Reese vs. Stevie Reaction and Analysis

wando

New member
hi all,
im not going to bore you with my opinions on the ep, it was good.
i just had to say my favorite part of the ep was dewey drinking coffee, and hal smoking, and lois comes in and asks hal what is he doing, and he said dewey is drinking coffee! that part just cracked me up with laughter, i dont know about anyone else.
 

Emrysgirl

New member
I finished my post above (EDIT: on the previous page) :).

CJman327 said:
Give it some good rating, Admin, please!
biggrin.gif
Someone might have pointed this out already, but David doesn't give the ratings, they're based on votes.

yardgames said:
Hal and Dewey playing catch in their pajamas in the middle of the night! That was hilarious!
That WAS hilarious! It was more the premise than the rest of the plot that bugged me. For the first min or so while I was watching it (b/c I'd missed the first part), I assumed that Dewey had started smoking just in order to make Hal get rid of the cigarettes and then accidentely gotten addicted. That would have been much more Dewey like and would have made a much better plot. This is the kind of thing I meant when I said the writers kept missing oppurtunities.

yardgames said:
Since it's still (sometimes) told in Malcolm's perspective, the title often reflects Malcolm's role in the ep.
I can think of a couple of exceptions right of the bat: Ida's Dance, Motivational Speaker.

yardgames said:
It probably also has to do with how clever a title they can come up with.
That's true. That's probably it.
 

Malcoholic

New member
I found this episode more dramatic than funny. The characters' motivations of the two main stories were entirely realistic and essentially serious:
--It's practically unavoidable that Reese would be jealous of Stevie, because Stevie's intelligence has created a bond between Malcolm and Stevie that Reese can't share in. What's striking in this story is the contrast between the absurdity of Reese's behavior and the realism of his motivation. The "tables-turning" part of the story was a clever piece of writing.
--Dewey has always had an addictive tendency. As early as Season One in "Bots and Bees" he drank himself delirious on dozens of cans of orange soda. In many subsequent episodes he's been shown with an addictive craving for the sugar high he gets from gorging on candy; in "Company Picnic" his candy binge again made him delirious. A transfer of the addiction to tobacco in early adolescence is practically assured. The treatment here takes a "like-father-like-son" aspect and hints that Dewey got his addictive tendency from Hal. It's also characteristic of Dewey's friendless isolation that he took up cigarette smoking in solitude, rather than in the manner typical of early teenage boys--sneaking smokes in some alley with his pals.

Unlike the two previous episodes, this one had some dead spots. Lois's rambling monologues were a drawn-out joke that took forever to get to the punchline.
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
You make some valid and interesting posts. I never thought about that with Dewey before, thanks for bringing it up. My only complaint is that you don't post enough--we need more of your excellent thoughts! :D
 

Dabney

Deutscher Moderator
In my opinion this was the best episode of the new season so far. I really laughed my butt off. I don't know, but those random episodes are my favorite ones, I can rewatch them again and again.
I especially liked the scene when Hal told Dewey that he french kissed Lois in order to get some coffee taste off her teeth :D . It was a bit like when he told Malcolm that he wanted to have sex with lois for a last time in Reese joins the army.
All in all, perfect episode, a can't wait for the next one.
 

Dewey

Minimalistic
Review: 7.03 - "Dewey Smokes"

Reading this should take no longer than the amount of time it takes Dewey to smoke two cigarettes. To read more reviews, be sure to check out: http://deweysreviews.blogspot.com/

"Dewey Smokes"
DEWEY NYMAN - October 25, 2005

There is a scene that is metaphoric in outlining the theme of this episode. Young Dewey is lying awake in bed with a sense of apprehension. His head on his “Herbie” pillowcase he still has after these years despite the fact he has clearly outgrown any interest in what it features. Colourful, this piece of bed-linen is themed around a toy he begged and screamed for back in the first season, yet right now it is used as platform for the young teenager to feel adverse cravings for nicotine. The use of Dewey’s pillowcase is not only a means of connecting past and present but also to suggest that Dewey is making a paradigm shift as he enters adolescence yet his environment, in the linear domestic sense has remained virtually unchanged.

