finding them too cheery and thinking their ideas to raise money are stupid. When he tries to leave, Mr. Herkable uses Reverse Psychology to get Malcolm to not only stay, but to put more effort into raising money. Another episode had the Krelboynes (gifted class) split up after an unauthorized experiment resulted in the Krelboyne room needing to be decontaminated. All of the Krelboynes end up joining separate cliques and bonding with different students when they're dispersed among the general student body; one falls in with the Goths after he quotes from Dante's Inferno, another one joins the jocks after removing a splinter from a jock's finger during a woodshop class, Stevie (who's in a wheelchair) joins the skater/BMX clique, and so on. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8107ca6a | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_8107ca6a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8107ca6a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_816c63d4 | type |
Dramatic Wind | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_816c63d4 | comment |
Dramatic Wind: Used in the episode where Hal and the boys visit Francis at the ranch. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_816c63d4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_816c63d4 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_816c63d4 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_81ae2774 | type |
Evil Matriarch | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_81ae2774 | comment |
Evil Matriarch: Ida and Lavernia both. The boys see Lois this way. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_81ae2774 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_81ae2774 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_81ae2774 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_820ac3c5 | type |
Dysfunction Junction | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_820ac3c5 | comment |
Dysfunction Junction: Almost every character, no matter how big or small, will always have some sort of defect. Even if they have just one line, you can bet they'll mention their particular dysfunction in it. Francis' mother-fixation/victim complex is arguably one of his biggest character traits in which he, no matter the situation or how much of a stretch it is, will find a way to blame it on Lois. In "Cheerleader", Commandant Spangler after Francis asked if he had problems with his own mother says to him "Name one thing wrong with your life that you don't blame on your mother." Francis, of course, is stumped. In a later episode, Francis is forced to share a bed with his boss at the dude ranch, Otto. His thoughts state that it was a landmark night for him since he considers it the first psychological trauma not caused by his mother. In one episode late in the series, Francis reveals he's joined Alcoholics Anonymous and is working through the 12 steps. The family is shocked but supportive, until he tries to convince Lois to admit she's an alcoholic too and she discovers he was never addicted (he states he rarely ever drank), but was so obsessed with blaming her for his problems that he'd essentially brainwashed himself into believing it was true so he could blame her. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_820ac3c5 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_820ac3c5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_820ac3c5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_823c6e3e | type |
Large Ham | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_823c6e3e | comment |
Large Ham: Spangler had his fair share of hammy moments, as did Hal. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_823c6e3e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_823c6e3e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_823c6e3e | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_82a82993 | type |
Because You Can Cope | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_82a82993 | comment |
Because You Can Cope: Lois' justification for her neglect of Malcolm compared to his other brothers. See Mama Bear below. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_82a82993 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_82a82993 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_82a82993 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8347d55e | type |
Has Two Mommies | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8347d55e | comment |
Has Two Dads: Francis' friend Eric. The relationship itself is never treated as a big deal, but Eric's tendency to tell Too Much Information about it squicks his friends out. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8347d55e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8347d55e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8347d55e | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_83a30cd3 | type |
Middle Child Syndrome | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_83a30cd3 | comment |
Middle Child Syndrome: Malcolm (and later Dewey) get some form of this. They are frequently ignored/abused in favor of the older and younger siblings. However, considering the trouble Reese and Francis got into and the age of Dewey in the first half of the show/Jamie in the second, they're also the two who 'need' the least help, and all of the boys get neglected in one way or another so it might even out. Plus, both are child prodigies (in different ways), and they eventually end up the two their parents are most proud of. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_83a30cd3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_83a30cd3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_83a30cd3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_848153ef | type |
Viva Las Vegas! | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_848153ef | comment |
Viva Las Vegas!: With all the associated tropes: Malcolm the card-counter, Hal's gambling problem, Lois the housewife falls for David Cassidy, etc. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_848153ef | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_848153ef | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_848153ef | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8504b817 | type |
Where the Hell Is Springfield? | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8504b817 | comment |
Where the Hell Is Springfield?: The city and state in which the show takes place is never revealed; the only clues we ever get are that it isn't in Alabama (the location of Francis's military school) or Alaska (where Francis goes after dropping out of military school). In the season finale, we learn that Harvard is "2000 miles away from mom", suggesting it's in the center west United States. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8504b817 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_8504b817 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8504b817 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_857744e7 | type |
Chew-Out Fake-Out | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_857744e7 | comment |
Chew-Out Fake-Out: When Hal goes to visit Francis's military school, he's at first appalled that all Francis is doing is goofing off, playing pranks, and getting into all manner of trouble while every other cadet gets awards passed out to them like candy. But when he learns that Francis' "insubordination" consists of things like standing up for a fellow cadet being unfairly bullied by the commandant for hugging his father, he's incredibly proud of him. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_857744e7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_857744e7 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_857744e7 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_863fa679 | type |
What Happened to the Mouse? | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_863fa679 | comment |
What Happened to the Mouse?: In one early episode, Lois and Hal clean out a closet, only to find that it has a fully-functioning toilet inside. Naturally, they're ecstatic at the prospect of having a bathroom they can keep secret from the kids, but it's literally never mentioned again for the rest of the show, not even when they're desperate to find a place where Lois can test for pregnancy later that same season. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_863fa679 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_863fa679 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_863fa679 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_875615dd | type |
Truth in Television | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_875615dd | comment |
Somewhat reversed with Reese in that he got a bit nicer when he got older. Also Truth in Television as Reese is most likely exiting the pubescent phase. In addition, there actually was an episode that dealt with the tiny voice in his head that usually tells him to do all kinds of stupid things fading away, replaced by the voice of reason. Not that he stopped doing stupid things after that episode, but still. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_875615dd | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_875615dd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_875615dd | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_88933ad4 | type |
Parental Favoritism | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_88933ad4 | comment |
Parental Favoritism: See Mama Bear above. Lois herself was The Unfavorite for Ida who always liked Susan better. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_88933ad4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_88933ad4 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_88933ad4 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_898be290 | type |
Bombproof Appliance | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_898be290 | comment |
Bombproof Appliance: When Lois' father gives Reese a live grenade, the game of Grenade Hot Potato ends up in the fridge. It does not survive, but nobody dies (they ran outside the house before it went off). | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_898be290 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_898be290 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_898be290 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_899f4b24 | type |
HeelRealisation | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_899f4b24 | comment |
Heel Realisation: Lois isn't technically a heel. However, she does have a few of these, like when she realizes that she is indeed a control freak when she tries to hijack a crane to lift cars right off the road during a traffic jam, or when she realizes she always has to be right even after seeing video evidence of her making an error while driving and saying the tape must be wrong and in fact, it was. She also once has a breakdown after deciding to steal Christmas. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_899f4b24 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_899f4b24 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_899f4b24 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8ac90da4 | type |
Retail Riot | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8ac90da4 | comment |
Retail Riot: Lois takes the boys to a basement sale at Hannings in the "If Boys Were Girls" episode to buy their clothes for the next year. When they arrive, it is a screaming melee of people fighting over the clothes on sale. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8ac90da4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8ac90da4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8ac90da4 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8af45dbd | type |
Wild Teen Party | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8af45dbd | comment |
Wild Teen Party: Subverted in "Home Alone 4" — Francis tells his hoodlum friends, Richie, Donnie, and Circus that they can come over, but they can't invite others over and have a party. The next shot, the house is trashed and the police are outside, but there was no party. Turns out that Francis' hoodlum friends are so destructive, it only takes three of them to do the work of what a group of wild partiers would do to a normal suburban house. Francis even says so ("Huh, you wouldn't think only three guys could do that much damage.") Malcolm and Reese have a discussion about having one: | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8af45dbd | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8af45dbd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8af45dbd | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8d0785d5 | type |
Didn't Think This Through | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8d0785d5 | comment |
Didn't Think This Through: In the series finale when the family is trying to pay for Malcolm's tuition, Hal goes to a loan shark and says: if you give me the money I won't pay it back, but I promise I will scream as loudly and as horribly as possible when you break my limbs as a warning to others. The loan shark stares at him blankly for a few brief moments and then says: "I could still do that for free." Hal scurries out in terror. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8d0785d5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8d0785d5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8d0785d5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8d08960c | type |
Two-Timer Date | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8d08960c | comment |
Two-Timer Date: Which is Lampshaded by Malcolm. "This is like that episode of... well, everything." | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8d08960c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8d08960c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8d08960c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8dd4a996 | type |
Identical Grandson | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8dd4a996 | comment |
Identical Grandson: A Christmas Episode has a photo of Francis' grandfather as a young man, and he looks exactly like Francis. Except that he has humongous eyebrows, which Francis hopes isn't genetic. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8dd4a996 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8dd4a996 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8dd4a996 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8ed5c6e4 | type |
Asshole Victim | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8ed5c6e4 | comment |
Asshole Victim: The four girls that pranked Reese qualified once Lois "struck back". Lois herself becomes one in an episode where she gets a ticket for cutting someone off in traffic, including security footage. She insists that she didn't, but they have to convince her that it is possible she is wrong. They eventually find an alternate angle of the incident showing that the driver Lois "cut off" had actually done an illegal U-turn, and Lois was in the right. But seeing Lois humble herself even a little was too valuable for the family, and they keep it from her. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8ed5c6e4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8ed5c6e4 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8ed5c6e4 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8f0dc93c | type |
Dangerous Forbidden Technique | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8f0dc93c | comment |
"The Play", the Dangerous Forbidden Technique the boys break out to beat Hal in their Down to the Last Play backyard basketball game. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8f0dc93c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8f0dc93c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_8f0dc93c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9053903 | type |
Ignored Epiphany | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9053903 | comment |
Ignored Epiphany: In "Chad's Sleepover," Reese and Malcolm talk to try and figure out why they are so disliked by their schoolmates, and realize that they push people away because they are both scared of being rejected. Then Reese decides to believe that their peers are jealous of them, which Malcolm agrees with. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9053903 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9053903 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9053903 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_927289f5 | type |
Cathartic Scream | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_927289f5 | comment |
Cathartic Scream: Hal is so frustrated over an expensive dental bill that he asks Lois for his "scream box". He screams and thrashes about after putting it on. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_927289f5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_927289f5 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_927289f5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_92d6110b | type |
Grenade Hot Potato | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_92d6110b | comment |
