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Family Reunion is the third episode of Season 4 of Malcolm in the Middle. It was written by Alex Reid and directed by Ken Kwapis. It aired on November 17, 2002.

Synopsis[]

Malcolm and his family goes to Hals father's house for a reunion. The family doesn't like Lois. Reese and Dewey try to get in their grandfathers will. Malcolm's grandfather takes a special interest in him, while the young cousins love Francis.

Plot[]

Francis and Piama are visiting, much to the boys’ delight as Lois is concentrating on insulting Piama so they're escaping her attention. Things are actually going peacefully, until Hal gets a call from his sister, Claire. They're having a family reunion to celebrate their father, Walter's birthday. Lois reverts back and forth from being hesitant and willing to go and Hal is forced to copy everything she says to his sister. Eventually, Lois settles on going and so, all of the immediate Wilkersons go to the extended Wilkerson family reunion. They get in the car and on their way there, Reese explains to Dewey how Hal's father is very wealthy and so they form a pact where they'll be nice to grandpa in order to get money from him. Lois shows a lot of slight toward Piama. Hal tries to avoid a huge fight from breaking out, by distracting them from their conversation, by having Francis tell a story about chemically castrating cows on the Cattle Ranch. It takes him an hour and a half to tell the story, which is enough to get them to their father's house.

The family goes to Hal's family reunion for his father's birthday, and Hal's family makes Lois miserable because she is from a lower-class family. They pick on her because of her clothes, dislike her topics, subjects, and intentionally forget about her during the family photo. The family shows a lot of hatred for Reese whom they believe is a mini Lois since they dislike how overbearing and a control freak she is. The Wilkerson relatives pays special attention to Malcolm and treats him very well. They believe that he's the only member of his family who is the normal of group. The family also treats Francis, Dewey and Piama very well.

When Hal and the others find her crying in the closet for what Claire and the others did to insult her for her hot temper, control freak nature and her low class, Hal and the boys are furious. While Hal goes off to confront his father, the boys decide they cannot allow the family to get away with this. They storm away ready for revenge, followed by Piama who asks what they plan to do. Francis tells her they don't know yet... they never know at first.

Donning several layers of coats, Hal clashes with his father, Walter, and starts tickling him hard while ranting that he felt like he had to raise himself because Walter wouldn't help him with the various problems he had been facing all his life. How Hal lost his dog, his best friend, getting dumped by a previous girlfriend and now his wife being tormented by his sisters. Once he stops tickling Walter, Hal is finally relieved to get that out in the open. He tells Walter that he does love him, despite everything Hal decides to get a towel for him and Walter tells him to get the big one.

The boys decide to pull a revenge prank on their relatives by driving a golf cart over the celebration with the help of their younger cousins, destroying the party and finally landing in the pool, forcing the family to flee from the angry mob. Even though Hal and Lois pretend to be angry at the boys, they're secretly proud of them for standing up for their mother. Lois also starts being kinder to Piama, not wanting to turn out like Hal's relatives.

Cast[]

Guest Stars[]

Special Guest Star[]

Recurring[]

Cameos[]

  • Jeanine Jackson as Claire Wilkerson
  • Robert Allen Beuth as Tom Wilkerson (Claire's husband)
  • John Valdetero as Pete Wilkerson (Amelia's husband)
  • Brenda Strong as Amelia Wilkerson
  • Timmy Fitzpatrick as Timmy Wilkerson
  • Benjamin Bryan as Sammy Wilkerson
  • Kyle Clark as Helen Wilkerson
  • Matt Knudsen as Jesus Christ/Therapist
  • Andrew J. Turner as Photographer

Quotes[]

[Francis, Malcolm, Reese and Dewey walk out the room enraged at the family for how they treated Lois. Hal had left earlier to the coat room to armor himself. Piama follows the boys out.]
Piama: What are you gonna do?
Francis: We don't know. We never know.

[Fueled by rage, Hal donned several layers of coats to armor himself for his confrontation with Walter and to protect himself against the latter's tickle surprise. He shows up in Walter's office.]
Walter: Hal, what are you doing?
Hal: Taking a stand for my dignity. You driven me to this. Dad, my wife is upstairs crying over how this family's treated her and it's got to stop.
Walter: Uh-oh, someone's a gloomy Gus!
[Walter attempts to tickle Hal, but is unable to do so due to Hal's layering himself in coats.]
Hal: You've never faced up to any Real problems, Do you? You think by making up jokes it'll all go away. Don't you see through my entire life you've avoided dealing with me whenever I was going through a tough time.
Walter:(frustrated) Really, this is beyond a pail.
Hal:(tickles Walter) You never helped me when my girlfriend dumped me! When my dog died! When my best friend moved away.
[Walter is on the table, but Hal is relentless with the tickling.]
Hal: When I got Beaten Up in SCHOOL! When I spent my summer crying and I didn't know why?!
Walter: Hal, stop it!
Hal: You haven't helped me when my family has been habitually tormenting my wife to the point had to avoid both them and you! I have been a father for the past 15 years because you won't deal with anything.
[Hal has stopped tickling Walter and is finally relieved that he got his frustrations off his chest.]
Hal: Ok, that's off my chest. (faces Walter) I hope you heard everything. I just want to say I love you.
[He looks down at Walter's pants where he peed himself.]
Hal: I'll go get you a towel.
Walter: Get one of the old ones, please.

