Previously On… Malcolm in the Middle

Before his most famous role as Walter White in Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston was known to us as the eccentric and lovable Hal, the Dad to Malcolm, Reese, Francis and Dewey. Alongside Jane Kaczmarek, who was nominated for an Emmy seven times for her role, as his wife Lois, the pair will, at the end of April, be returning as the parents of the highly intelligent, former child-prodigy Malcolm (Frankie Muniz), desperately trying to get him back into their lives. The four-part special will feature the family attempting a reunion for Lois and Hal’s 40th Anniversary and as I have asked for every other revival, will it live up to the hype? 

One specific aspect of the show I am excited to see return is the classic ‘crazy mother’ portrayal of Lois. When I first watched the series, around the age of nine, I remember thinking Malcolm and Reese (Justin Berfield) were repeatedly wronged by their mother, chastised for simply having fun. However, as I began a rewatch of the show last year, I found myself sympathising more with Lois, realising that the actions of all four, and eventually five, of her sons were in fact genuinely insane, and often a criminal offence.  This could pose a potential issue for the series however, with a big appeal of the original run, especially for younger viewers, being how cool Malcolm, Francis (Christopher Masterson) and Reese seemed, appearing to live the dream life of any young teenager. Now, 20 years after the show ended, the brothers will all be middle–aged, so it’s more likely that their stunts are going to seem sad and pathetic rather than awesome. 

On the other hand, though, one part of the show that I think will be even more successful than the original series is the incredible dynamic and comedic partnership between Lois and Hal. Despite their combined 10 Emmy nominations for their respective roles, the comedy genius of Jane Kaczmarek and Bryan Cranston was hugely underappreciated, while at the same time managing to break the typical ‘I hate my husband/wife’ trope we often see in sitcoms. Whether it was Lois willingly shaving Hal’s entire body every week, or a genuinely sweet and heartfelt moment between the pair, my second rewatch of the series definitely allowed me to acknowledge their relationship a lot more. As I previously mentioned, focussing less on the boys’ cool teenage life, with all the characters as adults, will finally put a spotlight on the hilarity of the pair. 

 In fact, another exciting part of the series’ return is seeing the cast reunited after going their separate ways for two decades. Notably, Bryan Cranston’s award-winning performances as Walter White in Breaking Bad, and as production company CEO Griffin Mill in The Studio, it will be amazing to see him return to arguably his breakthrough role. As former child stars, the boys have all moved on to different careers, mostly leaving acting behind. Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) is now a competitive NASCAR driver (whilst still being an active actor), Justin Berfield has moved behind the camera, mostly involved in producing, and Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey) has completely left television and film altogether, instead he is reportedly pursuing academics and research at a top university in the United States. He will not be returning for the four-part special, with Dewey being recast as Caleb Ellsworth-Clark. 

Overall, whilst the charm of the the show could be harmed by the fact that the boys are adults and no longer should be able to get away with their antics, the chemistry that was built between the main cast for the show’s seven season run, should save the special from the fate suffered by various series’ attempts at a reunion. Of course, though, it wouldn’t be Malcolm in the Middle if something didn’t go chaotically wrong.