8 Burning Questions A Malcolm In The Middle Revival Needs To Answer

Malcolm in the Middle has had rumors of a possible revival circulating for years, but if it does ever happen, the show has some burning questions to answer. The hit sitcom followed the Wilkerson family in their day-to-day lives, with the Malcolm in the Middle cast including brilliant actors such as Bryan Cranston as Hal and Jane Kaczmarek as Lois. After six years on the air, Malcolm in the Middle ended with the titular character leaving for college at Harvard, making use of his natural intelligence in an attempt to make something of himself.

The Malcolm in the Middle family tree was easily the most defining factor of the show, with Malcolm’s many brothers causing chaos that motivated every episode. 24 years after the series began, the best episodes of Malcolm in the Middle are frequently revisited through the power of streaming services, allowing old and new audiences to watch Malcolm and his siblings grow up over time. With rumors that Cranston has been working on a script for a revival, there are certain Malcolm in the Middle characters and plot lines that are deserving of an update.

8
What Happened To Cynthia And Jessica?

Malcolm’s Two Love Interests Were A Big Part Of The Show

Although Malcolm was relatively unlucky with relationships, there were two core characters that the show set up as his romantic interests. Early in the show, Malcolm met Cynthia (Tania Raymonde) in the Krelboyne class and was thrown off by her outspokenness and confidence. The two had a solid friendship throughout the show, but after loudly lying about having sex with Malcolm to stop him from destroying Lois’ car, she disappeared from the show. One brief reference implied that Cynthia had ruined her reputation, and so decided to attend a different high school than the rest of her peers.

Malcolm in the Middle‘s Jessica (Hayden Panettiere) started off as a babysitter for the boys, but due to her issues at home, quickly became an almost surrogate sister in the family. Despite this, there were multiple instances that there was more between her and Malcolm, although nothing ever came from it. Both of these characters were integral to Malcolm’s character development, especially for a character who had been raised in a primarily male household, and so it’d be interesting to find out if he ever reunited with either of them as an adult.

7
Was Malcolm A Success?

Malcolm Was A Janitor In The Finale

Malcolm in the Middle ended after season 7, with the finale showing Malcolm leaving for Harvard. However, the last scenes also revealed that even though he was a student, Malcolm was also working as a janitor to keep himself afloat. Although this made a lot of sense, considering the Wilkersons struggled financially throughout the show, it was also a shame to see such a talented intellectual have to sacrifice other areas of his life to attend his dream school. However, the final episode, “Graduation,” perfectly encapsulated the pressure Malcolm faced.

Lois told Malcolm that the family always expected him to be a success and would hopefully become President. With an IQ of 165, Malcolm had the potential to apply himself to whatever job he wanted and was even told this in the season 2 episode “Hal Quits.” Even when applying for college, a stressed and frazzled Malcolm had dozens of institutes trying to recruit him as he was such a benefit to them. However, with so many options in front of him, Malcolm could have become anything, which would allow the revival could get creative with this plot point.

6
Does Reese Still Live With Craig?

Reese Left Home To Move In With The Lucky Aide Worker

One of the show’s best supporting characters was Craig Feldspar (David Anthony Higgins), Lois’ long-time colleague and friend. Throughout Malcolm in the Middle, Craig had some hilarious, but definitely weird, moments. He frequently let himself into the Wilkerson home, overstepped boundaries, and often clashed with the boys, especially Reese (Justin Berfield). In the finale, Reese moved out and became Craig’s roommate, which was odd considering what their strained relationship once was. However, it can be argued that after Reese finished high school, his life reflected Craig’s, and so the two found it easier to bond.

Reese’s incredible cooking skills were a recurring plot point throughout, and as Craig often voiced his love for food, it would be logical for this to be a driving force in their relationship. It’d be fascinating to find out whether Reese still lived with Craig years later, and as Reese believed he’d always be mediocre, it would be likely the two had continued living under the same roof. Craig was always needy and looked for human contact, which is why he clung to Lois, so it wouldn’t be unusual to see him project this same relationship onto her son instead.

5
Who Is The Sixth Wilkerson Child?

Lois Was Pregnant Again In The Last Episode

In the final scenes of the show, it was revealed that Lois and Hal were expecting their sixth child, a crucial detail that a Malcolm in the Middle revival would have to focus on. The episode “Flashback” delved into Lois’ past pregnancies with each of her boys, showing her growing increasingly exhausted after birthing each child, and understandably so. In the season 4 finale, Jamie was born, replacing Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) as the youngest Wilkerson, but in a revival, this would no longer be the case.

