History YMMV / MalcolmintheMiddle

** In general, who is more sympathetic: Lois or the kids? Those who say Lois justify her authoritarian attitude on the grounds that all of her children (barring Jamie, [[EnfantTerrible probably]]) are absolute [[TeensAreMonsters monsters]] who have no respect for authority and will shrug off any punishment they receive as if it were a slap on the wrist, and thus Lois needs to be harsh with them to turn them into law-abiding citizens (and as shown in one episode, she can be a kind and caring mother if her kids actually were well behaved). For those who say the children, it's shown that Lois was an absolutely domineering mother since Francis was a baby (though she wasn't always like that), and that their troublemaking ways can easily be explained as a coping mechanism for dealing with the trauma of having a borderline [[AbusiveParents Abusive Mother]]. Being constantly defiant and intentionally getting into trouble is a potential reaction to overly-controlling abuse, lending credence to it being a coping mechanism.

** In Season 5, Principal Block tries to censor a novel Malcolm was trying to publish and repeats six times "S*ck my D...", bleeped, but still, to illustrate his anger with all that cursing.

** An early episode is titled "Home Alone 4"--which would become [[Film/HomeAlone a real direct-to-DVD movie]].

** In "Home Alone 4", Malcolm suffers a head injury that's severe enough to require stitches and at one point, he jokes to the audience that he might not remember what happened. Creator/FrankieMuniz suffered a mini-stroke in his late twenties that caused him to lose several memories, including that of his time on this show.

** While all the Wilkersons are jerkass woobies, Reese especially stands out. He's is the most physically violent member of the cast, but he's not able to do anything right; even on the rare instances he tries to be nice, it ends up with him being insulted or embarrassed.

** "Lois Vs. Evil" takes a potshot at NobodyLikesATattletale; it's pointed out that if Mr. Pinner her manager is as corrupt and inept with evidence of him smoking on the job, then she should have ratted on him a long time ago. Lois refuses to and even tells him he's lucky that she's a "good" person that she thinks it's wrong to report on a coworker's misdeeds out of spite. Then her coworkers discreetly reveal that they are less scrupulous since they overhear the conversation, and make it clear to Mr. Pinner that he better leave or they will be reporting him.

** "Lois Vs. Evil": Sometimes to help out a friend or coworker, you have to be willing to get your hands dirty when they refuse to do it. Lois could rat out the assistant manager for his fireable offenses when he tries to make her sign a written apology for Dewey stealing from the store-- something which Dewey apologized for-- and for tearing out his toupee after he fired her. These offenses include smoking drugs on the job and sleeping with the district manager's wife. Lois, however, cites that NobodyLikesATattletale; she won't rat out on the guy being a terrible manager because she believes that's worse than doing those things. However, her telling Mr. Pinner that she's the better person doing the right thing doesn't get her job back; what does is Craig when gathers their coworkers to discreetly watch the meeting. When she leaves, they reveal themselves and grin at Mr. Pinner. He quits in a hurry, and Lois is rehired. [[WhatYouAreInTheDark They never tell Lois that they were willing to "tattle" to help out a fellow coworker]].

* CatharsisFactor: In "Evacuation", the whole family except Malcolm gets kicked out of a shelter for their shenanigans; Hal ''caused'' the need to evacuate by accident, Reese and Dewey have been profiteering supplies, and Lois physically disciplined and humiliated Malcolm in front of everyone. The guards pull them outside and put them in a painted box, bluntly telling Lois that there are a bunch of angry people inside and she is ''not'' helping with her DisproportionateRetribution. When they try to beg Malcolm for blankets through the barred window, he smugly tells them Lois ordered him not to leave his cot.

** Creator/EmmaStone appears in one episode.

** Creator/HaydenPanettiere is in four episodes.

** Creator/OctaviaSpencer appears in Season 2.

** Spangler's hook hand and multiple other amputations made for some great visual gags during the show's original run, but the missing limb-themed comedy became harder to watch after his actor, Daniel von Bargen, would later lose a leg to diabetes and attempted suicide when it looked like he might lose the other one.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The show itself does fairly well to steer away from pop culture references and other things along those lines which usually date these sort of shows, but certain things like the fashions, the soundtrack (consisting of bands like Music/Sum41 and other similar-sounding bands that were popular around that era, including Music/TheyMightBeGiants performing both the theme song and the show's OST), and [[TechnologyMarchesOn the technology used]] firmly ground it into the early 2000s.

