Forwards Backwards is the 5th episode of season 4 and the 68th episode overall on Malcolm in the Middle. It was directed by Levi Issacks and written by Maggie Bandur. The episode premiered on Sunday December 1, 2002.
Plot[]
Days before Malcolm's birthday, he and Reese pull increasingly severe pranks against each other. Flashbacks throughout the episode gradually reveal how their feud began and reached the breaking point when Malcolm ate a blueberry Reese was saving. Meanwhile, Francis encounters a "devil cow" at the ranch and discovers it's just an ordinary cow long overdue for milking. Dewey worries about his role as Abraham Lincoln in the school play. Hal enlists Craig to help him find Malcolm a birthday present but is driven nuts by his constant demands.
Synopsis[]
In the cold opening, Lois takes a roast out of the oven while Hal watches TV. However she bumps into the oven door and the roast rolls onto the floor and gets coated in dust and other unsanitary things. She quickly picks it up and brushes it off, but Dewey is at the kitchen window having witnessed the whole incident. Dewey tells his mom that if she gives Reese a slice from the fuzzy side of the roast then he didn’t see a thing. Lois agrees to the deal.
With Malcolm's birthday approaching, he has been socking away money in book-type safe to buy Stevie's old laptop computer from Abe. He asks if Abe is willing to sell it to him for $300, Stevie agrees minus his 10 percent. Malcolm emphasizes how hard he has been working for six months tutoring football players who wouldn’t even take off their helmets, and once he receives his birthday money, he’ll have enough to buy the laptop. Stevie questions why he keeps his money in a book, Malcolm claims that a book is the only place his family would never think to look. Lois comes in and asks them if they’ve seen Reese, before she can continue Reese runs into the room with his head covered in duct tape and tackles Malcolm to the floor and begins beating him, much to the shock of all three of them. It is revealed that Malcolm and Reese are currently locked in an escalating war of pranks and abuses.
While removing the duct tape out of Reese's head, Malcolm nurses the black eye he received from Reese and claims he’ll pay for it before Lois silences him. She loudly reprimands both boys for their behavior again and emphasizes how sick she is of their fighting. Lois reminds Malcolm that he should know better since his birthday is coming soon. Malcolm reminds her that he only wants money, she states that if he wants anything at all, he will not retaliate against Reese. He is appalled that she’s just gonna let him have last licks, she agrees and warns him if he wants to enjoy his birthday the fight ends with him. Ignoring her warning against continuing the prank war, Malcolm is determined to out-duel Reese. After they leave Stevie commends Lois for handling the situation so well. Lois thanks him and wonders what could’ve possessed them to fight so violently. [Flashback 1: As Reese goes to work out in the garage he struggles with a barbell and gets trapped, while he was screaming for help Malcolm comes in with foam all over his legs and sarcastically claims he’ll help him before duct taping his entire head.]
At a comic bookstore called The Middle Earthling, Hal wishes to buy Malcolm an actual birthday gift, despite his request for money. Knowing his son's affinity for comic books, Hal asks for assistance in the comic book shop. Unfortunately, the owner, Dean, is rude and refuses to help him because he's not a comic book fan. He even goes as far as insulting Hal by pointing out his short business dress casual shirt, slacks, tie and dress shoes. A young boy named Ricky asks Dean if the new Metamorpho is in, he goes to help him, Hal interjects but Dean and his pals, Ronald and Bob orders him to leave so they can help an actual comic book customer.
As Lois cleans up the duct tape in the kitchen, Dewey comes in and asks Lois if she's working on his costume, becoming upset upon learning she's forgotten about his school play. Lois says she’s aware and asks if he’s playing a tree. Dewey informs her that he's set to play Abraham Lincoln and recite the Gettysburg Address and gets worried and annoyed that she always forgets about his events. She tells him to relax and that she always pulls through in the end, reminding him of the amazing Frankenstein costume she made him last time and asks if they can use that again, with an annoyed Dewey emphasizing to take it seriously.