Grenade Hot Potato: It ends up in the fridge. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_92d6110b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_92d6110b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_92d6110b | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_92f674e5 | type |
Revenge | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_92f674e5 | comment |
Revenge: In Malcolm vs. Reese, when Francis decides to take a girl to the wrestling match over his own two siblings who so badly wanted to go with him and needless to say, neither Malcolm nor Reese are pleased with that at all given that they've spent all of the episode busting their asses for Francis to win the chance to go with him. How do they take vengeance on him for this? It starts by having Francis reading a note warning him that he will pay for what he did while driving him and his date to the event. Francis blows it off, and then a cop pulls Francis over because the car had been reported stolen. When asked for ID and registration, Francis cannot provide because it was replaced with another Post-It note saying it gets worse. Banging is then heard from Francis's trunk, and the cop finds Malcolm and Reese hog-tied and gagged in there. This causes the cop to apprehend Francis and put a stop to his date. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_92f674e5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_92f674e5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_92f674e5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_937fc70c | type |
Chalk Outline | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_937fc70c | comment |
Chalk Outline: In the episode Malcolm vs. Reese, Francis is bored and asks what there is to do. Reese says that he has some chalk and that they can draw "dead guy outlines" outside, but Francis says this is boring too. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_937fc70c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_937fc70c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_937fc70c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_950bbfa7 | type |
Take a Third Option | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_950bbfa7 | comment |
Take a Third Option: Combined with Noodle Incident, Hal is given power of attorney over a guy in a coma and is forced to choose between letting him live and pulling the plug. All we know about his choice is that it became clear to him (Hal) when he found out the guy in the coma was a birdwatcher. He also managed to find everything he needed at Radio Shack except the hat. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_950bbfa7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_950bbfa7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_950bbfa7 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9578e935 | type |
Bare Your Midriff | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9578e935 | comment |
Bare Your Midriff: A surprisingly high amount of female students at Malcolm and Reese's school wear these kinds of outfits. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9578e935 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9578e935 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9578e935 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_961c6c22 | type |
Cutaway Gag | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_961c6c22 | comment |
Cutaway Gag: When Malcolm gets a head injury and Francis takes him to the hospital, the clerk say "Oh, for God's sake, you kids again?" and Malcolm turns to the camera and says "We kind of have a history here." Cut to each of the brothers getting injured in funny and idiotic ways—Reese pounding a nail into a spray-can, Francis flipping a large knife high into the air, Malcolm leaning over an open pair of scissors while Reese sneaks up behind him with a balloon and a needle, and Dewey getting ready to bite the spinning wheel of a bike. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_961c6c22 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_961c6c22 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_961c6c22 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_962e6260 | type |
You Are Grounded | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_962e6260 | comment |
You Are Grounded: Very regularly. Every single season has at least two references towards getting grounded. It is not uncommon for most episodes of this series to refer to the grounding four-to-six times in a single episode. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_962e6260 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_962e6260 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_962e6260 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_973d220f | type |
Never My Fault | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_973d220f | comment |
Never My Fault: Francis blames everything bad in his life on Lois, to the point where he convinced himself he was an alcoholic despite barely drinking. It must be a genetic as Lois & Hail both insist the entire country is out to get their even though they are shown to be the cause of their financial woes by being both incredibly frivolous and irresponsible. Whether it'd be spending hundreds of dollars on one of Hal's obsessions, being too damn horny to take care of their other responsibilities, or having more children than they can afford. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_973d220f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_973d220f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_973d220f | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_97ee3a58 | type |
Vicariously Ambitious | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_97ee3a58 | comment |
Vicariously Ambitious: At the end of the series Malcolm learns that his mother has been manipulating his entire life in an effort to get him to become president. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_97ee3a58 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_97ee3a58 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_97ee3a58 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_98d3f973 | type |
Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_98d3f973 | comment |
Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: In "Victor's Other Family" when Lois gets the results of the DNA test Ida's lawyer advised her to take for the lawsuit against Sylvia, Victor's secret wife, Lois discovers that she is not Victor's biological daughter and that the likely candiate was a guy from the Old Country that could walk up some stairs on his hands. When Lois asks Ida about Susan being Victor's biological daughter Ida, casually replies "maybe, it's possible." | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_98d3f973 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_98d3f973 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_98d3f973 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_993cf18f | type |
Not So Different | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_993cf18f | comment |
Not So Different: Francis' wife Piama is not all that different from Lois. And Francis loves her with the same passion and single-minded devotion Hal has for Lois. Hal implies that this may be the only type of woman anyone from his family can get. When giving the boys the talk, he says that most women will say "Get away, you freak!" instead of the normal, "I love you, too," but that Lois carries some sort of antidote. On the last episode, Francis is wearing a work outfit very similar to Hal's. Also, it is heavily implied that Hal, in his youth, behaved in a very similar fashion to Francis. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_993cf18f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_993cf18f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_993cf18f | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_997bd551 | type |
Home Nudist | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_997bd551 | comment |
Home Nudist: Hal and Lois were portrayed as this in the first episode; refusing to wear clothes in the house. This is a case of Early Installment Weirdness as this was the only time they were shown doing this (presumably the writers realised there was almost nowhere they could go with the joke) and later portrayals would have them far too uptight to ever indulge in this sort of activity. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_997bd551 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_997bd551 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_997bd551 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9a3b7208 | type |
The Needs of the Many | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9a3b7208 | comment |
The Needs of the Many: According to Francis, in military school, he and his comrades learned that, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the guy who can't run fast". | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9a3b7208 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9a3b7208 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9a3b7208 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9b610976 | type |
I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin! | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9b610976 | comment |
I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin!: In one episode, Hal wins 1000 bucks in a scratch off lottery. He then proceeds to buy a steam roller. Cue a hilarious montage, where he steamrolls anything he can find, and getting progressively more unhinged with each use to the point he was considering smashing cars in a car lot. Dewey eventually has an "intervention" when he stands in front of the steam roller, and Hal is forced to choose between the steam roller and Dewey. He chooses Dewey. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9b610976 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9b610976 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9b610976 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9b7a0921 | type |
Split Screen | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9b7a0921 | comment |
Split Screen: Used on a season two episode in which viewers get to see what happens when Hal takes the kids bowling and what happens when Lois takes the kids bowling. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9b7a0921 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9b7a0921 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9b7a0921 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9bb494b8 | type |
Absurdly Divided School | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9bb494b8 | comment |
Absurdly Divided School: In "Cliques", the Krelboynes end up being split among the general student population after an unauthorized science experiment causes the Krelboyne facilities to be temporarily condemned for decontamination. Various Krelboynes end up joining other cliques, such as the goths, skaters, jocks, and so on, until the whole student body is divided against itself because it no longer has the unifying factor of their jealousy/hatred of the Krelboynes to unite them. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9bb494b8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9bb494b8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9bb494b8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9c4a7090 | type |
Springtime for Hitler | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9c4a7090 | comment |
Springtime for Hitler: Francis' pool game with Commandant Spangler. "They're going to kick my ass if I win!" Downplayed when everyone is so impressed with Francis' and Spangler's efforts to lose that nobody cares when Francis wins. When the presidential election between two of Dewey's Busey classmates starts destroying their friendship, one of them tries to trigger his Hollywood Tourettes Syndrome so he'll lose. The resulting Cluster F-Bomb wins him the election. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9c4a7090 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9c4a7090 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9c4a7090 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9ce6492a | type |
Taking the Bullet | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9ce6492a | comment |
Taking the Bullet: Eric takes a hockey puck to the nuts for Francis during a hockey game, inspiring Francis (who'd spent the episode sabotaging his team) to win the game for them. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9ce6492a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9ce6492a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9ce6492a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9e67ec50 | type |
Flashback Cut | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9e67ec50 | comment |
Flashback Cut: Happens a few times in the early episodes, such as a montage of the crazy things Francis did before he was sent to military school, or another montage of various ways the boys have been hospitalized. "We kind of have a history here." | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9e67ec50 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9e67ec50 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9e67ec50 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9fe18440 | type |
Whip Pan | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9fe18440 | comment |
Whip Pan: The standard way to change scenes in the show, accompanied by a "whoosh!" | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9fe18440 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9fe18440 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9fe18440 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9fe35833 | type |
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9fe35833 | comment |
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Lois has a very rough relationship with their kids, but they understand deep down that it's Tough Love to teach them responsibility and her wrath as a Mama Bear is legendary. That makes the few times Lois is treated cruelly notable for the kids deciding to plot their revenge in turn. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9fe35833 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9fe35833 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_9fe35833 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a08b0736 | type |
Nuclear Option | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a08b0736 | comment |
Nuclear Option: What Malcolm, Reese, and Dewey refer to as the ultimate weapon they have against each other. Years previously, they faked Lois' x-rays to make her believe she had cancer, as they needed to distract their parents while they signed off on their failing report cards. They kept the original scans in a lock-box with the threat that if any of the brothers tried pushing the others too far, they would reveal the x-rays to their mother and destroy them all. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a08b0736 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a08b0736 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a08b0736 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a0edf122 | type |
Good with Numbers | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a0edf122 | comment |
Good with Numbers: Malcolm, incredibly so. His act at a talent fair demonstrates just how good he is: two audience members show Credit Card numbers to Malcolm who then memorizes them within seconds and does math with them. Up to Eleven, he takes crowd suggestions and churns out the answer within a second flat, and everybody looks at him like he's on fire. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a0edf122 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a0edf122 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a0edf122 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a3fe170 | type |
Mediation Backfire | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a3fe170 | comment |
Mediation Backfire: In the episode "Ida Loses a Leg," after Ida loses a leg saving Dewey from getting hit by a truck, Lois drives Francis up to Ida's house so he can look after her for a few weeks, since he's unemployed at the time, while she's just staying the night since it's a long drive and has to return to work as soon as possible. Francis tells her that's a terrible idea because he and Ida hate each other so much, but Lois tells him she doesn't care, and advises that that they better find something they have in common if they don't want to be miserable with one another until Ida fuly recovers. Right in front of Lois' face, Francis tells Ida about how Lois is such demanding and controling mother, while Ida complains of how Lois was such a needy, self absorbed child while growing up. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_a3fe170 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a545e2a4 | type |
Money Fetish | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a545e2a4 | comment |
