MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE: IF BOYS WERE GIRLS (TV)
Summary
One in this irreverent comedy series revolving around a precocious middle child who narrates life in his tumultuous and outrageous family. In this episode, Hal and a pregnant Lois gross the boys out with some childbirth talk, and Hal frets over what to buy Lois for Valentine's Day as she steels herself for a grueling back-to-school shopping trip with the kids. When she catches Dewey, Malcolm and Reese fighting, she briefly images them as well-behaved, affectionate girls, resolving their problems with words instead. Back in reality, everyone is shocked when Malcolm knocks Reese down with a punch. Lois is further annoyed when Francis calls from military school to ask for a silly favor, and the three other boys complain bitterly about having to go shopping, and Lois again imagines them as daughters excited about the prospect. At the mall, Hal runs around frantically searching for a present, and as the boys messily devour their lunches, Lois pictures her daughters eating daintily, joined by an overweight, neurotic Hal.
Hal finally decides on a foot bath for Lois, but learns that they are sold out and when his attempts to buy the last one from its new owner fail, he grabs the bag and runs, only to find that he has stolen the wrong thing – twice. At a crowded outlet store, Reese is embarrassed by his bruised face and Dewey observes that he is "dead inside" after being defeated by his younger brother. When he faces off against an old woman wanting to steal their dressing room, however, Dewey and Malcolm are relieved to see that he is "back." A woman from Child Services intervenes, feeling that Lois should be evaluated, and the badly-behaved family is forced to flee. As they run, Lois' fantasy of her three girls sours as she imagines them squabbling and taking advantage of their parents in different but equally unpleasant ways, and she realizes that there is "no escape" from the challenges of parenthood. Later, however, she is touched when Hal presents her with a fitting Valentine's gift—an outfit for the baby—and the boys give her some chocolates, though she privately admits that she hopes she is having a girl. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Fox
- DATE: February 9, 2003 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:30:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:79826
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Families
- SERIES RUN: Fox - TV series, 2000-2006
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Linwood Boomer … Executive Producer, Created by
- Matthew Carlson … Co-Executive Producer
- Gary Murphy … Co-Executive Producer
- Neil Thompson … Co-Executive Producer
- Michael Glouberman … Co-Executive Producer
- Andrew Orenstein … Co-Executive Producer
- Michael Borkow … Co-Executive Producer
- Alex Reid … Co-Executive Producer
- Rob Hanning … Co-Executive Producer
- Maggie Bandur … Producer
- Dan Kopelman … Producer
- Jimmy Simons … Producer
- Ken Kwapis … Producer, Director
- Don Voorhies … Co-Producer
- Janice Carr … Associate Producer
- Alexandra Kaczenski … Writer
- Nahnatchka Khan … Writer
- Charles Sydnor … Music by
- They Might Be Giants … Theme Music by
- Jane Kaczmarek … Cast, Lois
- Bryan Cranston … Cast, Hal
- Christopher Kennedy Masterson … Cast, Francis
- Justin Berfield … Cast, Reese
- Erik Per Sullivan … Cast, Dewey
- Frankie Muniz … Cast, Malcolm
- Lisa Foiles … Cast, Mallory
- Mimi Paley … Cast, Renee
- Jennette McCurdy … Cast, Daisy
- Toran Caudell … Cast, Jason
- Michelle Anne Johnson … Cast, Saleslady
- Jeff Rosenthal … Cast, Harry
- Scott Dreier … Cast, Salesman
- P.B. Hutton … Cast, Mrs. Tracy
- Dona Hardy … Cast, Old Lady
- Howard George … Cast, Frank