At the Grotto, Francis tells Otto that he thinks there are some vandals causing trouble due to more fences being knocked down and some chickens being killed, and they looked as if they’d been stomped to death. Otto dismisses it as just the wind blowing the broken fences to the other side of the ranch killing the chickens in a stunning motion and dragging them across the ground in a manner that closely resembled stomping, and that there’s a perfectly logical explanation for everything. But a Hispanic co-worker worriedly cries out La Vaca Diablo which Francis translates to “Devil cow”. This prompts Otto to recount the local legend of La Vaca Diablo: the mythical "devil cow," many years ago, a marauding bovine who accidentally tasted human flesh and whenever the moon glows red she comes down from her mountain lair to drink the blood of the innocent. Francis isn't buying into the supernatural aspects of the tale, however upon seeing his co-workers and the maid staff leave with suitcases he sees how serious the situation is.
At school, Malcolm wakes up a sleeping Reese and tells him he’s not getting last licks and how sick he is of him getting away with things just because he’s an idiot, and how he can’t since he is smart and understands about consequences claiming he can be equally as vicious and short-sighted as him. Reese isn’t scared until he discovers that Malcolm super glued Reese's forearm to his forehead while he was asleep. Malcolm states how he sunk to Reese’s level and how good it feels, Reese runs off to get help. [Flashback 2: Reese wet, angered and covered in a towel walking in the living room with a fire extinguisher in hand. He sticks the nozzle of the fire extinguisher's hose in Malcolm's shorts, spraying foam in them and down Malcolm's legs.]
That night, Lois asks Hal how his trip to the comic bookstore went. He admits it went awful since Dean was very rude to him and exposed him for not being a comic book fan. Despite Lois's admonition against asking for Craig's help, Hal decides to do so anyway. The next day, Craig visits the home, at Hal's request. Craig reminds him of all the times that he came to the family's aid when they "needed" him, albeit for meager tasks that only he can handle such as picking up their mail or sitting on a suitcase. When the time comes for Hal and Lois to repay him back by returning the favor in helping him out, they always renege their deal by coming up with some poor excuse to avoid him such as hosting a barbecue and not inviting him leaving him to watch from his car and how the beer he offered him is tasting mighty bitter and would like another one. Hal questions if Craig will help him out with the negotiations at the comic bookstore or not. He agrees to help out this time, and although he won’t know when it’s coming, he will require him to perform a service for him. But Craig then realizes that he’ll be asking him tomorrow, and how he will arrive at around ten and if the weather is nice to wear a bathing suit.
Back at the Grotto, Francis runs outside to see a commotion with the guests over the corpse of an antelope that has been completely flattened with pieces of its corpse being strewn in the trees. He wonders what could’ve done something like this. Otto comes out and makes an excuse that he did it and how he ran over the antelope last night on his moped after drinking too many Cajun martinis and it should be a lesson to all of them. He tells Francis to get a shovel and some sawdust to bury the carcass, as they speak an uncouth looking cow wanders by without them noticing it but sensing it’s presence.
Back in the kitchen, as Lois finishes making a stovepipe hat out of an oatmeal container, Dewey expresses concern over doing the play and how he’s been researching some difficult historical facts he's read about Lincoln. He claims that the emancipation proclamation wasn’t about slavery at all and was strictly a political move. Lois tells him not to worry, and then he’s just nervous because he’s never been in a play where he’s had lines or moved before. Dewey reminds her that Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus in Maryland.