In the latest episode of “Malcolm” young Dewey is caught smoking by over zealous dad whom agrees to give up coffee to help his son overcome his addiction to cigarettes.

Malcolm’s younger sibling has traditionally been level-headed and seen to be doing the right thing, to a point he is even an aspiration amongst the show’s young audience. We are provided with a new perspective; one of a loss of innocence when we see that this figure of near perfection can (like the rest of us) be led astray.

It can be an initial shock to the system to envisage the smoking Dewey as the same person he was back when the show started, for the character was introduced to us at such a young age and has changed so much over the years. Knowing he smokes, we cease to picture Dewey as cute and adorable to which he was synonymous in the early seasons. This is a naturalistic move on the writer’s part in that people do change significantly when we make the transition from childhood to teenage years. He has been moved forward in life and not remained stuck in the past acting the same, which is a classic mistake other shows frequently make with their youngest cast members. Reading this, can you honestly say your personality has remained unchanged after six years?

Although everyone grows up, we don’t all become smokers. I want to examine the likelihood that Dewey; an iconic youth of television culture would succumb to the attractions such a ruinous habit.

He has always possessed an inquisitive mind so it is possible that he may have once experimented with one of Hal’s stashed cigarettes, thus leading to an addiction taking place. Consider also that both of his parents once smoked and children of smokers are more likely to become smoke themselves in adult life; together with the fact that Dewey does not really have much happening in his life. Not many friends to speak of. Okay, he has classmates in his “special class” so he is not the ultimate loner, but these are more associates rather than people his age, to whom he has formed decent relationships of familiarity.

Dewey is also one that lives a sole existence for the most part, especially in the domestic arena. Most accomplishments, such as musical ability, he achieves on his own, despite a lack of physical freedom in his small home. The kid doesn’t even have his own bed, yet seldom complains about anything. He is certainly not a spoilt child. In fact he is the polar opposite. We could even go as far to say he lacks enthusiasm in certain aspects of life. So, if we are to consider his hyperactive family and lifestyle, it would not be far fetched to assume that a break in character would be inevitable.

One thing that is not clear in this episode is the amount of time at which Dewey has been a smoker, and how exactly his addiction came to manifest itself. Two packs a day is excessive by anyone’s standards, and this doesn’t just happen overnight. For all we know, Dewey could have been smoking since the fifth season. If we look at past scenarios, he has spent a considerable amount of time alone in the garage. Would it be far fetched to have stumbled upon Hal’s stash before now?

It would be interesting to see if Dewey is still smoking in future episodes, as such the strong habit of smoking is generally a difficult addiction to overcome. One cannot just stop in the short term. It is not only irresponsible parenting on Hal’s part that sparked Dewey’s smoking, but from the episode it is fair to say that the parent’s attempts would have failed. In the last scene between the pair, Hal is not exactly offering words of discouragement against smoking. Much the opposite; he is speaking of the crisp taste and glamorous aesthetic lifestyle associations to cigarette consumption as a means of getting even for Dewey drinking coffee. Albeit after this recent instalment, there will no longer be hoards of cigarettes for Dewey to access, but that sense of craving and nicotine withdrawal must still be inside his mind.

To comment on the production of the episode, it is clear to see that the creators are playing it safe. Despite covering subject matter of a controversial nature, we don’t see anything that is likely to cause offence. This is not a Larry Clark production, so we never actually see Dewey smoking, nor do we see him with a lit cigarette in his hands. Besides the dialogue, the production team are using a technique that conveys a suggestive and speculative visual message of Dewey smoking: We see a discarded lit cigarette on the floor of a garage Dewey is inside, we see him emerge from a crawlspace from which smoke was escaping only seconds before, and we see young Dewey come close to lighting a cigarette before being interrupted by Hal; but nothing we see comes remotely close to crossing any boundaries.

