Happy Halloween! It’s time for the final installment of this year’s 31 Days of Halloween Episodes. We’re ending our Halloween celebration by looking at the Malcolm in the Middle episode “Halloween Approximately.”
Basic Info
Directed by: Todd Holland
Written by: Dan Kopelman
Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 2
Where to Watch It: Netflix
Why It’s Awesome
Any viewer of Malcolm in the Middle expects Malcolm, Francis, Dewey and Reese to get into trouble and they certainly plan to when they build a giant catapult and start terrorizing their neighborhood. The montage of them finding the most disgusting things possible to hit innocent targets with is wonderful.
But, the great thing about “Halloween Approximately” is that it’s the other characters who are truly at their worst and get caught up in the kind of bad behavior that epitomizes Halloween.
Hal and Lois seek revenge on a guy who’s constantly loudly driving through the neighborhood. Things escalate quickly and they go from stealing his car to plotting their lives as fugitives to destroying the evidence of their crime.
Meanwhile, after getting hit with the boys’ catapult, Malcolm’s nerdy friends build their own catapult and get a swift revenge. They quickly go overboard, screaming about how they were never shown any mercy.
The way the characters who start out in the right so quickly devolve into their worst selves when pushed to the edge is fantastic.
Why It’s Full of Halloween Spirit
Francis missed Halloween but encourages his brothers to celebrate a week later anyway. He tells them, “Halloween is in your hearts. Every time a kid cries in fear, that’s Halloween. Every time something repulsive ends up in a mailbox, that is Halloween. As long as you carry the spirit of destruction and vandalism in your hearts, every day is Halloween.” This episode definitely embraces that spirit.
Costume Count
Dewey is a marshmallow
Malcolm is a beaut up hillbilly