Back at the school, Malcolm tells Stevie about his prank. Stevie asks if he thinks it’s a good idea to push Reese like that, but he emphasizes it’s the only way to get through to his primitive little monkey brain and he has to know he’s not backing down. He sees students laughing and sees fliers in every locker. He finds that Reese retaliates by posting embarrassing "potty training" pictures of him in school lockers. Reese comes over with a red forehead after removing the glue and tells his brother if he can be vicious then he can be smart. He asks him how many copies he made, Reese sarcastically asks how many are in a pack of 500 sheets, but Malcolm tells Reese it’s over before gathering up all the fliers. [Flashback 3: An angry Malcolm with his mouth covered in toothpaste blows an air horn at Reese as he showers, which causes him to fall and pull down the shower curtain rod with him.]
After spending a day of driving him around, Hal gets Craig two scoops of fudge ripple ice cream before asking if they can finally go to the comic book store. Craig imitates Yoda and tells him to be patient because he is acting reckless. Hal is annoyed by this believing his actions was out of revenge over how the Wilkerson family treated him. Hal reminds him that they’ve gone to the beach, the movies, he won Craig a stuffed animal at the church bazaar and they’ve gone out for coffee, lunch, slushies, pie and now ice cream. Craig tells him off that he can't negotiate with Dean unless he is at full strength and firing on all cylinders. Hal questions how many cylinders he has. Craig, fed up, tells him to pull over. Hal refuses until Craig starts blowing a whistle. Hal pulls over and tries to apologize for his actions. He soundly rejects the apology, stating that Hal was rude and impatient and tells him off that he’ll have to learn to negotiate with Dean himself, and to give him the duck toy he won at the church bazaar before taking his things and leaving the car.
Later on, Malcolm approaches Reese at school and tells him that while he was ripping out all of his fliers he wondered why he was still bothering since nothing he does ever seems to stop him and admits that he’s better than him, appearing to drop the whole prank war. But then decides to ask Reese’s friends what they think, he then publicly humiliates Reese for hanging out with "friends" who don't even know who he is and how Reese has just been sitting near them so people think he’s a part of their group and tells Reese how he wins and is better than him so the war is over. [Flashback 4: Malcolm begins brushing his teeth but is disgusted by the taste of it and throws up in the sink. A very muddy Reese smiles from the shower.]
At the Grotto, as Otto sunbathes he is approached by the devil cow causing him to run into the stables telling Francis he saw the devil cow and how she had eyes like burning embers and breath from the bowels of hell and it was horrible. Francis says she couldn’t be more horrible than being hugged by his half naked oiled boss. Otto claims they need to leave the ranch, burn it down and start over. But Francis finally decides enough is enough and refuses to run away from a cow. He grabs a shotgun and tells Otto from now on he’s lactose intolerant.
On the day of the play, as Lois packs his costume into his backpack, Dewey is nauseous and nervous about performing and how he might forget his lines or something may fly out of his nose like it did at show and tell. Lois tells him that if he feels nervous on the stage, to look to the front row, where her and his father will be sitting. She turns the stovepipe hat upside down and adds that if he still feels nauseous when he’s up on stage, to use the hat.
In the boys' bedroom, Malcolm tells Stevie that Reese deserved that humiliation and thinks he has a clear path to one up him. Stevie attempts to voice his concerns over his recent behavior. That he's concerned over their fighting. Malcolm reassures Stevie that things will be fine, and Reese will know better than to mess with him. He says it’s fine, but Malcolm questions why he’s taking Reese’s side. Stevie argues he's not and is worried about Lois' reaction as she warned him to behave. Malcolm tries to assure him again that things will be fine. He notices a letter from Ida and it reveals a $5 Canadian for his birthday. Malcolm's happiness is shattered when he opens the book safe and finds a letter from Reese informing him that he had stolen all of his birthday money in retaliation for humiliating him in front of the school. Infuriated, he goes after Reese in revenge as Stevie chases after him and warns that the police will try him as an adult. [Flashback 5: Malcolm is vacuuming dirt in front of the fireplace. Reese appears grabbing his baseball, bat and glove to play with his classmates. When he attempts to put his baseball hat on, he is covered in dirt.]