Money Fetish: Spoofed when Malcolm realized he was rubbing money against his face. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_a545e2a4 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a58e5ad7 | type |
Naked People Are Funny | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a58e5ad7 | comment |
Naked People Are Funny: Prior to the airing of the pilot, the show's working title was Fighting in Underpants. Hal appeared naked but for a newspaper on the first episode while Lois was shaving him at the breakfast table. There is something inherently hilarious about Bryan Cranston in briefs. The promoters of Breaking Bad are aware of this (and, yes, he did appear in his underwear — and lampshaded the previous appearances — on the episode of Saturday Night Live he hosted). | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_a58e5ad7 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a5c121ef | type |
Cool Loser | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a5c121ef | comment |
Cool Loser: Malcolm, as a victim of Intelligence Equals Isolation. At the beginning of the series, he is an average kid who just wants to be normal but gets immediately rejected by all his friends when he is put in an advanced placement program against his will. Subverted later on when he embraces his intelligence and becomes an Insufferable Genius in response to the rejection he has faced. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_a5c121ef | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a70223 | type |
Karma Houdini | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a70223 | comment |
Karma Houdini: The entire family with respect to Malcolm: Reese can steal Malcolm’s girlfriend ("Stupid Girl") and nobody cares but when Malcolm steals Reese’s ("Reese Joins the Army") he’s a horrible person. The family can get tired of Malcolm and exclude him from their activities but it’s not fair that Malcolm spends more time with his friends and takes their side over his own brother. Lois forces Malcolm to do multiple extra curricular activities and extra work as well as help his brothers do their work but when all that work takes up his time he gets punished for it. Lois and Hal agreed to stop smoking together. When she found out that he hid a bunch of cigarettes throughout the house she threatened that if she found any she would force him to eat them. Yet she smokes everyday during her lunch break. In "Stock Car Races", Francis acquires a snake which eats the commandant's dog. The commandant declares that for two months, the entire academy would have no hot water, no television, and an 8 pm curfew, and says that they can "thank" Francis when he leaves. This tactic got Francis beaten up earlier in the episode, but all the cadets hated the dog, which the commandant used to find evidence of their misdeeds, and they applaud him. They also each give him a punch on the arm, but it's better than he might have gotten. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_a70223 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a704de13 | type |
Stand-In Parents | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a704de13 | comment |
Stand-In Parents: Reese finds some incriminating letters on his neighbor's old laptop. He uses this to blackmail the neighbor into doing his bidding. His last act is to get the neighbor to pose as Hal at a meeting with the principal. After this, the neighbor now has material to use against Reese, and he is certain that Reese is more scared of Lois than he is of his wife. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_a704de13 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a7382a73 | type |
Imagine Spot | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a7382a73 | comment |
Imagine Spot: Pops up from time to time. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a7382a73 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_a7382a73 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a7aef9ff | type |
Obfuscating Stupidity | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a7aef9ff | comment |
Obfuscating Stupidity: Dewey. While he has the potential to be the smartest and most cunning of the boys, this tends to be overlooked in favor of his Cloud Cuckoolander tendencies. He later purposely tests out of the gifted class to avoid Malcolm's fate... and ends up in a different kind of "special" class. Dewey is shown to be more smart around music and liberal arts, and certainly isn't afraid to show how musically inclined he is. Vicky, Malcolm's secret girlfriend. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_a7aef9ff | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a7d344cf | type |
||
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a7d344cf | comment |
"Brave the Ride" Plot: In "Water Park", Malcolm tries to go on "The Liquidator" but is afraid and turns back. Eventually, he does end up going on it; he and Reese are confronted by Lois at the entrance of the ride. Malcolm ends up pushing Lois into the waterslide, and Lois drags Malcolm and Reese with her. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_a7d344cf | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a939d96a | type |
Adults Are Useless | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_a939d96a | comment |
Adults Are Useless: Played with. On the one hand, rarely are the show's various authority figures (Lois, Commandant Spangler, Mr. Herkabe, the police...) able to keep the boys in check. Then again, occasionally the boys manage to manipulate an adult into being useful after all (one memorable example being when they guilted Caroline into paying for Malcolm's hospital visit). | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_a939d96a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ab1064b3 | type |
Modesty Towel | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ab1064b3 | comment |
Dabney and his mother in Hal's Friend. It's apparently a normal and accepted tradition for him to brush her hair every night before bed and for him to hand her a Modesty Towel the moment she steps out of the shower. She's also shown to be possessive and controlling and hates having his friend over, makes his birthday all about her, and is generally a My Beloved Smother. During the episode's paintball game, he has an awakening and Took a Level in Badass... and she's downright titillated like a flustered schoolgirl when he demonstrates his new, bolder personality. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ab1064b3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ab62343b | type |
Bee Bee Gun | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ab62343b | comment |
Bee Bee Gun: "Picture this: A laser guided bee cannon!" Hal, after he obsessively takes over the Krelboynes' Battlebots project. It doesn't end well for him. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ab62343b | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ab62343b | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ac546cd4 | type |
Worth It | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ac546cd4 | comment |
Worth It: Francis' reaction to learning that their vision will return in two days after witnessing the Komodo 3000. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ac546cd4 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ac546cd4 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ad1ae986 | type |
Know Your Vines | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ad1ae986 | comment |
Know Your Vines: After a huge fight and emotional breakdown with an unrequited love interest in a forest, Malcolm dries his tears with some leaves he found. The girl he is with tells him he's using poison oak. We see a rather disturbing shot of his face a little later, which resembles the character No-Face in Twisted Metal Black. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ad1ae986 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ad1ae986 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ad1db87c | type |
Oh, Crap! | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ad1db87c | comment |
Oh, Crap!: The FBI Prosecutors when Hal begins his testimony and pulling mementos from his "Memory Box". It's the look of someone who just realized the hours they spent building their entire case against Hal was built on false testimony and is about to spectacularly implode. By the end the lead prosecutor can only facepalm. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ad1db87c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ad7a381d | type |
P.O.V. Cam | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ad7a381d | comment |
P.O.V. Cam: In "Cheerleader" we get to see what the world looks like through Dewey's eyes. Apparently, when Lois says, "No, they're too expensive," he hears, "ask me again in four seconds." | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ad7a381d | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ad7a381d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_aec3d8b2 | type |
Expository Theme Tune | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_aec3d8b2 | comment |
Expository Theme Tune: Though not as blatant as others, it's there, especially in the full version. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_aec3d8b2 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_aec3d8b2 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b063ec7d | type |
Skeleton Key Card | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b063ec7d | comment |
Skeleton Key Card: Mentioned — When Reese and Malcolm get locked out of their house, Malcolm picks up a fake rock with a key hidden inside. Reese uses the rock to break a window, saying "that credit card thing takes hours." | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b063ec7d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b09c818 | type |
||
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b09c818 | comment |
"Blackmail" Is Such an Ugly Word: Inverted. After Lois's parents give Reese a live grenade that subsequently destroyed their refrigerator, Hal sits his in-laws down and demands money to replace it and then some. The inversion comes after Victor questions the idea of loaning Hal money because of what happened, Hal freely admits it's blackmail after explaining that the alternative is he could have Victor and Ida hauled up on child endangerment charges for what happened. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b09c818 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b1191cb2 | type |
I Ate WHAT?! | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b1191cb2 | comment |
I Ate WHAT?!: Done as part of a Briar Patching stunt. Malcolm is shown making the world's most disgusting sandwich, taking crud from the fridge, from the sink drain, from under the couch, and so on, putting it all between two slices of bread. He sits down to eat it... whereupon Reese immediately swoops in to steal it, and takes a bite before he realizes he's been had. And this apparently isn't the first time he's fallen for it. Hal eating a can of olives the family got as charity after Lois got fired from her job at the Lucky Aide. The "olives" were actually rotten peaches. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b1191cb2 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b11ac9f5 | type |
Abusive Parents | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b11ac9f5 | comment |
Abusive Parents: Lois's only methods of parenting involve punishment and belittlement, with a side of Financial Abuse. When Dewey was scared of letting go of the rope swing into the lake while the family was on vacation, Lois just threw rocks at him in order to get him to come down to dinner — and that's not even getting into some of the stories Francis tells. Of her bad relationship with Francis, she claims "he started it", because of a time he ignored her when he was a newborn. It should be no surprise that his first words to her were "You shut up!" When left alone with the kids, Hal's constant attempts to make Lois' night a peaceful one get him in a state of paranoia in which he wavers all the way between being the best dad ever and a horrible troll. Lois' mother Ida is a racist, small-minded, controlling lunatic who constantly belittles her daughters and holds lifelong grudges for trivial offenses against nearly everyone in the family. She is obsessed with "the old country", which seems to be some lawless part of Eastern Europe, and once tries to make Reese marry a foreign girl after going through trials, one of which was beating up Malcolm, whom she has a low opinion of because she is anti-intellectual. Every Christmas, she buys the presents for the family that they all wanted just so she can not send them, making Francis consider her to be insane. The family hates her so much they generally stop their infighting whenever she comes around in order to focus on getting rid of her. Hal's father was mostly unintentionally neglectful and not out of malice. He is an eccentric millionaire and Manchild who didn't spend enough time being a father to Hal, instead engaging in a number of wacky schemes and shenanigans. Hal's fear of becoming this to his own kids becomes a major plot device in the episode where his father dies. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b11ac9f5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b2283870 | type |
Retool | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b2283870 | comment |
Retool: The sixth season drops the "Francis B-plot" that was dominant in nearly every episode, and instead has Francis show up with the actual family a lot more, appearing in 7 episodes of the sixth season, and 4 episodes of the final season, always involving at least one other family member. While they tended to be perfectly fine stories in their own right, it made the entire show feel like it was about two unconnected groups of people (the main family and Francis with whatever group he was involved with that season) rather than one unified whole. The series tested the waters with this in the fifth season by having Francis only appear in the plot-irrelevant Cold Open sequences toward the end of the season. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b2283870 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b2d848af | type |
Lipstick Mark | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b2d848af | comment |
Lipstick Mark: A variant; in "Malcolm Babysits," Malcolm reveals on a recorded video to his employers that one of them kept a lipstick mark as a trophy in a coffee tin, signed by someone named Melissa. This was also his resignation video because he caught them creepily videotaping him while he was in their house, with labeled cassettes. The wife goes Oh, Crap! as her husband asks, "Who's Melissa?" | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b2d848af | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b2d848af | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b3497596 | type |
Cheek Copy | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b3497596 | comment |
Cheek Copy: Hal frets over meeting his new boss because he never makes a good first impression. The scene cuts to previous disastrous introductions including one in which Hal is caught by a new boss copying his backside while being cheered on by his co-workers. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b3497596 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b3497596 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b42b7e7b | type |
Moral Myopia | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b42b7e7b | comment |
Moral Myopia: The family’s usage of this with respect to Malcolm is probably the biggest foreshadow to the final. Season 5 ended when Malcolm steals Reese’s girlfriend. Everyone repeatedly mentions how Malcolm betrayed Reese and likely killed him yet when Reese stole Malcolm’s girlfriend a season earlier, no one batted an eye. Also ‘Grandma Sues’ shows that the family can get tired of Malcolm and exclude him from their activities yet in Reese vs Stevie it’s not fair that Malcolm spends more time with his friends and takes their side over his own brother. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b42b7e7b | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b4a44588 | type |
Tough Love | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b4a44588 | comment |
Tough Love: Lois's approach to parenting (which, like Christopher Titus' father's approach, borders on soul-crushing, self-esteem-obliterating sadism). | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b4a44588 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b4eff8a8 | type |
Epic Fail | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b4eff8a8 | comment |
