Today's video is a celebration of North America's greatest work of dramatic fiction, in which I talk about Francis Wilkerson for longer than I talked about Squid Game. / dennigalla | ko-fi.com/dennigalla
In all seriousness, I will never not be moved by the ending of "If Boys Were Girls" where the boys give a gift to Lois for Valentine's: a half-eaten chocolate box with her favorites saved. And all this on what was otherwise a quiet, unassuming day for them.
That's a great moment, man, cheers for sharing. Glad to see people highlighting the scenes that made them feel something, especially ones I didn't mention.
@@Ray_D_Tutto it moved you to reply with your comment. Which in turn moved me to remind you to move along. I came from a severely broken upbringing, so all too often, my only good memories are from the sitcom families that I would vicariously live though. If this wasn't true, it would be sad, yet also sad that it's true I guess. It's inspiring to see that no one validated your off-putting question. Perhaps I shouldn't have either.
@@Ray_D_Tutto it shows that even though they're kids and they're rude and selfish they still care and recognize all that their mom does for them by saving her favorites, even if the whole act in itself is selfish, that in their child mind it's their true attempt to show genuine appertain and love to their mom, and she recognizes and appreciates it. It's nice.
@@inky1159but then she looks down at the baby and says, “I hope you’re a girl.” Basically, Lois doesn’t care about what her boys are doing for her. She’s sick of them and wants something different.
@@petarmilich8684 for the moment, but at the end realizes that girls are gonna be just as selfish and callous in their own way, and to accept and appreciate the stuff her current kids do, because there's always gonna be the good with bad. And she's definitely gonna have dissalouisinment about girl children based on how she was as a kid and how she's only had boys up to this point
One of my favorite episodes is when Lois finds out she's pregnant and one by one Hal and the boys find out and have their own freakouts about it, but then in the end they have already decided what sacrifices they'll make so that they can have the baby. I think it's a beautiful example of how when push comes to shove they are a family and are unflinchingly loyal to each other.
I don't know where in the world you're from but in Britain there's a thing where we talk the most shit to the ones we care about the most. That's definitely true in this show, it's the people they hate that they're polite to.
@@dennigalla I'm on the other side of the North Sea and it's not much different out here. The people closest to ya are always the one who can be completely honest with you and aren't afraid of hurting your feelings with some playful banter.
@@dennigalla this seems to be quite universal in almost all cultures, since ppl are typically most comfortable and therefore playful with those close to them, and this isn't even just exclusive to humans but also so many other social animals
Growing up lower-middle class in America I’ve always felt like this show was made for me, it never talks down to you because it knows life/growing up is tough for everyone. Kids may not know much but they are still people. My favorite episode is still the episode where Dewey starts smoking cigarettes and Hal just tries to reason with him because he knows he’s addicted to coffee, with no judgment 💀.
When Reese came back from the Army to visit his brothers who thought he was dead. They are so relieved and the feelings they suppressed for each other finally come out. I was in tears of joy and relief.
People here in Mexico always wonder how underapreciated this show tends to be in their country of origin (the US) because here, the show is a massive thing since the early 2000's when it came up. I think it is way more popular than other american comedies like Friends. Malcolm in the Middle is now basically a part of the modern mexican culture, and almost everybody in this country who Is between 15 to 40 years old have watched at least one episode of the show and knows at least one reference/phrase of the show (from the spanish dub, of course). For me, and many others around here, it Is an incredibly relatable show, where, as you said in your video, you feel like you are inside of that home, with that family and all their struggles. I always appreciate a video speaking about this show, very nice job!
It's so awesome how big a deal it is in Mexico, man. Whenever I watch clips on RU-vid I always see Spanish language clips with them with loads and loads of comments in Spanish, man. It really is just relatable as hell. Glad you liked the video, man, ¡muchas gracias por viendo!
One of the moments that always gets me teared up is the motorcycle boy from emotionally disturbed children cheering and jumping because he learned something only to be asked to be quiet.
