Morp: Opinions and Analysis

rzombie1988

New member
Oh man was this good. This was probably one of my most favorite episodes of MITM ever. Off the top of my head maybe somewhere in the top 5 or 6-7 in my top 10.

Dewey/Jamie/Lois/Hal - this may have been the best plot. There was a ton of originality in this, and it had a great ending. This was just great, and the ending was nice too. They also added their little touches into this to make you remember that this is MITM, and not your typical tv show, as they did with the other plots.

Reese's - I liked this alot. Typical Reese, although they almost had me fooled that Reese would change. The asian girl was really cute as well. I liked this alot, although I didn't like the ending too much. I think for everything that Reese has been though, one night with that girl, and him having another girlfriend would have been fine. I don't know if it was the right ending or not though. On one hand Reese was happy, but if he went for it he may have been happier.

Malcolm's - This was really good too. I could definately identify with this plot, as I think everybody can. This showed true Malcolm, and fit his character perfectly. I really don't know what else to say about it.

Overall - 8.5 out of 10. I really want to say that maybe it was a 9 or 10, but I just can't. This was a great episode, but for me Reese not changing his character stopped it from being a 10. This was the perfect time to show us that Reeese would actually have a chance in life, but it was wasted. I know MITM thrives on being original and clever, but this proved that originality and cleverness isn't always the best. There is a reason why the same outcomes are used for different TV shows, and that's because it usually works. MITM should have remembered that. Otherwise I think it would have been perfect. This is the best episode of this season IMO, and I felt I could really connect with almost all the characters.
 

Ryebeach

Moderator
My view on this episode is somewhat different than that of rzombie1988. While I liked parts of the episode, I can't say it was one of my favorites.

Hal/Lois/Dewey/Jamie - This storyline was a nice concept but it dragged on and didn't go anywhere for too long. My interest was lost by the time the reveal came as to why Dewey had done what he did. His reasoning though was very sweet and it did redeem the episode somewhat, in my opinion. The main problem I had was that so often, it's stressed how Hal and Lois don't have a lot of extra money but the way Hal and Lois and Dewey talked, one would think they were very well off financially with everything Dewey was buying. It just seemed a little too far-fetched. I did love though how Lois aknowledged that what Dewey had done was honorable and sweet, she still dished out a very cool punishment, lol.

Malcolm - I didn't care for this storyline at all. Part of me wishes we'd seen some of the Krelboynes or at least had mention of them but to completely ignore them and introduce all these new characters was too much. Carla was funny but overall, Malcolm's storyline seemed underdeveloped. I did feel bad for him though during the scene on stage and when everyone left him at the end to go up to the prom. Maybe it's because the prom was so long ago for me, that I had trouble relating to Malcolm and how he felt. That's very possible and could be one reason that this part of the episode didn't interest me.

Reese - His storyline was my favorite. Too funny with the makeover scene and the $200 the girl paid him. It was sweet to see him almost become a different person with his kind words towards his date and also a very nice but brief exchange between Malcolm and Reese when Malcolm stated that the prom and everything about it was all phoney and Reese replied to the effect, maybe so, but good things can still come of it. Reese seemed like the adult and Malcolm the little kid in that scene. It showed a level of maturity to Reese that we saw somewhat in season 6 but haven't seen too much this season. To me though, it would have been too hard to believe that Reese could have changed so much, so fast, even though I thought that was how the episode was going to end. I think I would have been a little let-down if he hadn's shown his true colors at the end when the clock struck midnite. It reminded the audience that Reese will always be Reese and in my opinion, that's not a bad thing.
 

The Krell

New member
I agree with rzombie1988. This was my favorite episode of the season. I like when all the stories are at least tenuously related. Malcolm and Reese were at the prom/morp. Lois and Hal thought they could have some alone time with the boys out of the house, but they forgot about Dewey.

I loved the ending for the Dewey story. It was sweet but still had a Malcolm feel to it. The Malcolm story was great, too. I didn't miss the Krelboynes and liked the new characters. (It seems as if the writers kissed off the Krelboynes several seasons ago, anyway, except for Stevie.) It was so in character for Malcolm to not be able to enjoy something good, and have to mess it up somehow. And Justin was great! He really had me going that he had found someone who could bring out his good side. When he left her alone at the dance, I laughed my butt off.
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
I agree with both of you a bit, but I've got a couple of things to add. Allow me to begin by saying this was an awesome episode. It didn't have anything technically special or unique about it like Bowling, If Boys Were Girls, or Blackout, but it had that special quality to it that puts it on a par with Red Dress, Waterpark, Grandma Sues, Reese Joins the Army, and Hal's Christmas Gift (among others :)).