I finally want to highlight an ethical dilemma that comes attached with the controversial subject matter. Could the episode actually inadvertently promote smoking amongst the young audience? Is it possible that by illustrating Dewey smoke, it has watered down the issue and made the activity seemingly more normal, and is therefore a pastime that is becoming more conventional throughout youth society? I have already mentioned above that in the past, Dewey has been a character that is right-thinking to the point he can even be admired. Could young audience members, whom may not fully grasp the true impacts of smoking, wish to imitate their youth icon?

To counter this argument, Dewey smoking was never used as a means of achieving something positive for the youngster. He doesn’t gain academic or social success as a result of his habit, nor is he viewed upon in positive light. Indeed the episode illustrates the negative impacts of smoking such as heavy coughing as a result of effecting the lungs, tired eyes and fatigue, and withdrawal symptoms which make the usually calm, friendly, well mannered and approachable Dewey, an irritable and hostile figure that is best avoided. Smoking is bad for us, and despite Hal’s words promoting the activity in an attempt to get back at his son’s coffee consumption, I am sure viewers will still recognise this by looking beyond the comedy, and be able to recognise for themselves the negative implications.

ENDS - 1215 words
 

Wildcat

Retired Moderator
That was an outstanding review, Dewey! It was a very deep and insightful look into Dewey's character and the possible reasons behind his addiction. I really enjoyed reading it!
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
You know, I thought that it was rather peculiar that Dewey was smoking, but you guys really have convinced me that maybe it's not so odd after all. Darren (or Dewey, as he apparently prefers to be called when writing analyses) really hit the nail on the heat in this analysis and I pretty much agree with everything he said. One very good point he brought up is that, although there's a new production team in place this year that's bringing new life to the series, you can certainly still tell the difference beween this season and previous seasons. I don't think Linwood would have wanted to do the episode if we didn't see Dewey actually smoking (he would have thought of some fancy camera trick or something so Erik didn't actually have to do it.) It seems to me that the show is still covering controversial issues, but in less of a controversial fight. Darren, I'm curious about your thoughts on the Reese/Stevie plot; did that seem, to you, to be out of character for Reese based on his developments last year?
 

Dewey

Minimalistic
Samboo, you are very welcome to disagree with what i wrote. I was just using an idea from Jeffrey Schaler Phd. He claims that parents are our role models, and as children we are often inclined to imitate what they do, as we assume that they are always right thinking. [Source: Schaler, J. (2000), Addiction is a Choice, Illinois: Open Court Books.] I know its not any excuse for cause of smoking, but it is a factor, and in Dewey's case is one of many factors that together have influenced his addiction.

@Yardgames - I found it hard to engage with the plot of Reese and Stevie. Not only was it out of character on the part of Reese, but the "super-human" Stevie seemed rather far-fetched.

This is only my opinion, so its a matter of perspective. It could even be considered a good thing, that "Malcolm" are able to create something for everyone, but this plot wasn't for me. On second viewing of this episode, I even skipped these scenes to look deeper at the scenes with Dewey and Hal.

@Wildcat - thanks for your kind words. I am glad you enjoyed reading it - as I enjoy writing. My intention is to write a review for all future "Malcolm" episodes.
 

Malcoholic

New member
The key to making sense of the Reese/Stevie/Malcolm story lies in the dialogue between Reese and Malcolm prior to the Robo-Stevie break-in. I quoted this in the Voting Community page. I'll repeat the quote of the "meaty" part here:

Reese: "You and Stevie are going to be friends your whole life, but once you go to college and you're not stuck with us, we are never going to see each other again. But even so, you're spending the rest of the time left with Stevie, instead of ..."
[Embarrassed silence--resumes doing pushups]
Malcolm, muttering: "Do I have to tell you I love you?"
Reese: "No."
Malcolm: "Good. Dude, like you said, we're brothers. It doesn't matter if I don't want to be here. I'm stuck here. No matter where I go or what I do, we're always going to be forced together: Christmas, birthdays--we're going to be forced to be around each other for the rest of our lives."

