Dewey's Opera is the eleventh episode of season 6 and one hundred-eighteenth overall episode. It aired on February 20, 2005.
Plot[]
When Lois and Hal argue over a king-sized bed, Dewey decides to write a opera based on the argument between Lois and Hal. Meanwhile, Malcolm tries to compete with a talented street luge racer who keeps forcing him off the road.
Summary[]
In the cold opening, Hal is reading a newspaper in the yard when Lois asks Hal whether he has baby-proofed the kitchen. He tells her he is doing it now. We then see Jamie opening a kitchen cabinet, only to be scared off by Reese who's hiding inside. Jamie closes the cabinet door and runs off.
Malcolm and Reese are in their room using elastic bands to shoot thumb tacks at ping-pong paddles Malcolm announces how bored he is and Reese blames it on him for inviting Stevie over, who limits their activities. Malcolm reminds Reese that although Stevie is handicapped he isn’t deaf, Stevie seems to be happy reading a magazine on extreme sports and he has his fun. Reese emphasizes his point and the magazine would be fun if he were reading it, but with Stevie it’s just sad because he will never be able to do anything in it and he feels sad for him, and sarcastically thanks Stevie for making him feel bored and sad. Malcolm interjects but Reese claims he’s not being mean, he simply finds it unfair that Stevie always gets his face rubbed in the fact that he’ll never get to enjoy anything. He suggests that Stevie would be happier if he was placed in a special tank, but before he can respond Malcolm notices an article about street luges and gets very excited about it. Reese reads that the police have labeled it as “the most reckless, dangerous teen craze in years” and it is so horrific they look back fondly on the crack epidemic. Malcolm says they could build a luge board of their own, but upon remembering Stevie is there Reese says they would never do it because their parents would never allow it and nothing else needs to be said. Malcolm says that luging seems immature and frankly uncool, he then changes the subject and suggests they all play a game of Pentominos and wonders why they were even bored.
Hal is irritated by the fact that Lois bought a new mattress, a king-sized bed bigger than the one before. Lois reminds him that they had their old smelly, saggy mattress for 20 years and it was long overdue for a new one. He suspects that she's trying to keep a distance between them. She says that she didn’t put much thought into the size as it was on sale.
The next day, Dewey comes into the kitchen to tell Hal that he’s there to snitch on Reese and Malcolm who are building something out in the garage and won’t allow him to see it and if he wants help in the penalty phase to let him know. Hal refuses to get in a fight with his brothers just because he’s got nothing to do and that they have a rule in this family: when you are bored, watch TV before handing him the remote. Dewey sits on the couch and tries to fight his boredom by watching television. While flicking channels he comes across an opera and, intrigued, decides to watch it. While doing so, Jamie stares out of the window, looking at a female toddler across the street.
Malcolm and Reese come inside and Malcolm claims he doesn’t care about if they use Reese’s old skateboard wheels or not, he refuses to put a “No fat chicks” sticker on. Reese begrudgingly agrees but tells him to remember their policy. They see Dewey is in tears and he enthuses to them about his new appreciation of the perfect combination of story and music used in opera. Unfortunately, Malcolm and Reese don’t understand the complexity of his words and all Reese heard was “please hit me.” Dewey’s words manage to earn himself a few punches.
The next day in school, as the bored teacher tries to teach the Buseys about the different sounds of the farmyard, Dewey decides to write an opera himself. Although he is able to get the music down on paper, he complains to Hanson that he hasn't got a good enough story to hang on it.
Malcolm finds out about local street luge activity by logging on to a street luge chatroom. When Reese and Malcolm take their self-made luge board to the steep hill, Reese chickens out. Malcolm is prepared to have a go, but he quickly gets pushed off the street by a mysterious luge in a dark helmet. Malcolm swears revenge against the mystery racer, not knowing that its actually Stevie.
When Hal and Lois fight once more about the bed, Dewey realizes he has found his subject for the opera. In his mind the argument turns into a mass spectacle. Later on, as the teacher sleeps, Dewey conscripts the other Buseys to help him realise his vision, casting Zoe and Hanson as Lois and Hal. As he has them play out his composition, he quickly comes to understand that he hasn't got a satisfying resolution for the conflict/opera. When Lois attempts to return the mattress, Dewey refuses to let the story come to such an abrupt and unsatisfying end and manipulates her into keeping it by claiming Hal said she'd give in.
Meanwhile, Malcolm keeps rebuilding his luge and keeps crashing it. He asks for Stevie's help, unaware that he's the mysterious street luge. As part of the plan to ensure Malcolm's victory, Reese will jump out in front of the luge and for him off the road, not caring for his safety. Stevie tells them that he hates to be that luge.
When Hal notices that Lois moves away from him during the night, he takes that as proof of his wife's growing coldness to him. After a while, Lois admits there is a problem and she suffers from gas during the day. If she releases it during the night, Hal shouldn't be too close. To her surprise, Hal is not shocked. He tells her that she has been farting in bed every night of their marriage and he is used to it. Hal and Lois are so relieved that they kiss and make up, giving Dewey the perfect ending for his opera.
