Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair review – the TV magic they’ve created here is absolutely miraculous

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well that's glowing.

This and scrubs are just proof that the right actors, concept, and writers make all the difference.

I just finished it, and enjoyed it immensely. Some random who definitely never watched the original wrote the review for Variety and it was not kind.

I just binge watched it all and it is absolutely amazing. If they were to do a full revival, I think it may be the only show that could completely capture its old magic.

4 episodes just wasn’t enough 

I watched it. It felt just like a continuation in the same spirit. Kind of wish there was more.

Binged all 4 episodes and I want more. Would love it if they turned this into a full on series again. The only thing that really seemed off was Dewey not being physically present and through the laptop. Weird that they gave him a pass for being too busy but ripped into Malcolm for dodging them.

Just sped through those 4 episodes and I loved it. They did a great job of giving us the evolution of all these characters 20 years later while still giving every single quality piece of nostalgia from the original show. There’s a good bit of self reflective emotional beats but it doesn’t take away from the comedy at all. SPOILER: They kinda ended it with a hint of maybe there could be a full reboot and I really need that.

First Scrubs, now this? What other comedy series could return?

It is expertly written with real consideration of adult themes. I'm on the last episode and I'm honestly blown away by how dense it is. Still thinking about, "Don't unpack it, burn it" being used as a throwaway line. My god.

Impressed how well they integrated the new sibling and we didn’t see much of Jamie but he had a distinct energy that I think worked. I could’ve used more Dewey but I think he was used well

It felt like a four episode pilot for a reboot - and I’m sold. the actor who plays Kelly is a scene stealer, both the Kelly and Jamie additions are compelling. Malcom’s daughter, his girlfriend and even the Cooper character all have insane growth potential. All of the dynamics are still fantastic and blend seamlessly with the new characters. Especially the Kelly / Reese dynamic, the idea that Reese finally met his match is great. It’s laugh out loud funny, engaging and heartwarming without losing any of the spirit of the original. Entire cast, including the supporting characters are on point. Dewey’s actor swap was also seamless. All I could think while watching this was “send this pilot to series immediately” I could watch another 6 season run of this version. Literally no reason to stop at 4 episodes unless the cast isn’t game because the audience will be.

I love to see it. My wife had never seen the OG show so we've been watching it together. It holds up phenomenally well. Glad to hear that the spinoff/remake is good so that we can watch it when we're done.

I’m not surprised, it brings back that nostalgia… same with Scrubs and King of the Hill… imagine they did Seinfeld when they get released from prison

I watched it and absolutely loved it. It felt great to see the family again and to meet the new characters. It would be cool to get some more but if we don't I'm happy with the episodes we got.

SO freakin good, I needed that today. Absolutely wonderful I am so happy they did such a great job.

I was Bryan’s waiter once back in college (2006) and he was incredibly delightful. I have zero memory of what he ordered or if I interacted with him outside of ordering but I do remember him being goofy and really sweet.

I saw a recent video of the cast all together talking about different scenes, favorite episodes, it seemed more like a family remembering good times rather than a cast of actors working on a project. They loved being with eachother that's what made the show great

Hal is the greatest character in television history.

It was good! I'd take more episodes but at least it didn't over-stay it's welcome

Just binged the whole thing. It was glorious. Everyone needs to watch this. No notes.

A show has never made me cry and laugh in the same scene like this has. This was a masterpiece of comedy. My inner child is definitely happy - I didn’t know it going in, but I really needed to watch and hear some of the things.

I'm watching it now. Watched the original and loved it. This feels like a natural continuation in the best way. They've nailed it. This and Scrubs prove that with the right people and motivation a revival can work.

Im watching now & Im loving every second of it!!! Love all the characters. Lois & Hal are aged like fine wine such Babes!! I am only on second episode & praying a season 2 comes out lol 😆 🙏

It was alright. Felt like they were trying to cram too much in but Lois and Malcolm’s talk more than made up for the finale back in the day. I really enjoyed that. Kelly was awesome, able to tangle with Reese being the youngest shows a badass lol. Stevie… that was unexpected haha. Still, it was great seeing everyone again and having a proper send off to those who aren’t with us anymore was excellent.