Epic Fail: The dual stories episode of the family at bowling night. In Lois's version, Malcolm fails to get a single strike, even with a lighter ball (labeled Connie). In frustration at Lois's attempts to motivate him, Malcolm walks down the lane, right towards the pins, and tosses the ball at them. Knocking over none. In Hal Sleepwalks we're treated to a montage of all the crappy anniversaries Hal has screwed up. In the first, he hired a marching band to play inside their bedroom first thing in the morning, seriously freaking Lois out. The second, he knocked her unconscious when he emerged from the closet naked with champagne (the door whacked her in the head). And in the third and final scene, he's showing Lois two biplanes creating a heart in the sky, which then crash into each other and spiral to the ground. When we cut back to present day Hal, he mentions that wasn't even the low point of that day. This actually happens a lot to the kids, but specially to Reese later in the series. These fails include being trapped in the roof while receiving a rain of putrid projectiles from the Krelboynes, ending up sleeping in a friend's dilapidated basement and almost losing an eye, being trapped under debris with fireworks exploding in their face, burning horribly in the sun, being attacked by wild animals, entering a military field during bombing tests and the list goes on and on. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b4eff8a8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b4fb00f6 | type |
Mistaken for Pedophile | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b4fb00f6 | comment |
Mistaken for Pedophile: In the episode Malcolm Defends Reese, Hal discovers that Dewey has a crush on Gina, and attempts to do everything he can to have Gina and Dewey meet, even trying to offer her candy to get her into the car. Unfortunately, one of their neighbors saw this and thought Hal was a child molester trying to lure his latest victim. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b4fb00f6 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b53077b3 | type |
Take That! | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b53077b3 | comment |
Take That!: While discussing ways to stop a new teacher's ranking system from turning the Krelboynes against each other. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b53077b3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b5785433 | type |
ColdOpen | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b5785433 | comment |
The Cold Open for "Block Party" sees Dewey and Reese each trying to be the one to change Jaime's diaper, which Malcolm explains to the audience is because Lois informed them Jaime swallowed one of her diamond earrings, and was offering $20 for the first one to get it back. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b5785433 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b58b4e3c | type |
Too Dumb to Live | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b58b4e3c | comment |
Too Dumb to Live: All four of the brothers sustain injuries this way at some point. It's gotten to the point where the hospital receptionist knows them, isn't happy to see them, and is genuinely surprised when any of them get injured in new and inventive ways. The Cold Open for "Block Party" sees Dewey and Reese each trying to be the one to change Jaime's diaper, which Malcolm explains to the audience is because Lois informed them Jaime swallowed one of her diamond earrings, and was offering $20 for the first one to get it back. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b58b4e3c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b58c51d8 | type |
My Beloved Smother | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b58c51d8 | comment |
My Beloved Smother: In the case of Malcolm and Francis in particular, by the end of the series the psychoses their mother has caused them to develop inflects almost every action they take. Stevie has an even worse case, to the extent that she has a breakdown and runs away when she realizes he's not completely dependent on her. Dabney is smothered to an extent that would creep out Norman Bates. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b58c51d8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b5914444 | type |
Noodle Implements | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b5914444 | comment |
He also managed to find everything he needed at Radio Shack except the hat. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b5914444 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b688bbfc | type |
Pregnancy Scare | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b688bbfc | comment |
In the episode "Flashback", Lois has a Pregnancy Scare and there are a series of flashbacks that details how the boys were born: Francis: Lois goes into labor during the wedding, and refuses to go to the hospital because she doesn't want the baby to be born out of wedlock, and after Hal missplaces him for a few seconds, Lois promises to never leave baby Francis' side, and in the present Lois tells a teen-aged Francis (who's visiting from Military School) to go away. Reese: When Hal asks his boss for a reduction of hours to help Lois at home, he gets a demotion and a pay cut (this likely is what kicked started their current financial problems), and his desk is moved right next to men's room. Lois induces labor because the fetus won't stop kicking her, and the first thing baby Reese does when he's born is punch the doctor on the nose. Malcolm: Hal and Lois move their growing family from their condominium to their current house, and they get into an argument because Hal's technique of trying to imprint knowledge on baby Reese was going nowhere, though it's implied this is how Malcolm became smart. When Hal storms out of the house, Lois goes into labor and she tries to drive herself to the hospital, but Francis, now around four/five years old, playfully locks her out of the car, and Malcolm is born on the front lawn. Dewey: A chaotic night that includes six year old Reese running around and screaming, Francis, around 9/10 years old, being brought home by a cop who caught him taking a street-sweeper on a joy ride, and Lois blaming Hal for telling the boys stories of similar escapades when he was younger. When four year old Malcolm unleashes a cloud of chlorine gas, they evacuate to the backyard where the boys wrestle in the mud while it rains, and Lois goes into labor. She and Hal then remind themselves of how much they love each other and that everything will be alright. Cut to the present where Lois finds out she isn't pregnant and she and Hal break up the boys who are wrestling in the living room. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b688bbfc | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b6cc7fc0 | type |
Dysfunctional Family | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b6cc7fc0 | comment |
Dysfunctional Family: Slightly deconstructed compared to your standard dysfunctional family Dom Com, given that a lot of focus is devoted to just how miserable the family tend to make each other. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b6cc7fc0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b7042372 | type |
Cycle of Revenge | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b7042372 | comment |
Cycle of Revenge: When Francis reveals to Dewey that, despite the Big Brother Worship Malcolm and Reese have for him, Francis was a Big Brother Bully when they were kids. That explains why Malcolm and Reese are Big Brother Bully to Dewey. Then they converse about this trope: However, in later episodes Dewey actually does look out for Jamie, so he might have taken Francis's advice to heart. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b7042372 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b7afd95e | type |
Un-Duet | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b7afd95e | comment |
Un-Duet: Hal ends up performing his Barbershop Quartet routine on his own, despite the fact that he mostly only dances in the background and makes the occasional backing vocal. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b7afd95e | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b7b0c10d | type |
Phone-Trace Race | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b7b0c10d | comment |
Phone-Trace Race: Discussed — In one episode Hal is arrested for selling the donated goods that the boys stole while volunteering at a church. He calls Lois after being released and tells her that he and the boys are running away. When Lois attempts to dissuade him, Reese tells Hal to hang up, believing Lois is only stalling so she can trace the call. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b7b0c10d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b866763b | type |
Mondegreen | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b866763b | comment |
Mondegreen: Reese's inspired version of Amazing Freaking Grace, sung as he takes to the skies on a balloon-lifted lawn chair; invoked | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b866763b | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b894042e | type |
False Dichotomy | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b894042e | comment |
False Dichotomy: In one episode Malcolm struggles to choose whether to partner up for a dance competition with a hot-but-clumsy girl, or a good dancer he's not attracted to. Despite the fact that twirling away in the background of the class are several very attractive women who can clearly dance. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b894042e | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b89ed08a | type |
Obvious Rule Patch | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b89ed08a | comment |
Obvious Rule Patch: When Malcolm gets a job at the Lucky Aid, he is directed to move a pile of empty boxes downstairs to a box flattening area, flatten them, bring them back upstairs, and deposit them in a dumpster outside. Malcolm flattens the boxes and throws them in the dumpster without carrying them downstairs, and is disciplined for flattening boxes outside of the box flattening area. Later, a sign is seen next to the pile of boxes reading "Absolutely No Box Flattening In This Area." | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b89ed08a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b8e3f20a | type |
Demoted to Extra | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b8e3f20a | comment |
Demoted to Extra: Francis in the last two seasons, very noticeable in that he goes from appearing every episode to only appearing every few episodes despite Christopher Kennedy Masterson still being in main credits. Notably Francis only appears in 4 episodes of the final season. This also happened to Caroline Miller while the series was still in season 1, despite Catherine Lloyd Burns being in the main credits regardless of whether or not Caroline's in the episode. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b8e3f20a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b9c3de84 | type |
Bumbling Dad | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_b9c3de84 | comment |
Bumbling Dad: Made much more palatable by averting Women Are Wiser, as Lois is considerably flawed in her own right. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_b9c3de84 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ba236071 | type |
It Makes Sense in Context | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ba236071 | comment |
The finale has two to the pilot. In the pilot, an aerial shot shows everyone standing several meters away from Malcolm due to his intelligence. In the finale, we see everyone sitting several seats away from the family due to a barrel full of horrible things exploding on them. Also, both end with "Better Days" playing over the footage. In the same episode, Lois told Malcolm that Dewey is the only one allowed to have an easy life. This was discussed in an early episode (the one where Malcolm was trying to play the guitar) where Lois described both her and Malcolm as "burrowers" while Dewey is a "flier". | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ba236071 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ba3b41d6 | type |
Ironic Echo Cut | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ba3b41d6 | comment |
Ironic Echo Cut: A good portion of the show's humor is derived from this trope, for instance suggesting that Malcolm has just come up with a brilliant idea only to reveal a cut later that it was actually a disastrously bad idea. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ba3b41d6 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ba753dc9 | type |
Wangst | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ba753dc9 | comment |
Every single member of Hal's family hates Lois, despite the fact that she isn't that rude to them. They purposely steal her shoes and direct her away from the house, specifically to exclude her from the family picture, and claim she's just Wangsting about it when she protests. Despite their usual rivalry with her, when the boys hear their mom crying in the bathroom, all four of them decide to get revenge. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ba753dc9 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bb18a227 | type |
It's All About Me | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bb18a227 | comment |
It's All About Me: Lois is a particularly disturbing example of this. To specify after giving birth to Francis due to post-pregnancy complications she was forced to stay at the hospital while Hal took him home. When she returned the next day and found that Francis wasn’t miserable without her, she preceded to spend the next year torturing him as revenge to the point where his first words were "no, you shut up!" The entire family is this in respect to Malcolm as their relationship is incredibly hypocritical. For example they have no problem excluding Malcolm from family activities yet Reese actually got into a fight with Steve because he felt that he was prioritizing him over his family. It is perfectly all right for Reese to steel Malcolm's girlfriend but when Malcolm does it to Reese he is constantly reminded of what a horrible person he is and he pretty much killed his brother. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_bb18a227 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bb3224b3 | type |
Best Years of Your Life | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bb3224b3 | comment |
Best Years of Your Life: Lois said this - most of the time. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_bb3224b3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bbc77bb5 | type |
Hard Truth Aesop | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bbc77bb5 | comment |
Hard Truth Aesop: "Shame" shows that if you try to bully someone older than you, expect to get your ass kicked. Malcolm is willing to let go of his hatred of a kid named Kevin, except that Kevin taunts him about not getting pizza and won't leave him alone. Cue one No-Holds-Barred Beatdown; while Malcolm feels guilty about learning the kid was only seven, his parents let him off the hook when they hear the full story with Hal admitting Kevin deserved it to who he thinks is the boy's father. Malcolm and Dewey get into physical altercations all the time with Reese, but they acknowledge he'll fight back and seem to enjoy the roughhousing. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_bbc77bb5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bc3cb7ff | type |
Clear My Name | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bc3cb7ff | comment |
Clear My Name: Subverted in the episode Red Dress, Malcolm, Dewey, and Reese claimed they weren't responsible for burning Lois's red dress, but she doesn't believe them, so they instead, under Francis's advice, made themselves immune to every single punishment she could issue instead of attempting to clear their own names, thus forcing her to (ironically under Francis's advice) take them to the anniversary dinner with them. Turns out it was actually Hal who burned her dress, as revealed when he accidentally set the house on fire while plastered, and in a way was responsible for having to wait several hours for Lois. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_bc3cb7ff | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bc74ef27 | type |
Berserk Button | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bc74ef27 | comment |
The "apple turnover incident" that is Lois' sister Susan's Berserk Button. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_bc74ef27 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bd0230fb | type |
Ambiguously Bi | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bd0230fb | comment |
In one episode, Jessica convinces both Malcolm and Reese that the other is gay. For Malcolm, she uses a detailed argument noting Reese's spotty interest in women, his collection of men's bodybuilding magazines, and his love of cooking. When the brothers confront each other about it, both deny it but Reese says he bought Malcolm some gay porn - making sure to go through several collections thoroughly for the best stuff. Seeing how he showed interest in girls, he might be more Ambiguously Bi than Ambiguously Gay. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_bd0230fb | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bd1faab9 | type |
