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Forbidden Girlfriend is the sixth episode of season four of Malcolm in the Middle. It first aired on December 15, 2002.

Synopsis[]

A girl‘s father forbids her daughter to date Malcolm; Reese and Dewey discover a kid in the neighborhood that looks exactly like Dewey; Francis has problems with ranchers who keep tearing down a fence; Lois and Hal finally catch up with work around the house when they can’t have sex for a week.

Plot[]

After being annoyed with tutoring jocks, bullies and nit-wits, Malcolm is surprised when he starts tutoring for a beautiful and intelligent girl named Nicki who soon becomes his girlfriend. However, her father is an angry Vietnam War veteran who forbids them from dating. This is a sentiment that Lois also shares when she finds out from Boyd about the relationship. She warns Malcolm to keep his distance from Nicki believing she's a terrible influence on him and wants him to stay on the path she plans for him.

Reese is walking down the sidewalk when he's splashed by a red convertible hitting a puddle. He yells at the driver, Ira Prescott, who reverses and threatens him, then speeds off. Reese turns to find out that Dewey is getting paid tons of money by all the neighbors for absolutely nothing. Dewey claims that it's because it's "Free Money Day", the day when everyone pays him money and gives him free stuff just because they love him because he's so cute. When he goes to figure out what it is, it turns out that there's a kid named Billy Prescott doing chores for everyone. He looks almost identical to Dewey except for his face.

Lois starts taking some pills that means that she should not have sex for an entire week. Hal starts taking up some new hobbies and because of this and even she's taken up some of her own. The house is cleaned up and even the neighbors are impressed at his and Lois's efforts to refrain from sex. When Lois takes the last pill, Hal must keep his distance from her in order to maintain his newfound abstinence lifestyle.

Francis builds a fence between the dude ranch and some rival dude ranch that keeps getting town down and put back up because of some disagreement. When he tries to make peace, Otto refuses, demanding the rivals apologize for entering through his ranch.

At the Wilkerson home, Reese explains to Dewey that the neighbors are confusing him with Billy Prescott, who's been doing all the chores. He explains everyone has an evil twin, and Dewey must be Billy's evil twin. He senses a money-making opportunity, taking Dewey to the TV to watch soap operas for inspiration as to how. Later they stand near the bully's red convertible, Dewey reluctant to do what Reese wants. He begs Reese to reconsider and is to nervous to ruin the car belonging to Billy's older brother, Ira. Reese threatens to tell Lois about taking the money and adds his own punishment threat. Dewey goes on to fill the car with cement and run away when the driver spots him and approaches. A disguised Reese pretends to be an innocent onlooker, yelling after "Billy" and adding Billy's home address. Soon the police have brought Billy to the bully, who points at him accusingly. Reese watches from behind a tree, smiling.

At a Halloween get together in the Grotto ranch, things are fine until their rivals Merl and Earl appear. When they and Otto get into a serious argument over the fence again, Francis offers a practical and wise suggestion: build a gate for the fence to allow them through. Otto and the rival ranchers take the compromise into account. Soon everyone is cerebrating and things are at peace due to Francis's help.

Nicki ignores Boyd and has the two of them live on the edge. This is very nerve-wracking to Malcolm and he thinks that they shouldn't be dating because of Lois and Boyd. They had already found out about their secret relationship. He is worried that Boyd and Lois would punish both him and Nicki if they violate their rules. Nicki says that it's these kinds of risks and close calls that give excitement to their relationship and so they continue to rebel and break rules.

Unaware of the set up, Reese enters the boys' bedroom and thinks Dewey is doing his homework. He is celebrating the cement prank and adding they can use Billy as their fall guy for revenge on everyone in his enemies list. Reese is taken by surprise when he turns Dewey around and finds Billy there staring intently at him. Soon the real Dewey appears from the closet and asks someone in the closet if they're even. That person is Billy's older brother, Ira, and he gleefully tells Dewey that they are even. He advances towards Reese with intent on getting his revenge. He hurriedly tries to come up with a lie about another kid who looks similar to him and is framing him for the prank, but can't get the story straight. Reese soon realizes that he's just wasting time, that Ira is no fool and decides to not delay the inevitable. He tells Ira to go ahead and get his punishment over with. Dewey and Billy watch on smug as he beats up Reese for what he did.

Hal is finishing working on the carpet and heads into the bedroom to go shower. He finds Lois in bed trying to seduce him. Hal refuses to be seduced easily and tells her that he loves abstaining from sex and loves his newfound hobbies more. Eventually old habits die hard and the parents are having sex again, leading to the house to return back to its old state.

Malcolm hides from Nicki's dad by hanging from her window. He re-enters and prepares to break up with her, thinking they don't really know each other and are both just addicted to the thrill of almost being caught. Upset, she explains she actually does know some things about him, and likes him for who he is. He realizes he knows more about her than he thought, and appreciates her for who she is, as well. They both accept that their feelings are real and not only about the danger, and they kiss.

Cast[]

  • Jane Kaczmerek as Lois
  • Bryan Cranston as Hal
  • Christopher Kennedy Masterson as Francis
  • Justin Berfield as Reese
  • Erik Per Sullivan as Dewey
  • Frankie Muniz as Malcolm

Recurring[]

  • Kenneth Mars as Otto Mankusser
  • Megan Fay as Gretchen Mankusser
  • Jonny Acker as Ira Prescott
  • Reagan Dale Neis as Nicki
  • Craig Lamar Taylor as Stevie Kenarban

Guest Stars[]

  • Michael Wiles Shamus as Boyd
  • Logan A. Graham as Billy Prescott
  • Matt Battaglia as Merl
  • Blue Deckert as Earl

Quotes[]

Reese: It can't be money day. There is no money day. I would know about it if there was a money day. Unless....maybe Mom and Dad don't want me knowing about money day.
Billy: (raking leaves around a perplexed Reese) Excuse me.
Reese: Beat kid, I'm trying to figure something out.
[Sure enough, Reese figure the whole thing out and quickly comes home to confront Dewey.]

