Author: Robert Scruch Published
When I first heard about Disney+ malcolm in the middle After the revival, I decided to revisit the original series on Hulu with cautious enthusiasm. Although I love watching the sitcoms I grew up with on repeat (which no one watches) Frasier and golden age The Simpsons More than I’d like), I’m reluctant to follow what happens to the Wilkerson family because I’m worried the series won’t be able to stick around nearly 20 years after it ended seven seasons. Luckily, after only watching a few episodes, the memories came flooding back to me to the point where I was quoting lines I hadn’t heard in decades as if I’d just watched the series last week.
The Malcolmes is a timeless family situation comedy
Most situation comedies tend to have just one or two breakout characters that dominate the show, but malcolm in the middle They are cut from different fabrics. From the first episode, when Malcolm Wilkerson (Frankie Muniz) discovers that he has an IQ of 165 and is placed in a class of gifted “Krelboyne”, you would think that he would be at the top of his game Front and center. That is, until you meet Malcolm’s adorable but dysfunctional family.
Living at home with Malcolm are his two siblings: his goofy and hot-headed older brother Reese (Justin Berfield) and his naive but subtly crazy and possibly gifted younger brother Dewey (E.J. Rick Per Sullivan). The three troublemakers also have an older brother named Francis (Christopher Masterson), who is sent to the Academy of Marin, a military school for troubled teenagers.
of each brother and sister malcolm in the middle They mean well, but boys will be boys, so the main way they express their affection is by beating each other up, playing pranks on each other, and often getting into trouble with the law.
Parents admission
Despite their differences, the boys malcolm in the middle They have a common enemy, and that is their mother Lois (Jane Kaczmarek). Lois rules her family with an iron fist, but is a tyrant with a heart of gold, as she always takes care of her family the only way she knows how: yelling, psychological warfare, and humiliation. While a woman like Louise might seem insufferable in any other situation, she is the perfect mother figure malcolm in the middle Because her children are unpredictable and destructive, her rudeness is absolutely necessary to keep her family out of trouble.
You might think that Francis, Reese, Malcolm, and Dewey’s problematic behavior is a product of their upbringing and environment (read: Lois is a bad mom), but when you learn more about their father, Hal (Brian Coe) Langston), it becomes clear that their short-sighted impulses may actually be genetic.
Hal Wilkerson is more complex than Walter White
Hal lives in constant fear of Louis’ brief but entirely necessary outbursts of rage, frequently referencing his bad boy past, which, through the story, parallels the present behavior of his four sons. As a corporate drone, Hal is a slave to his own impulses, enjoying gambling, smoking cigars, drinking alcohol, walking around the house (or his front yard) in tight white clothes, and bribing his children, Hold them accountable at all times.
Hal is arrogant but lives in fear, spontaneous but short-sighted, unable to keep himself out of trouble, spendthrift despite living on the edge of poverty, and somehow the most graceful technical roller skater you’ll ever see in your life. breaking Bad Creator Vince Gilligan once described Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of Walter White as “Mr. Walter White.” Chips turns into Scarface,” but Walt knows nothing about Hal Wilkerson malcolm in the middle If I had to weigh it.
Think about it… Walter White started at point A and ended at point B, and it took five seasons to get there. As a huge fan of the Breaking Bad universe, I can’t help but think that Hal is a character with much more depth than Walt because he’s a living, breathing contradiction of the highest order.
Hal was a loving fatherly man, but his negligence as a parent was criminal.
Hal offers wise, life-affirming advice to his sons but fails to follow it himself.
Hal is always the first to try to help kids out of trouble, but almost always makes things worse when he sees red, and when things get messy, he’s as spirited as his offspring Confusion.
When you look at Hal’s life situation from the outside, he seems incredibly confident, but he’s self-aware enough to know that without Louis pulling him in and pushing him to be the best he can be, there’s absolutely no hope for him.
Technical sweet spot
But maybe one of the elements malcolm in the middle What makes it a truly timeless series is the time in which it takes place, which I call the “technical sweet spot.” malcolm in the middle It’s an old enough series to be perfect binge-worthy nostalgia fodder, but modern enough to remain relevant without raising too much suspicion. The series focuses so actively on family dynamics before smartphones and internet culture took over our daily interactions that it feels like something that could be released today and be just as effective without feeling dated.
Francis calling his family’s payphone from Marlins College may seem corny, but these exchanges simply show viewers how a homesick young man wants to stay connected to his family even though they think he’s too unstable to Live under their roof. Typically, whatever B-story is going on at the academy affects Malcolm, Reese, and Dewey’s behavior at home as they plot against Louis under the guidance of their beloved brother, so these calls are absolutely necessary, even if it’s supposed to be One aspect of the show seems a bit dusty.
In other words, the phone doesn’t change the narrative in any significant way, so these interactions are still valid.
Orgy Malcolm in the Middle Hulu
this malcolm in the middle Reboot is expected to be released sometime this year, but as of this writing, no release date has been confirmed. If you’re ready to see what Malcolm and company get up to in the upcoming four episodes, it’s highly recommended that you go back to 2000 and browse the entire series instead of watching friends The 100th time.