Accidental Hero | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bd1faab9 | comment |
Accidental Hero: "Boys at Ranch" had the boy's fireworks show a drunk and lost Hal and Otto the way back home. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_bd1faab9 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bdc453a0 | type |
Incest Subtext | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bdc453a0 | comment |
Incest Subtext: Reese unknowingly falls for Lois' high school self, reading her former diary. In one episode, Malcolm contracts mono (a.k.a. "the kissing disease") from Lois, albeit from Lois licking her finger to innocently clean something off of Malcolm's face (unfortunately, not to the knowledge of anyone outside the family.) Dabney and his mother in Hal's Friend. It's apparently a normal and accepted tradition for him to brush her hair every night before bed and for him to hand her a Modesty Towel the moment she steps out of the shower. She's also shown to be possessive and controlling and hates having his friend over, makes his birthday all about her, and is generally a My Beloved Smother. During the episode's paintball game, he has an awakening and Took a Level in Badass... and she's downright titillated like a flustered schoolgirl when he demonstrates his new, bolder personality. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_bdc453a0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_be248b58 | type |
Pitbull Dates Puppy | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_be248b58 | comment |
Pitbull Dates Puppy: The relationship between Lois and Hal, though since both of them are terrible, awkward people individually and the two are more abusive to their kids than to each other, the relationship in a sick way works. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_be248b58 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_be991863 | type |
The Neidermeyer | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_be991863 | comment |
The Neidermeyer: Commandant Spangler. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_be991863 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bec0417c | type |
Happily Married | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bec0417c | comment |
Happily Married: Despite the fact that he tends to be a Henpecked Husband and she a control freak, Hal and Lois are this, genuinely supporting, loving, and respecting each other. Notably, in a media world that often sends up parents living in dead bedrooms, they're shown to openly have an (extremely) active sex life. The series finale shows that Francis remains this way with Piama. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_bec0417c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bf110089 | type |
Break Them by Talking | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_bf110089 | comment |
Break Them by Talking: Dewey shows a frightening skill for this, especially in later episodes. He breaks up Hal's a capella band by asking a series of seemingly innocent questions and makes a Sunday School teacher question her faith by comparing God to a kid frying ants with a magnifying glass. He never seems to take any advantage of this other than his own amusement. It seemed Dewey is by far the smartest and most subtle of the brothers. He pretty much never loses a battle of wits with anyone. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_bf110089 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c007c53 | type |
Cool and Unusual Punishment | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c007c53 | comment |
Cool and Unusual Punishment: After Reese had sabotaged every other contender in a cooking contest that he could have easily won otherwise, Lois and Hal realize that he's going to keep creating trouble since their punishments never teach him a lesson because he doesn't care about anything they can take away from him (he will sit staring at a blank wall for hours). They then realize that his newfound passion is actually his Achilles heel, and decide that the best punishment in this case would be prohibiting him to cook anything for an extended period of time. Reese breaks down and they are overjoyed to finally find a way to modify his behavior even slightly. Another episode has Lois try to get a confession out of the boys by torturing them with obnoxious children's music (actually provided by They Might Be Giants in Stylistic Suck mode). They try to feign enjoyment of the song and start dancing and singing along - which backfires when Lois breaks out a video camera. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_c007c53 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c1e6f5bd | type |
Don't Split Us Up | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c1e6f5bd | comment |
Don't Split Us Up: A mild example is the climax of the episode 'Clip Show'. The boys are sent to a psychiatrist who determines Malcolm masterminds all of their bad behavior because he's mentally unchallenged in school, and implies to the boys that he's going to tell Hal to send Malcolm to a special school. The boys freak out, but they have nothing to worry about; Hal brushes the psychiatrist off entirely. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_c1e6f5bd | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c25bfd17 | type |
Hook Hand | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c25bfd17 | comment |
Hook Hand: The Commandant. Later becomes a double Hook Hand. Who thought it was a good idea to put a sword in Francis' hands? | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_c25bfd17 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c30b3981 | type |
Mistaken for Prostitute | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c30b3981 | comment |
Mistaken for Prostitute: Lois's boss pressures her into wearing more make-up at work. Her resulting makeover ends up being so gaudy that a man approaches her in the parking lot and tries to solicit her. She drags the guy into her boss's office and uses the mistake to prove that she shouldn't have to continue wearing the make-up. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_c30b3981 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c33ba0a8 | type |
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c33ba0a8 | comment |
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Cynthia, then the rest of Malcolm's Krelboyne friends save for Stevie, and finally Mr. Herkabe (though his last appearance is in the final season, so this is downplayed). Ditto for Malcolm's previous teacher, Caroline. She had a baby and got Put on a Bus in the form of extended maternity leave. A girl who Reese likes in "Cheerleader" appears to never show up again. She even liked him too, which was pretty impressive. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_c33ba0a8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c435ec5d | type |
Aesop Amnesia | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c435ec5d | comment |
Aesop Amnesia: It seemed like Francis was finally going to become responsible when he started working on the New Mexico Dude Ranch, yet come Season 6 with his being fired, he returned to his old, psychotically irresponsible self. By the finale, though, he'd been holding a steady, well-paying job for several months, and was keeping up the delinquent charade just to piss off his mother. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_c435ec5d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c631f304 | type |
We Want Our Jerk Back | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c631f304 | comment |
We Want Our Jerk Back: Reese when he turned nice, as it turns out the only reason Malcolm's smart mouth hasn't gotten him beaten up yet was because Reese was the school bully. Better still, the power vacuum created when he left resulted in dozens of wannabe bullies jockeying for his position and some of them crossing lines Reese wouldn't. Also when Reese finds religion. Dewey goes to confront the Sunday School teacher, saying "I want you to release my brother", and that since he (Reese) joined the class, he'd been all nice to him, and that it was creepy. Inverted in another episode, when Malcolm decides to just hold everything in and become completely agreeable, which everyone actually likes. Malcolm, during a big game (he had joined a sports team) is being talked to by the coach, and the screaming in his head eventually becomes demonic. When the coach finally finishes, and asks him if he understands everything he just said, Malcolm says yes... and spits up a huge amount of blood. Turns out he's developed a really bad ulcer ("the doctor said you have the stomach lining of a sixty year-old air traffic control officer."). | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_c631f304 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c67af1b0 | type |
Big Bad Wannabe | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c67af1b0 | comment |
Big Bad Wannabe: One bully who bothered Malcolm pushed him to the breaking point and got beat up... only to start crying for his Telletubby doll. He turned out to be an overdeveloped 7-year old, Malcolm got detention, and the bully would forever be referred to as "Mopy Dick". | |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c67af1b0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c75df49a | type |
Shout-Out | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c75df49a | comment |
Shout-Out: One of the cadets plays the theme to Three's Company on glasses of water. One of the T-shirts Francis's friend Richie wears is a Rob Zombie T-shirt that has the cover from his Hellbilly Deluxe album. In Francis Escapes, Francis asks Bebe if she's watching Buffy. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c75df49a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c868a42a | type |
Freudian Excuse | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c868a42a | comment |
Freudian Excuse: Hal is given some for his terrible indecisiveness, hatred of kites, and fear of snakes and clowns. Freudian Excuse Denial: And Hal denies having any of the Freudian excuses above whenever asked about it. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_c868a42a | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_c868a42a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ca072e8c | type |
I Made Copies | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ca072e8c | comment |
I Made Copies: In the episode where Lois takes dancing lessons, Reese goes with her and begins making money dancing with old ladies. With the money he's been making, he buys Dewey an awesome toy, and smashes it in front of him just for the hell of it. At Lois' next dance lesson, Dewey films Reese dancing. Back home, Reese mocks Dewey over the smashed toy, and then notices the TV playing the footage of him being fondled by one of his dance partners. As Reese tries to eject the tape from the VCR: | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ca072e8c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ca072e8c | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ca072e8c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ca87e3ec | type |
No Name Given | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ca87e3ec | comment |
No Name Given: The family's last name is never given at any point throughout the series. The rumor among fans was that it would finally be spoken in the final episode. In the finale, Malcolm's principal introduces him as valedictorian and says his last name... but a microphone whine makes it impossible to hear (in said scene, the principal mouths "No Last Name"). Early in the series, we once see Francis wearing a 'Wilkerson' name-tag (and it was originally Wilkerson in the pilot script), but they decided afterward to keep it secret. Francis' ID badge in the finale shows the surname "Nolastname" as a deliberate joke for sharp-eyed viewers. The producers didn't want to put an ethnic label on the family. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ca87e3ec | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ca87e3ec | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ca87e3ec | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caa28b82 | type |
Cloudcuckoolander | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caa28b82 | comment |
Dewey turns out to be an impressively skilled musician and performer, who also has much more advanced social skills than the rest of the family. In the finale, Hal mentions offhand that he's going to just drift through life being happy and successful. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caa28b82 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_caa28b82 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caa28b82 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caa47c3c | type |
Bits of Me Keep Passing Out | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caa47c3c | comment |
Bits of Me Keep Passing Out: When Hal has to choose whether or not to pull the plug on someone in a vegetative state, he shuts down under the pressure. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caa47c3c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caa47c3c | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caa47c3c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caf8c66c | type |
The Chains of Commanding | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caf8c66c | comment |
The Chains of Commanding: Hal discusses this trope with Dewey when Dewey asks about how to deal with his classmates hiding in a tree. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caf8c66c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caf8c66c | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_caf8c66c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cc7e0fac | type |
Bluff Worked Too Well | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cc7e0fac | comment |
Bluff Worked Too Well: Hal is under house arrest while he is on trial for embezzling from his company (he had been framed by a group of senior executives). One of the executives is willing to talk to Hal and provide exonerating evidence, but only if he does so at a location other than Hal's house. Malcolm builds a portable transceiver and houses it in a backpack (so that Hal's ankle monitor won't go off), but when Hal gets to the library he sees a sign that backpacks will be searched, so he leaves the backpack in a bush. When he comes out of the library, a police officer notices the backpack and starts to search it. Hal claims that he's a bomb technician; one Gilligan Cut later, Hal is shown "defusing" the backpack's contents while a semicircle of police officers and onlookers have gathered. Hal claims that the bomb's about to go off, and runs off with the backpack while everyone else is evacuating. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cc7e0fac | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cc7e0fac | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cc7e0fac | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cd962661 | type |
Hollywood Dateless | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cd962661 | comment |
Hollywood Dateless: While Malcolm constantly complains about how unpopular he is and many jokes are made about how unappealing he is to girls, he seems to have at least one short-term girlfriend per season, and many girls initially express attraction for him (Sarah, Nicki, Wendy, to name a few. Also, Reese is shown having a long-term relationship with Allison in the fourth season, among other love interests. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cd962661 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cd962661 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cd962661 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cdf07252 | type |
Heads, Tails, Edge | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cdf07252 | comment |
Heads, Tails, Edge: Malcolm's final attempt to deal with the Slappy cutout in "Standee" (via a coin flip) nets this result. Tellingly, this is how the episode ends. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cdf07252 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cdf07252 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cdf07252 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cdfe12c3 | type |
Nothing Is Scarier | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cdfe12c3 | comment |
Nothing Is Scarier: Conversed when Hal and Reese are watching a horror movie. Hal says that nothing that shows up onscreen is scarier than one's own imagination, only to be frightened seconds later by whatever is onscreen (the audience can't see the movie). | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cdfe12c3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cdfe12c3 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cdfe12c3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ce6487aa | type |
Misery Builds Character | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ce6487aa | comment |