I don't think I've ever seen Malcolm in the Middle described so well. Plenty of people have talked about how funny or relatable this show is but I don't think a lot of people have discussed the dramatic/serious side of Malcolm and his family in such a detailed and thought out way, very well done! I've always loved the scene where the boys are cleaning the house and discover it's "too clean" and mess it up again, primarily because me, my brother and my cousins have literally all done this in real life XD My favourite emotional scene has got to be Hal crying over his father, it's such a unique and downright real way to depict someone going through loss. Not everyone cries at the funeral, some people need a journey towards accepting loss of a loved one. My favourite scene in general will always be the boys wrecking the party with the golf cart, it's just too brilliant XD Me, my brother and my cousins loved this show, because whilst we didn't struggle in the same way Malcolm and his family did, we still ha our own struggles, and always felt like we saw ourselves in those characters.
Can't pick a favourite moment, there's too many. I also appreciate how you've captured the emotional side of the show as well, putting forth that it's not just another dysfunctional-family sitcom
Thanks for watching, and subbing. I liked the show when I was younger even though I was born in '97, just a couple of years too late to grow up alongside it. Took me until I was like 18/19 to rewatch and really understand how good the show was on its many levels. Also, welcome to the channel!
Thank you so much for making this! I know that Francis' arc hit a plateau in the later seasons because 1. Otto's actor became ill and had to retire from acting, and 2. Francis' actor had a lot of other projects at the time and had too much of a hectic schedule to be available regularly for Malcolm. But I appreciate that you point out that Francis' streak up until that point was mostly him running on luck. And sometimes he just has bad luck and didn't want to admit that Lois was right, he just needed a job. The fact that after Francis' chaotic arc ended with him getting a boring 9 to 5 that he absolutely loved seems fitting. Hal hates his job because he was an impulsive, high earning yuppie living in the fast lane that was forcefully demoted. Francis was an impulsive high school dropout just taking each opportunity as it came, and then found happiness in finding a job on his own. Sometimes you do just need some stability.
Hey man, this is a brilliant way of putting things. Cheers for watching. Writing about Francis's experiences in Season 6 and 7 was difficult because I knew all about Otto's actor's health concerns and Christopher Masterson's other work, but I decided to talk about the story only in terms of what's actually in the narrative of the scripts. I'm not totally fond of the way they wrote Francis leaving the ranch - with the whole Francis/Otto ATM machine thing. I feel like with even a little more effort they could have ended Otto and Gretchen's place in the story in a more fitting way. But I completely understand that it was a really tough situation for everyone involved and I wanted to address Francis's final arc in the series in as positive a way as I possibly could, especially as I've seen a lot of people criticising what the writers did with him. There are a lot of brilliant moments with Francis in Seasons 6 and 7 and I agree that his ending was pure class.
@@dennigalla I'm a lady :) And yes, I do think they could've handled Otto being written out of the show a lot better. But hey, in the same way they introduced Piama: unexpectedly and with absolutely no build up, they wrote out Otto and his ranch. Kind of fits with the rest of the show.
I thought I was the only one who understood this show! What a fantastic tribute. Every couple who are considering getting married should be obliged to watch and study this series. It is the cleverest, funniest, saddest,best written and most amazing show ever.
This show hit different growin up in the projects of Florida /Washington. Fr it was like someone from the outside world was showing us sometimes the struggle is what makes our human experience so worth it. The connections we make and the knowledge we gain all from trying to climb upward
I’m the youngest of 3 in my family. Oldest brother a bully (28) middle brother definitely the brains (26) and I’m just here back and forth (24) now . This show is the most accurate thing I can describe our childhood. Always getting in trouble but always together. Thinking we got away with things but mom and dad always a step ahead. I remember once my dad had just installed a new ceiling fan with a light and we broke it the next day while they were at work with an all out pillow fight. Shattered glass everywhere. We gathered up all the spare change we could find around the house and my brothers sent me off to the liquor store to buy crazy glue while they gathered and puzzled all the broken bits. When my parents got home first thing my dad did was turn on the “fresh” ceiling light.. don’t remember what the punishment was but there was definitely one .. should add this is show we would watch while they’d be at work. Channel 11 fox Malcolm and some Simpson. Good times
It might be underappreciated in terms of view numbers but as I said in the video, it's rare to meet someone who's seen it and didn't like it. I'm glad to see people saying it resonated with them as much as it did with me, thank you for watching.
