Malcolm in the Middle has returned for a new revival project after 20 long years, and the new Hulu series introduces a new member of the family as it pays off a cliffhanger from the original show’s finale. Fans of classic TV shows might have seen Hulu bringing back all sorts of notable projects like King of the Hill, The Amazing World of Gumball, and more in the past few years, so it’s been a great time to be a fan of some of the biggest 2000s era TV hits.
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is the latest of these new revival projects with Hulu, but it’s a bit different than the others you might have seen. Only returning for four episodes in total, it’s a rather short revival that throws fans right back into the chaos of Malcolm (Frankie Muniz)’s family decades after the end of the original series. And with this return fans are introduced to Kelly (Vaughan Murrae), the sixth child that Lois (Jane Kaczmareck) was teased to be pregnant with in the final episode of the original series.
Originally released with Fox on May 14, 2000, Malcolm in the Middle came to an end with the episode “Graduation.” The main focus of the episode had Malcolm stressing about getting to graduation in time for his Valedictorian speech, but naturally chaos ensues to keep him from getting there scot-free. All the while he’s also approached with a dream job opportunity that would allow him to skip going to Harvard instead, but through the chaos Malcolm learns that his mother has much higher hopes for his future than that (and it can only be obtained through struggle).
The final moments of the finale see the members of the family heading off into their respective futures with Lois and Hal (Bryan Cranston) finding out that Lois has tested positive for a pregnancy for the sixth time. Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair then joins the family 20 years later, and gives a status update on all of the kids. Malcolm’s lost contact with the others, Francis lives in the garage, Dewey (who is now played by a different actor as Erik Per Sullivan chose not to return) is touring music in France, Reese has been hovering around home, Jamie has joined the Coast Guard, and Kelly is introduced as the youngest.
Kelly was never seen in the original series, and is confirmed to indeed be the child that Lois was pregnant with in the series finale. Kelly has a different personality type compared to their brothers as not only are they the first non-binary sibling in the family, but doesn’t seem to be as outwardly aggressive as the others either. But as the revival continues through this four episodes, Kelly establishes their dynamic as someone who would willingly rat out the others in order to get a thrill out of seeing the fallout. Ultimately, they’re a perfect fit for the established dynamic seen before.
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair operates as more of a cool reunion special rather than a full revival like fans might have gotten elsewhere, and does indeed wrap up its self-contained story within the four episodes offered. Original series created Linwood Boomer does indeed return for this new era, and as much of the original cast as they can get make their return for this new story as well. Because of that, it feels like it slots perfectly into everything that happened before without missing out on while it was so beloved in the first place.
This also meant that some characters did not get as much love as the others. While Kelly is introduced as sixth sibling, they are quite far outside of the age range as their other siblings. The others have a dynamic with one another built in from the older run, but the few moments where all the siblings are together help to emphasize how Kelly would stand out from them if the revival gets a chance to continue. A continuation has yet to be confirmed as of this time for Malcolm in the Middle‘s revival, however.
But Kelly’s place in any potential future does place them as a confidant for Malcolm’s daughter, Leah (Keeley Karsten), as we see them bond as friends in the final episode. If Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair indeed returns for more episodes with both Leah and Malcolm splitting time as the main protagonist like seen in the four episodes so far, it’s easy to imagine Kelly getting much more to do with more of Leah’s high school stories.
We’ll just have to wait and see if there’s more. What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