At the Family Fun Center Amusement Park after losing his money, Malcolm decides he has nothing to lose and intentionally rear-ends Reese's go-kart with his own and causing him to spin out. The announcer orders him to return to the pit area to face proper punishment. Ignoring the announcer, Reese yells at Malcolm for what he thinks he’s doing. Malcolm retaliates by telling Reese he had no right, and he ruined his birthday by stealing his money that he had been planning to use to buy Stevie's old computer. He responds by this is what Malcolm deserves for the humiliation in front of the school and ends it by informing him that he used his money to drive 63 laps around the go-kart track before tossing a quarter on the track, telling him to keep the change. The announcer asks Reese to be more courteous. Both boys ignore the announcer, their anger on each other being too strong for them. Malcolm screams that he no longer cares about his birthday, his money or the safety of either of them, he only wants to make Reese suffer. Their fighting culminates into a game of chicken as the announcer states that they’ve just lost two weeks arcade privileges but is once again ignored. Malcolm says he is too angry to blink and claims that Reese will stop when he sees his face. Reese shows no concern and sings the “Speed Racer” theme song while driving towards Malcolm. After seeing how he isn’t stopping, Malcolm concludes maybe it wasn’t such a good idea, but is too late when it ends with the two wiping each other out as a cloud of smoke billows upward. [Flashback 6: Malcolm is washing dishes after breakfast. An angry Reese dips his finger in the messy plate and gives him a wet willy.]
At the comic bookstore, Hal again attempts to try his luck by disguising his voice and hiding his face but is quickly caught. Hal says he just wants to buy a present for his son and that shouldn’t be a crime, and his only crime is that he doesn’t know as much as him. Appealing to them as decent human beings to give his son a happy birthday. He finally persuades Dean to help him who apologizes for getting off on the wrong foot before and everyone has to start somewhere. However, before he can sell him a mark up of a bad comic book of Dead Man's Shoes, Craig shows up to save the day, much to Hal's shock. Dean is displeased and tells him to go away because the deal doesn't concern him at all. Ronald and Bob immediately recognize Craig right away due to them playing Dungeon Master all the time. He refuses Dean's request to leave and states the deal does concern him. Craig immediately confronts him for his actions for attempting to sell Hal a bad comic book. When Dean protests that it's valuable, Craig tells him that they should check Overstreet. He then points out that they don't need to, recites from memory it's a recent printing and has 50,000 returns. He states he'd keep it in his bathroom inside a glass case, but not to read. He further accuses Dean's comic book store of being a mere novelty shop. He attempts to sell Hal a 'rare' Spider Man comic book about his first fight with the Green Goblin, hoping he could take advantage of his naivete. However, Craig isn't fooled by Dean's attempt and saves Hal once more by tossing his drink on the comic book. When Ronald asks what he's doing, he reveals it was the 1993 reprint and has seen the advertisement of that year. Craig makes his point across that if it had been an original, Dean would've protected the comic book with his body. Because he didn't move, he saw that even the battle with the Green Goblin wasn't authentic. With that, Dean's lack of knowledge on the authenticity of comic books are exposed. Ronald and Bob are upset with Dean for lying to them about the comic's authenticity. Craig is able to force Dean into negotiations for a better comic book. Outside, Hal is grateful to Craig for saving him from buying a bad comic book and how heroic he acted. Craig likes to think they all have a little bit of Aquaman inside themselves, Hal states that Craig really knows his stuff and is impressed. When Craig asks Hal to go with him to a nearby convention, Hal refuses, saying that he has a life.
