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Malcolm in the Middle
EpisodesSeason 5 Episode Guide
22 Episodes 2003 - 2004
Series 5 that follows the lives of a bright youngster, his three brothers, idiot father and strict mother.
Episode 1
Vegas
Sun, Nov 2, 2003 30 mins
In Las Vegas, Lois goes gaga over her teen idol, a flashy singer played by David Cassidy; and Hal dreams about a slot jackpot. Meanwhile, junior farmer Dewey displays a humongous rabbit.
Episode 2
Watching the Baby
Sun, Nov 9, 2003 30 mins
Baby-sitting suits Dewey, who comforts the family newborn with a story as wild as Malcolm and Reese's adventure with teen babes. Elsewhere, Hal leads a revolt at the Lucky Aide. Polly: Julie Hagerty. Craig: David Anthony Williams.
Episode 3
Goodbye Kitty
Sun, Nov 16, 2003 30 mins
Word of his parents' divorce devastates Stevie on the eve of a big wheelchair-basketball game; entries in a teen diary captivate Reese, who doesn't know it belongs to his mom, seen in flashbacks to flirtatious high-school days.
Episode 4
Thanksgiving
Sun, Nov 23, 2003 30 mins
Thanksgiving energizes Reese, who cooks a gourmet feast that features a turkey stuffed in a monkfish and prawns in a citrus sauce. Elsewhere, Malcolm frolics with a sexy teen (Alessandra Toreson) who bewitches him.
Episode 5
Malcolm Films Reese
Sun, Nov 30, 2003 30 mins
Malcolm secretly films Reese for a class project that becomes a revealing, cinema-verité study; and Dewey entertains à la Houdini at a mall with a money-making illusion. Herkabe: Chris Eigeman. Cutler: Don McManus.
Episode 6
Malcolm's Job
Sun, Dec 7, 2003 30 mins
A menial job at the Lucky Aide riles Malcolm; toddler competitions amuse Hal and other dads, who're saddled with baby care; sibling bullying rattles Dewey, who runs off to visit Francis. Craig: David Anthony Higgins.
Episode 7
Christmas Trees
Sun, Dec 14, 2003 30 mins
Christmas capers engage Hal and sons in a tree-selling venture that outrages priests at a similar, church-sponsored enterprise. Back at the ranch, Otto's bickering relatives descend, reminding Francis of home sweet home.
Episode 8
Block Party
Sun, Jan 4, 2004 30 mins
An eventful block party finds Lois and Hal in a kielbasa-eating contest; Reese paired with Dewey in a money-making scam; and Malcolm entangled in a burglary. Mort: Stephen Rockwell. Dottie: Margarita Franco.
Episode 9
Dirty Magazine
Sun, Jan 11, 2004 30 mins
Censorship galls Malcolm; as the editor of the school's literary magazine, he's anxious to publish a story suffused with profanity that the administration is equally anxious to quash. Also: a flirtatious boss ogles befuddled Hal.
Episode 10
Hot Tub
Sun, Jan 25, 2004 30 mins
A hot-tub purchase buoys Hal; a learner's permit excites Malcolm, also driven to distraction by his baby brother's flighty sitter (Julie Hagerty); a new friendship delights Dewey, whose buddy begins to bond with manipulative Reese.
Episode 11
Ida's Boyfriend
Sun, Feb 8, 2004 30 mins
Cloris Leachman returns as Lois's mom, whose betrothal to a kindly Hong Kong businessman hasn't changed her conniving nastiness. At the ranch, a third-rate acting troupe hams it up while performing a "murder-mystery weekend" play.
Episode 12
Softball
Sun, Feb 15, 2004 30 mins
Softball challenges Malcolm, thanks to mom, who's at first a demanding coach then, as luck would have it, a sly competitor on the mound. Back home, Francis pays a surprise visit, determined to dispel childhood guilt feelings.
Episode 13
Lois' Sister
Sun, Feb 22, 2004 30 mins
Growing-up memories reengage Lois and her visiting sister (Laurie Metcalf), who has a terminal disease and needs a kidney from her sib. Meanwhile, a wilderness trek humbles Francis, who's outsmarted by a troop of 11-year-old girls.
Episode 14
Malcolm Dates a Family
Sun, Mar 14, 2004 30 mins
The dating game traps Malcolm with his new girlfriend's intellectual family; a pizza parlour's service charges anger Lois, who fights back; an eager-beaver ranch hand indulges Francis.
Episode 15
Reese's Apartment
Sun, Mar 21, 2004 30 mins
Disgruntled Reese moves out of the house and into a studio apartment, where he does very well on his own, much to his parents' chagrin. Elsewhere, disdainful Malcolm faces a crisis of conscience over his tutelage of a slow-witted jock.
Episode 16
Malcolm Visits College
Sun, Mar 28, 2004 30 mins
Lois accompanies Malcolm on a university visit; Reese plays up to the school's new narc; Hal denies Dewey a piano, so he starts stealing.
Episode 17
Polly in the Middle
Sun, Apr 25, 2004 30 mins
The dating game peps up Polly, encouraging the attentions of both Abe and Craig. Reggie Jackson appears as himself at a baseball-card convention, where Polly's suitors cause a melee.
Episode 18
Experiment
Sun, May 2, 2004 30 mins
Sly Reese outfoxes Malcolm, stymied by a lab project solved by his brother, who gets credit in writing but can't recall what he did. Also, Dewey's a whiz selling candy for a school drive, thanks to a scheme that markets his innocence.
Episode 19
Dewey's Special Class
Sun, May 2, 2004 30 mins
School dazes Dewey, relegated to Special Ed thanks to a foul-up by Malcolm, who, while trying to help his brother, misrigs his IQ test. Still, the plucky lad strives to rise above his plight and rally his fellow disgruntled classmates.
Episode 20
Victor's Other Family
Sun, May 9, 2004 30 mins
Betty White and Cloris Leachman, Emmy winners from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", are reunited as feisty grannies with a common ex in a plot revolving around spousal rights and Lois's paternity.
Episode 21
Reese Joins the Army
Sun, May 16, 2004 30 mins
Part 1 of two. Lovelorn Reese secretly joins the Army and ships out to basic training; and hapless Hal combats charges of company fraud while under house arrest. Both situations drive Lois off the deep end.
Episode 22
Reese Joins the Army
Sun, May 23, 2004 30 mins
Conclusion. In the Season 5 finale, Reese's mettle is tested in a competitive war-game exercise at boot camp; and Hal takes the stand in his criminal-fraud case, in which the evidence against him mounts.