* "The future is now, old man." [[labelnote:Explanation]]In the episode "Lois' Makeover", Dewey says this quote while he's stacked on his brothers during a game of basketball against their father. This is often used as a reaction to technological or societal advancements.[[/labelnote]]

* MemeticMutation: Son, you know once you start, there's no turning back? [[labelnote:Explanation]] In one episode about roller skates, Hal says this to Malcolm when the latter says when he wants roller skates. This is used as a reaction to when some people want to join franchises like ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' and ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''. [[/labelnote]]

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The show itself does fairly well to steer away from pop culture references and other things along those lines which usually date these sort of shows, but certain things like the fashions, the soundtrack (consisting of bands like Music/Sum41 and other similar-sounding bands that were popular around that era, including MusicTheyMightBeGiants performing both the theme song and the show's OST), and [[TechnologyMarchesOn the technology used]] firmly ground it into the early 2000s.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The show itself does fairly well to steer away from pop culture references and other things along those lines which usually date these sort of shows, but certain things like the fashions, the soundtrack (consisting of bands like Music/Sum41 and other similar-sounding bands that were popular around that era), and [[TechnologyMarchesOn the technology used]] firmly ground it into the early 2000s.

* TearJerker: It's mostly played for laughs, but Francis is utterly heartbroken when his girlfriend Beebee breaks up with him. He spends all his phone privileges and quarters calling her and writing her poetry, but it's revealed she's TheDitz with StickyFingers, making his little brother an accomplice in shoplifting. Then he runs away from military school to elope with her and starts to wax eloquent about his love. Beebee says she didn't love him, only the attention he showered on her, and walks away callously. You can't blame Francis for curling up on the ground and moaning, not just from the food he ate earlier. When his dad drives him back to military school, Hal expresses sympathy and says Francis deserved better.

* MemeticMutation: Son, you know once you start, there's no turning back? [[labelnote:Explanation]] In one episode about roller skates, Hal says this to Malcolm when the latter says when he wants roller skates. This is used as a reaction to when some people want to join franchises like VideoGame/{{Yakuza}} and {{Franchise/KingdomHearts Kingdom Hearts.}} [[/labelnote]]

** "Krelboyne Picnic" has Lois being told by another student's parent that Malcolm has been throwing around "the R-word," which is meant to be a joke about PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad as there was no offensive "R-word" in the early 2000s. Now that the word "retarded" has crossed the line to being considered offensive, it comes off rather differently, especially with Malcolm being the InsufferableGenius that he is.

* MemeticMutation: Son, you know once you start, there's no turning back? [[labelnote:Explanation]] In one episode about roller skates, Hal says this to Malcolm when the latter says when he wants roller skates. This is used as a reaction to when some people want to join franchises like VideoGame/{{Yakuza}} and Franchise/{{KingdomHearts Kingdom Hearts}}.[[/labelnote]]

* MemeticMutation: Son, you know once you start, there's no turning back? [[labelnote:Explanation]] In one episode about roller skates, Hal says this to Malcolm when the latter says when he wants roller skates. This is used as a reaction to when some people want to join franchises like VideoGame/{{Yakuza}} and Franchise/{{KingdomHearts}}.[[/labelnote]]

* MemeticMutation: Son, you know once you start, there's no turning back? [[labelnote:Explanation]] In one episode about roller skates, Hal says this to Malcolm when the latter says when he wants roller skates. This is used as a reaction to when some people want to join franchises like VideoGame/{{Yakuza}} and Franchise/[[KingdomHearts]].[[/labelnote]]

* MemeticMutation: Son, you know once you start, there's no turning back? [[labelnote:Explanation]] In one episode about roller skates, Hal says this to Malcolm when the latter says when he wants roller skates. This is used as a reaction to when some people want to join franchises like VideoGame/{Yakuza} and Franchise/[KingdomHearts].[[/labelnote]]

* MemeticMutation: Son, you know once you start, there's no turning back? [[labelnote:Explanation]] In one episode about roller skates, Hal says this to Malcolm when the latter says when he wants roller skates. This is used as a reaction to when some people want to join franchises like {{VideoGame//Yakuza}} and {{Franchise//KingdomHearts}}.[[/labelnote]]

* MemeticMutation: Son, you know once you start, there's no turning back? [[labelnote:Explanation]] In one episode about roller skates, Hal says this to Malcolm when the latter says when he wants roller skates. This is used as a reaction to when some people want to join franchises like [[VideoGame//Yakuza]] and [[Franchise//KingdomHearts]].[[/labelnote]]

* AcceptableTargets: Medicine, cops, and education are the targets of the most acerbic side of the show.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment:
** Commandant Spangler's multiple amputations are continually played for laughs. His actor Daniel von Bargen would later lose a leg to diabetes and attempted suicide when it looked like he might lose the other one.
** In "Home Alone 4", Malcolm suffers a head injury that's severe enough to require stitches and at one point, he jokes to the audience that he might not remember what happened. Creator/FrankieMuniz suffered a mini-stroke in his late twenties that caused him to lose several memories, including that of his time on this show.

** Spangler's hook hand made for some great visual gags during the show's original run, but the missing limb-themed comedy must be harder for friends and family of Spangler's actor to watch now because, later in life, he had one leg amputated due to diabetes.