Loved seeing so many cast members returning and seeing the baby siblings all grown up bringing rhay same family dynamic charm to the screen. I hope we get more but happy we got anything. Now if they could only release the dang series on blu ray or dvd for us 😤.  Also found it hilarious that dewy went from having an egg to being this like playboy over seas haha

Just binged all 4 episodes. Same vibes as the original. Absolutely loved it.

I really hope they do a full revival the 4 episodes make me want so much more what does everyone think the chances are of us getting more?

Cant wait to start watching. This weekend i'll find time for it!

It was very well done, Malcolm being mentally pent up and spinning this whole lie was just as insane and in character as I expected. It also reinforced something that's been in my head since forever, Bryan Cranston is an absolute monster of an actor, what a fuckin talent. Also I liked how well Jamie and Kelly were done, both of their personalities made sense.

It felt refreshing watching this. I had little expectations but the chemistry among the cast was still there.. praying for a continuance tbh. Has the potential to be the best in these dark tv times.

I wonder if the revival might lead to a full blown tv continuation 

Love this for them and can’t wait to watch. The original is still super funny

I’m so glad it’s good! I have three kids and I very few years we watch them again from the start. It’s soo good!!

That was beautiful! Really enjoyed it, felt wanting more but it was perfect!

I just finished it. I wished it was maybe 6-7 episodes, but it was fun to see everyone again. Such great memories and laughs watching the original series. It was also slightly depressing because I’m the same age as Malcolm/ Frankie and the rest of the core siblings and everyone looked so old with gray hair (but they looked good) and I look like I’m in my late 20’s with no gray hair. Any way my point is that it made me realize “damn I’m old now” but it a very good and fortunate way! If you’ve never seen the original series then I suggest you watch it. It hits different watching as late 30’s adult now. Great reunion series

I went in with low expectations, and came out with the high expectations I had before I heard the reviews. 

The non-binary sibling is such a good addition to the cast. They have a fun antagonism with the brothers and their big monologue in the final episode was beautiful.

I wanted more when I finished it. It felt in tune with the original.

When Bryan Cranston was all-in you knew it was gonna be good.

I liked, and Leah was a good character. But I think Dewey, Jamie, and the other daughter was kinda meh. Don't get me wrong, I know we can't get the same y2k punk vibes from the 2000's today, but somehow it felt like too much gen z for me. I don't know, maybe it's just too colorful or perfect... like a netflix show. Anyways, it was good.

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Little bummed they didn’t say anything about the closet toilet they found. Would have been so funny for all the kids to start screaming about how they had to share a bathroom

Definitely hungry for more after binging all 4 episodes. There is so much more story to tell. 

It startled a genuine loud laugh out of me several times. Genuinely really really good

I came away from the show feeling genuinely let down, which is saying a lot considering *Malcolm in the Middle* has always been my favorite comedy series of all time. Right off the bat, the most glaring issue is the push toward modern political messaging. It feels unnecessary and out of place. It’s hard to imagine this approach attracting new viewers - the show is short, slow, and not particularly engaging - and it’s even harder to believe it would resonate with longtime fans. Instead, it ends up taking away from what originally made the show so enjoyable. Certain character choices were where it really lost me. The inclusion of things like t>!he “non-binary daughter” already!< felt forced, but the direction taken >!with Stevie’s character!< stood out even more. It came across as overdone and distracting, as if multiple ideas were being stacked onto one character without much thought for coherence. On top of that, the plot itself just wasn’t compelling. Stretching such a simple story across four episodes made it drag, and it quickly became tedious. By the third episode, I was only watching out of obligation rather than interest. It simply wasn’t entertaining. The heavy reliance on nostalgia didn’t help either. Instead of feeling like a natural continuation, it felt manufactured. Bringing back old characters seemed more like a checklist than a meaningful decision. For instance, >!having Gretchen or Francis’s former military school classmates show up at Hal and Lois’s anniversary !!Another odd detail was Malcolm’s child. The character’s age didn’t seem to line up at all with the actress or the dialogue, which made it unnecessarily confusing.!< Overall, while there were a few mildly amusing moments, they were far from enough to carry the show. It ended up feeling dull, forced, and inconsistent. For me, it was a huge disappointment, and I wouldn’t recommend these new episodes. If anything, it put a dent in the nostalgia I had for the original.