At the house, Hal, Lois, Malcolm, and Reese return from the hospital. Malcolm is seen with his right arm in a cast, got a black eye, and his head bandaged up, implying that he got off lightly. Reese didn't and got the worst of the injuries. His entire body is bandaged up, his neck in a brace, having a hard time walking and must waddle akin to a penguin. Lois points out that she should’ve told the doctors to sew fur and tails on both Malcolm and Reese because they're prime examples of animals. She also explains how animals would actually be easier to discipline because then she could have them fixed. Hal informs the boys that they're both grounded again. As the boys argue among themselves and blame each other for getting them grounded, Lois silences them. She asks Malcolm and Reese what they've previously done on their birthdays. When they reveal that they've done nothing to celebrate it with Reese admitting that he got grounded last year after she caught him smashing Malcolm's face in the cake, and Malcolm being grounded on his last two birthdays, she calls them out for it. Lois asks if they are aware that their fighting is the primary reason neither of them has been able to have a birthday party in their whole lives. She asks them if they find it sad that every chance at a happy birthday they’ve willingly thrown away because of their fighting. She wonders if they think revenge is really worth it to them, and asks them if they believe it’s worth it now, and if they feel happy now after getting said revenge. In that moment, Malcolm and Reese both finally feel remorse over how badly they behaved by escalating the fighting and making it worse. Lois mentions that Malcolm and Reese shouldn't be fighting since she and Hal love them both same way, as there are no favorites in the family. Hal then wonders where Dewey is.
At the play, Dewey sees that his parents didn't show up (due to having to deal Malcolm and Reese's misbehavior), like they said they would. Dewey gets disappointed, but then he fantasizes that the couple behind their empty chairs are a pair of loving, supportive parents. The mother says they love him and the father encourages him and how proud they are of him. He goes on to perform an operatic musical delivery of the Gettysburg Address, which reduces the audience to tears and end up getting a standing ovation from the people in the auditorium. The couple are revealed to not be as loving as Dewey fantasized with the wife stating that their daughter Daniela could’ve sung like that too if her husband’s affair hadn’t scarred her for life. Her husband congratulates her and asks why doesn’t she have another drink.
On a stormy night at the Grotto, Francis and Otto sit on the roof as Francis reads “The Standard Guide to Animal Husbandry” as Otto tells him it’s not the time for studying it and they need to kill the cow. Francis states that the book must contain the answer they need, but Otto says how the bullet is always the answer before the cow attacks again. This causes Otto to fall off the roof into a pile of hay where he is face to face with the bovine. Otto is afraid, but Francis soon discovers that there is no devil cow. It was Bessie, an ordinary cow that was behind the whole thing because her udders have been so overfilled with milk it was causing her pain. Francis sits down on a stool, puts a bucket under her udders and helpfully milks her. He understands how much in pain Bessie was in for the neglect. She moos in agreement while shedding tears of relief over finally being milked.
The next day, Hal and Lois attempt buy off Dewey with a Game Boy Advance as an apology for missing his school play. However, he's still upset with them for not attending. Hal offers Dewey the comic book intended for Malcolm, at which he tells them that he's starting to get over it. As he leaves, Dewey wishes Malcolm a happy birthday as he and Reese scrub the kitchen floor with toothbrushes. [Flashback 7: It's revealed that Malcolm started the prank war with Reese. Before leaving to get a refill of orange juice, Reese tells Malcolm not to eat the last blueberry on his plate because he is saving it for later. He ignores Reese's request and eats the blueberry, asking "What's the worst that could happen?" to the audience.]
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
Guest Stars[]
Recurring[]
Cameos[]
- Timm Sharp as Dean
- Tom Tartamella as Ronald
- Trieu Tran as Bob
- Marquis Scott as Ricky
- Oscar Nunez as Ranch Hand
- Angie Hughes as Female Guest
- Kevin Dunigan as Male Guest
- Bonnie Burroughs as Pretend Mom
- Matt Hannigan as Pretend Dad
- Jonny Acker as High School Kid(uncredited)
Quotes[]
- Craig:(pushing the doors open in a heroic fashion) Not so fast!
- Dean: This transaction does not concern you, Feldspar.
- Bob: That's Craig Feldspar, he's a level 45 Dungeon Master.
