My Lengthy Goodbye to a Very Important Show In My Life

Today, in this very long and drawn out post, (that I must apologize for now) I’m going to try a sort of… Therapy. Today, I am going to say goodbye to a show that I have known for only about a month, and yet I feel has changed my life in a profound way.

It all started, as I said, about a month ago. You see, it’s the summer before my junior year right now and I’m ready for my second to last year of school before I go off into the real world, with all its harsh realities. So like any teen that should be doing everything he can to prepare for this huge, life-altering event coming real soon, I was sitting on the couch watching T.V. And that’s when it happened.

On a late night, after a favorite show on a favorite channel, opening credits began to roll on a new show I had never seen before, but had heard a lot about. The show, as you probably could have guessed by now, was Malcolm in the Middle. And from the moment the 90’s, nostalgia-inducing music rang through the speakers of my tired old T.V set, I fell in love. I was instantly drawn back to my childhood.

As I watched, transfixed at the cheesy, yet witty show, giggling incessantly, I was drawn back to the familiar sounds and sights of yester-year: The feel of the wind on my skin as I flew down the street on my bike and the responsibility-free life that we all once led.

At once I threw myself into the show. With google at my side I found a site streaming every episode for free, and for that week it consumed my life. And between that and the reruns on T.V that were airing, I soon found that I was at the very end of season 3. I cannot to begin to count the laughing fits that ensued thanks to the sharp dialogue, and wonderful acting.

And it was at this point, that I began to feel depressed. See, I had a wonderful childhood. I was loved unconditionally in a safe and caring environment. The problem was, my parents were a little overprotective, to say the least. And I was the only-child, on top of that. As a result, I was never left out of my parent’s sight. I was never allowed to play with the “rough” boys down the street, or be left on my own for just a little while, to let curiosity take over and learn a little by doing, instead of listening. And because of this I feel that I may have missed out on some important early life experiences. I don’t want to make this sound like my childhood was ruined by my parent’s constant and often unfounded fear for my life, but being a resourceful and trustworthy child for most of it, I do feel that I could have been given more freedom to explore and learn for myself.

And that what made me so depressed while watching this wonderful, enthralling show. Malcolm in the Middle reminded me constantly of my lack of a real childhood. I now know that it’s an important part of a child’s life to take chances and make their own mistakes, to get in trouble once in awhile. I mean, obviously Malcolm in the Middle is an idealized and trivial version of this, and I am in no way advocating children should get into half the trouble or shenanigans these kids managed to get themselves into, but I believe you can understand what I’m trying to say.

And it was for this reason that I really related to Malcolm, and his stress to try and fit in where he knew he didn’t belong: everywhere. School, society, and even his own family were places that he constantly had to tread lightly, because his brain, with its new and unfamiliar territory to everyone around him constantly succeeded in alienating him from those very people.

So now, (about two days ago) caught in a state of perpetual grieving for a childhood I never had, I made a mistake: I decided to watch the series finale. After feeling the intense pain of a new love blossoming and dying in the short span of less than a month, I know now I should have waited to finish the rest of the series before watching it. And around the scene where Lois reveals her true plans for Malcolm’s future, I lost it and started to bawl.

I bawled for the end of this brief delusion of a second childhood I got from this magnificent show. I bawled for the realization that I could never go back to those care-free days of adolescence. I cried and cried to know that it now was too late to raise a little havoc and get in a little trouble for once. In short, I mourned for the ending of a chance for a do-over.

So now, I’m just trying to deal with this newfound realization. Trying to soak in the last few glorious days of summer I have left. Trying to deal with picking a career and getting into that perfect college. I’m trying to get over one of the most moving T.V shows I have ever seen…


I guess I’m just trying to live life after Malcolm…
 

zachman93

New member
Very touching post, and I have to say that I can relate personally to it (to a degree) concerning my own experience with MitM.

Do yourself a favor, though, and watch the rest of the series and THEN the finale over again. You will be glad you did.
 

tjpeople

Site Administrator
Staff member
Welcome Nostalgia Sufferer We've have had a few long first posts but I think yours may just be the best. Very heart felt and I you're not alone. I know of many people who have had similar experiences relating to the show.
 

MITM_Fan

Member
It's better having overprotecting parents than some which don't care about their sons/daughters at all.

But sometimes over-protection is just too much, meaning, they will take you away from the things you most like or love, they think it's the best for you but instead they're just ruining you.

Well see this, I wasn't allowed to talk to a girl which was about 15-16 and at that time I was 18 years old, thus they told me to forget her. This was 2-3 years ago.

For gods sake, I would never harm her or anyone.

This can really piss you off, but it's better to just walk away. :s

I believe that I'd be better for her than some teen wasted on alcohol/drugs or etc. The time will eventually come and I'll meet my soul-mate.
 

Dew_Fan

New member
My simi-lengthy post to your thread, and I have to say, Wow.

I have to say that this is the one post that actually made me tear up a bit. This show took me back to those care free days of getting in trouble with your older siblings, of having no responsibility about anyone else but yourself (and even then your parents took most of that)

I agree that kids need to make mistakes in their own lives instead of being told that something is the wrong thing to do, I think that they learn better from their own mistakes then the ones their parents made.

Its hard to see the show move on but I do enjoy the fact that I get to see the cast move on and do other roles in other films, it is nice to see someone like Eric Per Sullivan go from playing Dewey, to a much more dramatic role in the movie MO.

I know that MITM will always be a show that I will hold dear to my heart as I am growing up, and hopefully when I have kids they will kinda like the MITM boys, not quite as bad but still wanting to adventure.
 
Top