After Jamie’s birth, it seemed that there were no plans for Hal and Lois to expand their family, especially as they both spoke gleefully of getting Malcolm and Reese out of the house in the finale. If the revival were to be set in the present day, the sixth Wilkerson would be around the age of 18 and finishing high school, and Jamie would be heading toward adulthood. Plus, Lois and Hal had famously only ever had sons, so if their last child were a girl, it could allow for all manner of interesting storylines in the revival.

4
What Kind Of Person Did Jamie Become?

Jamie Was Still A Toddler When Malcolm In The Middle Ended

When Malcolm in the Middle came to an end, Jamie wasn’t even in school and barely spoke. Ironically, the only time Jamie spoke was in the episode “Reese vs. Stevie,” when Lois tried to teach him by rambling at him non-stop, but the tired mother was instead silenced with the words “shut up.” As Jamie began to move around, he quickly proved that he was just as much trouble as his brothers had been by stealing from neighbors, frequently outsmarting Reese, and even hitting Lois.

However, Jamie’s lack of character could be beneficial in a revival. If the show were to return, Jamie would be a blank canvas and writers could mold him to be whoever they want him to be. As Jamie wouldn’t be the youngest child, Malcolm in the Middle could show a new sibling dynamic between him and the sixth child that differed from how their older brothers interacted with one another, especially as this was something that Dewey wanted to achieve with Jamie after years of mistreatment from Malcolm and Reese.

3
Did Piama And Francis Have Their Own Children?

Lois And Hal’s Eldest Son Had Grown Up A Lot Since The Pilot

Lois and Hal’s eldest son, Francis (Christopher Masterson), was the original troublemaker, paving the way for his brothers to torment their parents and the community just like he did. However, after military school, Francis met Piama (Emy Coligado) and the two married within a month. Lois battled with this, and although she and Piama got off to a rocky start, there was mutual respect between the two women by the end of the show. Lois and Francis’ relationship was always strained, but as Francis grew up in later seasons, their bond did start to heal.

Piama had previously voiced that she did not want children, although this was when Francis was still irresponsible and nowhere near mature enough to be a father. Considering how Francis viewed his upbringing, it seemed that he had no interest in kids either, but in the finale, Francis had become a well-put-together professional with a functioning adult life. It could be a hilarious moment in the revival if it were revealed that Piama and Francis had a family as large as the Wilkersons, especially if Francis could then relate to the same struggles Lois’ constantly moaned about.

2
Did The Wilkersons Make It Away From The Poverty Line?

Malcolm’s Family Always Struggled Financially

What made Malcolm’s family so relatable for many was their financial struggles, especially with so many children. All of the children spent most of their childhoods sharing a bed with one another because of the lack of space, and on multiple occasions, Dewey complained that he’d never had a bed to himself. The family was always stressed about money, with bills piling up, and the effects of living on the poverty line were often shown. Every scrap of food was to be eaten, every toiletry drained of every drop, and the boys were always dressed in each other’s hand-me-downs.

With Lois pregnant in the finale, it seemed unlikely that her and Hal’s dream of an empty nest would ever happen. Each child cost a lot of money, and as they were also trying to help with Malcolm’s tuition, it was likely that after the events of “Graduation,” Lois and Hal would be poorer than ever before. However, it would be an interesting twist if this was no longer an issue for them in a revival, whether because they pulled themselves out of the hole themselves, or one of the kids became incredibly successful and helped.

1
Does Lois Still Work At Lucky Aide?

Lois Was The Backbone Of The Local Drug Store

A lot of the show’s subplots focused on Lois’ job at Lucky Aide, which is how she met Craig. Lois had many reasons to walk away from the drugstore, but with so many mouths to feed at home, this wasn’t an option for her. Although Craig was a faithful ally, he was also a general pain and constantly pursued Lois, despite the fact she made it very clear that nothing would ever happen between them. While Craig appreciated Lois’ work, Lucky Aide’s management was very unappreciative of her effort.

In “Lois VS Evil,” Lois was fired for returning something Dewey had stolen, but her boss failed to recognize that she was doing the right thing and didn’t take into account her hard work. Although she managed to get her job back, the Lucky Aide drama didn’t stop there, and she had to deal with the stress of being held at gunpoint multiple times a week. Lois was the backbone of Lucky Aide and put up with way more than she deserved, so it’d be interesting to see whether she still worked there in a Malcolm in the Middle revival.