The fifth season of Malcolm in the Middle premiered on November 2, 2003, on Fox, and ended on May 23, 2004, with a total of 22 episodes. Frankie Muniz stars as the title character Malcolm, and he is joined by Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and Erik Per Sullivan.
Cast and characters
Main Jane Kaczmarek as Lois Bryan Cranston as Hal Christopher Kennedy Masterson as Francis Justin Berfield as Reese Erik Per Sullivan as Dewey Frankie Muniz as Malcolm
Recurring Craig Lamar Traylor as Stevie Kenarban David Anthony Higgins as Craig Feldspar Julie Hagerty as Polly Kenneth Mars as Otto Emy Coligado as Piama Meagen Fay as Gretchen
Guest stars David Cassidy as Boone Vincent ("Vegas") Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter as Concert Security Guy ("Vegas") Teresa Ganzel as Crystal ("Vegas") Caitlin Crosby as Joanne ("Watching the Baby") Kat Graham as Val ("Watching the Baby") Alessandra Torresani as Kirsten ("Thanksgiving") Don McManus as Charles Cutler ("Malcolm Films Reese") Todd Stashwick as Nate ("Malcolm's Job") Holmes Osborne as Mr. Young ("Malcolm's Job") Ted Rooney as Fritz ("Christmas Trees") Casey Sander as Father Murphy ("Christmas Trees") Vic Polizos as Father McCluskey ("Christmas Trees") Mark L. Taylor as Phil ("Christmas Trees") Tom Towles as Ethan ("Christmas Trees") Larry Hankin as Luther ("Christmas Trees") Jonathan Schmock as Nathan ("Christmas Trees") John Marshall Jones as Cop ("Christmas Trees") Max Van Ville as Hans ("Christmas Trees") Beverly Polcyn as Old Lady Employee ("Christmas Trees") Mark Moses as Richard ("Block Party") Lorenzo James Henrie as Normal Boy ("Block Party") Hallie Todd as Miss Shaw ("Dirty Magazine") Lori Beth Denberg as Ronnie ("Dirty Magazine") Nikki Crawford as Nell ("Dirty Magazine") Kurtwood Smith as Principal Block ("Dirty Magazine") Robert Joy as Danny ("Hot Tub") James Hong as Mr. Li ("Ida's Boyfriend") Patrick Bristow as Phillip ("Ida's Boyfriend") Christie Lynn Smith as Angela ("Ida's Boyfriend") Michael Gaston as Mel ("Softball") Laurie Metcalf as Susan ("Lois' Sister") Abigail Mavity as Meagan ("Lois' Sister") Lyndsy Fonseca as Olivia ("Lois' Sister") Kate Lang Johnson as Katie ("Lois' Sister") Hayley Erin as Buttercup #1 ("Lois' Sister") Sherman Howard as Ivan Pozefsky ("Malcolm Dates a Family") Sara Paxton as Angela Pozefsky ("Malcolm Dates a Family") Eddie Shin as Jordan ("Malcolm Dates a Family") Helen Slayton-Hughes as Nana ("Malcolm Dates a Family") Jack McGee as Coach Oleski ("Reese's Apartment") Patricia Belcher as Dr. Lucille Armstrong ("Reese's Apartment") Stephanie Lemelin as Christie ("Malcolm Visits College") Monique Coleman as Andrea ("Malcolm Visits College") Jamie Renée Smith as Paula ("Malcolm Visits College") Reggie Jackson as Himself ("Polly in the Middle") Tricia O'Kelley as Mrs. Walsh ("Dewey's Special Class") Matt Malloy as Mr. Sheridan ("Dewey's Special Class") Amy Castle as Hayley ("Dewey's Special Class") Ayla Kell as Kylie ("Dewey's Special Class") Cameron Monaghan as Chad ("Dewey's Special Class") Raven Goodwin as Special Kid #2 ("Dewey's Special Class") Regan Burns as Middle Aged Man ("Experiment") Betty White as Sylvia ("Victor's Other Family") Adam Wylie as Scott ("Victor's Other Family") Maura Soden as Roberta ("Victor's Other Family") Tom Virtue as Peter Dietrich ("Victor's Other Family") Erik King as Agent Stone ("Reese Joins the Army: Part 1") Paul Gleason as Mystery Man ("Reese Joins the Army: Parts 1 & 2") Michael Milhoan as Sergeant McManus ("Reese Joins the Army: Part 2") Nate Torrence as Private Turner ("Reese Joins the Army: Part 2") Dennis Cockrum as Lieutenant Sortino ("Reese Joins the Army: Part 2")
Episodes
Production In April 2003, Fox renewed Malcolm in the Middle for a fifth season. Main cast members Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and Erik Per Sullivan return as Malcolm, Lois, Hal, Francis, Reese and Dewey respectively. The season reveals that Hal and Lois' fifth child Jamie is a boy. Though it was initially reported that the episode "Lois' Sister" would serve as the series' 100th episode, that honor instead went to the episode "Reese's Apartment".
Release
Broadcast history The season premiered on November 2, 2003, on Fox, and ended on May 23, 2004, with a total of 22 episodes.
Home media The season was released on Region 2 DVD on April 29, 2013, and on Region 4 DVD on September 4, 2013.
Reception Josh Wolk wrote for Entertainment Weekly, "The inevitable reality of aging child stars is unfortunate, as Malcolm still amazes with vibrant comic creativity." Scott D. Pierce wrote for Deseret News, "It's not exactly the same show, and viewers may have gotten used to it, but there's still magic there. It can still make you laugh." People was critical of "Reese's Apartment", saying, "No one's saying this boisterous sitcom has to slow down with age. But Malcolm's 100th episode hurts itself by hopping from story line to story line instead of sticking with the strong central situation." The episode "Dewey's Special Class" won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography.
In 2019, Angelo Delos Trinos of Screen Rant included the episode "Malcolm Films Reese" in his list, "10 Episodes Of Malcolm in the Middle That Aged Poorly". He wrote, "The way privacy is belittled by the characters involved simply won't fly well today, especially in a school setting." He added, "The subplot about Francis dealing with a critic also aged terribly. Here, the newspaper critic is depicted as a vindictive bully who uses his profession to rain bile on everybody. The problem he presents is solved when he's repeatedly beaten senseless."
References