‘Malcolm in the Middle’ reboot is here and it is awesome. I can’t say I was waiting for it because the original show had a pretty satisfying ending and you can’t get enough of it, no matter how many times you watch it. But ‘Life’s still Unfair’ is a delightful addition to the memorable and iconic show. It’s been less than a week since it was released and it has already garnered millions of views.
The reboot features the original cast reprising their roles. Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Frankie Muniz, Christopher Masterson, and Justin Berfield all return for the reunion with the exception of Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey) who reportedly has retired from acting and is studying Victorian Literature at Harvard University. The role is Dewey is now played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark who bears a striking resemblance to the original one.
The new cast members include Keeley Karsten as Leah (Malcolm’s daughter), Kiana Madeira as Tristan (Malcom’s girlfriend), Vaughan Murrae as Kelly (the baby Lois was pregnant with in the original series final), Emy Coligado as Piama (Francis’s wife), and Anthony Timpno as Jamie. Besides the main cast, Stevie, Abe and Craig also reprise their roles. So yes, it’s a total party. The chemistry between the characters is as fresh as it was in the original one.
Now, coming to the point as to why it is better than any other reboot. First thing, it keeps the spirit of the original. To be honest, after watching this, I didn’t feel like this was shot 20 years later. Only the characters look older, otherwise everything else is the same. The house looks nicer now that the boys have grown up and moved out, well not all of them. Hal and Lois are planning to get the whole family together for their 40th anniversary.
Malcolm has a successful business involving charity, is a single father to a daughter who can also break the fourth wall and a blooming relationship with his girlfriend. He has kept bare minimum contact with his family so much so Lois doesn’t even know he has a daughter which is kind of cruel. He’s also not planning to attend the anniversary party.
Francis and his wife live in his parents’ garage which is kind of disappointing but also cute. They are also having a baby which just makes it wholesome. Reese is Reese, doing Reese things. This time he has uploaded Hal’s embarrassing moments on Internet and is getting loads of views.
Little Jamie is all grown up and is serving in the Coast Guard. Kelly, their youngest child and only daughter identifies as non-binary and is a studious teenager who rats Malcolm out to the family.
The next thing that it doesn’t try to outdo itself. Being only four episodes long, it only gives the viewers just the right amount. Mostly, it’s meant for older and devoted fans of the original show but no one can resist its gravitational pull.
My only complaint is that it should have gone longer. For me, ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ is one of those shows that when it ends, it gives me a queasy feeling because I just want more and more of it and I know I can’t get it.
The other thing which I found funny is that people are labelling this show as ‘woke’. I mean they wouldn’t call it if they watched the original one. The viewership of the original one got a boost after its release so I too couldn’t stop myself from watching it again. I am noticing things I didn’t before.
That show was ahead of its time without being overt about it at all. I guess that’s why everything works so perfectly well with this show.
Lat thing, it has a surprise for the viewers. Finn Wolfhard has a cameo. The series was shot in Vancouver and since Wolfhard is a Vancouver native, he was more than happy to do a cameo in the beloved series reboot.
So that was all on my side about ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ reboot. You let me know what you think about it and how much you enjoyed it.
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