For those who are unaware, Malcolm in The Middle is one of the greatest television shows ever made. The characters are complex and don’t operate on stereotypical archetypes. The depiction of lower-middle class life is arguably the most authentic ever seen on television. At times the storylines tap into the viewer’s emotional state with raw, harsh, and blunt predicaments; at other times the storylines and characters are unbelievably hilarious. Now, I used to watch the show religiously as a child. But even now, nearly two decades after the first season premiered, the show remains a favorite of mine. By reworking through the show’s seven seasons as an adult, I have found that aside from immense entertainment value, Malcolm in the Middle provides its viewers with many life lessons. Here are four:
1. Life as a child wasn’t all that great.
Little baby Frankie Muniz (as Malcolm) said it best in the show’s pilot episode: “You wanna know what the best thing about childhood is? At some point it stops.” While we may reflect with fondness over the seemingly simplicity of childhood, let’s face it: being a kid really sucked sometimes. (Take the entirety of high school as a prime example). As a kid you were probably constantly being told what to do, what not to do, what to say, what not to say, who to be, who not to be… And you didn’t really possess much self-efficacy over the whole situation. Being older undoubtedly allows you to exercise more control over your life. Things may not seem as simple, but things are definitely more free.
2. Life doesn’t always go as planned.
I get that because it’s a tv show, Malcolm in the Middle is filled with unexpected events and situational plotlines in order to make it more interesting to watch. But unexpectancies come up in our real lives as well. And they sometimes really mess up our life plans. In the show, for example, Lois (an eventual mother of five boys), reveals that the whole suburban-mom-thing seems like “such a nightmare” to her. But accidental pregnancy after accidental pregnancy complicated her life plans. The show teaches us that no matter how much we think we’ve got life all figured out, the universe is bound to throw something unexpected our way. It may mess everything up, but we’ve got to learn to work with it nonetheless. And we have to trust that things will work out in the end.
3. Life is more worthwhile when shared with others.
Whether it’s with family, friends, or even strangers, it’s important for human beings to look out for one another. The Wilkersons (yeah, that’s the family’s last name) may seem like a chaotic and dysfunctional family, but goddammit do they clearly love each other. Francis, Reese, Malcolm, and Dewey may seem like televisions worst-behaved-kids, but more often than not they are going against authority figures in moral acts of defiance. Take for example the episode Malcolm Defends Reese, where Malcolm gets back at a teacher who hurt Reese’s feelings. Or the episode in which Hal realizes Francis is willing to stand up for his fellow military school classmates, even when he knows he will be heavily punished for it. Or when the family fights a group of clowns in Lois’ honor in a comedic, but also hella-endearing scene. In the chaos of life, it is important to remember those who you care about. Life is a definitely more enjoyable when you’ve got people who you love and people who love you.
4. Life is unfair.
All great things must eventually come to an end. In the show’s final episode, Lois drops some heartfelt knowledge that still hits audiences hard over a decade later. Lois emphasizes to her gifted son Malcolm that life will never be fair for him. She says, “you’re going to learn what it’s like to sweep floors and bust your ass and accomplish twice as much as all the kids around you. And it won’t mean anything because they will still look down on you. And you will want so much for them to like you and they just won’t. And that’ll break your heart.” Lois underscores the notion of how Malcolm and his family will always be looked down upon due to their second-class status. But there’s optimism in her speech as well. Drawing back to the idea of self-efficacy, Malcolm, now all grown up, is finally in a position to better his own life despite the circumstances he has been dealt. And I don’t know about anyone else, but as a first generation college student pursuing a higher education at the state’s most prestigious university, this optimistic idea of building a better life for oneself despite one’s circumstances really hits home.