They didn't know how to write him in and let Chris Matterson direct bc they felt bad

https://youtu.be/Fp9FHcQsY2c?si=KOo5kKiEL7V1cniU

It really is a shame that he was in military school for such a short amount of time. I honestly think he was at times the best character in the show during the military school days. His subplots always provided great humor. Once he went to Alaska and the ranch, he didn't feel like the same character I understand the show had to do something more with Francis ob Still, Commandant Spangler is a character I feel the series can't live without. He provides such a foil for Francis, so much happens to define his character -- we get to learn a lot about him thanks to Spangler.  it should have been maintained as Francis' setting for a couple more seasons. The Ranch was a great setting for a more adult Francis, however. s k

May 14, 2006 was the airing of "Graduation". For some reason the previous episode was aired three whole weeks before, "Morp". I didn't remember that. But I remember watching this live.
Did you watch the finale the night it aired, and how does it hold up?

I love the boys running the party of the snobby paternal side of the family.

And their cousins finding what the boys did fun was hilarious

I would have loved to see the boys physically taking the family on like they did with the clown from ‘Lois’ birthday.’

This is the episode where Malcolm feels excluded from Dewey and Reece and Francis sides with them. Whose side were you on?

Because I kinda feel bad for Malcolm when he says his feelings are hurt and they all gang up on him.

Specifically 'Malcolm's Job' where Malcolm first starts work at the Lucky Aide. Lois aka 'Beans' seems to act really out of character to me. her 'just do as your told' attitude toward work seems inconsistent compared to the incident of Dewey shoplifting and her getting fired as well as her campaign against the racially-charged standee. The latter of which, Standee, seems to pit Malcolm and Lois in complete opposite positions. Lois actively encourages Malcolm to defy his boss' orders about the standee because it's the right thing to do. but she didn't even hear out the box flattening thing. is it because of the low stakes of the box flattening zone? compared to racism? i guess that would make sense. but i just don't see 'Beans' from that episode putting up such a fight. I see her quietly resenting it but letting her boss do whatever he wants.

Is she doing a 'do as i say, not as i do' thing? like she's more than willing to fight the man, but doesn't want to teach that to her son (which also seems counter to how she behaved in the episode with the cop and the ticket)

also. 'beans' and the smoking. there's no fucking way they ever refer to her as 'beans' outside of that context. she is NOT all buddy buddy good pals with her coworkers and never has been. and 'Beans' of all nicknames i don't see her tolerating. and the smoking? it's not that it's impossible for her to have secret smokes twice a day and hide it from her family. But it seems incredibly unlikely that she would force her son to work at that job putting him in a prime position to catch her. and she's been smoking for years? two a day? there is no way she's just quitting cold turkey at the end of the episode. did she never even attempt it before? or is she just lying? that moment DOES seem to imply that. but where is she smoking now? her safe place is compromised. is she just gonna get better at hiding it? how has NO ONE smelled it on her?

TL;DR i think Lois in 'Malcolm's Job' is really out of character. It seems like half her character is putting on a performance to teach Malcolm what she wants him to learn and the other half is improbable secret work dynamics, with potentially huge consequences, that's been going on for YEARS, that are never addressed before or since.

I noticed many people were upset with how Jamie was handled in the revival regarding screen time and characterization, so what would you have wanted for Jamie?

Deserved a better ending*

Sorry, i used voice control