39:04 one of the moments that makes me sad is the end of season 2 episode 18 Reese Cooks, when Malcolm is at Cynthia's party and just goes to corner alone. Its not only sad because thats how the episode ends, but because I can relate. I only had like 2 friends throughout my standard education. I was lonely and did most things like eat lunch alone all the time. It was only until college I actually started making friends. So I can relate to that scene and all the other outcast scenes, like the one with Reese you mentioned.
I know how that feels, man. I've struggled with loneliness a lot over the last 5/6 years or so, especially at University. You might think I'm crazy but I think Malcolm in the Middle has a pretty similar storytelling style to Game of Thrones. They both have social outcasts as the majority of their protagonists, and it's those kind of people who reflect the world in the most interesting, tragic, and occasionally hopeful way. Glad to hear you're doing better, man.
Really great video. I’ve a lot of love for this show… maybe a video on some of the shows greatest moments/ jokes? My personal favourite moment is when the boys play Hal in basketball and beat him by getting on top of each others shoulders, Dewie’s line is so good! “The future is now Old man”.
Thanks for the nice comment, man. I honestly think I'd be terrible at dissecting those funny moments and I think they pretty much speak for themselves. But there are a few other videos on Malcolm in the Middle out there that you might like that highlight their own specific elements of the show: mine being the dramatic stories, another might talk about the show's history/production, and loads will probably cover the jokes and stuff. Have a look around and spread that love. Thanks for watching.
I just wanted to thank you for making this video. You really put into words the beautiful sadness at the core of this show that I've never seen anyone else online acknowledge before. Absolutely fantastic!
I think all of them were incredibly talented and geniuses in their own right. I even love how the show drops hints on how Lois and Hal possess all of the skills and genius displayed in all the children
Thanks for making this. Articulates exactly my own feelings about the show in a way I couldn't, making it even more enjoyable to think about and watch. Also, you made me cry :')
this show means so much to me, as a gen z kid who watched it with their mom. the two of us have seen the entire show at least 20 times, and im not exaggerating. itll be on in the background while shes doing chores or while we're working on a craft or something. we quote it and reference it to each other all the time, and even recite entire scenes together. theres so many things i love about the show, i cant even begin to get into it in a comment. (maybe i should make a video essay of my own!) but ive been trawling through youtube looking for other people who find as much meaning in the show as i do, and im really glad i found this video that has some of the things i love about it laid out so clearly
I have watched Malcolm in the Middle dozens of times. I have never seen a Malcolm in the Middle video analysis. I am glad you were the first. I have come to appreciate this show in a whole new way. You made me cry when talking about Hal, Lois & Malcolm. Thank you.
I appreciate it man, but don't thank me - the show did most of the work. I'm just shining a spotlight, haha. I'm sorry to hear that you've struggled, but I am happy to see that I'm not the only person who finds a lot of genuine comfort in the show. I almost thought doing a video on a sitcom but only discussing the drama was a stupid idea but it's clearly paid off with how many people are stopping by to open up a little. Thanks for watching, and for commenting.
finding out they share the same surname as me wayyy after i fell in love with the show and it made me feel even more like they were a part of my own family
As a kid who was shoved into the "emotionally disturbed" classes at a young age, I really loved the dehumanizing sense those classes gave Dewie and what being in them genuinely felt like, like you were subhuman and more of a pain on everyone around you than anything beneficial. It also made it easier to explain to people what those classes were like since most people just thought they were the same as special Ed classes. Them: "you mean like special Ed? With down syndrome kids? Do you have down syndrome?" Me: "no! It was where they shoved the crazy kids and the nutters in!" Also, Dewie being the youngest and honestly showing how being the youngest genuinely was (you were everyone's punching bag and never taken seriously). I liked Dewie.
