Malcolm In The Middle Season 7

4th Oct 2013

The release of season 7 of Malcolm in the Middle has been played rather well coinciding with the end of Breaking Bad and the explosion in popularity of Bryan Cranston (fingers crossed the rumour is true he will be the next Lex Luthor), it would be unsurprising if sales and interest in the show increase. You’d be forgiven for thinking the writers of Breaking Bad did watch all 7 seasons of Malcolm in the Middle and lift certain scenes and elements; the first episode of this season has Cranston in an RV driving across the desert. A familiar echo.

Typically in the last season of any show you feel the sense either of a winding down or let’s throw everything and the kitchen sink in whilst we have the chance. Malcolm in the Middle season 7 feels unique in that it goes with neither of these approaches. In fact unless you knew it already it would be hard to tell this is the last season. Whilst not necessarily the strongest season, with some of the jokes becoming not quite stale but not as consistently fresh as it was at the start, the season still maintains a consistent level of quality.

The basis of the show has always been the relationships between family members and what potentially has made Malcolm in the Middle a show which could run for 7 seasons is that they have enough family members to keep episode to episode plots mostly fresh. Season 7 is the season of Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his mother, Lois (Jane Kaczmarek). This is an example of how the same relationships shifting to different characters, allows an entirely new way to consider families. Whilst the Lois and Francis (Christopher Masterston) conflict has become a little dull and predictable (Francis antagonises his mother, she tortures the son, they have an emotional release that they don’t hate each other, and repeat) the relationship between Malcolm and Lois, the mother and son again, has a whole new angle. Both are much more alike than either would like to admit. With Dewie (Erik Per Sullivan) having grown up from the odd ball kid to the most intelligent and mature member of his family, it is fun to watch him and Hal (Bryan Cranston) playing off each other, Hal being the most irresponsible but well meaning father imaginable.

The show does make its nod to the end of its run in the last 5 minutes with a three months later segment and does end quite suitably (no spoilers here).

If you’ve invested in the last 7 seasons you won’t be disappointed here, the only potential disappoint is the confused feeling you may experience as to why there are no more episodes to watch. It is a shame however that the only few extras available are on the discs for the early seasons, they missed a good source of material here.