Misery Builds Character In the last episode, Lois sabotages Malcolm's chance at getting a high paying position at a major corporation because she thinks he needs to lead a miserable existence in order to become the best President of the United States like she wants him to be. After making Dewey miss his flight for a piano contest, crushing his fingers, and squirting something in his eye (all accidentally), Dewey accuses Lois of not wanting him to succeed in life. Lois asks Dewey whether having to overcome obstacles or have an easy victory would make for a better story to tell others. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ce6487aa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ce6487aa | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ce6487aa | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cf62f907 | type |
Parking Problems | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cf62f907 | comment |
Parking Problems: Francis gets 16 parking tickets in Lois' van, causing Lois to be arrested after she is pulled over for a traffic violation. In the episode where Stevie's parents arrange to meet Malcolm's parents at a restaurant, Stevie's dad apologizes for being late after someone without a permit parked in the handicapped stall. Hal's reaction indicates it was him. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cf62f907 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cf62f907 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cf62f907 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cf92fea8 | type |
Cassandra Truth | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cf92fea8 | comment |
Cassandra Truth: When Malcolm and Reese ask why Dewey hasn't been getting punished like they are, Dewey tells them that the reason Lois hasn't punished him like them is because he hasn't done anything wrong to upset her, and it's their own fault they are getting punished. They are unable to understand this concept and accuse him of lying. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cf92fea8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cf92fea8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_cf92fea8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d028e0da | type |
An Arm and a Leg | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d028e0da | comment |
An Arm and a Leg: Commandant Spangler, the head of the military academy that Francis was exiled to, lost a lot of his body parts. None of his body parts were lost in actual combat, since he never served in a war in the first place. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d028e0da | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d028e0da | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d028e0da | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d075311d | type |
ShesAllGrownUp | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d075311d | comment |
She's All Grown Up: Subverted. A one-episode babysitter, Patty, had the younger three kids tripping over themselves trying to impress her because she was so attractive. Turns out that she had a crush on Francis since they went to school together, because she was much heavier then, and he was the only one who was remotely civil to her. She calls him at school and drops hints about hooking up when he visits home, but he quickly turns her down without seeing what she looks like now. Also done with Cynthia, but with a focus on her Gag Boobs. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d075311d | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d075311d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d075311d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d148b019 | type |
Mundane Made Awesome | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d148b019 | comment |
Mundane Made Awesome: All of Hal's short-lived hobbies and obsessions. Every episode that features one plays it for laughs for eighteen minutes, then the audience sees, that, yes, it's ridiculous, but Hal actually kicks ass at Dance Dance revolution/painting/RC Boats/Race-Walking/rollerskating... | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d148b019 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d148b019 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d148b019 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d1ebedfb | type |
Armchair Military | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d1ebedfb | comment |
Armchair Military: Commandant Spangler, the head of the military academy, has never served in war even once. How he managed to get the military to allow him to run a military academy despite this is anyone's guess. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d1ebedfb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d1ebedfb | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d1ebedfb | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d243518d | type |
In Spite of a Nail | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d243518d | comment |
In Spite of a Nail: The punchline to "Bowling": no matter who winds up being the bowling chaperone, Lois or Hal, the following conversation happens at the end when they get home: | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d243518d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d243518d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d243518d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d280a296 | type |
Teen Genius | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d280a296 | comment |
Teen Genius: Malcolm is a somewhat realistic one, in that he is not very stereotypically nerdy. He only hangs out with the nerds because other kids find him abrasive and condescending. This doesn't stop the show from playing it for laughs. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d280a296 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d280a296 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d280a296 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d394829d | type |
Frivolous Lawsuit | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d394829d | comment |
Frivolous Lawsuit: Grandma Ida against her own daughter's family. Over Ida slipping on a leaf in their yard, at that. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d394829d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d394829d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d394829d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d46ddfa2 | type |
CloudCuckooLander | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d46ddfa2 | comment |
Dewey. While he has the potential to be the smartest and most cunning of the boys, this tends to be overlooked in favor of his Cloud Cuckoolander tendencies. He later purposely tests out of the gifted class to avoid Malcolm's fate... and ends up in a different kind of "special" class. Dewey is shown to be more smart around music and liberal arts, and certainly isn't afraid to show how musically inclined he is. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d46ddfa2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d46ddfa2 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d46ddfa2 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d52d28b6 | type |
Hypocrite | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d52d28b6 | comment |
Hypocrite: Lois adopts a very "people will think what they want to and you can't change that" attitude in regards to others' attitudes towards her, but if someone does something she doesn't like she will not hesitate to yell at, berate and/or demean them and then tell them why and how everything they do or say is wrong. In "Grandma Sues" Lois chides her kids for being upset about having another baby. Though she and Hal were less than enthused about the news themselves | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d52d28b6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d52d28b6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d52d28b6 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d56607ad | type |
Jury Duty | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d56607ad | comment |
Jury Duty: One episode had Lois being stuck in this for a case involving a teenager taking a police officer's motorcycle for a joyride. When everyone but her doesn't care about if the kid took it or not, and just wants to leave, she keeps changing her decision (all members have to agree on a decision) until they GIVE A DAMN, but she winds up excusing herself because issues with Francis are clouding her judgment. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d56607ad | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d56607ad | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d56607ad | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d61c0620 | type |
Joker Jury | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d61c0620 | comment |
Joker Jury: One episode had meat-loving Reese try to date a vegetarian girl, and later has a nightmare where he put on trial for "murder" by a court full of animals. Their "graphic evidence" is just pictures of Reese eating breakfast. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d61c0620 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d61c0620 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d61c0620 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d62dd556 | type |
The Chessmaster | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d62dd556 | comment |
The Chessmaster: Dewey shows shades of this in later seasons. Several plots and gags run with a character (generally Malcolm, Lois or Dewey) performing otherwise questionable actions because they know how the people around them will react. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d62dd556 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d62dd556 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d62dd556 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d6eefac3 | type |
Soap Punishment | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d6eefac3 | comment |
Soap Punishment: Lois goes the extra mile by putting dish soap on a toothbrush and reaming out her sons' mouths with it. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d6eefac3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d6eefac3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d6eefac3 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d7fc9fd0 | type |
Vitriolic Best Buds | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d7fc9fd0 | comment |
Reese fills this role for Malcolm & Dewey for the majority of the series, although Malcolm gives as much as he receives and joins in (to a lesser extent) with bullying Dewey; and after the birth of Jamie, neither one bullies him & both assume similar roles to what they share with Francis. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d7fc9fd0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d7fc9fd0 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_d7fc9fd0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_db15f008 | type |
Really 17 Years Old | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_db15f008 | comment |
Really 17 Years Old: Malcolm beats up a bully, then gets in trouble when the bully turns out to be much younger than he looked. Hal then gets a visit from what appears to be the boy's father, and after he starts behaving abusively, Hal beats him up too. Turns out the "father" was actually a minor and probably Kevin's older brother. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_db15f008 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_db15f008 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_db15f008 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_db392e77 | type |
Cucumber Facial | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_db392e77 | comment |
Cucumber Facial: Dewey and Lois. The former tries to eat the cucumber, but Lois tells him not to. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_db392e77 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_db392e77 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_db392e77 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_dc8ba6d5 | type |
The Scapegoat | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_dc8ba6d5 | comment |
The Scapegoat: The whole neighbourhood hates Malcolm's family, but only because if they didn't have someone to communally hate they'd turn on each other. The second they realise they don't hate Lois and Hal any more, they start at each other throats. Hal often blames the kids to avoid getting in trouble with Lois for his mistakes. In one cold open he rushes into their room begging for one of them to volunteer to take the blame for a Noodle Incident. In another he knocks down an exterior wall when drunk and his first thought is how he can blame it on the kids. Not that he has to try very hard. In "Red Dress," when Lois finds that somebody has burned the dress, she immediately assumes that it was one of her sons, without any conscious effort on Hal's part to pass the buck. In the two-part episode "Reese Joins The Army", Hal's company tries to pin all of its' illegal activities on him. He almost goes to jail until Malcolm manages to prove that he skipped work on all the days they claim he was committing crimes. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_dc8ba6d5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_dc8ba6d5 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_dc8ba6d5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_dd2d3bda | type |
Global Ignorance | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_dd2d3bda | comment |
Global Ignorance: Francis was once conned into exchanging his US currency for 'Alaska dollars'. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_dd2d3bda | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_dd2d3bda | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_dd2d3bda | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_deafbadf | type |
Cat Fight | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_deafbadf | comment |
Catfight: Lois gets into one with a woman who, along with her husband, keeps bothering her about her marriage. While Lois yells at the woman, completely fed up with trying to help them with their marital problems, the lady slaps her, leading to one. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_deafbadf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_deafbadf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_deafbadf | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e03b1c9b | type |
Blood Oath | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e03b1c9b | comment |
Blood Oath: Played for Laughs in No Motorcycles, when Hal remembers that he made a promise sealed in blood to nine year-old Francis that he will make up for missing his school play by taking him on a motorcycle trip for his twenty-first birthday. A promise Hal originally made just to get his son to stop crying. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e03b1c9b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e03b1c9b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e03b1c9b | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e0e8cce6 | type |
Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids! | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e0e8cce6 | comment |
Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Malcolm asserts this attitude on Dewey during the peak of his Emo Teen phase in "Zoo". In "Hal Sleepwalks", when Malcolm is given the opportunity for an all-expenses-paid study in Europe, he feels that he needs to balance out his karma before something bad happens. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e0e8cce6 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_e0e8cce6 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e0e8cce6 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e13156e1 | type |
Mama Bear | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e13156e1 | comment |
See Mama Bear above. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e13156e1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e13156e1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e13156e1 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e150c4c7 | type |
Manchild | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e150c4c7 | comment |
Hal's father was mostly unintentionally neglectful and not out of malice. He is an eccentric millionaire and Manchild who didn't spend enough time being a father to Hal, instead engaging in a number of wacky schemes and shenanigans. Hal's fear of becoming this to his own kids becomes a major plot device in the episode where his father dies. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e150c4c7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e150c4c7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e150c4c7 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e1f59bf0 | type |
Musical Episode | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e1f59bf0 | comment |