Cheers for sharing, man. It must have been shite in those classes. I was borderline emotionally disturbed at times in my childhood. Glad we never had anything like that in my schools.
I love this video and this show! Dewey is my favorite character but this video made me appreciate Francis more. The scene of him explaining why he likes the new job, he needed independent stability! Great video!
10ish minutes in and I'm so glad to get a video of a fellow Scottish bloke talking about my favourite telly show from when I was a wee lad and sharing the same love for it that I do Edit - Fucking banging video mate, absolute belter
This video was beautiful. I loved this show and when it ended I could not get over it. I feel like watching videos about it fills the hole in my heart. You are amazing ❤
This was an excellent narration and analysis of the show. I've watched so many clips and highlights, and this is by far, the next best thing to binging on a weekend of reruns!
U reminded me so much of why this show was one of my favs growing up its the entirety of the growth we go through life from the highs an lows an how all it takes is a shift in thought to spur you forward every character is so well written even the side characters its was never about money ot was about friends family an finding their place in the world easily one of the top 5 shows of all time for me
Cheers mate. With all the nice comments, I don't even feel underrated. I'm just happy people enjoy watching these videos as much as I enjoy making them.
Thank you very much for the lovely comment. I appreciate you calling the video intimate, that's really important to me. I always want my videos to be really honest and empathetic and not speak like I'm some analytical genius or the first person to work any of this out - I'm either just shining a spotlight on the stuff I love with these videos or sharing my takes on stuff that I don't really see other people mentioning. I'll definitely keep making videos too, don't worry about that. I've said on Twitter that I'm in a really busy part of my final year of Uni, but once that winds down I'll put out a bunch more. Cheers for watching.
@@dennigalla I respect the humility, man - but don't discount thr layered and original thought in your videos - they're very much present. Thanks for the response too :))
Found you on a random search; the intro was so endearing and felt so honest that I had to keep watching. This all before you mentioned my favorite show, the focus of this video
@ 15:10 Tbh i think all the kids are genius in their own right. Malcolm is good at numbers and other stuff hes just too neurotic. Dewey is good at music but hes calm and more observant (i feel i know this character all too well, I had two older brothers and ended up being the one who plays an instrument) so he understands the dynamics of the family he understands everyones role. Reese is a cooking genius cooking itself is a science tbh not only that but hes also a demolition expert lol Francis has great leadership skills he has a way with words always manipulating or convincing things to go his way hes always leading people somewhere, and when we analyze them we understand why. Lois is the hardass, the attitude that sets the tone for how life is going to treat them, Hal is the spirit that feeds their inner child to indulge in their wants and needs. they are balanced quite well
We have every episode and watch them often and still laugh at them every time, it’s sad the star Frankie M had that stroke and now says he’s unable to remember doing any of the episodes.
Glad to hear you still love the show, man. I'm pretty sure that the stories about Frankie's memory loss are actually really overblown. If you watch him talking about it on Steve-O's podcast, he says that his forgetfulness about the show is more related to his childhood being an absolute whirlwind of fame and too much happening for him to properly remember, not a side effect of his strokes. Which is good news.
easily the best review of the show ive ever seen! very in depth look at the show and its best bits. my only minor gripe is that it didnt really talk a whole lot about some of the side characters like Stevie, lois' mom Ida and dewey's babysitter (hayden peniterre) who was in several episodes and served as a great part of Malcolm's character growth.
In the first draft of the script I had a section on Ida and some bits involving Stevie and his family but the script was, as you can see, already long enough as it was haha. I think this video works best just focusing on the main family members but someday I definitely plan to do another video (or two) on the show.
I watched this as a kid because i thought it was funny. Turning 30 next month, im rewatching it because how relatable it is- not just to my childhood, but because of how anxious and neurotic i am. Im in college now and its so relatable.