The Hal/Lois/Dewey plot was absolutely excellent. Like rzombie (Georgia, right?? I'm horrible with names :D) I thought that the idea was very original and well-done. I expected Dewey to head out to the arcade or otherwise use the money in a completely wasteful way. It seemed like a hilarious outtake on that at first when he forced his parents to dress up like clowns. The ending scene was indeed at an arcade, but we saw something that we've seen many a time on MITM: we saw the boys, although deprived as they are, looking out for each other. In this case, Dewey was looking out for his younger brother's future interest by throwing him a party--and having a little fun himself in the process. :D It was a very touching scene, but it maintained the MITM-esque feeling with Lois acting both humbled and extremely aggravated.

Unlike Ryebeach, I could relate to Malcolm's storyline. My prom was a couple of weeks ago and I chose not to go. I only wish I had the ingenius idea of a "Morp." I've known that's what the second-to-last eppy of MITM was to be called for some time, but I never expected it to be a play on the prom. The way Malcolm was able to organize the morp and the ultimate ending--the realization of everyone but Malcolm that they were simply people--was a great way to show how the characters have matured since we met them in sixth grade. I agree that it would have been fun to see the Krelboynes, but it really would have been rather infeasible, given that none of those actors (except Stevie) have been commissioned for a couple of years.

The Reese storyline was funny because it showed us, as Ryebeach mentioned, that Reese is Reese. I didn't see his abandonment coming, but I'm glad it did. The things that Reese does for money is hilarious.

The episode was top-notch all-around. The only problem is that there's only one episode of MITM left. I expect only the very best for Graduation.
 

tony_montana

Semper Fidelis
I agree with Rzombie this week. This was a GREAT episode of Malcolm!
I loved Hal/Lois/Dewey, and I also believe that it was the best plot of the entire episode. Although I wonder why this episode didn't get a parental discretion advisory warning because the scene of Hal/Lois in bed was pretty risque:rolleyes: , but I digress. This whole plot continues to speak toward Dewey's genius mind, and I have no problem in saying that he, in my opinion, is five times smarter than Malcolm is.:D I loved how he dragged Hal and Lois through the mud supposedly for himself(actually for Jaime, which was unexpected. This also shows Dewey cares more about his brother than Malcolm/Reese do). Now while everyone probably knows Hal is my favorite character, I think him and Lois got what was coming to them from Dewey, and I have to applaud Dewey for taking a strike against them:) . Malcolm's plot was great as well, BUT I think that this, just like many other of his plots this season, speak toward his growing stupidity. Really, think back to earlier seasons and compare it to this season, and mainly this episode. Malcolm has become somewhat of a dumbass:D . And to no ones suprise, he ends up alone in his "battle against...everyone." Reese had a fantastic plot as well, but Im with Rzombie on this one as I also agree I would have liked to see Reese stay with the girl he took to the prom. They looked great together and had chemistry. When he was about to kiss her, my heart almost stopped because we have never seen Reese kiss a girl on screen(not to my knowledge,anyway). But, Reese being Reese, he turns the whole thing into a business and leaves her to go seek out other customers:rolleyes: . Like I said, that's the only part I didn't like. I just want to see Reese with a woman or something before the show ends(which I hate to mention this, but the next new episode is the last:mad: ). Anyway, a great episode!
Now the verdict:
Hal/Lois/Dewey-10/10 VERY original plot, one of Dewey's best!
Reese-9/10 Great plot, but took off half a point because I wanted to see him stay with that girl.
Malcolm-9/10 A good plot but I kinda miss the sly Malcolm who came up with great plans and such.
OVERALL-9/10! Great season seven episode!

Well, I hate to say it, but May 14, here we come....
 

PBUNDY

New member
This was an excellent episode of Malcolm in the Middle! Every storyline was brilliant in its own unique way. My favorite storyline was definately the Hal, Lois, and Dewey one. It was so original. I love how Hal was so obsessed with having sex with Lois that he just gave his entire wallet to Dewey. I also thought it was great when the workers at the drive-through restaurant called Hal and Lois "sex maniacs". Did anyone else find it hilarious that when everyone left the "Morp" Malcolm was stuck with the guy who just wanted to be naked? Overall, this episode is definately in my top ten of all the Malcolm in the Middle episodes.
 

