Malcolm in the Middle: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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Malcolm in the Middle — Season 1

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Malcolm in the Middle — Season 1

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Audience Reviews

Teddy B 'Malcolm in the Middle' is an intelligently hilarious and interestingly shot series that entails the many morally ambiguous doings of a depraved and often downright criminal family but still manages to have a competent heart. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/24 Full Review Martin F It's hilarious and very punchy. Outside maybe the mother, none of those characters are well-intentioned, but the chaos their awful choices put in their family brings the best jokes. You sometimes feel bad to laugh at it as the humor barely has any limit, it's gross, ill-intentioned, a very few times borderline offensive, but it works. Malcolm in the Middle is a good time, it's rad!Where it doesn't work, outside some unfunny bad jokes, it's when it tries to be a little too cartoonish with situations hard to believe (even in a sitcom). The whole cast, especially Frankie Muniz (so young but so talented in this season), is perfect, and they seem to have the fun of their life playing one of the most dysfunctional family on TV. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/09/23 Full Review Nitsan S I don't have any nostalgia for this as I've never seen it before but I wanted to see it for Brian. I gave up very quickly. It's super boring in my opinion. Very weird comedy style of filming and so I keep watching it expecting a joke but all I get is just nothing. Someone does or says a thing. Other person does or says a thing. Etc. No story. No jokes. Just random stuff. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/03/23 Full Review Data G One of the best comedic series of all time. It's rare to find a show this good Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/14/23 Full Review Amar V Just finished watching all seasons of Malcolm in the Middle. I grew up with the show and loved it when I was younger so wanted to know how/if the show has aged. The premise is great, a gifted child growing up with a load of unruly brothers in a working class American household. Even though there are some filler episodes towards the latter seasons, overall it's a well written and funny show. While it was airing, it was ahead of its time in so many ways. It makes you appreciate Bryan Cranston's range from an anxious, emotional and lovable Hal to the calculated and ruthless Heisenburg in Breaking Bad. Exploring the themes of family, making ends meet, high school/teen life and brothers, one of the central characters stands out in Lois. She has an impossible job but never gives up and her closing instruction to Malcolm in the final episode at first sounds selfish and crazy but sums up 7 seasons of the show nicely. Initially it would have been easily forgiven to assume Lois was up to her usual controlling ways when she said Malcolm shouldn't take the six figure job but instead go to Harvard and become president. When she goes on to explain that people like them have never had someone in charge who has been through the working class struggle and that they're always treated badly or ignored. It's a great wrap up when the penny drops and Malcolm gets it. It raises the question, what would happen if someone gifted from a low income family worked their way up to become president. Would they understand the needs of the common man and be a force for equality? Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Lasse L The family dynamic rings very true to me and all the members are cast well. The fourth wall breaking is also decently fun. In terms of comedic quality it's nothing special but it is good. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

Cast & Crew

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jan 9, 2000 Pilot When his oldest brother is sent to military camp, a boy genius is the middle child between two other brothers. Details Episode 2 Aired Jan 16, 2000 Red Dress When Lois finds her new dress burned and left in the toilet, she tries to get a confession from one of the boys. Details Episode 3 Aired Jan 23, 2000 Home Alone 4 When Francis is left in charge of his brothers, mayhem ensues, and Malcolm gets hurt, requiring hospitalization. Details Episode 4 Aired Feb 6, 2000 Shame Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) is guilt-ridden after beating up a school bully who turns out to be just a 7-year-old brat. With Jane Kaczmarek and Christopher Kennedy Masterson. Details Episode 5 Aired Feb 13, 2000 Malcolm Babysits Malcolm enjoys baby-sitting for a normal family until he finds out he has been under camera surveillance. Details Episode 6 Aired Feb 20, 2000 Sleepover When Malcolm and Stevie (Frankie Muniz, guest star Craig Lamar Traylor) sneak out to an arcade at night, Stevie's wheelchair is stolen. Details Episode 7 Aired Feb 27, 2000 Francis Escapes After his phone privileges are taken away, a lovesick Francis leaves military school to see his girlfriend Bebe. Details Episode 8 Aired Mar 12, 2000 Krelboyne Picnic Lois has a showdown with the other mothers at a Krelboyne picnic, while Reese preys upon Malcolm's gifted classmates. Details Episode 9 Aired Mar 19, 2000 Lois vs. Evil Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) loses her job at the pharmacy after Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his brothers blow up the store's steam cleaner. Details Episode 10 Aired Apr 2, 2000 Stock Car Races Hal (Bryan Cranston) secretly takes Malcolm, Reese and Dewey (Frankie Muniz, Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan) to the stock-car races on a school day. Details Episode 11 Aired Apr 9, 2000 Funeral Exasperated with nonstop complaints, Lois throws in the towel, which leads to the rapid breakdown of family life. Details Episode 12 Aired Apr 16, 2000 Cheerleader Following Malcolm's advice, Reese joins the cheerleading squad to impress the object of his affection. Details Episode 13 Aired Apr 30, 2000 Rollerskates In order to get in-line skates, Malcolm must go through Hal's rollerskate training program. Details Episode 14 Aired May 7, 2000 The Bots and the Bees Chaos ensues when Malcolm invites his Krelboyne classmates over to his house to build a robot for a competition. Details Episode 15 Aired May 14, 2000 Smunday On Monday morning, Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his brothers convince their ailing mother (Jane Kaczmarek) that it's Sunday. Details Episode 16 Aired May 21, 2000 Water Park The family goes to a water park, leaving Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) at home with a no-nonsense baby sitter (guest star Bea Arthur). With Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston and Justin Berfield. Details

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Critics Reviews

Tom Shales Washington Post [Frankie] Muniz has just the right off-center, off-kilter look to play this child for whom super intelligence is both blessing and curse, as it would be in real life. Feb 3, 2020 Full Review James Poniewozik TIME Magazine Visually antic and full of belly laughs, Malcolm is cartoonish in the best sense of the word, yet it doesn't deny any of its characters humanity, even the parents. Feb 3, 2020 Full Review Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel The irreverent comedy manages to be affectionate, thanks largely to [Jane] Kaczmarek, who plays the mother with wisdom and sass. Feb 3, 2020 Full Review James Croot Stuff.co.nz [It] highlights very real struggles faced by normal families, with numerous wet-yourself-laughing gags scattered into each episode. Mar 8, 2022 Full Review Scott D. Pierce Deseret News (Salt Lake City) The show is a laugh-out-loud funny, skewed look at the American family that rings surprisingly true. Feb 3, 2020 Full Review Tom Jicha South Florida Sun-Sentinel It's irreverent, sometimes crude and always politically incorrect. It's also very funny. Feb 3, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Season Info