After almost 20 years, Malcolm in the Middle is back with a new miniseries. To this day, many viewers fondly remember the comedy series. But what made it so good? MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes takes a closer look at this.
Between 2000 and 2006, Malcolm in the Middle delighted television audiences. Seven seasons were produced, and with the 151st episode, the series came to an end. Now Malcolm and his family return for the miniseries Malcolm in the Middle: Unfair as Always.
This has a lot of fan love, and if you watch the original series today, you realize that it is still something special after 20 years.
You can watch the trailer for the new miniseries here:
The Different Sitcom Family
Malcolm in the Middle seems at first glance like the classic sitcom family: The focus is on young Malcolm, who must navigate both his school life and his family. But this series is different. Malcolm in the Middle embraces anarchy and instead of dealing with classic problems, it becomes absurd.
On platforms like TikTok, there are various meme videos that deal with the typical Malcolm in the Middle
episode. Usually, Malcolm is shown having some school problems, and in contrast, one of his family members has the most absurd subplot imaginable: Like his brother Reese, who suddenly ends up disguised in Afghanistan in season 6 – all just because Malcolm stole his girlfriend.
This works as a humorous contrast on the surface level, and the individual episodes have varying stakes. At the same time, Malcolm’s normal
problems ensure that the world of the series remains believable.
Almost all supporting characters are more interesting than Malcolm, the titular main character. This is actually a problem that would harm most series, but the comedy series manages to create a unique experience that is still unmatched today.
Malcolm is Like Us: Totally Boring
Malcolm’s problems in the series are mostly familiar themes: first love, problems at school, or conflicts with his mother or brothers. Compared to Hal, who tames a gang of bodybuilders, Reese, who ships himself to China in a package, or Dewey, who builds an organ out of stolen everyday objects, these seem like trivialities that one does not want to see in the episodes.
Nevertheless, the series always manages to find a good pace, so that the plots do not drag or clash. They intertwine with each other. It helps that Malcolm frequently breaks the fourth wall. He looks at the camera and comments on what is happening. We most commonly know this today from Deadpool.
This is not just a gag, but an anchor for the viewers. Malcolm seems to be the only normal
one in a family and world that has surrendered to chaos. Compared to his family, Malcolm is boring, but so are we as viewers. He amplifies the anarchic subplots because he is so different. One could compare him to Jim from The Office, only that Malcolm in the Middle dares to embrace the contrasts more.
Malcolm is intentionally portrayed as boring
compared to the rest of his family. Nevertheless, the series shows that he is still important. His problems are significant, and consequently, so are those of us boring viewers. However, the series would not be as well-known today if it lacked the core that any successful sitcom needs.
Family Remains at the Center
Despite all the conflicts and terrible actions some characters commit in the series, Malcolm in the Middle has a loving core: No matter what happens, family remains family. This leads to beautiful moments, like the finale of episode 3 from season 4. Hal’s family treats Lois quite poorly, like an outsider.
Malcolm, Reese, Francis, and Dewey see their mother crying and decide to take revenge. They take a golf cart and wreak havoc at the entire birthday party. The scene shows that despite everything, they are still a family.
And generally, hidden within these completely crazy storylines are indeed the themes that classic sitcoms deal with: It’s about life crises, childhood rebellion, love, and bullying. All of this exists in Malcolm in the Middle, but without creating the image of a perfect family, as one knows from old sitcoms.
For this, the chemistry of the actors, the timing of the scenes, and also the script need to be just right, and exactly this achievement Malcolm in the Middle often accomplishes wonderfully.
Malcolm in the Middle should not work, but it does, and that seems to fit with the many episodes of the series. Whether the continuation achieves exactly that can be seen from April 10 on Disney+. Another comedy series has also returned: The new season of Scrubs is starting off pretty well, but there is one decision I still can’t forgive
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