Kitty's Back, is the 5th episode of season 6 and the 112th episode overall on Malcolm in the Middle. It was directed by Peter Laurel and written by Matthew Carlson. The episode premiered on Fox in December 12, 2004
Plot
Kitty (Merrin Dungey) returns after having done everything imaginable and wants to return to her family, to Lois' dismay. Francis comes home and puts Dewey through the torturous "Brotherhood Initiation", then teaches Dewey about a fool-proof way to get out of trouble from his parents, Malcolm helps Stevie write an acceptance speech for his etiquette award, and Reese gets a full-body sunburn so he can peel his entire body at once. But when nobody cares about Reese shedding, he decides to mess up Stevie's speech which ends with him punished by Lois.
Synopsis:
Reese decides to sunbathe in the backyard of the Wilkerson house without putting on sunscreen. Soon enough, he's terribly sunburned while he was napping.
Later on inside the Wilkerson kitchen, Reese attempts to peel off the burned skin by starting with his right foot. However, Lois catches him in the act and warns against it because he risks getting leprosy if he attempts it. Reese is forced not to peel his skin while his family along with Stevie and Abe Kenarban are celebrating Dewey's birthday. Lois apologizes to him about the birthdays being less than what he deserves because of the debt they have to pay off with Hal's trial and the other taxes. Dewey asks what is taking Francis so long to come to his birthday. Lois reveals that he had something else at work he needed to do. During the time, Abe tells Hal that the new teller at the bank he goes to, started flirting with him by telling him that she noticed that he forgot to "date" his check.
In the boys' room, Stevie has just been awarded the highest honors at the Good Manners Awards banquet for having the best manners and Malcolm decides to help him with his acceptance speech by using a tape recorder to record his voice. When the speech is done, he can eliminate the heavy breathing with the editing on his friend's computer. Reese comes in the room excited that underneath his old skin, there's a new skin underneath it that he makes his own snake skin suit.
In the Wilkerson kitchen, Hal and Lois bid Abe and Stevie good night and were just preparing to go to bed themselves until Kitty shows up at their door unannounced. She tells them that while she was away doing what she always wanted to do, she regretted leaving Abe and Stevie and asks for their forgiveness. Hal is more than willing to forgive her because he knows that she just made a mistake. However, Lois puts her foot down and tells Kitty off that she'll never forgive her for what she's done. She mentions that Abe and Stevie deserves better than Kitty. Lois mentions that her actions were creepy and unforgivable. She tells Kitty to leave and never come back again in their lives.
Francis arrives to the house late to Dewey's birthday party and puts him through a torturous 'Brotherhood Initiation'. He tells him that Reese and Malcolm had to endure it too.
The next day, Abe confronts her about what she said to Kitty. It was apparent that he has taken her back and Lois is upset about it. She refuses to apologize to Kitty for telling her off that her actions were unforgivable and creepy. Lois reminds him that she stood in for Kitty for every PTA meeting that they had attended. Abe refuses to listen and leaves the house.
In the Wilkerson master bedroom, Lois is furious about what had happened to Abe and Stevie. She thought they were better off without Kitty in their lives. Hal tells her that she needs to forgive her at once. Lois refuses and tells him that she'll stand her ground by attending the Manners Banquet even if they don't want her there.
In the boys' room, Malcolm is helping Stevie with his recording when Lois offers him some lemonade. He refuses her lemonade and tells her that he'll be drinking juice from his mother's choice. It is apparent that Malcolm is torn between the two choice he has, defending Lois' thoughts about Kitty and forgiving his friend's mother. If he sides with his mother, then he'll lose his closest friend at school. However if he forgives Kitty, then Lois will make his life a living hell. Still when he argues his case with Stevie, Reese rudely interrupts them and tells them about his plans to make his own snake skin suit. He wants their help so they can make money off of his snake suit. Steve shares his sentiments about it being disgusting. Malcolm agrees and calls Reese an idiot for even suggesting it. He also mentions that he and Stevie wants no involvement in it. Reese is angry and decides to get revenge against the two.
Meanwhile, a sick Dewey decides that he had enough of Francis' Brotherhood Initiation and tells him off. Realizing the trick is up, he decides to tell him about the large vanilla candle in their room that when they light it, their parents will have sex. Dewey decides to use the information to his advantage. He opens the door and Francis apologizes for making him go through the torture. He explains it had been out of anger towards Malcolm and Reese for the way they treated Dewey.
At the Good Manners Award Banquet, Lois and the Kenarbans continue giving each other the silent treatment, much to Hal's dismay. He leaves and gets drunk along the way at the banquet. Lois wants to continue on hating Kitty for leaving Abe and Stevie. However, she reconsiders it when she hears Frank Wolston's speech about how manners affects everyone, that she finally realizes that she was being unfair in her mistreatment towards Kitty. Lois apologizes to her for what happened and she forgives her friend. Finally, Stevie is ready to make his speech with him lip-syncing his recorded speech. However, something goes wrong and the speech is ruined with all the rude words. Everyone is angry about it, except for a drunk Hal who loves it. When Malcolm notices Reese smiling at his prank as revenge for his refusal to participate in his Snake Skin. He decides to get payback of his own by telling on Reese to Lois about it.
The next day, Lois has punished Reese for his prank against Malcolm by ruining Stevie's acceptance speech at the Good Manners Award Banquet. As he is carrying his full snake skin suit, she reminds that his punishment isn't over until the bathroom floor is so spotless he can eat off it, which he's going to do for the next three weeks. Then, she orders him to get rid of that skin suit because she's disgusted by it. Reese is insulted and tells her off if Malcolm made another him out of hair, she'll immediately throw a parade for him. The vacuum cleaner sucks in the snake skin and he's devastated by it. Reese unplugs the vacuum and asks Lois for a minute alone with it. He takes it outside with him. Dewey shows up with the lit vanilla candle and a bad report from his teacher. However, that bad report is ignore as Hal and Lois goes into their bedroom to have sex.
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
- Craig Lamar Traylor as Stevie Kenarban
- Gary Anthony Williams as Abe Kenarban
- Merrin Dungey as Kitty Kenarban
Cameos
- Henry Gibson as Frank Wolston
- Jeanette Miller as Elderly Woman
- Derek Walters as a Waiter
- Mitch Silpa as a Bartender
Trivia
- Kitty makes her last appearance here.