I can’t believe how good your videos are! Randomly came across your Wallace and Gromit video and thought it was great. Then I saw your Napoleon Dynamite video and thought your analysis on Uncle Rico being the main character was very interesting. And now this video… honestly I could listen to you talk about Malcolm in the Middle for hours. It’s a show that I hold near and dear to my heart, and I just wanted to say thanks for making such a genuinely charming video.
Cheers, man. I could've talked a lot longer than I did and actually cut a whole planned section. I have actually thought of doing another video on the show someday.
I've cried throughout this entire video, literally. This show means so much to me on so many levels. I see people I know and love in little bits of characters, the show inspires me to be more creative and to live my life to the fullest and it makes me laugh and cry. It is also a show that I used to watch with my father and that adds a layer of importance to it. I cried because the video is so bittersweet - just like the show itself. I absolutely see it as moving and profound, it's just such a good show! My favorite episode is the one in which Lois and Hal are alone at night trying to figure out some paperwork or finances (I'm not sure I saw it a while ago now) and they come to the conclusion that Lois has always felt badly about Francis because he never needed her, not even as a newborn. That scene broke my heart, I cried like a baby for like an hour at least - pure catharsis. I'm so glad I saw this video, it's fantastic. :)
Dennis, everything you say about that final scene is spot on. Why Lois never got an award for that is beyond me.In earlier episodes I thought she was a royal pain in the arse, but I suppose she had to be. Great vid, cheers. One of my favourite scenes was Lois getting the African American neighbours 'round to scare off mommy dearest, " Why Lois, you make it sound like you're............surrounded" I read a dedication to a book once which was roughly; I give this book to people & have them read it & depending what they say, I change my last will & testament accordingly. To that end........ ...... I would love to hear your thoughts on the show, Northern Exposure.
Cheers for the lovely comment man, I'm glad you agree with me. I have literally never even heard of Northern Exposure as a title before so I'm intrigued. I can see it's got a bit of a Twin Peaks-y rural thing going and I'm a big fan of that. I'll definitely watch a few episodes soon.
Hey, I've just finished Series 1 of Northern Exposure. Like I said in my other comment I'd never heard of this show before which is surprising considering it has so many elements that I've loved in other shows. The small-town setting and vibes are so up my street that I feel like I could watch fifty series of this show. I love all the surrealism and the thoughtful pontificating, like Maurice's speech on Walt Whitman and heroism. I loved everything between Chris and Bernard in episode 8. The way in which Ed begins as a small-town directionless loser but ends up trying to think beyond his boundaries was excellent. I think Joel's a brilliant character and there were moments where I saw flashes of Lois in Maurice, particularly when he gets over his bullishness and bares his soul. Honestly I could take or leave some of the will they/won't they romantic parts between Joel and Maggie. They've got a good relationship but the show could have dialled it back a little. Also some of the soap-opera style stuff between Holling and Shelly (again, fine characters) was a bit tiresome because of how much there is of it. Overall I enjoyed the show and will definitely be watching more. It's an odd show, odder now than when it first released because I genuinely don't think a show like this could survive nowadays. It was clearly written in a less cynical time and that shows in its weirdness and its sincerity. Thanks for the recommendation, man.
@@dennigalla Thanks mate, I loved your thoughtful insight. Look...I'm the bit the worse for wear & tear tonight so, if you could give me a bit of latitude ... dot, dot, dot (he said really milking the dot dot dots) I will reply in better form. TBH, I am very glad that you've watched the show, I'd almost given up hope. Spoiler alert; the Maggie thing develops in a strange way in that all her boyfriends seem to buy the farm, one gets hit by a falling satellite if you please. My favourite is Joel's receptionist, totally bonkers, but,.....but not especially the bit when Hebrew seems to be Inuit or the other way around, ( talk about the lost tribe) , but you'll get to that. Dennis, thanks for taking the time to seek it out, there are soap opera elements as you say, but there are also deeper things like Maggy's 30th birthday for one. 'Chris in the the morning' seems so incongruous for that town & him meeting his brother is very special as well, but, like I said, you'll get to that.