Several on-going themes are tied together in this exchange:

--The male taboo against talking about feelings toward other males--Reese can't bring himself to finishing the sentence "instead of..." This leads to bottled-up resentments that get pent up until they reach the breaking point, as they did in Reese's first scene with Stevie.

--The anxiety Reese feels about coming adulthood. This has surfaced in several other episodes since season six, leading Reese, for example, to deliberately fail his senior-year tests. Reese's boyhood has been so wasted that he is terrfied of the future, and as that future looms near his stress increases. What triggers his anxiety in this instance is the realization that Malcolm is about to leave for college. He will not only lose a brother he counts on to do the thinking for him, but also his only peer. Reese has no friends. Malcolm is his only companion. Without him, Reese's isolation will be complete. That's why he's so rankled that Malcolm is spending "the rest of the time left" not with him but with Stevie.

--Reese's lack of self-esteem. This scene is in an updated sequel to the self-loathing scene in "Experiment": "Stupid...stupid...stupid. I hate you...I hate you... ... ... And then I worked on my triceps." He is so convinced of his own worthlessness that he assumes Malcolm will never see him again after he goes off to college.

With all these anxieties lurking in Reese's mind, Stevie insults him. It's the spark that sets off the explosion of rage. Stevie is smart, he has Malcolm's respect, he has a bright future, he's going to be Malcolm's friend forever because Stevie is worth having as a friend, while Reese is about to be discarded as worthless. The combination of all these unbearable stresses pushes him to do the unthinkable; he's going to punish Stevie for being everything Reese is not and for continually rubbing it in his face with impunity.

Malcolm's response is as unsentimental and bleakly realistic as any expression of brotherly love can be: "I'm stuck with you." He makes the question of whether Reese is worthless, whether there is anything in him worth loving, irrelevant. They're brothers, that's all that matters. The same idea was expressed much more sentimentally at the end of "Grandma Sues." The boys just found out Lois was going to have another baby and they were outraged, complaining bitterly about how they couldn't possibly share their meager resources with yet another kid. Then one of them inadvertently referred to the new baby as "brother," and the scene was suddenly transformed, as if the word had a magic power. They assured Lois that they would make whatever sacrifices were needed for the new baby. This idea that the family sticks together no matter how horrible they may be to each other is a theme that underlies the whole series and is in fact the real theme of the Reese vs Stevie story.
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
You're right, although the Wilkersons are referred to as being "dysfunctional" when push to comes to shove, they stick together.

Personally, I don't see Stevie as such a great person; I mean, he seems himself as such a big-shot and he's always rubbing it in Malcolm's face that his mother left him and he's in a wheelchair. Not that that's good or anything, but somehow that makes Stevie immune to all? I don't know, I guess everyone got what they deserved in this episode.
 

Wildcat

Retired Moderator
Nice Analysis Malcoholic! I think you really pegged Reese right. I agree, the whole pupose of the plot was to set up the dialogue between Malcolm and Reese at the end. I hadn't thought about it before, but you're right, once Malcolm leaves Reese is going to loose his only "friend." He still has Dewey and Jamie, of course, but he'll never be as close to them as he his to Malcolm due to the age difference. I'm sure he's terrified of being left alone. We'll probably see him go back to his bullying ways more a lot more this season than last because that's the only way he knows how to cope with difficult situations. I feel bad for him. :(

Yardgames--i don't really like Stevie that much either. You're right, he seems to think that he can do and say whatever he wants because of his disability and the fact that his mom walked out. I'm sure those things are very hard to deal with, but he shouldn't take it out on the people around him. But Malcolm has said some pretty mean things to him in the past too (this episode being a good example.)
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
Oh, by no means is Malcolm perfect and I'm not denouncing the time that Stevie saved his life, but I think we've seen the genuinely good side of Malcolm statistically more than Stevie. (I say statistically because we simply don't see Stevie as much, good or bad.)
 
Top