Dewey: He's my evil twin?
Reese: Fat chance. The guy's a saint. You're his evil twin.
Dewey: But I don't want to be an evil twin!
Reese: I don't make the rules, Dewey.

[Outside the Prescott front side of house]
Dewey: I don't want to do this.
Reese: If you don't do it, I'm going to tell Mom about you taking all that money. And you're going to get a 'Me' punishment.
[Dewey reluctantly fills Ira's car up with cement, while Reese rings the doorbell and the latter comes outside.]
Ira: Hey, what are you doing to my car?
[Dewey runs and Reese is seen in disguise.]
Reese: Yeah, you better run, Billy Prescott, all the way to 1515 Cypress St. A block west from Halifax.
[Later on, cops are at the Prescott house and Ira is seen blaming his younger brother(whom he believes is Dewey) for putting cement in his car.]
Ira: That's him. That's the one....
[Their mother watches on in embarrassment and Reese is seen pleased by this.]

[Reese comes in and Billy is seen doing Dewey's homework. Believing him to be Dewey, Reese doesn't think anything is awry.]
Reese: Man, filling up that guy's car up with cement is pure genius. With Billy Prescott as our fall guy, we can do anything. Now, I've updated my enemies list. Dewey. Dewey, I'm talking to you.
[Reese is in the shock of his life when he turns "Dewey" around and he sees Billy staring blankly and intentionally at him. Dewey comes out of the closet and he realizes that he's in trouble.]
Dewey:[calling out to someone in the closet] you heard enough.
[Reese is fearful when the person comes out of the closet and reveals himself as Ira Prescott. He gleefully comes out of the closet behind Dewey and faces Reese with revenge in mind.]
Ira: Oh, yeah!
Reese: Okay, I know what you're thinking. But the thing you don't realize is that I'm not the real Reese. [Ira is smart not to believe him and advances towards him] I just look like me... I mean him... If you hurt us... I mean him....
[He realizes that Ira doesn't believe a word coming out of his mouth and decides not to delay the inevitable.]
Reese: Oh, go ahead.
[Ira beats up Reese in revenge for his actions in both ruining his car and using Billy to take the blame. Dewey watches on smug at this.]

Trivia[]

  • Malcolm gets his first and only long-term girlfriend in this episode.
  • This episode was originally scheduled for a December 8, 2002 release but got pushed back a week for some reason.
  • Nicki mentions having a little brother who's a total snitch. This is the only time in the show any mention is made of Nicki having siblings.
  • Malcolm meets Nicki here on this fake road on the premises of the CBS Studio Center. This private location would later be reused several times over the course of MitM, next time in Kicked Out.[1]
  • The park where Malcolm and Nicki make out is Woodbridge Park at 11240 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91602. This location has previously been used in Francis Escapes.[1]
  • Francis' ringtone is the tune of This Old Man.
  • First and only appearance of Billy Prescott.
    • Billy was going to make more appearances. Dewey asks for a favor to pose as him in Reese Joins the Army: Part 1 to throw his family off while he attends the contest alone. Given their similar appearance along with his family's own preoccupation with Hal's potential lawsuit and Malcolm's own grounding at Francis's hands, it wasn't that hard to fool them. Dewey would later return while Lois is showering in her clothes.
  • Reese's bully is not named in the episode like in Forwards Backwards, and is credited as "High School Kid".
    • He was later revealed to be named Ira Prescott and is Billy's older brother. This made it the only time they were related.
    • In a interview after the show, Boomer admitted that Ira and Billy are brothers and planned to keep it that way. He had a few episodes in which one was going to be a Brothers Competition at the school both youngest boys attend school. Ira and Billy were going to take on Francis and Dewey, while Malcolm and Reese had separate plotlines. Boomer confesses his disappointment with the Fox Producers and the bad writing that retconned their relationship.
    • He reappears for two more episodes: Malcolm Films Reese and Reese's Apartment, the latter of which identifies him as "Ira James" and making them unrelated, angering Boomer in the process.
  • This is the last episode to air in 2002.
  • This is the third time Reese was beaten up. His first time was in Bully, and the 2nd time was in Bowling. The next time is in Block Party and the final time is in No Motorcycles.
  • There are several scene written in the script that never made on the show to cut down on air time.
    • Nicki's little brother, Justin, was going to appear and snitches on both her and Malcolm to Lois and Boyd. Enraged, Malcolm actually beats up the boy and still gets into trouble.
    • Dewey's reluctance to ruin Ira's car, was going to be played out more differently. Still feeling remorse in stealing Billy's money, he begs Reese to reconsider getting revenge on Ira and let him confess to Lois for the theft so he can get his grounding over with. He scoffs and ignores it. The only scene that was kept in was Reese threatening Dewey into compliance and telling Lois first.
    • Dewey actually tells Ira and Billy the truth and gives the money back. The three plot revenge against Reese.

Errors[]

  • During their conversation with Stevie, a girl with a short ponytail and yellow blouse walks past Malcolm and Nicki twice in the same direction.
  • Boyd mentions that in Vietnam, he had been tied to a "Punjab" stick, which is not a real word. What he was referring to is a Punji stick, a spike made out of wood, placed upright on the ground, used to tie people to for either punishment or torture.

References[]

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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