Malcolm believes he has created the perfect luge board and he dares the mysterious luge to a race with an $80 wager, only to realise who his opponent is when she speaks his agreement. Malcolm is so shocked that he unintentionally allows Stevie a head start, and the plan completely falls apart when Reese sees Stevie lifting his mask to reveal his identity and, his self-imposed rule of never hurting Stevie taking hold, jumps out of the way. Malcolm does his best to catch up but eventually is forced off the road. With the help of the jet propulsion of his inhaler Stevie wins the race, but he accidentally drives onto a trailer truck and is propelled into the air, hitting a tree. Jamie has a bad day as well: he notices a little boy staying with the little girl across the street. As tears fill his eyes, Lois takes him away commenting on how babies never have anything to get sad about.
The family goes to Dewey's school to see the first performance of his opera. Stevie has both his arms in immobile casts and tells Malcolm that he owes him $80 bucks for losing. A bitter Malcolm tells him to take it from his pocket. As the performance begins, Lois hopes Dewey won't make a fool of himself, not realizing that her son will soon tell everyone her embarrassing secret.
Cast[]
- Jane Kaczmarek as Lois
- Bryan Cranston as Hal
- Christopher Masterson as Francis
- Justin Berfield as Reese
- Erik Per Sullivan as Dewey
- Frankie Muniz as Malcolm
Guest Stars[]
Recurring[]
- James and Lukas Rodriguez as Jamie
- Cameron Monaghan as Chad
- Danny McCarthy as Hanson
- Amy Bruckner as Zoe
- Craig Lamar Taylor as Stevie
- Ron West as Mr. Flerch
Cameos[]
- Derek Cox-Berg as Busey Classmate 1
- Katie Morrow as Busey Classmate 2
- Raven Goodwin as Busey Classmate 3
- Bradley Joseph as Luger Bob (credited as Brad Bufanda)
- Sean Gordon as Luger 1(uncredited)
- Darlene Koldenhoven as Opera Choir(uncredited)
- Ciera Lamborn as Lady in Waiting(uncredited)
Quotes[]
- Zoe:(playing Lois) Are you coming back to bed or should I just order a crib for you
- Hanson:(playing Hal) I'm not coming back. I don't like to be where I'm not wanted, especially if it's on a big giant bed.
- Zoe: You've been on the couch for four days.
Trivia[]
- Chad wears three signs in this episode. The first is while he's in class, and says "Do not corner". The second is part of his costume in the rehearsal for Dewey's opera and says "Jamie", implying that he's playing the role of Jamie Wilkerson. The last one is when he's actually on stage; The sign says "Spooked by Applause".
- First and only episode where Jamie has a love interest.
- In one of the songs Hal sings to Lois, he says "You know I get spooked when I see a monkey." This may have been a reference to the episode Monkey, when he was attacked by a deranged and homicidal monkey.
- The first scenes of the street luge sequence were filmed at 3111 Dona Maria Dr., Studio City, CA 91604 and Dona Pepita Pl.
- Reese steps out of the bushes here. The finish line was located here. Stevie crashes into the pick-up truck here.
- Originally, Malcolm and Reese were going to be involved in some singing when Dewey learns of their illegal street luging with Stevie. The three boys' activities gets them caught by an enraged Lois, along with Kitty and Abe.
- Dewey replaced the names of the members of his family when writing the play, for example, renaming Lois "Glacienda" and Hal "Don Argento". Strangely enough, Chad was seen wearing a sign that said "Jamie".
- In the episode Lois Battles Jamie, Reese says that as he's getting older, the voice in his head, telling him to do something insane is getting quieter and quieter and he's starting to be more intelligent. This is continued in this episode, where he is too afraid to go down the hill because he thinks it's too dangerous and that he could get seriously hurt.
- The opera that Dewey watches on TV at the beginning is Nessun dorma by The Three Tenors.
- This episode won an Emmy in 2005 for outstanding music and lyrics.
- Mr. Flerch makes his first appearance in this episode.
Errors[]
- On television listings and other programs such as Tivo and Netflix, this episode is only called "Opera".
- The teacher has a list of farm animals, paired with the sounds they make written on the board and is reading the same thing from a book. There are some inconsistencies when he does this. When he lists the animals, he lists them as Cow, Horse, Pig, Chicken, Sheep, and Duck, before getting cut off. When he lists the respective sounds, he lists them as Moo, Neigh, Oink, Cluck, Gobble, and Silent. This would mean that the sheep goes "Gobble" and the duck is not known to make any sounds.
- Hal says that he fears Lois will leave him to go and live on a beach in Ibiza. He makes the common mispronunciation, calling it "Eye-bee-za", when it's really pronounced "Ee-bee-thah".
- When Malcolm is getting ready to skate down the road, his helmet isn't "locked", but his helmet is locked in the very next shot.