- Craig:(confronting Dean for attempting to sell Hal a $50 mark up of a bad comic book) What cereal box did you shake this out of, Dean?
- Dean: It's the first print, totally collectible.
- Craig: Oh, should we check the Overstreet? Wait, we don't have to! 1997: First and only printing. 50,000 returns all in circulation. I keep this in my bathroom, but not for reading. This isn't a comic book store, it's a novelty shop!
- [Dean attempts to sell Hal a "rare" comic book of Spider-Man fighting the Green Goblin by taking it out of it's plastic covering. Craig isn't buying it and spills soda on it.]
- Ricky: What are you doing?
- Craig: Fear not, it was only a 1993 reprint. If that had been an original, he would've thrown himself at it.
- Ricky:[He and Bob are now betrayed by Dean after hearing Craig out] Dude, you told me that was real.
- Craig: Now, lets talk business!
- [A furious Hal and Lois are forced to miss Dewey's play by having to pick up an injured Reese and Malcolm from the hospital. Both boys are seen coming in the house. Malcolm only escapes with a broken arm, a black eye and a bandage on his head. Reese gets the worse of the injuries because his entire body bandaged up in a body cast and has a hard time walking.]
- Lois: I should've told the doctor to sew fur and tails on you boys because you're animals! Only animals are easier because then I can have you fixed!
- Hal:(facing Malcolm and Reese) For all the good it does, you're grounded again.
- Malcolm: Thanks a lot for getting me grounded on my birthday!
- Reese: Oh boo hoo, I was grounded on my birthday!
- [Lois overhears this and is much angrier]
- Malcolm: I was just standing up for myself! There is such a thing as justice, you know?!
- Reese: Well, there is such a thing as "Shut up"-!
- Lois: Stop it! Malcolm, do you remember what you did for your birthday last year?
- Malcolm: Nothing. I was grounded then, too.
- Lois:(to Reese) And what about your birthday?
- Reese: You grounded me after I smashed Malcolm's face into the cake.
- Lois: And your birthday before that?
- Malcolm: Pretty much this.
- Reese: (to Malcolm) Wait. When did you push me off the pony?
- Hal: All right, two scoops, fudge ripple. Now are we going to the comic book store?
- Craig: (imitating Yoda) Patience, Luke. You are reckless.
- Hal: We've gone to he beach, we've gone to the movies. I won you an animal at the church bazaar. We've gone out for coffee, lunch, Slushies, pie.
- Craig: I can't negotiate unless I'm firing on all cylinders.
- Hal: Just how many cylinders do you have?
- [Last flashback, at the breakfast table.]
- Reese:[getting up, but leaves his plate with a blueberry on it.] Don't eat that blueberry, I'm saving it.
- Malcolm:[ignores Reese and eats the blueberry off his plate] What's the worst that could happen?
- [Malcolm has just bumped Reese's go-kart, causing him to go out of control and spin to the side of the road. He stops feet in front of Reese]
- Announcer: Car #15, no bumping. Return to the pit area.
- Reese: What the hell are you doing?
- Malcolm: You had no right. You stole from me. That was my money.
- Reese: Fine. Let's see (finds a quarter and tosses it out in the middle of the race track) I've done 63 laps, keep the change.
- Announcer: Car 8, let's be courteous.
- [Malcolm runs out of the room and chases after Reese for stealing his money that he had planned to use to buy Stevie's old laptop.]
- Stevie: They'll try you as an adult!
Trivia[]
- The complete sequence of events in the escalating feud between Malcolm and Reese is as follows:
- 1) Malcolm started the feud by eating a blueberry off Reese's plate
- 2) Reese gives Malcolm a wet willy
- 3) Malcolm fills Reese's cap with dirt
- 4) Reese puts raw meat in Malcolm's toothpaste
- 5) Malcolm blows an air horn at Reese while showering
- 6) Reese shoots a fire extinguisher into Malcolm's shorts
- 7) Malcolm covers Reese's head with tape
- 8) Reese gives Malcolm a black eye
- 9) Malcolm glues Reese's arm to his forehead
- 10) Reese distributes Malcolm's baby picture all over school
- 11) Malcolm shows Reese up before the popular kids
- 12) Reese steals Malcolm's birthday money
- 13) Malcolm and Reese play chicken in go-karts and wipe each other out
- 14) Results end in the same way with Hal and Lois grounding the boys again.
