Stereo Store is the thirteenth episode of Season 4 of Malcolm in the Middle. It was written by Matthew Carlson and directed by Bryan Cranston. It aired on March 16, 2003.
Summary[]
Hal gets a second job at an electronics store and has to choose between impressing his coworkers or his manager. A girl in Malcolm's class babysits the boys and uses manipulation techniques to control them. Francis is excited about the ranch being used as a movie set until he finds out it is an X-rated movie.
Plot[]
In the opening, Malcolm does Reese's homework which he promises will be a guaranteed A. Allison remembered that she also forgot to do that homework. Reese rips the report in half believing they will both get Cs.
Lois is still at her sister's, so Hal is forced to find a second job to bring in extra income. He hires a babysitter named Jessica to supervise the house, but the boys are enraged because Jessica is Malcolm's age and goes to their high school. Jessica used manipulation techniques on the boys to get them to obey her. After having enough, the boys put together a plan to get Jessica back. While Jessica's friends were over the house, Dewey used his cute charm to sleep on Jessica's lap and overhear all of her gossip with her friends. The boys learned all of Jessica's dirty secrets and stop following her orders. Reese left the house to go to a wild party. Malcolm bragged about how he managed to beat her, but she got to Malcolm once again by crying.
Hal starts his first day at the U-Buy-It electronics store. His manager Randy introduces him to the other salesmen and repeatedly insults them. Hal tries to become friends with his coworkers, but they dislike Hal when he impressed Randy without even trying. Hal's attempts to make friends at work proves to be more difficult when Randy rewards Hal with tickets to a concert for being the top salesman of the month. When the other salesmen leave their shift to go to a party, Hal realized this is his chance to win their respect. Hal asks Randy if he can leave work early to go to the party, but Randy refuses as Hal is the only competent worker he has ever had. Randy gives Hal an ultimatum in which he must decide if he wants this job or to party with his coworkers. Hal chooses the latter and escapes Randy's desperate attempt to stop him. Hal has a great time at the party until the household's parents return from their vacation leading to Hal hiding with a bunch of people in a playhouse. Hal regretted his decision and lectured the party animals about rethinking their lives. After wrapping up his speech, Reese revealed he was here as well and asked Hal for a ride home.
At the ranch, Francis allows a movie production to take place at the dude ranch in order to attract more tourists. Francis is excited about this until he learns the movie is X-rated. He tried to put a stop to the production, but Otto and Gretchen grow more excited about it. When Gretchen gets a part in the movie, Francis is horrified. Francis fixes this by reasoning with the director to change the script and make the film R-rated. After the first take, Francis feels proud that he fixed everything until Otto and Gretchen revealed they were hoping the movie was going to be X-rated after all.
Trivia[]
- First appearance of Hayden Panettiere as Jessica.
- Bryan Cranston directed this episode.
- The shop where Hal works is a former Good Guys consumer electronics retail store at 21311 Victory Blvd, Canoga Park, CA 91303. [1] By 2006, all Good Guys stores had closed and the shooting location now contains a pet supply store.
- The party Hal attends happens 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 Baby Part 2.[1]
- This episode is exactly halfway between the premiere, Pilot, and the series finale, Graduation.
- When Hal decides to race out of the store to go to the same party his co-workers are attending, the theme from Indiana Jones plays, many elements are referenced as well:
- The pencils fall into the blades of a rotating fan acting as the wall darts.
- The beach ball as the boulder.
- Hal retrieving his car keys at the last second before the security gate completely closing, as Indiana Jones reaching for his fedora hat.
- A Tijuana Car Wash is when a person is placed on a table, then slid across while various bottles of tequila, liquor, and beer is spilled onto him. The goal is to get as drunk as possible.
- The song that plays during the Tijuana car wash is "The Art of Losing" by American Hi-Fi.
- It is unknown why Hal didn't just return to U-Buy-It and apologize to Randy to get his second job back. It is either because Randy stood by his ultimatum, or Hal was too embarrassed to show his face around the store again.
- This episode premiered two days after Agent Cody Banks starring Frankie Muniz was released in theaters.