Musical Episode: Opera Episode, more specifically. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e1f59bf0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e1f59bf0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e1f59bf0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e28ccd68 | type |
No Sex Allowed | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e28ccd68 | comment |
No Sex Allowed: In the episode 'Forbidden Girlfriend' Lois goes on medication that prevents her from having sex for a week. This wouldn't be so bad... if she and Hal didn't have sex twice a day, EVERY DAY. However this turns out to be a good thing since while trying to distract themselves from their urges they end up doing a lot of good for the family. Hal's doing better at work, the yard is well taken care of. Lois finds out they are owed money in tax refunds. The house is spotless and its value more than doubles. Sadly once the pills are done and they can have sex again everything goes back to the way it was. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e28ccd68 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_e28ccd68 | featureConfidence |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e28ccd68 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e34400ab | type |
Ambiguously Gay | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e34400ab | comment |
Ambiguously Gay: Dabney and Lloyd - the two effeminate classmates. In one episode, Jessica convinces both Malcolm and Reese that the other is gay. For Malcolm, she uses a detailed argument noting Reese's spotty interest in women, his collection of men's bodybuilding magazines, and his love of cooking. When the brothers confront each other about it, both deny it but Reese says he bought Malcolm some gay porn - making sure to go through several collections thoroughly for the best stuff. Seeing how he showed interest in girls, he might be more Ambiguously Bi than Ambiguously Gay. In another episode, a group of neighboring siblings that have been bullying them edit a gay porn video placing Malcolm's, Dewey's and Reese's faces on the guys from the video. Reese is enraged about it - but only because the guy his face was placed on has less toned abs. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e34400ab | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e34400ab | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e34400ab | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e409de66 | type |
Manipulative Editing | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e409de66 | comment |
Manipulative Editing: When Stevie wins a Teen Courtesy award, Malcolm edits a recording of his acceptance speech to mask his speech impediment. Then when Malcolm and Stevie wouldn't help Reese rip off his skin, Reese retaliates by doing this to the speech. Then, on award night... | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e409de66 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e409de66 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e409de66 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e52a0409 | type |
Calling the Old Man Out | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e52a0409 | comment |
Calling the Old Man Out: Frequently. Hal against his dad. Francis against his mom. Malcolm against his mom. Dabney against his mom. Dewey against both his parents. It's even implied that all of the boys do this often against Hal, though they usually get along with him in the show itself. Most everyone gets called out on the things they do at one point or another. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e52a0409 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_e5a6f1e1 | type |
Fight for the Last Bite | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e5a6f1e1 | comment |
Fight for the Last Bite: Defied; On an unusually happy day, Hal repeatedly and intentionally takes the last chip because mutually understood rules dictate that he is therefore the one who has to go get more. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_e5a6f1e1 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e5e6640b | type |
Flanderization | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e5e6640b | comment |
Flanderization: Malcolm became more of a whiny jerk as he got older. Justified as he is going through puberty. Somewhat reversed with Reese in that he got a bit nicer when he got older. Also Truth in Television as Reese is most likely exiting the pubescent phase. In addition, there actually was an episode that dealt with the tiny voice in his head that usually tells him to do all kinds of stupid things fading away, replaced by the voice of reason. Not that he stopped doing stupid things after that episode, but still. Lois goes from a hair triggered tempered parent who uses Tough Love to keep her boys in line to a borderline-psychopath living vicariously through the only son who's smart enough to succeed in the world (Malcolm) as shown in some later episodes (i.e. Lois Strikes Back and the series finale). | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_e6aea6b2 | type |
Daddy DNA Test | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e6aea6b2 | comment |
Daddy DNA Test: In "Victor's Other Family," Ida threatens to sue Sylvia, Victor's other wife, over a tiny pension, her lawyers warns her that she'll be financially devastated even if she win the right to the pension. Lois, wanting to avoid any legal drama, tries to talk to Sylvia in the hopes her signing over the pension, but Sylvia says that she hates Ida too much to simply hand over something that belonged to Victor, so Lois decides to back Ida's lawsuit. As they are gathering evidence and documentation, Lois gets the result of DNA test the lawyer advised her to take, and she discovers that Victor is not her biological father, and Ida admits that likely candidate was a guy who could walk up flight of stairs on his hands, and even says that Susan may have been fathered by another man. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_e7fa071e | type |
Stop Copying Me | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e7fa071e | comment |
Stop Copying Me: The bully in the season 1 episode "Shame" tries doing this to wind Malcolm up. Malcolm retorts by speaking in Latin, which the bully is unable to remember and repeat. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_e7fa071e | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e94ff7e2 | type |
Financial Abuse | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e94ff7e2 | comment |
Financial Abuse: Malcolm's parents repeatedly and deliberately deny him financial opportunities he's earned, use credit cards he's offered because their own credit is terrible, and take most of the money from his paychecks for themselves. While they have their reasons for this, making Malcolm a president who understands being poor, they're also truly terrible with their own money and waste an extraordinary amount, particularly on Hal's frequent and short-lived obsessions, making it a bit of a Broken Aesop. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_e94ff7e2 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e9db9908 | type |
Younger Than They Look | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e9db9908 | comment |
Younger Than They Look: Malcolm beats up an obnoxious bully who looks his age or older... and soon finds out he's seven. Hal later understands his son's predicament when a large guy in who looks to be in his 20's, who he assumes is the boy's father, threatens him. It turns out he's the boy's 15 year old brother. Also a Real Life example with Frankie Muniz as he was 14 at the time the series started, though looked and sounded considerably younger then his actual age, so he was able to convincingly play 11-year old Malcolm. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_e9db9908 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e9fb38 | type |
The Talk | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_e9fb38 | comment |
The Talk Subverted in "Cheerleader", where Hal sits the three boys down and uses dolls to explain people falling in love, kissing, and then that leading to sex. Turns out he already explained that to his sons, but this particular Talk was about how his family gene involves being crazy and always messing relationships up. Only women like Lois seem to be immune to this gene's effects. Played straight in "Long Drive", when Lois takes Malcolm on a six-hour drive to give him details on sex and contraceptives. The two end up talking even longer while parked at the end of the episode. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_e9fb38 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ea7e3be8 | type |
Dramatic Gun Cock | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ea7e3be8 | comment |
Dramatic Gun Cock: During "Forwards Backwards", when Francis is ready to take a stand against "La Vaca Diablo". Complete with One-Liner. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ea7e3be8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ea85d6ea | type |
All Just a Dream | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ea85d6ea | comment |
All Just a Dream: Dewey convinces Malcolm that his 'perfect bed' was this. Additionally, Hal once ate too many deep-fried twinkies and had the weirdest dream... | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ea85d6ea | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ea85d6ea | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_eaf5a1ac | type |
Groin Attack | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_eaf5a1ac | comment |
Groin Attack: Ida pulls a particularly painful one on Francis when he attempts to remove her from the house after she forcibly moves in. "The Play", the Dangerous Forbidden Technique the boys break out to beat Hal in their Down to the Last Play backyard basketball game. Hal once declares, "What have I always told you boys? 'The nards are fair game,'" implying he pulled one of these on Francis. One of the soldiers at the start of "Reese Comes Home" claimed that Lois "Attacked [his] groinage region...and captured same". | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_eaf5a1ac | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_eb8ec7c8 | type |
Jerkass | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_eb8ec7c8 | comment |
Jerkass: Pretty much every character in this show is a Jerkass. Some get better, others get worse. And they all complain about not having any friends/nobody liking them. Lois. Some of her worst moments are: In "Red Dress", she tortured the boys just to find out who burnt her red dress for her wedding anniversary.note It was Hal. By the time she forces them to hear the song "Nice is Good, Mean is Bad", you can tell that she's gone too far. In "Lois Strikes Back", when she tied Malcolm to her car, just for trying to talk her out of pulling cruel pranks on the girls that psychologically ruined Reese. In the series finale, Lois, along with Hal, force Malcolm to work extremely hard in college to help him understand about financial struggles. To elaborate: As soon as Malcolm finishes high school, he is offered a six figure job working for a computer company. However, Hal and Lois refuse to let him take it, saying they have other plans for him. When he calls them out later on this, they reveal that they intend for him to work as a janitor while going through law school, to work his way up to become district attorney, win a place on the Senate, and then become President of the United States, while at the same time knowing that despite all of this, he will never be respected for any of it. While they're doing it because they believe Malcolm will be able to use his experience of being poor to help those like them when he becomes president, it says something about his family that they find manipulating Malcolm for decades and screwing him over every chance they get to be easier, than displaying any sort of personal fiscal responsibility. When in a position of power, Craig can be a gigantic dick. See his actions in "Watching The Baby", where he's forced people who couldn't afford purchases into slave labor. Francis was also quite a bit of a Jerkass early on. As a young child he took a street cleaner for a joyride and even once tried to light a teddy bear on fire with matches. In one episode he buys an extra ticket to a wrestling show and pits Malcolm and Reese against each other to try and earn it, but ultimately winds up taking a girl he'd just met instead. Heck, Reese (who actually becomes less of a jerk in time), Malcolm (who becomes almost as much of a jerk as Reese) and Dewey too. One of their worst Jerkass moments has to be when they trick Lois into believing she had cancer, just so they wouldn't be in trouble for getting bad grades. The above all fit the bill, but at least most of them have plenty of Pet the Dog moments. Mr. Herkabe, on the other hand, is an unrepentant asshole who likes nothing better than making his students miserable. Special example goes to his role in Malcolm films Reese, where he tricks and manipulates Malcolm into getting Reese to trust him enough to make himself vulnerable, leading Reese to confide on camera that he hopes he and Malcolm can be best friends forever. He then shows the film (without Malcolm's knowledge or consent) to his students, humiliating Reese for one of his few genuinely sweet moments. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_eb8ec7c8 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ece6f910 | type |
Moment Killer | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ece6f910 | comment |
Moment Killer: Cynthia and Malcolm are plagued by this when she's first introduced, whether it's her off-putting habits or his Digging Yourself Deeper. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ece6f910 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ece6f910 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ed914e98 | type |
Tricked Into Signing | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ed914e98 | comment |
Tricked Into Signing: In the "Boys at Ranch" episode, the kids trick Hal into signing a permission slip to allow them to ride ATVs by passing it off as a permission slip for playing ping-pong. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ed914e98 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_ed914e98 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_edd102ba | type |
Soul-Sucking Retail Job | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_edd102ba | comment |
Soul-Sucking Retail Job: The Lucky Aide drugstore where Lois works. Eventually Malcolm joins her. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_edd102ba | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_eef90616 | type |
Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_eef90616 | comment |
Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: Done by Reese, "Think happy thoughts, puppies, ice cream, fat people falling over.". | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_eef90616 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f0af9e34 | type |
WorldOfCardboardSpeech | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f0af9e34 | comment |
"World of Cardboard" Speech: "Flashback", in which Lois and Hal attempt (and succeed) to figure out why they still bother to raise a family. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f0af9e34 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f10d3363 | type |
Distracted by the Sexy | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f10d3363 | comment |
Distracted by the Sexy: As a means of making up to him. Francis tells Dewey about a scented candle in the house that makes their parents too aroused to care about punishing anyone. Dewey uses it immediately and sure enough Lois and Hal are become so eager for each other that they gloss over punishing Dewey for whatever he did. Their lives in general are like this. When the two are unable to have sex for a week they are able to vastly improve their quality of life by doing all the things they are usually too 'busy' to get done. Only for it all to fall back to normal by the weeks end. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f10d3363 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f12b3d7e | type |
I Got a Rock | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f12b3d7e | comment |
I Got a Rock: Malcolm and Reese took the two dollars that were originally left for him. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f12b3d7e | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f12b3d7e | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f165cf2c | type |
Last-Second Word Swap | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f165cf2c | comment |
Last-Second Word Swap: When the boys are vandalizing the billboard image of a stripper, Reese begins to write a speech bubble saying "I WANT REESE", but must halt before can write anything more than "I WANT RE". Malcolm takes advantage of this to cover their tracks, finishing the graffiti as "I WANT RESPECT" and claiming that they were trying to make a statement for women's rights. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f165cf2c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f172408a | type |