ReMoss85

New member
Who here noticed the picture of Dewey having a great time at sea world? If it was on purpose, that's one of the best examples of continuity in some time.
 
ReMoss what did you mean with:continuity in some time?????????
Do you realy think that they will continued some day????????????
IT would be great!!!!!!
 

simon_4420

New member
Not much to say about this episode that hasn't already been said!:D It was great!

Ohh and we kind of got a hint to the location (even though its pretty much been decided that we are not ment to know), Reese's date mentioned that they could go down to the beach, so they must be in a coastal location.....
 

Kratos

New member
ReMoss85 said:
Who here noticed the picture of Dewey having a great time at sea world? If it was on purpose, that's one of the best examples of continuity in some time.


I thought that was the picture they used from "Reese Joins the Army part 2" When Hal proves with pictures he was at Sea world on the Friday he was supposed to have done something illegal. :D



Hal/Lois/Dewey/Jamie plot was great, very nice ending. Awwwww.

Malcolm's was sort of boring and predictable, and Reese's was intresting, I liked how he had his early look back with the hair etc. (It doesnt suit him at all now tho :p )


Some great quotes pity the main site is still out dated and we cant add them. :(
 

ReMoss85

New member
Kratos said:
I thought that was the picture they used from "Reese Joins the Army part 2" When Hal proves with pictures he was at Sea world on the Friday he was supposed to have done something illegal. :D
It's interesting how in that episode, it was used as proof that Hal was at Sea World, but in this episode, Hal himself said it couldn't be proved that it wasn't Dewey in the picture because it was so blurry. They should have chosen to bring back a different picture from a past episode that could be more believably blurry. But it's the thought that counts.
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
To the person who was wondering what Remoss meant by his quote, continuity means episodes agree with status quos established by previous episodes, not that he thinks the show will be brought back in the future. But welcome. :D
 

Wildcat

Retired Moderator
I agree with most of you. This was an awesome episode. The Morp was a great idea. I can attest to the fact that prom is definitely not all it’s cracked up to be. :D It's a shame that the Morp didn't work out as planned. It just goes to show that even though some people say they don't care if they fit in or not, they really do care and will jump at the first opportunity to be socially accepted. It's good that Malcolm stuck to his plan and didn't cave like the rest of them and go to the prom, but it's also bad in a way because maybe if he wasn't so angry and bitter he would find that he really could enjoy his last few weeks of high school. He wouldn't be Malcolm if he wasn't angry and bitter though. :D Like Ryebeach mentioned, my only complaint is the introduction of all the new characters. It would have been the perfect opportunity to have a few of the actors who played the Krelboynes come back one last time for a reunion of sorts.

Reese’s plot was great too. I have to admit that he had me totally fooled. I thought he had really changed. I was a little disappointed to see that it was all just an act. Janine seemed pretty nice (after the initial rough start) and I thought that it would be a good ending for him to end up with a real girlfriend that cared about him--as she apparently began to do as the night progressed. As others have pointed out though, I suppose it would be out of character for him if his actions had been genuine. I guess now we can add acting to his list of talents. :D

I really enjoyed Dewey’s storyline as well. He never ceases to amaze me with his clever schemes. It got a bit tiresome seeing Lois and Hal driving around, but Dewey’s idea of sending them on a crazy scavenger hunt as payback was genius. And the ending totally made up for the parts that dragged a bit. I always love to see the boys stand up for each other. As much as they fight, they always manage to do something to show how much they care for each other when you least expect it. That’s one of the things that makes MITM so great.

simon_4420 said:
Ohh and we kind of got a hint to the location (even though its pretty much been decided that we are not ment to know), Reese's date mentioned that they could go down to the beach, so they must be in a coastal location.....

Good observation simon. That didn't even register with me. That pretty much narrows it down to somewhere in California, which is what many people suspected anyway. Of course, one could always argue that lakes have "beaches" also. :D
 

tony_montana

Semper Fidelis
I think Dewey is the only one who cares about Jaime. Do you think Malcolm or Reese would go through all of that just to get Hal and Lois to remember Jaime's birthday? Probably not.
I also think it's kinda personal for Dewey because, if you look at every episode of Malcolm where it's Dewey's birthday, Hal and Lois ALWAYS forget about it!:rolleyes: He just doesn't want that to happen to Jaime.
 

cranstonfan

New member
It's nice when the best is saved for last, and if this second-last outing of Malcolm In The Middle is any indication of the potential superlative we can anticipate in the series finale, then great. While the title was announced a few months back on an online episode list, the undefined term "Morp" raised a few eyebrows, though they are now permitted to relax.