Cheers man, thank you so much. Honestly surprised you highlighted the script of all things considering I was cutting out wee lines and whole sections left and right by the final edit. Guess they were good removals but.
@@dennigalla no probs man, main reason I highlighted the script was because you linked up each section about each character really well - the heavy edits certainly dont show
@@stunels Originally had a section about Stevie's maw but it was basically just a roundabout way of making the point about Lois letting down her tough shell which I already kind of did. And cut a section about the Granny cause while I think she's fuckin hilarious I couldn't really feel confident with how I was talkin about her dramatically. And I just wanted the bastarding video done and dusted by the time I reached her section.
I just watched all of that, and I have to say man that explains everything that goes on in the show with all characters so perfectly and beautifully in a weird way. And yes that is life; sometimes feels totally unfair, but that’s the thing about life!
I've always felt the powerful emotions of this show. It's counterplayed so incredibly by the wackiness of the show itself, but I've never been so blown away by the romance of Hal and Lois. Not only that, but the family moments, the beauty of the familial bond that burns through the crap.
Growing up I didn't have a dad or any brothers no male's my mother never dated nor my grandmother or aunt who also lived with us this show showed me what is was to have a husband who loved you who wasn't a dead beat or in prison I've been with my guy almost 10 years
@@dennigalla Well for what it's worth, I think you did a pretty good job of explaining the underlying themes of the show. I think it's easy to take the show at face value as a comedy about a lower middle class American family in the early 2000's, but if you pay attention to what's going on, there's a number of ways to interpret the events of any given episode - such as some of the struggles of this demographic at this period of time. I'm 22 and I used to really like this show as a kid, but I've been going over the show again recently and it's obvious to me what I missed, and what you can take away from it as an adult - which are all things you covered and elaborated on in the video.
@@BasileusRex Pretty much the same as me, man. Loved the show as a kid but obviously didn't fully get it. Rewatched a few years ago, probably when I was 22 also, and just loved it so much more. I'm glad you liked the dramatic analysis approach since I thought it was a bit of a gamble. But with all my videos I want a certain angle or outlook on it rather than just talking about how good the show/film is, and I thought "talk about a sitcom as a drama" was a great angle. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Unfortunately I didn’t always get to watch Malcom in the Middle because I was just busy working late hours at a front desk at the Hilton.. sometimes I was able to watch the show but there were moments where they yelled at each other a lot but there was always that message of care and love between them all. I can watch old episodes now and catch up, they really make me laugh though! I saw Frankie Muniz at the Grand Prix Race in Long Beach, California a few years ago. He was walking with his team and us crowd stopped to say hello to him, he was only a few feet away from us and he was so polite to stop to say hi and let us take pictures of him, then he was rushed away behind this tall covered fence. I watched him since he was a little kid, now he’s in his late 30s (where does the time go?! Lol). There’s not a lot of good or funny t.v. shows I care for because there’s just too many reality shows. I like the reality crime shows, watch real detectives solve a crime. I grew up during the 70s and 80s when there were a lot of really great t.v. shows from drama to comedy, they don’t make them like that anymore, and there were a lot less t.v. Advertisements, commercials then, too. Thank you so much for sharing your favorite American t.v. show. That was awesome! 😁
Thank you very much for both of your lovely comments. I wanted this video to be a place for people to share their memories of/connections to the show, and you've done exactly that. I'm glad you took the time to write this, thank you so much.
I don’t know if I’m too late to beg for another Malcom analysis but PLEASE! Id love to hear your thoughts further on Hal and Lois as individuals and more about the tragedy of Reese. He had so much more going for him that i think can be talked about starting with the fact that he was a great cook.
