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Malcolm Defends Reese is the ninth episode of Season 7 and the 138th episode overall of Malcolm in the Middle. It aired on December 16, 2005.

Synopsis[]

Reese is being publicly humiliated by Mr. Herkabe, which leads him to depression. Meanwhile, Dewey has a crush on another girl at his school.

Plot[]

In the cold opening, Reese makes a dummy and puts it in his bed in an attempt to sneak out, but Lois catches him and asks if he is trying to sneak out. Reese explains that he was only trying to get comfortable on his crappy bed. Lois says if that's true he won't mind if she stands in the doorway until she sees him go to sleep. Around 2:30 AM Reese sees that Lois is still there, but is sure that she can't stay awake all night. Unbeknownst to him Lois has created her own dummy and left it in the doorway to prevent Reese from sneaking out.

Malcolm and Reese end up in the same class since Reese failed the previous year. Mr. Herkabe, who may lose his award for the school's highest GPA to Malcolm, gleefully humiliates Reese every day until Malcolm agrees to start getting lower grades in his classes, thus enabling Herkabe to keep his crowning achievement. Malcolm initially agrees to get Herkabe to stop tormenting Reese. However, in an air of confidence, Herkabe makes a big mistake: he casually confesses to skipping P.E. towards the end of his senior year and rather created his own AP course as an alternative.

Meanwhile, Jamie's new babysitter, Claire, drives Lois crazy with her nonstop talking. When Lois tells her to go away and stop bothering her, she locks the front door. However, Claire appears from the back door, thanking for being honest in expressing her hatred because they now know they have problems. She is willing to let Lois talk about them, much to her dismay. The next day, Claire has died and her sister Donna pays the family a visit. Soon she starts annoying them with the same non-stop talking.

The next day, Mr. Herkabe is seen begging the janitor not to revoke his title just because he missed one semester of Gym class. He ignores it and removes Herkabe's name off the plaque. The janitor gives it to Mr. Hodges, who returns the plaque to Edna Thornby, the school's previous record holder, who still managed to pass physical education despite being blind and club-footed. Malcolm is seen pleased by his humiliation as Hodges points out that that P.E. is part of the curriculum and a requirement for the GPA award. Had Herkabe taken P.E., his award and title would've been safe. Because of Malcolm, Herkabe has lost his award and been publicly humiliated and disgraced in front of the entire school. He then storms away to notify his mother about everything before she hears about it from elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Dewey has a crush on a girl named Gina at his school. Hal's attempt to help him break the ice with her. He give Dewey candy to give Gina, but it gets him into trouble with her father and he points out that she is allergic to nuts. Later on, he blames Hal for ruining his chances with Gina, getting him into trouble with her father and driving away from the scene when he needed his help. Hal attempts to apologize, claiming that the father intimidated him so much that he had to flee. Dewey rejects the apology and points out that he knows better than to believe him. He tells Hal off that he wished that Lois helped him instead because she would know how to deal with people. Dewey wants him to stop butting in his life and leave him alone. Realizing how angry Dewey is with him, Hal attempts convince Gina to talk to him by bribing her with candy without nuts and apologizes for getting her sick. She ignores him as Hal tells her to get in the car and an elderly neighbor named Mrs. Conlin witnesses this exchange. She calls the police to report him, believing him to be a pedophile. Hal is arrested by the police for being a child molester with intent to sexually harass Gina. He tries to defend himself, asking if the officers have ever been in love, but due to his misguided wording he is arrested and taken to jail for attempted child sexual harassment.

In the end, Dewey is able to talk to Gina normally after running into her walking home from school. Gina tells Dewey his dad is a freak, which Dewey agrees with. She then asks him if he wants to eat lunch together tomorrow, which he agrees to as well.

Herkabe decides to retake Gym to reclaim his award, despite it being twenty years after. Reese then hits Herkabe with a dodgeball. This makes him fall down and the students begin laughing at him. No sooner does Herkabe stands up, Reese hits him another dodge ball. Due to his lack of coordination, he endures more humiliation from Reese, who continues pelting him with dodgeballs as revenge for all of Herkabe's prior mistreatment of him. A smug Malcolm tells the viewers that true victory comes from the heart rather than from trophies like the GPA plaque, and that is something that can no one can ever take away.