With Graduation just around the corner, Malcolm and Reese each deal with the senior Prom in their own way. Reese is approached by Jeanie, an overachieving Asian student who wishes to put the books aside just long enough to experience a high school social function, and since Reese obviously has no current plans to attend, she condescendingly bribes him into being her Prom date. The catch is, he must first undergo a cosmetic makeover, replete with some pedantic manners training.

Whatever classiness he attained in last season's "Ms. Tri-County" closer have apparently not been retained, although Jeanie's frequent spray-bottle penalties (a rather cruel and dated form of corporal punishment) quickly whip him into shape. And at the Prom, the well-groomed and cordial Reese is a charmer, not only sweeping Jeanie off her feet, but even garnering some rare respect from a few classmates. Just as she is ready to commit to a serious relationship with him, Reese's watch beeps--it's midnight. He's off the clock. She can only watch in disbelief as he casually ditches her and the whole affair to go off and do whatever he normally does on a Saturday night, perhaps pushing shopping carts into the reservoir.

Malcolm, disgusted by what he sees as "phonies" who use the Prom to lord their popularity over social outcasts (as he views himself), conspires with a few other "progressive" types to stage an alternative party--a "Morp" (that's "Prom" spelled backwards, by the way) in the basement below where the official event will be going on. A handfull of self-important scamps sign on for his little endeavor, and at first their low-key event seems to be going rather nicely. But Malcolm is disappointed that he can't rub derision in the faces of the Prom-goers, so he busts into 'A Night To Cherish' upstairs, grabs the DJ's microphone and delivers a haughty speech which only further makes him a laughingstock.

But the ultimate nail in his coffin comes later, when a group of Prom-goers come down to the basement and, via sincerity and objective reasoning, manage to bond with a few Morp-sters....then insisting that they all join them upstairs for the Prom. Malcolm is left railing to his erstwhile comrades about their torment at the hands of those they have now joined, except that his own words convict him as merely railing about his own personal grievances. While Frankie Muniz delivers a strong performance here, it does cement Malcolm in a decidedly unlikeable light. But it's funny all the same, and it wouldn't be the first time the character's hubris achieved such obnoxiousness. That's perhaps why, although the title character, Malcolm has become the fussy sidebar figure through whom much of the story is told. He is often the series' See-Threepio, if you will.

Now for the gem of the episode: the Dewey/Hal/Lois tale, with a smattering of Jamie thrown in at the end. Dewey has been perusing family scrapbooks and has discovered that there are no pictures of him as a baby or growing up. He brings this to the attention of Hal and Lois, but instead of sympathy he only receives guilt-tinged derision. Eventually Hal schemes to create a display of old "Dewey" art works to appease his fourth-born, although the lad quickly identifies them as forgeries and stands his self-righteous ground. But the kicker comes when a randy Hal comes home from work on prom night, ready to "get it on" with Lois and forgetting that, while Reese and Malcolm are away, Dewey is still hanging around. In a testosterone-driven panic, a nude Hal hastily gives Dewey his own wallet (complete with cash and credit cards) if the lad will just disappear for a couple of hours. Dewey accepts, a much more cunning plan forming inside his head, while Hal and Lois get to the business at hand.

After they're spent, they intercept an answering-machine message from Dewey, telling them where they can redeem Hal's wallet, to include his credit cards and depleting cash. Hal and Lois take off in the family minivan we all know and love since the first season for an elaborate scavenger hunt. Each rendezvous point contains a new piece from the wallet, a new party item for the soiree Dewey seems to have planned for them, plus a clue for the next rendezvous point. Along the way, Hal and Lois endure belittling treatment by Dewey's "minions," as Hal calls them, whom the boy has briefed as per his situation.

But once they arrive at the final destination--a Chuck E. Cheese-type establishment which runs after-hours engagements if paid for with a credit card, like Hal's--they find Dewey, who also has Jamie with him. The whole operation, he explains, was to afford Jamie a decent party, the type of which Dewey has apparently never had. Maybe a "Morp" of his own, if you think about it. Hal and Lois are genuinely touched by the altruistic nature of Dewey's gambit....though, of course, he's still going to be in a lot of trouble for his monkeyshines.