Trivia[]

  • First episode to give depth to Hal's family. "Home Alone 4" was an early, simplistic look and it is obvious that the friction runs among both Lois and Hal's wealthy family.
  • This episode also reveals the friction between Hal and Walter for years.
    • This eventually lead to Hal ticking his father back in revenge for not helping him through his problems by choosing the denial route.
  • Hal tells his father was never there for him when he got dumped by his girlfriend. However, in "Francis Escapes", Hal tells Francis that he's never been dumped before.
    • This could be that he was lying to Francis because he didn't want his eldest son to see him as weak.
  • Hal's father, Walter, shows Malcolm all of his Civil War memorabilia and tries to get him involved in the hobby. This is similar to when Lois' father tried to give Reese war memorabilia, one of which was a live grenade. (The Grandparents)
  • Malcolm mentions that their grandmother who always goes shopping in her bra visits them five times a year. Given that Hal's mother has never been seen visiting them, and that they were visiting Hal's family at the time, it's unlikely that he was talking about her, meaning that this could only have been Ida.
  • Hal also revealed to his father that he spent the whole summer crying and he didn't know why. This actually has been proven accurate by Lois in Zoo, two episodes earlier in the season.
  • Although Lois pretended to be mad at the boys for their prank, she actually is proud of them for standing up for her.
  • This episode showed Lois the negative consequences in her mistreatment towards Piama.
  • This episode showed the opposite of Victor and Ida from The Grandparents. While they paid attention and favored Reese, Hal's wealthy family ignores him. Instead they pay special attention to Malcolm whom they see as normal and is the only one who will amount to great things.
  • Even though Susan wasn't mentioned, it's implied she's the main reason why Hal's wealthy family along with Victor and Ida continue mistreating Lois the way they do. Despite coming from the same poor background as her, Susan is considered very high class, structured and talented. To them, she was the best suited as a wife for Hal. Whereas, Lois is considered low class, pushy and an overall control freak.
  • Claire's husband, Tom, was originally meant to be revealed as Walter's older son from another mom and showing that like Victor, he too was a bigamist. However, unlike Victor whom was terrible to Lois over Susan, Roberta, and her younger unseen sister, Walter tried to be there for him. This was dropped for airing time.

Errors[]

  • As the family drives to the reunion, there is a shot showing Malcolm's stand in where Reese was sitting in the car
  • When the four boys leave the bedroom, Francis is first and Dewey is last. However, in the next shot of them leaving, Dewey is first and Francis is last.
Malcolm in the Middle episodes
Season 1 PilotRed DressHome Alone 4ShameMalcolm BabysitsSleepoverFrancis EscapesKrelboyne PicnicLois VS EvilStock Car RacesFuneralCheerleaderRollerskatesThe Bots and the BeesSmundayWater Park
Season 2 Traffic JamHalloween ApproximatelyLois' BirthdayDinner OutCasinoConventionRobberyTherapyHigh School PlayBullyOld Mrs. OldKrelboyne GirlNew NeighborsHal QuitsThe GrandparentsTraffic TicketSurgeryReese CooksTutoring ReeseBowlingMalcolm vs. ReeseMini-BikeCarnivalEvacuationFlashback
Season 3 HouseboatEmancipationBook ClubMalcolm's GirlfriendCharityHealth ScareChristmasPokerReese's JobLois' MakeoverCompany Picnic (1)Company Picnic (2)Reese DrivesCynthia's BackHal's BirthdayHal CoachesDewey's DogPoker 2Clip ShowJury DutyCliquesMonkey
Season 4 ZooHumilithonFamily ReunionStupid GirlForwards BackwardsForbidden GirlfriendMalcolm Holds His TongueBoys At RanchGrandma SuesIf Boys Were GirlsLong DriveKicked OutStereo StoreHal's FriendGarage SaleAcademic OctathalonClip Show #2Reese's PartyFuture MalcolmBaby Part 1Baby Part 2Day Care
Season 5 VegasWatching The BabyGoodbye KittyThanksgivingMalcolm Films ReeseMalcolm's JobChristmas TreesBlock PartyDirty MagazineHot TubIda's BoyfriendSoftballLois' SisterMalcolm Dates a FamilyReese's ApartmentMalcolm Visits CollegePolly in the MiddleDewey's Special ClassExperimentVictor's Other FamilyReese Joins the Army: Part 1Reese Joins the Army: Part 2
Season 6 Reese Comes HomeBuseys Run AwayStandeePearl HarborKitty's BackHal's Christmas GiftHal SleepwalksLois Battles JamieMalcolm's CarBillboardDewey's OperaLiving WillTiki LoungeIda Loses a LegChad's SleepoverNo MotorcyclesButterfliesIda's DanceMotivational SpeakerStiltsBuseys Take A HostageMrs. Tri-County
Season 7 Burning ManHealth InsuranceReese vs. StevieHalloweenJessica Stays OverSecret BoyfriendBlackoutArmy BuddyMalcolm Defends ReeseMalcolm's MoneyBride of IdaCollege RecruitersMonoHal GrievesA.ALois Strikes BackHal's DentistBomb ShelterStevie in the HospitalCattle CourtMorpGraduation
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