Malcolm Films Reese is the fifth episode of Season 5 and the 90th episode overall of Malcolm in the Middle. It aired on November 30, 2003.
Contents
Plot[edit | edit source]
Malcolm's teacher forces him to secretly record Reese as he divulges his innermost secrets; Francis strikes back after a critic writes a scathing review about the hotel; Dewey secretly starts his own novelty act at an outdoor mall.
Synopsis[edit | edit source]
Malcolm films Reese for a school psychology assignment, then discovers that he is an unwitting participant in one of Mr. Herkabe's experiments, causing him to be portrayed as a sadistic maniac, also losing Reese's trust.
Meanwhile, Hal fears he'll lose his job when top officials at his company are arrested for embezzlement. He tires to keep this information to himself as to not worry his family about the financial trouble at his place of work
Lois is having problems with her two biggest tormentors aside Malcolm and Reese, the defective washer and dryer. They keep breaking down and she keeps yelling at them to stop it because they're ruining the family's sets of clothes. Hal comes home and suggests they replace it, but she refuses. Lois reminds him of the financial trouble they're in due to her own problems at Lucky Aide.
At the Grotto Ranch, Francis strikes back after critic Charles Cutler writes a scathing review about ranch. When they invite him back, his criticism is nothing but verbal abuse. After insulting Francis and Otto, Piama stands up to Cutler and calls him out as a selfish bully for his wrongful reviews. Angered by her for standing up to his reviews, Cutler racially insults Piama for Input heritage. She is completely offended by this. The angered Francis and Otto responds by beating him senseless. After Cutler is taken to the hospital, the newspapers trumpet the story and exposing the latter's selfishness. The Grotto's business begins to boom again, largely because every Restaurant, Hotel and Art Gallery in the state despised Cutler and are happy to see that he got what he deserved. He even gave a scathing review for the hospital he was at, leading to the orderlies to beat him senseless as well. According to Otto, Cutler was also fired from his job at the newspaper for his egotistical behavior and it's implied he's never going to find work as a critic again.
When Dewey skips school, he starts earning big money working as a street magician known as The Great Foldo. At home, neither parent pays attention to the letter from his informing them to come to the school and talk to the principal of his truancy over their preoccupation at their respective place of work. Dewey is able to sneak the letter off the table and into his pocket before leaving for his room. On their day off, Lois is cleaning house and Hal is watching TV. She yells at the washer for acting up again, claiming it's just a pair of socks and accidentally knocks over a vase. Hal and Lois finds Dewey's stash of money over $1,000 worth from his secret job. However, they assume it was from Hal's secret savings and end up using the money to buy a new washer and dryer. They leave Dewey with only a few bucks to buy some baseball cards, to his dismay.
Malcolm comes up with a quick plan for payback against Herkabe. To do so, he initiates a fight between school bully, Ira, and another student, David Abernathy. This distracts Herkabe to run out and break the fight up. Malcolm goes into his office and locks the door. In there, he reveals the other students' dirty secrets (also his own as payback to Reese) they paid bribe money Herkabe over the years. Humiliated, Herkabe asks his sidekick(a nerdy classmate) to erase the files, but the damages have been done. In the end, Malcolm is suspended from school along with having to clean the cafeteria. A gleeful Reese is having the time of his life pointing out the other students flaws, causing everybody to distance themselves in shame.
At the house, Dewey teaches Hal how to properly use the new washer and dryer to avoid another mess that lead to the first ones being Lois' tormentors.
Cast[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
Recurring[edit | edit source]
- Chris Eigeman as Mr. Herkabe
- Kenneth Mars as Otto
- Jonny Acker as Ira Prescott
- Craig Lamar Taylor as Stevie Kenarban
- Emy Coligado as Piama
Cameos[edit | edit source]
- Don McManus as Charles Cutler
- Julian Barnes as Mr. Fortinberry
- Joan Blair as Lunch Lady Shirley
- David Battisini as Truant Officer
- Darryl Reed Jr. as Senior
- Jennifer Shon as Patty Lin
- Jacob Gray as Malcolm's Classmate (Uncredited)
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- This episode establishes that the defective washer and dryer are another members of Lois' tormentors aside Reese and Malcolm.
- Dewey splits away from his group and throws away his diorama here. The same intersection was previously used in Thanksgiving.[1]
- Mr. Herkabe drives away from Malcolm here.[1]
- This is the 2nd time that Piama suffered racism for her Input heritage. The first time was back in Baby Part 1 when Ida insults her.
- This is the 2nd time the main characters' names have been used in a title. The first time is in Malcolm vs. Reese and the last time is in Malcolm Defends Reese
Quotes[edit | edit source]
- Malcolm: Hello North High, this is Malcolm. You all known the horrible thing I did to my brother, Reese, and I would like to publicly apologize for turning him into a laughingstock. I should never had expose his secrets and I can't turn back time. I can, however, level the playing field. I have been having impure thoughts about Shirley, the lunch lady. Just last week, I caught a glimpse of her cleavage and I have been fantasizing about her ever since.
- [The students laugh briefly]
- Malcolm: And now that I've admitted that, I'm just as much of a laughingstock as he is. Unfortunately, it doesn't protect him from the rest of the school. So I'm forced to bring everyone down to our level.
- [Malcolm opens a drawer and pulls out a file of the students personal records. He sets it down on Herkabe's desk and turns on the intercom again.]
- Malcolm: Let's take a look at everyone's personal records. First up: David Abernathy. He wasn't on the construction crew this summer, he was in theater camp.
- [The students begin laughing at David.]
- Malcolm: Sheryl Adams is excused from gym this week because her herpes is flaring up. Charlie Agnew, wets his bed every night during finals. Leslie Albert, forged her parents signature to get a new job.
- Mr. Herkabe:[walks over to his nerdy sidekick] Well Mr. Zizisvite, I say we have a half an hour to erase everything on your hard drive.
- Malcolm: James Allen.
- [The Students head to Herkabe's office to confront Malcolm]
- Malcolm: James Allen, he likes to eat his.....
- [Outside the house, Lois is heard screaming presumably at Malcolm and Reese]
- Lois: What is wrong with you? You two ruin everything.
- [Inside the house, it's revealed Lois is confronting her defective washer and dryer whom are breaking down on her.]
- Lois: Look at this shirt. You saw the price tag and you knew I just bought it.
- Malcolm: This has become a daily event. She pays more attention to them than to us.
- [Lois is seen kicking the washer.]
- Malcolm: Maybe that isn't such a bad thing.
- [Malcolm and Reese leaves for school]
- Lois: Do you think I could keep on buying new clothes?!
- Reese: Hey, Plagiarizer! Hey, Cute sets of sheets! Hey, dad had a breakdown because mom went lesbian!