I'm currently on Season 4. I will get back on this video once I'm done with all of the seasons. I always watch commentary videos of all the shows I watched, and sadly, there's a few with MITM. I love this show so much. Definitely one of my favorites and I'm not even done yet.
i feel like this show showed women struggles more than most shows. between lois not wanting to be the bad cop or when she has jamie and she doesn’t love him like she thinks she should or even dealing with hals family. i feel like this show showed how women have to deal with so much more backlash when we’re just doing our best 😭😭
I do find it funny that the totem pole episode, and the calling out over stereotyping Francis recieves in it from a Native American man, happens right before the episode where we're introduced to Piama, its like, did that speech really get to Francis? Did he attempt to correct his ignorance by actually trying to learn about Native American cultures and in the proccess meet Piama?
Nice theory. It's almost like she was the one to help him find his way forward in life, a desire he was just projecting onto the totem pole. He needed a guide, was just looking in the wrong place, haha.
Malcom in the middle is one of my favorite childhood shows. I’m 18 and Some of my favorite memories is watching the show with my two brothers, one older and one younger than me, there’s one reason we all three loved it it was Relatible, not in the sence of we picked t each other infect it was the opisite… but something about the show spoke to my brothers and I growing up… I always related to malcom as a kid… now a days my opinions on the show have changed a bit, I used to watch it as a comedy, wich is true i mean it’s a comedy for a reason, but Its interesting watching this video and you pointing out all the things I watched but never relized…. It’s pretty incredible that malcom in the middle is one complete narrative, I never realized it untill watching this video and I’m very thankful you made this vid. Like I said before I’m off and on with this show now a days, somtimes I love it, somtimes I think it’s alright…. But nothing will change my memories of watching it as a child with my brothers eating meatball subs in the basement while mom is teaching piano lessons lol. The show shaped my sence of humor more then I give it credit for and it actually grew me and my brothers closer together in thoes days. Most importantly it made life better, brighter and more fun beocuse the wilkersons represent the trials and errors of the human condition and no other shows speak it the way this show does.
This is why I made this video, man, to hear stories like yours. I'm so glad you also emotionally relate to the show to such a degree. I don't have any brothers so I never had that experience, but I also related to Malcolm (and still do) with how he overthinks and isn't good in social situations. Thanks for commenting, glad you got in touch.
Thank you for this wonderful commentary. I love this show and each in their own way is a tragic character, except maybe Jamie. Is he a genius too; maybe, maybe not. Is he the one who will escape the angst. What do you think becomes of Dewie and his neglected genius. He shouldn’t have had to be responsible for all those kids. One gap in your analysis is that it is Lois’s tragedy too. Unlike lots of people I thought that the show was bold in having an angry, shouting mother. Not since Roseanne...She also is in a dead end job that she hates. She, as you point out is never the fun parent. She secretly hankers for girls instead of sons. She has a horrible background too. And Hal is loyal but uncertain compensation. For me her core tragedy is that she loses and remains estranged from Francis. It never really heals. The show has a lot of laugh out loud moments but one of my favourite episodes is where Hal teaches Malcolm to skate. Who can forget Funky Town...
Well that was beautifull I've always know how much a love that show, how much it warmth me, but I'd never take the time to realise why over all, you've just put it in words perfeclty. The over all love and hope of accomplishment is what had touches me the most and that includes the honers you've did on it, the guy who made that video is such a cute cute cute sweety pie of a heart sharing and trying to reach other like him, all of this is just beautifull ❤ Lianne, 30 Québec, Canada #Frenchcanadienne #sorryforthegrammar 😂❤
There are like a million family sitcoms out there but in my opinion nothing even comes close to Malcolm in the Middle. The nearest thing I can think of would be The Simpsons, or maybe the good, early seasons of Modern Family. Maybe The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, too. I'll pin your comment at the top in case anyone wants to help us out with some recommendations. Cheers for watching.
One very subtle thread which I LOVE is the homo-humorous nature of Francis’ experience, from start to finish. Episode 1 we see the cadets doing suggestive exercises behind him… much later we see him and his dad bend over naked to Get their butts washed after their mud bath.. also when he is planning a kids camp, his proposed games are “rainbow blah blah and lollipop blah blah.” It was such a humorous and sensitive undertone that I LOVE, as a gay man myself, I understand all of that.