Well-written and directed at every turn, this is the kind of episode that should remind us why Malcolm In The Middle is one of the first great 21st Century American sitcoms to grace our screens. We've got one more coming before it's all just a happy memory, so let's hope it counts. In the meantime, if you're looking for 'A Night To Cherish,' take your high school sweetheart by the hand and extend a hearty invitation to the "Morp."

Reprinted from my original review at http://malcolminthemiddle.tktv.net/Episodes7/synop/21.html
 

simon_4420

New member
ReMoss85 said:
It's interesting how in that episode, it was used as proof that Hal was at Sea World, but in this episode, Hal himself said it couldn't be proved that it wasn't Dewey in the picture because it was so blurry. They should have chosen to bring back a different picture from a past episode that could be more believably blurry. But it's the thought that counts.

When I watched "Reese Joins the Army part 2", I got the impression that Hal was blowing of Fridays on his own. So I'm kind of left thinking that the picture used in Morp wasn't for continuity purposes... Just my personal opinion though..
 

Wildcat

Retired Moderator
simon_4420 said:
When I watched "Reese Joins the Army part 2", I got the impression that Hal was blowing of Fridays on his own. So I'm kind of left thinking that the picture used in Morp wasn't for continuity purposes... Just my personal opinion though..

That's the impression that I got too. I don't think the family was even aware of him blowing off every Friday until that episode. The pic of Dewey must have been from another trip to Sea World where the whole family went.
 

Malcoholic

New member
In the next-to-last episode, the writers chose to focus on what has been, rather than on what is to come. The boys are all portrayed in the grip of the miseries that have plagued them over the past seven seasons. Any happily-everaftering will have to wait til the last episode.

Malcolm's farewell to the life of a high school student has been split into the two events that mark the end of that stage of a kid's life: the senior prom in this episode, and graduation in the next. The prom sums up everything Malcolm is horrible at--socializing with ordinary kids. Graduation is the crowning event of what he's great at--academics. He will no doubt graduate summa-cum-superlaude, assuming that exists! But here he gets an "F" in social adjustment. He is a misfit among misfits, and ends up getting dumped by the outcasts. The other outcasts jump at the chance to be accepted by the in-crowd, but Malcolm's arrogance is of a higher order. He's no ordinary nerd, but a one-in-a-million genius. He doesn't need acceptance by the crowd upstairs. Ahead lies Harvard's nuclear biology program, where he'll have nothing but fellow geniuses to mix with. He can afford to be arrogant.

Equally arrogant is the other future Ivy Leaguer, Jeanie (headed for Brown). In a cleverly crafted emotional tease, Reese agrees to be rented as her male escort, and then the story throws all kinds of false hints about a growing emotional bond between them. Only at the very end do we learn that Reese saw the date purely as the launch of a male escort business: "If I'm going to make a career of this, I've got to satisfy my customers, and I think I did! Tell your friends!" The story is remarkable for its sentimental ambiguity. Reese is a callous jerk--sort of; on the other hand, he gave Jeanie exactly what she paid him $200 to do--create the illusion that she was on a dream date with the dream guy. Jeanie is a stuck-up, insensitive prima donna who literally treats Reese like a dog--using dog-training techniques on him, like spraying him on the face to modify his boorish behavior. But she's also the only gal with any brains who has ever felt an attraction for Reese. The viewers' feelings are totally mixed, and mixed feelings about its characters is one of the hallmarks of this show.

The latest, and presumably last reworking of Dewey's obsessive resentment at being neglected has an air of finality about it. The attention-getting ploy is more extreme than ever, and has an overtone of resignation about it ("it's too late for my childhood"). It also puts an end to any notion that Lois can be shamed about her child-rearing shortcomings. She makes clearer than ever before that in her eyes, being neglected goes with the territory of being the fourth child in a hopelessly overstretched household: "You were the fourth child! By the time you came around, this house was in a state of complete chaos! The only sleep I got was when I'd nod off on the way to work!" The semi-sweet, semi-hardnosed ending leaves ambiguous the question of whether Lois will be more nurturing toward Jamie. We'll never know.
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
Malcoholic said:
He doesn't need acceptance by the crowd upstairs.

He needs acceptance--when it's offered, he can't accept the acceptance. That's been Malcolm's problem since we met him. He wants to be accepted and liked by everyone and he cares immensely about everyone's feelings--but people telling him that he's decent isn't good enough--they have to geniunely demonstrate it to him. Block Party shows his frustration with life quite well; as does Zoo. What Malcolm needs to learn is that some people dislike other people and that doesn't make him a bad person.
 
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