The Cheerleader | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f172408a | comment |
Don't forget the infamous episode "Lois Strikes Back" where she does a revenge spree against four cheerleaders involving very cruel pranks due to mocking Reese, and the Principal did not do a thing about it. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f172408a | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f172408a | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f19e8a55 | type |
Bad | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f19e8a55 | comment |
Bad "Bad Acting": In "Ida's Boyfriend," the Francis subplot has Otto hiring an acting troupe to perform a murder-mystery weekend drama at the ranch. Unfortunately, the acting troupe painfully stands out from the rest of the guests: they constantly yell their lines, act too over-the-top, and annoy all the other guests, to the point where Otto has to hire an audience to please the acting troupe leader (whom is oblivious to the audience's obvious reciting of their praise.) | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f19e8a55 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f26d5e66 | type |
Brainless Beauty | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f26d5e66 | comment |
Brainless Beauty: Reese's girlfriend Alison (her introductory episode is even titled 'Stupid Girl'). | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f26d5e66 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f26d5e66 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f2dadf81 | type |
Evil Twin | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f2dadf81 | comment |
Evil Twin: Reese claims Dewey is one after meeting a kid that looks exactly like him, who goes around doing good deeds for strangers. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f2dadf81 | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f2dadf81 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f36c4f98 | type |
Easily Forgiven | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f36c4f98 | comment |
Easily Forgiven: Lois calls out Kitty for abandoning her family, leaving them destroyed, and then returning after she'd done everything she wanted and expected a simple apology would do. After Hal tells her that it's expected to forgive the love of your life for absolutely anything, Lois, who rarely apologizes for anything, apologizes to Kitty, with Kitty never having to do any real atonement. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f36c4f98 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f567146c | type |
Aside Comment | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f567146c | comment |
Aside Comment: Malcolm delivers a lot of these. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f567146c | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f5ab45cb | type |
Incompetence, Inc. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f5ab45cb | comment |
Incompetence, Inc.: Lucky Aide. First and foremost Craig is the assistant manager, they get robbed on a near regular basis, Craig once got tied up and sprayed with a fire extinguisher for something he didn't do, the practices are at best confusing (like having the box crushing area nowhere near the box storage area), it took them 20 years to fire a guy who was coming drunk to work every day, and the interior looks run-down at best. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f5ab45cb | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f609fcfe | type |
Fictional Holiday | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f609fcfe | comment |
Fictional Holiday: The "Ida's Dance" episode had Saint Grotus's Day from The Old Country. Parts of the celebrations include making a giant and terrible tasting tart with layers corresponding to the groups of people that Grotus slaughtered and a particularly dangerous version of Tinikling that involves sharp blades. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f609fcfe | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f70710ae | type |
Blackmail Backfire | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f70710ae | comment |
Blackmail Backfire: In the episode where Malcom buys a computer a neighbor, Lois forced Reese to perform free labor for the neighbor after Reese vandalized his house. However, when they discover emails and pictures that graphically detail affairs between the neighbor and several women in the neighborhood, Reese balckmails him to do what he wants. When the neighbor picks up Reese from school, a teacher demands to speak with him thinking the neighbor is Reese's father. When he gets back to the car, Reeese chatises him for being late, and to drive him where he wants, but the neighbor says they're going to go shop for the items Reese needs to fix the damage he did, when Reese threatens to tells his wife about the affairs, the neighbor calls his bluff by saying he'll tell Lois about the trouble he's been causing at school. Reese then goes back to prividing free labor for the neighbor. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f70710ae | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f8e010ce | type |
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f8e010ce | comment |
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: In "Buseys Run Away", Malcolm and Reese confront Dewey when he's spent several days not being yelled at by Lois, suspecting some kind of conspiracy. Dewey tells them flat out that he hadn't been getting into trouble because he hasn't done anything wrong. To Malcolm and Reese, it's like Dewey is speaking a foreign language and they can't even comprehend the link between getting in trouble and getting punished. Malcolm sort of seems to get the idea, but then goes into immediate denial and looks for another answer. However, Lois has also mentioned that she regularly treats one of her sons better then the other so that the other two don’t know what’s going on, and given her track record for punishing her kids even when they really haven't done anything wrong... In "Mono", Reese observes that Jamie acts as Dewey's "slave" and claims Jamie for himself (Dewey was his slave before he started showing spite). He can't understand why Jamie retreats from him barking orders, complete with insults and threats, nor can he understand how Dewey can respectfully ask requests. After Dewey slowly guides him through asking for a soda, Reese finds it disgusting because he had to ask nicely for it, and comes to the realization that he only likes having a slave who suffers under his demands. He pounds Dewey in the stomach to get the taste out of his mouth. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f8e010ce | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f91d1d4f | type |
Darkest Hour | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f91d1d4f | comment |
Darkest Hour: The two-part finale of Season 5, "Reese Joins the Army", is the point where the family was at its closest of being ruined forever, with Hal going to prison for a crime he didn't commit, Lois becoming mentally unstable due to stress and anguish and Reese fleeing from home after Malcolm steals his girlfriend. It really seemed that the series was coming to a very sudden Downer Ending. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f91d1d4f | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f96f8980 | type |
Love Makes You Crazy | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f96f8980 | comment |
Love Makes You Crazy: Played with, and ultimately Inverted. Hal has The Talk with the boys and explains that the men in the family can become completely crazy when trying to deal with girls they like. But Hal tells them that finding the right girl, like how he found Lois, is actually the antidote to their craziness. Francis later found himself in a similar relationship with Piama. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f96f8980 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f9f2c33 | type |
Running Gag | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_f9f2c33 | comment |
Running Gag: In one episode, Dewey has to take care of a hamster for a weekend, and instead of letting a thug in his class take care of it he puts the hamster in his ball and fills it completely with food. Over the course of the season we see the hamster ball rolling along, either in the background or as the focus of the camera, eventually ending up in Alaska shortly after Francis leaves. | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_f9f2c33 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fabef10f | type |
Don't Explain the Joke | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fabef10f | comment |
Malcolm and Reese took the two dollars that were originally left for him. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fabef10f | featureApplicability |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_fabef10f | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fb1327b2 | type |
Tranquillizer Dart | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fb1327b2 | comment |
Tranquillizer Dart: Subverted in one episode, where trapped with a pair of tigers, Malcolm shoots down the zoo personnel's idea of tranquilizing them on the grounds that the beasts would have just enough time to get angry and tear them apart (the show puts it at three minutes, which is almost certainly selling the tigers short, but it's the thought that counts). | |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_fb1327b2 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fb3576b2 | type |
The Dog Bites Back | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fb3576b2 | comment |
Dewey, being the youngest for most the series, doesn't fall under this but gets a few The Dog Bites Back episodes; and after Jamie's born, complains that it's not fair that Reese & Malcolm got the Cool Big Bro Francis when they were kids, but Francis left for military school before Dewey formed any memories of having a cool big brother - Francis then reveals that he has no idea why Reese and Malcolm idolize him so much since he was way worse to them than they are to Dewey. He even admits he stabbed Reese once. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fb3576b2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fb3576b2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fb3576b2 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fc151e9d | type |
Department of Redundancy Department | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fc151e9d | comment |
Department of Redundancy Department: Lois loves this trope. "Fire? FIRE?" "This is the property line, the property line!" "Whose damn dog is this? I said whose damn dog is this?" "Did you realize how close your father came to being a registered sex offender? A registered sex offender!" "A lifetime ban from Gymboree! A lifetime ban!" | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fc151e9d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fc151e9d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fc151e9d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fc45bac0 | type |
Wouldn't Hit a Girl | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fc45bac0 | comment |
Wouldn't Hit a Girl: Francis refuses to throw a punch at Lavernia, until she taunts him to go back home and let his mama take care of him. Then he knocks her out. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fc45bac0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fc45bac0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fc45bac0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fccd06b6 | type |
Beware the Nice Ones | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fccd06b6 | comment |
Beware the Nice Ones: The time Stevie got revenge on Reese using his secret weapon comes to mind. This actually backfires in a later episode where he screws around with Malcolm during a street luge competition, trying to run him off the road. They wouldn't have a differently abled kid injure himself horribly during a sporting event, would they? Oh yes they would. Both Dewey and Hal also pull this off. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fccd06b6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fccd06b6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fccd06b6 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fdfd52d9 | type |
Gross-Up Close-Up | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fdfd52d9 | comment |
Gross-Up Close-Up: "You have to eat 'American Stew', while I get pizza... Piiiiiiizzaaaaaa... Piiiiiiiizzaaaaaaa..." | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fdfd52d9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fdfd52d9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fdfd52d9 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fe0330fb | type |
Brick Joke | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fe0330fb | comment |
Brick Joke: Repeatedly, the hamster Dewey sets free in a hamster-ball will appear in the background. It was last seen in Alaska. Another episode has the boys preparing a series of gross pranks to pull on a babysitter, including placing a picnic blanket over the open hole to the septic tank in the style of a classic pit trap. At the very end of the episode, Reese steps on the blanket and falls into the cesspool. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fe0330fb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fe0330fb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fe0330fb | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fe61495d | type |
Grail in the Garbage | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fe61495d | comment |
Grail in the Garbage: In one of the show's cold opens, Reese accidentally breaks a cheap painting's frame. Before he glues the painting back down, he gets the chance to laugh at the name of the artist who painted the one framed beneath it: "Pic-ass-o". | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fe61495d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fe61495d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fe61495d | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fea27091 | type |
Buffy Speak | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fea27091 | comment |
Buffy Speak: In "Grandma Sues", referring to matters they want to keep a secret as thing. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fea27091 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fea27091 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_fea27091 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ff13573f | type |
Overcomplicated Menu Order | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ff13573f | comment |
Overcomplicated Menu Order: Craig orders one of these at the restaurant where Reese works and tells him to listen carefully as he doesn't want to waste calories by repeating it. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ff13573f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ff13573f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ff13573f | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ff7f34c5 | type |
Pet the Dog | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ff7f34c5 | comment |
Pet the Dog: This often happens. Even Ida gets one! See the heartwarming page. In season 1, Malcolm expects his parents will punish him for beating up a seven-year-old at school. Lois instead treats his cuts after he falls at a charity race, and tells Malcolm he's not a bad person because his conscience is always watching him. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ff7f34c5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ff7f34c5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ff7f34c5 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ffb1df90 | type |
Perpetual Poverty | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ffb1df90 | comment |
Reese: When Hal asks his boss for a reduction of hours to help Lois at home, he gets a demotion and a pay cut (this likely is what kicked started their current financial problems), and his desk is moved right next to men's room. Lois induces labor because the fetus won't stop kicking her, and the first thing baby Reese does when he's born is punch the doctor on the nose. | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ffb1df90 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ffb1df90 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_ffb1df90 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_name | type |
ItemName | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_name | comment |
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Malcolm in the Middle / int_name | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_name | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Malcolm in the Middle | hasFeature |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_name | |
Malcolm in the Middle / int_name | itemName |
Malcolm in the Middle |
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