- There was a Game Boy Advance seen with Dewey playing it.
- Johnny Acker makes his first recurring appearance on the show as a high school student whom Reese claims to be friends with but isn't. He would later play Ira, Reese's bully and Billy's older brother
- Though it is never mentioned this is the fourth time supposedly that the Wilkerson family earned a lifetime ban from a public place. This time it's at a Family Fun Center Amusement Park when the boys destroyed two of their go-karts. The first time was in Traffic Jam, the 2nd time was in Dinner Out and the third time in Evacuation. Coincidentally, it would be the last time they were banned on screen until Lois Battles Jamie in which the Wilkersons will receive another lifetime ban because Jamie misbehaved and fought with the other kids at Gymboree.
- In Buseys Run Away, the family would be banned again, this time off screen from a movie theater from a prank gone wrong.
- Hal got banned from the Casino in Casino for cheating.
- To Date Hal, Lois, Malcolm, Reese, Dewey and Jamie have been banned from public places. The only one who hasn't been is Francis.
- This episode marks the only time that Hal and Lois show regret at missing Dewey's class function.
- This is Maggie Bandur's first solo writing credits. She had previously been credited alongside her co-writer, Pang-Ni Landrum.
- This is Bessie the Cow's first appearance on this show. She returns in Victor's Other Family, revealed in having a relationship with an amorous horse named Thunder.
- The kart racing scenes were filmed at the Mountasia Family Fun Center in Santa Clarita.[1]
- The scene where Hal grounds both Malcolm and Reese was simplified from an original scene. He grounded Malcolm on his birthday for escalating the fight and Reese for presumably starting the fight.
- Originally Malcolm and Reese were both going to be blamed by Lois for making her and Hal miss Dewey's play. The older boys show no remorse for how they behaved themselves and call Hal and Lois out. Both Malcolm and Reese point out that they didn't care if they lost their birthdays nor made their parents miss Dewey's play. Both brothers would value their fighting and revenge more than their birthdays. To them, it would have a sweeter taste and they both enjoy the negative attention that both parents give them. Enraged by Malcolm and Reese's defiance, Lois would announce that from now on, no one will celebrate the older boys' respective birthdays anymore, and that Malcolm and Reese would have to do a lot of household chores. This was ultimately dropped because the writers concluded it would be better if Malcolm and Reese learned from their experience instead and matured from it.
- Hal and Lois remorsefully apologizes to Dewey for missing his play on the account of Malcolm and Reese misbehaving again.
- As he’s riding the go kart, Reese sings the Speed Racer theme song, which is a 1967 anime.
- This episode reveals that neither Malcolm nor Reese were ever able to enjoy a proper birthday their entire life because of their fighting and prank wars.
- This is another tradition the Wilkersons always end up observing alongside being banned from public places.
- This episode marks the first time that Craig got his revenge on a member of a Wilkerson family member. In this case, Hal was so impatient and yelled at him. Craig was so offended, called off their deal and told him off to negotiate with Dean on his own. This is also the only time he reneged it mainly because he had to save Hal from buying a bad comic book. The next episodes that Craig gets his revenge on a member of the Wilkersons are Malcolm Holds His Tongue with Reese and again with Hal in Garage Sale. Neither of those deals he reneged because of how they treated him.
- When Hal first meets Dean, he mentions a phony comic book “Mr. Incredible” who was completely fabricated, but two years later Pixar would create a character as the main character in the movie “The Incredibles”.