Cast[]

Guest Stars[]

Recurring[]

Cameo[]

  • Hopsin as Student (uncredited)
  • Steve Vinovich as Mr. Hodges
  • Kathryn Joosten as Claire
  • Mimi Cozzens as Donna
  • Vanessa Marano as Gina
  • Kevin Will as Gina's Father
  • Fiona Hale as Edna Thornby
  • Tom Lent as Janitor

Trivia[]

  • First appearance of Mr. Hodges who replaces Mr. Block as North High School's principal.
  • Final appearance of Mr. Herkabe.
  • Rapper Hopsin makes an uncredited appearance as a student in Herkabe's class. This is his second appearance as an extra, after Reese Joins the Army: Part 1.
  • This episode reveals Herkabe's lack of coordination. The last episode that alluded to it was in Cliques.
  • This is the last episode that has both the main characters' names as the title. The first time was in Malcolm vs. Reese and the 2nd time is in Malcolm Films Reese
  • The song that plays while Reese is doing the monkey dance was "Love Machine" by The Miracles.
  • This is the last episode to air in 2005, the shows final year of production.
  • Originally, Malcolm does his own research in why Mr. Herkabe had not taken Gym in his senior year. He meets with a former PE teacher, Coach Fox, in a nursing home. Malcolm learns from him that Herkabe actually failed the class in his junior year decades ago due to his poor coordination. This resulted in him humiliating Herkabe on a daily basis and his peers laughing at him. Since Gym was class requirement needing two years to complete, he skipped the course fearing more humiliation and created his own AP courses. Due to their shared hatred of him, Coach Fox, gives Malcolm a copy of Herkabe's grades in Gym to expose and humiliate him in a public scale.
  • Originally Kurtwood Smith was supposed to return as Mr. Block who made his only appearance in Dirty Magazine. After finding out from Malcolm how Herkabe flunked Gym and lied not taking the course, he immediately revokes the GPA award. Block furiously curses out at Herkabe for humiliating the school with his behavior. Then to just piss him off, Block fires Herkabe from his job as a teacher and gives the high GPA award to Malcolm. This was replaced with Hodges simply giving the award back to Edna Thornby.
  • This is the last time Hal got arrested on his own. The last three times are Charity, Garage Sale and Reese Joins the Army: Part 1.
Malcolm in the Middle episodes
Season 1 PilotRed DressHome Alone 4ShameMalcolm BabysitsSleepoverFrancis EscapesKrelboyne PicnicLois VS EvilStock Car RacesFuneralCheerleaderRollerskatesThe Bots and the BeesSmundayWater Park
Season 2 Traffic JamHalloween ApproximatelyLois' BirthdayDinner OutCasinoConventionRobberyTherapyHigh School PlayBullyOld Mrs. OldKrelboyne GirlNew NeighborsHal QuitsThe GrandparentsTraffic TicketSurgeryReese CooksTutoring ReeseBowlingMalcolm vs. ReeseMini-BikeCarnivalEvacuationFlashback
Season 3 HouseboatEmancipationBook ClubMalcolm's GirlfriendCharityHealth ScareChristmasPokerReese's JobLois' MakeoverCompany Picnic (1)Company Picnic (2)Reese DrivesCynthia's BackHal's BirthdayHal CoachesDewey's DogPoker 2Clip ShowJury DutyCliquesMonkey
Season 4 ZooHumilithonFamily ReunionStupid GirlForwards BackwardsForbidden GirlfriendMalcolm Holds His TongueBoys At RanchGrandma SuesIf Boys Were GirlsLong DriveKicked OutStereo StoreHal's FriendGarage SaleAcademic OctathalonClip Show #2Reese's PartyFuture MalcolmBaby Part 1Baby Part 2Day Care
Season 5 VegasWatching The BabyGoodbye KittyThanksgivingMalcolm Films ReeseMalcolm's JobChristmas TreesBlock PartyDirty MagazineHot TubIda's BoyfriendSoftballLois' SisterMalcolm Dates a FamilyReese's ApartmentMalcolm Visits CollegePolly in the MiddleDewey's Special ClassExperimentVictor's Other FamilyReese Joins the Army: Part 1Reese Joins the Army: Part 2
Season 6 Reese Comes HomeBuseys Run AwayStandeePearl HarborKitty's BackHal's Christmas GiftHal SleepwalksLois Battles JamieMalcolm's CarBillboardDewey's OperaLiving WillTiki LoungeIda Loses a LegChad's SleepoverNo MotorcyclesButterfliesIda's DanceMotivational SpeakerStiltsBuseys Take A HostageMrs. Tri-County
Season 7 Burning ManHealth InsuranceReese vs. StevieHalloweenJessica Stays OverSecret BoyfriendBlackoutArmy BuddyMalcolm Defends ReeseMalcolm's MoneyBride of IdaCollege RecruitersMonoHal GrievesA.ALois Strikes BackHal's DentistBomb ShelterStevie in the HospitalCattle CourtMorpGraduation
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